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God, how he wished his dad was still hale and hearty. That Walker could talk to him as an equal, tell him exactly what he thought of him and his fucked-up parenting. Hell, he wished they could face each other as men and work it out with their damn fists, but if there’d been a moment where they’d been exactly equal in strength and stamina and brain power, Walker had missed it.
He checked in with the doctor and called his brother just as he’d promised himself he would.
“It was only temporary,” he explained when Micah panicked. “He got agitated, and his blood pressure and respiration shot through the roof. But he’s fine now. Or back to the way he was anyway.”
“Are you sure? Do I need to be there? I should be there.”
“He’s fine. He’ll be back in his room tomorrow.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes, I saw him. And I spoke to the doctor.”
Micah sighed. “Okay. If you’re sure. But I’ll try to swing through sooner rather than later.”
“Good. And plan to spend the night.”
“If I can. Thanks for taking care of him, Walk.”
Walker hung up without responding.
For the millionth time in his life, Walker was damn glad his brother was around. Without him, Walker wouldn’t have had a reason to try for better. He wouldn’t have had anything to get him through childhood except anger. He would’ve just been a miserable, mean fuck like his dad, with no one in his life who needed more than that.
But Micah...Micah had given him a reason to be a man.
Still, Micah didn’t need him anymore. He had a career, a home, a husband. Their dad would be dead soon, and nothing else would hold Micah here. His life was somewhere else.
Walker slid behind the wheel of his truck, but he only sat there, staring at the dash. He’d felt that, when they’d sold the ranch. Micah had wanted him to keep it. Walker had pretended he didn’t want the memories, but that wasn’t it. He couldn’t run a ranch. Not even a small one. There were grazing contracts and water rights to be worked out. Profits and losses to track. Transportation arrangements. Orders to complete. He’d most likely have to hire a hand or two, at least during calving season. That was all kinds of paperwork he’d never even heard of.
Walker couldn’t do it, so they’d sold the land, and it had really been his only chance at something different. Everybody moved on. Walker wouldn’t.
He started home, feeling so pulled in two directions, he could feel it in his chest. His heart beat hard. He wanted to not see anyone for days, yet he was fighting the urge to head out and party. Live it up. Flirt. Get in another fight. It had felt good to break that bastard’s nose the other night. The guy had deserved it. Lots of people did.
Yet, as he pulled onto his street, the first thing that entered his mind was that he wanted to see Charlie. Screw everyone else. And screw being alone. She’d snuck out and made him feel like crap, and all he wanted was to sink back into her again. To lose himself. He wanted her hands and her mouth and her laugh. And if she snuck out in the morning without a word, he’d want her again. And again.
She’d blown his mind last night. Inviting him to be rough. Demanding it, even. Nothing could’ve kept him from obliging. In that moment, everything in him had wanted it. For her. For him. Shit, she was under his skin already, and he was pissed as hell about it, but he still felt a shock wave of disappointment when he saw that her windows were dark.
But as he got out of his truck, his disappointment stuttered into surprise and a wicked grin spread over his face. Charlie’s lights weren’t on...but his were. She was in his place. Waiting for him. Maybe naked. In fact, maybe she’d stripped down and gotten into his bed to wait for him, and then the long night had caught up with her and she’d fallen asleep, and now she was curled up, cozy and warm and gorgeous in his sheets, and he could take off his clothes so quietly she wouldn’t even notice until he slipped into bed and started touching her...
Yeah. That would be good.
But he’d take just naked.
Walker hurried up the stairs, trying to tread the line between moving as fast as he could and being quiet. Much as he wanted to play it cool, he knew there was a ridiculous smile on his face when he opened his door. Screw it. He was already half-hard. There was no way to hide his enthusiasm.
“Happy to see me?” she purred.
Only it was the wrong she. “Nicole?” His feet refused to move all the way into the apartment.
“Hey, Walker,” she said softly. Her blond hair shone like gold in the dim lighting. She wasn’t naked, but she’d definitely made herself comfortable. Her jacket lay across the back of his couch, revealing that she wore nothing more than a black silky dress, the fabric so thin it was obvious that she wasn’t wearing a bra. He could see the outline of her breasts, her nipples almost as visible as if she’d been topless.
“Nicole?” he repeated, thoroughly confused by the switch from his imagination to reality. When he didn’t move, she came to him, a secret smile playing across her lips.
“I heard you came to the ranch to see me,” she said softly as she reached to touch his face. Her thumb feathered across his bruised eye. “I’m sorry they hurt you.”
Walker pulled his head back until her hand dropped.
“Don’t be mad, Walker. I didn’t know he was going to send his man after yo
