THE MOVIE NO longer held my attention as I watched Walker. I loved his scruffy beard. He laughed at something on the screen and then looked at me. His blue eyes pierced mine with a seductive glance. It made my insides all kinds of crazy. His eyes fell to my lips, and I ran my tongue along my teeth. He moved over me and I slid down so that he could rest on top. He pushed his hard dick against me and I moaned. It wasn’t long before my pants were off. Soon he made me come with his expert fingers. The only reason we could fool around in the tree house was because both of our parents were in Austin at some function.
“Tell me how far, Liza,” Walker whispered against my ear. “I want you so much, but I need you to tell me, baby.”
“Make love to me, Walker. Please.”
“Liza, I wanted our first time to be…”
Walker stopped talking and turned his head. “Did you hear that?”
I bit my lip and nodded. “Someone’s here.”
Walker stood up and pulled up his jeans. He walked over to the window and then spun around. “Get dressed, Liza. My parents are back!”
“WANT TO TELL me what has you smiling over there so big?” My mother asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I grinned and I shook my head. “Nothing, just an old memory.”
Courtney laughed. “It must have been a happy one with the way you’re smiling.”
I looked back toward the tree house and said, “Yeah, it was.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder. My mother knelt down and smiled. “Do you love him?”
My eyes darted over to Courtney, who was giving me that look. Like she thought I knew something and wasn’t sharing it.
“Who?”
“If you’re really asking me that, Liza, then this talk is long overdue.”
My heart was beating harder. “What does that mean, Mom? You could be talking about anyone. Jase, Dad, Keith…”
“Walker,” she whispered as she looked at me intently.
I looked away. No one said anything for a few minutes and, when Courtney came and sat down on the ground next to me, it was all I could do to hold back my tears.
“When I first met Reed, I swear it was love at first sight.”
I looked into her eyes. “Was it?” I asked.
She chuckled. “Oh yes, it was. The moment he looked at me, my body turned to Jell-O. But I fought it like hell.”
I cocked my head and asked, “Why?”
My mother and Courtney shared a look. “It’s a long story that someday we’ll talk about. Let’s just say that I pushed my feelings down for so long that I started to feel like I was losing myself.”
I knew the feeling.
Courtney let out a sigh and said, “Sweetheart. You’ve always talked about your dreams, what you wanted. I know dreams change, and plans change. But when a guy slips a ring on your finger, you really shouldn’t need months to think about your answer.”
I could feel my lower lip trembling. I blinked slowly and felt hot tears running down my cheeks as I glanced over to my mom. “I don’t want to hurt either one of them, Mom.”
She nodded. “It’s not just about them, Taylor. This is also about you. Who do you want to be with? Who’s arms do you want to wake up in every morning?”
I already knew that answer. I was about to say so when we heard someone coming down the driveway. Courtney looked up and smiled. She started walking toward the driveway. I wiped away my tears and stood up. I smiled when I saw Walker’s truck.
My mother put her arm around me and pulled me closer as she whispered, “I knew he couldn’t stay in Austin that much longer.” I laughed as I wiped another tear away. I looked back at the truck and noticed someone in the passenger seat.
“Who’s with him? That’s not Jase.”
The sun was hitting Walker’s windshield just enough to hide the person in the passenger seat. The truck parked and my mother and I walked toward it. The closer we got, the better I could see. My breath caught. I couldn’t believe this was happening.
Walker got out of his truck and shut the door. He looked directly at me, even though his mother was walking toward him. I could hardly breathe. He was wearing his backwards baseball cap with jeans and a tight A&M T-shirt. My desire for him bloomed in my stomach.
“Look who I found at your house when I stopped by to talk, Liza,” Walker said.
Keith stepped out of Walker’s truck.
“Oh, shit,” my mother said, holding me closer.
“Keith,” I whispered as he smiled at me.
I glanced back at Walker. His mother was saying something to him, but his eyes were glued on me. I’d wanted nothing more than to run into his arms less than a minute ago. Now my feet felt cemented to the ground. Keith seemed confused as to why I was just standing there. I went to talk, but nothing would come out.
“Liza?” My mother said, giving me a friendly push in no particular direction.
I started to take a step, but stopped.
Keith laughed. “Are you that shocked to see me, baby?” he asked.
He took me into his arms and spun me around. When he set me down, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me gently. I wanted to feel that familiar feeling building in my belly when he touched me, but there was nothing.
When he pulled his lips from mine, he whispered, “I’ve missed you so much, baby.”
My eyes teared up as he smiled and pulled me to him. I couldn’t help but look at Walker. He just stared. Courtney placed her hand on his arm and said something to him as he nodded. He turned and walked toward the back of his house. I couldn’t help crying.
Keith held me closer and said, “It’s okay, baby, I’m here now.”
MY FATHER SAT down at the bar stool next to me as I downed my beer. I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.
“Hey,” my dad said, nudging my shoulder with his.
I didn’t bother looking at him as I set my empty bottle down. “Hey,” I muttered.
“I thought I might find you here,” my father said, waving the bartender down and ordering a Bud Light.
I laughed, irritated. “What made you think I’d be at Joe’s Bar, dad?” I asked.
The bartender set his beer down and turned to me. “Want another one, handsome?”
I winked at her. “Why the hell not? I have nowhere else I need to be.”
She licked her top lip. “I’m off in an hour. I bet I can find somewhere to go.”
I laughed and nodded. “I think I like the sound of that plan.”
“Excuse me? Want to go grab that beer now?” my father asked her.
She winked at me, turned, and headed to get my beer.
My father cleared his throat and said, “I knew you’d be here because it’s like looking in a damn mirror. I’ve been right where you are, son. Believe me—drinking doesn’t really make the pain go away.”
The bartender set the beer down, accompanied by a piece of paper with her name and number on it. I gave her a sexy smile.
I took a swig of beer and turned to my father. “Well, if beer doesn’t make it go away, maybe fucking a hot bartender will.”
My father glared at me. “You’re an asshole when you drink, Walker.”
I went to say something but his stare was intense. I knew I wasn’t drunk enough to get away with insulting my own father.
“Have you talked to Liza?”
I laughed and took another swig of beer. “Nope. If you hadn’t noticed, her fiancé is in town, and they seemed anxious to get reacquainted.”
My father lifted his beer and took a drink. “I think you should call her.”
I closed my eyes. “Why, Dad? So she can reject me again? Tell me how she’s starting a new life with Keith. Maybe she wants to tell me all about packing up and moving away from everyone who cares about her. Moving away from her dreams. From…”
“Say it, Walker.”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t fucking matter anymore.”
My father grabbed my arm and turned me toward him. “Say.
It.”
“Me! There! I said it! She’s moving away from me, Dad. Walking away from…us.”
“Then go tell her how you feel.”
“I was going to. That’s why I was at her house. I was going to ask her to stay here, with me, but I was too late. She picked him dad. She picked him.”
I drank the rest of my beer before slamming the bottle onto the counter. “I just need to forget and move on. Find someone who will…” I swallowed. “Who will love me.”
My father let out a gruff laugh. “Because Liza doesn’t? Is that what you think, Walker? You think she doesn’t love you? You’re wrong. I see the way she looks at you. Everyone sees it, son. She doesn’t look at this Keith guy that way.”
I turned to my father. We looked so much alike. My father was even wearing a backwards baseball cap. “I need to be alone, Dad. Just for tonight, I need to be alone.”
My father glanced back over to the hot bartender. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret, son. I’m telling you that from experience.”
He stood up and threw a couple twenties onto the bar and squeezed my shoulder. He slapped the hell out of my back and headed out the door.
AN HOUR LATER, I found myself leaving the bar with a blonde. I had no idea what her name was.
“Follow me home, handsome?”
I nodded and jumped into my truck. I followed her to a small brick house about five blocks from Joe’s. Pulling into her driveway, I parked behind her car. She motioned for me to follow her. Unlocking her front door, she reached in and turned on a light. I followed in and shut the door. Before I could say anything, she pushed me against the door and kissed me as her hand made its way to my dick and squeezed.
“Oh, hell yeah,” she said as she pulled her lips away and quickly pulled her shirt over her head. I checked out her chest. Her tits were practically falling out of a bra that was clearly too small for her. I cupped her breast as she tipped her head back. Moving my lips to her neck, I kissed her and pushing up her bra up, letting her breasts fall free. I moved my lips down to her nipple and sucked on it—hard. Her little moans made my dick jump.
“That’s it,” she murmured as she turned and pressed her ass against my dick. “I want it from behind, and I want it hard and fast.” She pushed off of me and walked into her living room.
I took off my baseball cap and ran my hand through my hair. Placing my cap back on, I glanced around. The walls were tan and there was hardly any furniture in the place. She had a small sofa and coffee table. Nothing else. What the fuck am I doing?
I reached for the doorknob as she called out, “I have condoms if you don’t have one.”
Rolling my eyes, I opened the door and didn’t look back as I made my way to my truck. What I needed was to get out of Llano for a few days. Back in my truck, I called the only person I knew I could count on to help me.
SITTING AT MY kitchen table, I stared at Keith, listening to him go on and on about his damn hiking trip with his father. He’d assumed I’d cried because I’d been happy to see him. I glanced at my father, and he looked bored out of his mind. I knew that deep down inside he was praying I wouldn’t marry Keith.
My mother raised an eyebrow at me and tilted her head toward Keith.
I nodded to let her know I got the hint. I needed to talk to Keith. I needed to tell him we were over. I needed to tell him I was in love with another man.
My father looked at me with pleading eyes. I couldn’t help but giggle. I finally stood and placed my hand on Keith’s shoulder. He turned and met my gaze.
“Keith, can we step outside and sit on the porch? I need to talk to you.”
Keith’s smile faded. He turned to my parents and said, “If you’ll excuse us.”
My mother and father both nodded.
Keith took my hand as we walked out and onto the back porch. I pointed to the pool and we made our way to a table. Keith pulled a chair out for me. Sitting down, I looked up at the clear sky. The stars were probably the brightest I’d seen them in a long time.
“Thank you,” I said.
He walked around the table and sat across from me. I took a deep breath and was about to speak when Keith laughed and said, “Jesus, I’ve been waiting hours to be alone with you and this is where you want to talk?” He used air quotes around the word “talk.”
I looked away. I’d been trying to figure out how to do this ever since he’d arrived.
I turned back to face Keith. He was staring at me, concerned. He finally chuckled.
“Keith, there isn’t an easy way for me to say this.”
Shaking his head he said, “Don’t do this, Liza.”
I chewed on my lip and stared at the ring on my finger. I slipped it off and tried to talk. When nothing came out, I cleared my throat and wiped my tears. “I never wanted to hurt you, Keith. But I think I’ve always known that my place was here, in Llano.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You’re not marrying me because you want to stay in this town? You’re really picking Llano over me, Liza?”
I swallowed and sucked in a shaky breath. “No, I’m not marrying you because I’m…I’m…” A sob escaped my throat and I placed a hand over my mouth.
“What? You’re what?”
I closed my eyes and counted to five as I tried to catch my breath. When I opened my eyes, I extended my hand to him, offering back the ring.
“My heart belongs here, too. I’m in love with someone else. I’ve always been in love with him. I’ll always be in love with him. It’s not fair to you for me to keep pretending.”
Keith looked away for a few seconds and quickly wiped away a tear. He didn’t bother to look at me as he asked, “Walker?”
I whispered, “Yes.”
His head snapped back to me. “Did you ever love me, Liza?”
I gasped. “Of course I did. I just…I mean…I…”
He smiled, but the muscles in his neck were flexed. “You loved him more.”
I couldn’t speak. My mouth went dry. Deep in my heart I always knew Keith was not the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Keith took the ring from me, got up, and walked around the table to stand in front of me. “I could’ve given you the world. Anything you wanted, you would’ve had. I hope you won’t look back and realize this was the biggest mistake of your life, Liza.”
I was briefly taken aback. Shaking my head I said, “The biggest mistake of my life was walking away from him in the first place.” I stood up and looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Keith. I never meant to hurt you.”
He placed his hand on my face and whispered, “I’m sorry, too. He’ll never love you like I love you. You’ll soon see that.” He brushed his thumb along my cheek before dropping his hand, turning, and walking away. He quickly got in his car and drove off.
I sat back down and sighed as I rested my head against the back of the chair, staring up at the night sky. I closed my eyes and a single tear escaped, leaving a hot trail on my cheek. When I opened my eyes, I just watched the sky. Someone pulled out a chair and sat down. I knew it was one of my parents, but I wished like hell that it was Walker. I brought my head forward only to see my brother Jase at the table.
“Did you break up with Keith?” He asked as he messed around with a twig.
I nodded. “Yeah, I did.”
He took a deep breath as he sat back in his chair. “I never did like that guy.”
I giggled and looked away. I wasn’t sure why I laughed—my heart felt heavy. But I wasn’t sure if it was because of what had happened with Keith or if it was the haunting look in Walker’s eyes earlier this afternoon.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, reaching for his hand.
He smiled and I couldn’t help but smile back. He had the most amazing smile. His dark hair and blue eyes made him a mini version of my father. Jase had a sensitive heart. He cared so much about people, and I wanted him to find him a girl who would make him see the man he really was.
He ru
bbed his thumb back and forth across my hand. “I came to tell you that Walker was going to leave Llano.”
My smile dropped and I sat up straight. “He just came back home, where is he—”
Jase put his fingers up to my mouth and said, “Liza, let me finish please.”
I nodded as I leaned back and tried to calm my accelerated heartbeat.
“Walker wanted to leave for a couple of days only. He didn’t want to be in town with you and Keith here together. He was pretty messed up, sis, when he called me. He wanted to head to South Padre, but I talked him into the hunting lodge.”
I scrunched my eyebrows together and said, “The hunting lodge? Here? On our property?”
Jase smiled and nodded. “Yeah, the one Dad used to take us too to camp out. He always said that was the place where he and mom finally realized they loved each other. I couldn’t think of a better place for you and Walker to get your damn shit together.”
I jumped up and hugged my brother. “I love you, Jase and I owe you so big for this. Does he know you’re telling me?”
Jase laughed. “Hell no. He made me swear to keep quiet until you and Keith left. I figured, with the breakup, Walker would be okay with me sharing this with you.”
I kissed Jase on the cheek and started toward the ranch Jeep. I was thanking God that my father kept the keys in it all the time. I didn’t want to have to go back and tell my parents what had happened and where I was going.
As I started the Jeep, Jase called, “I’ll tell Mom and Dad you won’t be back tonight!”
I smiled and waved as I took off toward the hunting cabin. My heart felt like it was slamming against my chest. My hands were sweaty and I was trying to remember if I’d shaved my legs this morning. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I reached down and ran my hand along my leg. Smooth! I did a little fist pump as I drove toward my future.