Killian (The Sons of Dusty Walker Book 3) Page 11

  He sat in the truck for long minutes after he disconnected the call. Every single thing his mother had said to him was true. Maybe Dusty hadn’t gone about things right, but he had loved each of the women and his sons and done his best to do right by them. Wasn’t that all you could really ask of a man? And when he thought about it, searched deep inside himself, he knew if Lexie agreed to give him a chance, he’d never want anyone but her. Ever.

  Finally, he cranked the ignition and headed down to the house, dreading the confrontation with Marliss and Lou.

  They sure didn’t disappoint him. As early as it was, they both sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee, when he walked in from the garage.

  “You want to tell us why someone driving by Heart Starter last night saw Lexie Choate sitting on the landing in nothing but a towel and crying her eyes out?” Marliss attacked him with a fierce frown on her face.

  Killian held up both hands. “The truth? No, I don’t want to. But rest assured that’s the last time anyone will see that. I’m about to try and make it right.”

  “So, we don’t get to give you a tongue lashing?” Lou looked almost sorrowful, his mouth turned downward, a sad expression in his eyes.

  “My mama already did, and she’s the champion, so save your words.” He headed out of the kitchen. “I’m gonna go clean myself up and throw myself on her mercy. You may be pissed off at me, but I hope you’ll wish me luck.”

  *****

  Lexie poured fresh coffee into the mug on the counter and took a sip. She’d been drinking coffee since Killian left and by now probably had a caffeine high she’d never come down from. But at least she wasn’t crying any more. She’d pulled on shorts and an old shirt five sizes too big for her, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and cleaned up the kitchen. Later, before she opened the shop, she’d clean up the mess from the flowers, but at the moment, she hadn’t been able to tackle it. Then, with her first cup of coffee, she’d gone to work on Killian’s portrait.

  Maybe it was a form of self-punishment for deluding herself into thinking they had something together. She probably would have been a lot better off finishing the painting of the stallion she’d started, but working on Killian was a form of self-flagellation. Now, hours later, the portrait was almost done, and the sight of it made her heart hurt and tears come to her eyes.

  Why was he so damn stubborn? So stupid about this Dusty thing? If she really looked deep inside herself, she’d have to admit when she agreed to the one-week-of-fun thing, she’d known it wouldn’t work. The very instant he’d walked into Heart Starter she was lost, and so was her heart. She could only hope he’d be respectful enough to stay out of Heart Starter for the next couple of days. Then he’d be gone, and she could begin to heal.

  She was through with men. No more after this. Apparently, her judgment was completely flawed.

  She’d started back to her studio room when she heard footsteps on the stairs outside followed by pounding on the door.

  “Lexie”

  Oh my god! Killian!

  “Lexie, open the door. Please, please, please.” More pounding. “I’m begging you.”

  She backed up to the kitchen counter, clutching her mug. Go away. Please.

  “Lexie, I’m not leaving. If you don’t open the door, when all your customers get here, they’ll see me making a fool of myself. But it will be worth it to get you to listen to me.”

  Bam! Bam! Bam!

  She wondered if he could actually break it down.

  “Lexie, please,” he shouted again.

  Sighing, she set her mug down and walked over to unlock the door. Killian loomed over her, hands braced on the door jamb. He had obviously showered again and put on clean clothes, but lines grooved his face, and his bloodshot eyes held a world of pain.

  What on earth? She was the one hurting here.

  “Lexie, I….”

  He shook his head, picked her up in his arms, walked into the apartment with her, and proceeded to give her a kiss she felt clear to her toes. His mouth fused to hers, he eased his tongue inside and licked every surface as if he was dying for a taste of her. At first, she tried to push him away, but he held her too tightly against his chest, and his kiss was too fierce, too possessive. About the time she thought she might stop breathing completely, he broke the kiss but kept his mouth a hairs breadth from her lips.

  “I’m an ass. A jerk. A jackass. And a whole bunch of other things. Whatever you want to call me, I deserve every bit of it.”

  Lexie was so stunned she could only stare at him from the cradle of his arms. Before she could get one word out, Killian kissed her again, just as ferociously and possessively. Maybe more so. He only stopped when they both ran out of air.

  “Put me down,” she said breathlessly. “Killian, what on earth is going on?”

  “I’ll put you down, but I’m not letting go of you.”

  He set her on her feet, but then he knelt in front of her, grasping her hands in his as if frightened she would get away.

  “I’m sorry, Lexie. Sorry, sorry, sorry.” He pressed his head to her breasts, knocking his Stetson to the floor. “I am such an idiot.”

  Lexie forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. She had no idea what had triggered this, but she wasn’t about to get caught up in it only to be tossed aside again. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

  “Killian.” She wet her lips. “What is this all about? Why are you here?”

  He bracketed her hips with his hands and looked up at her, a mixture of pain and fear and—yes, love—in his eyes. Where on earth had that come from?

  “Listen to me.” He swallowed hard. “I was so pissed off at what Dusty had done I saw everything all wrong. I ignored all the good things people, including my own mother, tried to tell me about him, and focused on one stupid, idiotic, unreasoning thought.” He locked his gaze with hers. “I’m not a cheater, Lexie. And maybe, in his skewed way, Dusty wasn’t either. But I promise you, if you just give me a chance to show you, I’ll be faithful to you forever. Forever,” he repeated. “I love you.”

  Then, as if he’d run out of breath for the moment, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to her breasts again, clutching her to him as if he’d never let her go.

  She wanted to hug him tightly, to run her fingers through his thick, silky hair and stroke his troubled face. But she had to make sure he really meant what he said. That this wasn’t just some temporary glitch of conscience.

  “Look at me, Killian. Please.”

  He tilted his face up. “Please believe me, Lexie. I mean every word.”

  “What brought about this big revelation?” she asked. “How do I know you really mean it?”

  “I believe I fell in love with you the first moment I laid eyes on you,” he told her. “I came up with the stupid one-week-fling idea more to protect myself than you, and I am totally ashamed. I love you,” he said again. “With everything I am, however messed up that is. Please tell me you’ll give me another chance.”

  It wasn’t the words so much the sincerity in his voice that really made her believe him. And his expression of abject need as well as the deep love in his eyes. Still, she had questions.

  “I thought you were going to be done with Red Creek after the one week wrap up with your brothers. How do you plan to handle that—us—if you’re leaving?”

  He rose to his feet and cupped her chin, tipping her face up so he could gaze into her eyes.

  “You know, it’s a funny thing. My mama pointed out to me you don’t have to live in Montana to raise horses. In fact, I might see if the land adjoining Dusty’s house would work.”

  Her heart beat faster at his words. “Really? You’d stay here? For me?”

  “For us,” he corrected. Then he frowned. “Unless you want to leave. I want to live wherever you do.”

  “No matter where it is?”

  He nodded. “No matter. And I want you to do more with your painting. Listen, when the will is finally settled, I’ll have
a bunch of cash. I can take you wherever you want to go, hit up any gallery owners you want, whatever will work. You have a rare talent, Lexie, and I want you to use it and follow your dream.”

  Her hands shook so badly now, she had to clasp them together to steady them.

  “Say it again,” she told him.

  He frowned. “Say what?”

  “You know.”

  A slow grin spread over his face. “I love you, Lexie Choate. You are the woman of my dreams and all my hopes come true.”

  She pulled his head down so she could plant her lips on his, giving him as intense a kiss as he’d given her before.

  “I love you, too, Killian Walker. Don’t think you’ll get away this time.”

  “Darlin’, I don’t want to get away. Not now, not ever.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into the heat of his body.

  Lexie relaxed and, for the first time in longer than she could remember, she actually felt she belonged. She giggled against his chest.

  “Think I can get you to help me clean up the flowers and vase at the bottom of the stairs?”

  He yanked lightly on her ponytail. “Sure thing. I’m just glad it wasn’t my head they landed on. By the way, my mama wants me to bring you to Montana with me next week when I go back. Can you get someone to run the shop for you?”

  “I can ask Cubby to spare one of his people,” she told him. “He’s helped me a little before.”

  “Great. Excellent. Perfect, in fact.” Relief smoothed out the lines of uncertainty that had been carved into his face. “We can come back while the others and I wrap up the last details of the will. Meanwhile we can talk about details like where we’ll live and how we wrap my horse ranch, Heart Starter, and your art all in together.”

  “I can’t believe you’d do that for me.”

  “Darlin’, I’d do anything for you. So, will you come to Montana with me?”

  She nodded. “But, first, I want to take you out to the farm to meet my family.”

  “Your dad won’t be greeting me with a shotgun, will he?”

  Lexie grinned. “Not unless I tell him to.”

  “Good, because I want to do this right and ask for his permission to marry you.” He cupped her chin. “How about saying it to me again?”

  “Say what?” she teased.

  “You know what, you little minx. Come on. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing the words.”

  She smiled up at him. “I love you, Killian Walker.”

  “And I love you, Lexie Choate. Always and forever.”

  “Always and forever,” she agreed.

  He lifted his wrist to check his watch. “We’ve got a couple of hours until you have to open up downstairs.”

  She gave him a sly smile. “Why, whatever will we do with all that time?”

  “I think I have a real good suggestion.” He laughed and swept her up into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom.

  Yes, this is going to work out just fine.

  Epilogue

  Killian looked out the cabin window as the D. Walker Minerals jet he flew in landed on the tarmac. Here he was, back at the little airport Dusty had built outside Red Creek. Through the window he could see two similar planes already parked. Jackson and Dylan. Of course. Rogue was already here, having worked the fourth week of their schedule. Today was the thirty-first of August, and they were right on target for their final meeting.

  “Nervous, honey?” Lexie stirred in the seat beside him.

  “No.” He took her hand and linked his fingers with hers. “For the very first time since this whole mess exploded, I actually feel calm. I know where I’m going and what I’m going to do.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I have you to thank for most of it.”

  She laughed softly, the musical sound that made his heart and cock both jump.

  “I wish I could take all the credit, but I’d say a good share of it belongs to your mother.”

  “She’s really something, isn’t she?”

  “She sure is,” Lexie agreed. “She made me feel so very welcome. It was like we’d known each other forever.”

  “That’s my mama all right.” He rubbed his thumb over her hand. “But a lot of the credit goes to you, too, darlin’. You both made me see Dusty through her eyes—and yours—and create a new image of him in my mind.”

  “I’m glad we worked through all of that. It will make things a lot better for the future.”

  “I’m glad we settled where we’re going to be living, too.” He grinned and shook his head. “Who’d a thunk it four weeks ago?”

  “Are you going to tell your brothers when you meet today?”

  “Uh-huh. I hope they’ll think it’s okay.” He was a little nervous about this meeting, although he’d tried to hide it from Lexie and his mother. Dylan had emailed his thoughts to each of them, so he had a pretty good idea what they were going to discuss. Still, he wanted to get it all set in stone so they could move forward.

  “They will. I have faith in you and them.”

  The silver SUV Killian drove when he was here before waited for him by the little building, the keys in the visor. He dropped Lexie at Heart Starter, giving her a quick kiss before she scooted out of the vehicle.

  “You come right back here when you’re done,” she told him,

  “I will. Not to worry.” He lowered his voice when he leaned across the seat. “I brought a longer rope back from Montana with me, darlin’. Snuck it into my suitcase.” He winked. “Think you’re ready for the full treatment?”

  “Bring it on, cowboy. Whatever you can dish out.”

  Killian was glad they’d be back alone tonight, without other ears to hear what they did. Being at his mother’s had put a real damper on their sex life.

  “Don’t forget to call your mama,” he reminded her. “I’ll see you right after the meeting.”

  It was straight up noon. He parked in the street in front of Cubby’s. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he walked inside to find the other three Walker offspring already there and waiting for him at a table.

  “You’re driving Dad’s Caddy?” Dylan grinned at Rogue, who’d spent the last week in Kansas, and gestured to the champagne-colored land barge parked at the curb.

  “Damn right.” Rogue winked. “The thing is smooth as sin.”

  Jackson fiddled nervously with the fork on a napkin in front of him. “You know, Dylan, when I got your email after that first week, I thought you’d gone crazy.”

  Rogue nodded. So did Killian, who’d thought the same thing.

  The note had told the others the town had a lot to offer, the business was surprisingly interesting, and the people of Red Creek had accepted him like a born-and-raised Red Creekian.

  “I was under the influence, I guess.” Dylan scratched his cheek. “But damned if I don’t feel exactly the same way being back here today.”

  “I figured that.” Rogue hung one arm over the back of his chair. “Figured you’d also found yourself a gal.” A smirk curved his lips. “But, I agree, this place grows on a man.”

  Killian set his forearms on the table. “Sure does. I mean, who knew this dustbowl in the middle of fucking nowhere would leave an impression.”

  They were interrupted by the appearance of the waitress, and they took a minute to place their orders. Then it was back to the conversation. Killian was anxious to get to it, so he could learn their definite plans and tell them about his own.

  Jackson studied each of them after the waitress walked away. “So, we’re all agreed? We’re going to do this thing?”

  The men looked at each other.

  “I’m in.” Dylan shrugged. “Got nothin’ else going on.”

  Rogue nodded.

  “We’ll stay the week, gettin’ to know each other, like the old man wanted?” Jackson frowned. “Get the business sorted out between the four of us?”

  “That’s the plan.” Killian curled his upper lip in a sneer. “Live in the house fo
r a whole week and bond with each other.” He snorted.

  The guys laughed, but Rogue pointed at Killian. “From what I hear around town, you found yourself someone to help pass the time.”

  Killian grinned. “Sure did. I’m sure you all know Lexie Choate. She owns Heart Starter.”

  “Lexie?” they all said in unison.

  “Uh-huh. And we’ve got great plans.” He looked at Jackson and Dylan. “And rumors are spreading about you two. You both fell for local gals?”

  Jackson nodded, smiling. “Afraid so.”

  “Yep. Happy as a puppy with two tails.” Dylan stared off, looking lost in thought.

  “What about you, little brother?” Killian winked at Rogue. “Don’t tell us you’re the only Walker boy without a happy ending?”

  Rogue sat quietly for a few seconds. “Well, I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin a perfect record.” He tried to keep from grinning, but his brothers smacked him on the back, laughing, and he let go with a smile.

  Killian tapped his belt buckle. “Damn if I don’t feel now that these tell people we’re part of an exclusive club of some kind.”

  “We are,” Jackson said. “The Walker Brothers Club.”

  They all grinned at each other.

  “Old Dusty must have known what he was doing,” Killian added, “even if we didn’t think so four weeks ago.”

  The waitress arrived with their burgers, fries, and pie a la mode. They happily chowed down while they told each other about the ladies they’d found and claimed in Red Creek. Killian listened as each of his brothers—yes, brothers—discussed their plans. Then it was his turn.

  He cleared his throat. “Lexie and I have plans, too.”

  “Well,” Jackson said, “spit it all out.”

  He told them about her art and the plans he had to help her with it. She would keep Heart Starter for the immediate future until her art really took off. But their jaws dropped when he told them what he was going to do.

  “Buy land adjacent to Dusty’s?” Dylan asked.

  “You might ought to take a parcel of Dusty’s land, too,” Rogue said. “It’s gonna be ours to do with as we wish, so share and share alike, right?”