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“This is the best chocolate I have ever had!” Walker could barely get the words out around the melting dark chocolate and caramel that swirled in her mouth.
Sage Carrigan, owner of Copper Mountain Chocolates laughed. “I already said yes.” She brushed her beautiful hair back from her forehead with the back of one gloved hand. “I think having a family friendly Halloween and harvest event at the Graff Hotel, featuring foods from local merchants, is a brilliant idea.”
“And it won’t interfere with your Halloween plans for your store?” Walker asked, wanting to keep the goodwill in the small community yet still publicize the hotel and have it continue to play a role in the small town. She wanted the hotel to be a pillar of the community, an institution, and a destination. She didn’t want it to be seen as a place for only special occasions or for wealthy out-of-towners.
Listen to me. She mocked herself. I sound like a local and a PR hack. Still, the morning had been fun, walking around Main Street, Calum in tow, while she met with some of the merchants and pitched her ideas about offering a Halloween type of treat for the Halloween and harvest festival the Graff would be hosting in two weeks. Everyone had been enthusiastic to donate to the raffle and also to donate a portion of their proceeds to Harry’s House. Every business had agreed to have a flyer posted in their window.
“Is there really a ghost in the hotel?” Sage had asked after casting a few curious glances at Calum, who had remained outside all of the businesses except the Rosita’s Mexican Grill, because they’d been offered tableside guacamole that had been better than any guac Walker had ever tried, and she’d grown up in Southern California.
Calum had proclaimed it a religious experience.
“He’s going to do the investigation,” Walker said. “I’m not sure if I should cross my fingers for yes or for no.”
“Either way, it’s fun,” Sage said. “And what’s good for the Graff helps all of us. I’m hoping the Christmas season really picks up.”
“That’s what I’m focusing on.” Walker was surprised at the sense of purpose she had.
In one week, she’d gone from embarrassed and shell-shocked to actually enjoying her job. Bob had even commented on the spring in her step and smile on her face this morning.
Some of that smile had been due to Calum.
Their relationship had changed, but she wasn’t quite sure what she should do or think about that. So, for once in her life, she was trying to just enjoy and not think.
“These are for Calum Quest and his crew.” Sage handed over a small box of four salted caramel chocolates.
“Let me pay you for those.” Walker reached for her purse. “You’ve already been generous enough joining us on the day of the Halloween and harvest event and agreeing to have a small sign in your window.
“My pleasure. Hope to see you again soon, Walker.”
Walker left the store. Calum, on the phone, gave her a thumbs up with a question mark face. Walker nodded, still amazed at how easy it had been. No heavy persuasion necessary. No bargaining. No third-party negotiations. True, she was only dealing with local vendors for an afternoon family event, but maybe that was okay. Maybe she didn’t have to wield big dreams and a heavy stick.
They walked by Harry’s House and met the director, and Walker noticed as they walked, they kept bumping into each other, like they wanted to be closer but were too shy to hold hands.
“Do you regret not collecting any data last night?” she asked.
They’d been pretty busy not setting up any more cameras. Thank goodness. She’d had her fifteen minutes of infamy and had no desire for any more fame, notoriety, or scrutiny.
He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and took off his Oakley sunglasses that weren’t really necessary in the pale fall sunlight.
“I have no regrets.”
“Good,” Walker said softly. “Me neither.”
They walked through Riverside Park and over the bridge into the fairgrounds. The burned grandstand had been finally broken down and piled into pieces after the arson investigation nearly two months ago. Walker knew people still talked about the unsolved crime.
“Seems so senseless,” Calum said, looking at the twisted metal and charred wood. “This place must hold so many stories,” he said.
He linked fingers with her and they walked back across the small footpath bridge. He dug two coins out of his pocket.
“Make a wish.”
Walker took the penny, pressed it to her forehead, and made a wish. Then she turned her back to the river and tossed the penny over her head into the river.
“That was rather elaborate.”
“It was an elaborate wish.”
Calum smiled. “That could work in my favor. I hope.”
He made his wish and then they walked back along Court Street.
“Do you think you’ll always be interested in ghosts?” Walker asked.
She found herself holding her breath. It was a ludicrous thought. Calum staying in town. Dating her. He lived outside of LA. He had a successful television show. Money. Fans. Spinoff shows with producer credits. He was twenty-eight, rich, successful, and gorgeous. And she was thirty-two, broke and starting over.
She was an idiot and kidding herself.
But last night, he’d kissed her like she’d been something precious. And his kisses had been more intimate than anything she’d ever done with Jared. And then he’d surprised her.
“I want to wait,” he’d said, even as his hand continued to stroke and arouse her, “until there are no complications.”
They’d been in the chair, her straddling Calum, and him kissing and stroking her and evoking pleasure and responses she’d never imagined possible.
“What complications.” She’d barely been able to speak.
She’d wanted him naked and on top of her and then he’d mentioned waiting.
“I want to film the special. Close that chapter of my life and then focus on us.”
Us. The word had sounded like an invocation and it still rattled around in her brain today. Were they an us? Could they be?
It was frightening how much she wanted that. But it just didn’t seem probable. And she needed to stop thinking that it was.
“Do you, Calum?” she asked. “You’ve spent so much of your life chasing ghosts. Don’t you think they’ll always be a part of who you are?”
She’d thought politics was in her blood, but she was discovering that she didn’t miss it. She hadn’t once watched the news since arriving in Marietta. That would have been inconceivable a few months ago.
“No,” he said shocking the hell out of her.
Then he kissed her. Right there on the corner of Main Street in front of the courthouse. Walker relaxed into his embrace, not thinking about being a professional. Not thinking about anyone with a cell phone. And not thinking about after. She was just going to enjoy this shiny moment called now.
Later that afternoon, Walker had finished with a work crew, supervising the outside decorating of the hotel, and the fire department had shown up to help on the top windows, roof, and some of the larger trees. This had created quite a traffic jam and a few deputies showed up. All the manpower and testosterone had had so many women leaving their offices and shops, which had motivated Walker to make a few more flyers for the upcoming Halloween and harvest festival, which she passed out, along with small goody bags of candy corn, candy pumpkins and Halloween-themed chocolate Kisses.
Mission accomplished, she’d returned to call the last few crafts people on her list to see if they wanted to have a booth during the festival before returning to the lobby to finish decorating the Graff lobby and restaurants and common area, and each room also had a small Halloween themed table display. She wanted to make it more generic in keeping with fall, but Ava had said they could do a fall display for November.
“September next year will be a rodeo theme,” Ava had said. “Because we are being positive. Then Halloween, then fall, then Christmas and the whole town just goes over the top. It’s gorgeous and so romantic. My daughter loves the ice skating at Miracle Lake.”
Of course the town had a Miracle Lake. Walker felt like she was living the miracle. It was the first time she hadn’t felt panicked when someone made it sound like she was staying longer than a few months.
“Good thing I ordered a lot of tubs.” She tried to make light of her sudden surge of emotion and enthusiasm for her small town.
Mine?
Now Walker waited in the bar for Shane to come on duty to talk to her about the Halloween-themed evening adult-oriented party. She’d received approval and a budget, but she wanted to make sure Shane was still on board helping to plan it and also working it—maybe even playing a set and Walker could take over bartending duties for a bit.
“Walker Wilder, I heard you’re to blame for causing a traffic jam today for first responders.” A loud, slightly accented voice boomed across the lobby. “Told them you’d been trouble since the day you were born.”
“Rafe!” Walker nearly tumbled off of a bar stool, and she stood up awkwardly. Stunned.
She’d been holding a bottle of new whiskey that had been dropped off as a sample for the upcoming event by a local distiller and had wanted Shane to taste it with her and maybe have a few customers weigh in after they discussed the party. Seeing her brother stride across the floor, fast and enthusiastic and smiling like the sun, made her lose her grip. The bottle slipped through her fingers.
Rafe was a station commander of a metropolitan fire crew in Melbourne, Australia and a seasoned bushfire fighter with honed reflexes. And he loved whiskey. He caught the bottle on its way down.
“This is some gift.” He put it back on the bar and grinned. He reached for a glass. “C’mon now. Don’t be stingy. Open the damn thing up and then give your twin a hug.”
“Wwwwhat are you doing here?”
“Come again?” Rafe’s smile faded a little as did the light in his eyes. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so shocked to see me?”
“You live in Australia.”
“Not so far away that I wouldn’t come when you needed me. Why didn’t you tell me your life had imploded? I would have been there from the beginning.”
Tears pricked her eyes. She’d felt so alone the past six months. Alone and scared.
“Seriously, Walker I’m your big brother by ten minutes. Why didn’t you come to me?”
“It all happened too fast.” She choked up. He would have come. She should have reached out to him. She could have used his strength and natural ebullience. “Like a massive pileup on the freeway and I was just trying to survive.”
“You could have come to me. I bloody well would have made you feel a hella lot more welcome than you are to me.”
“Rafe, I’m sorry.” Guilt washed over her and she stepped into his warm embrace. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You just shocked me. I wasn’t expecting you here. I’m sorry.”
The shock of seeing him lessened enough to let joy through.
“You’re here. Rafe. You’re here.” She crushed herself against him, burying herself against his hard wide chest. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you like crazy. It’s been so long. I hate that we live so far apart. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her eyes shone as she looked up at him. It was awesome to see him again. It had been at least three years. Only what was she going to do with him? She was working. Her apartment was so tiny. And she still had to tell Calum why she hadn’t been completely honest with him about her name and about so much more. Her happiness dimmed a little thinking about having to share her failure and humiliation of the past year.
It was strange because she felt like she’d opened up to Calum about so much. Walking around the town, talking, teasing, and kissing had felt more intimate than sex had ever been with Jared.
She hated how complicated her life was. She couldn’t even rejoice in her twin’s surprise visit. Celebrate that she thought she was falling in love, shout out that she’d discovered cousins.
“What are you doing here? How long can you stay? Do you need a room? Do you want to stay with me at my apartment? It’s tiny, but we’ll manage. How’s Australia? I followed your blog about the bushfires last January and how you were part of the team investigating the arson. I’m so impressed.”
“So many questions.” He laughed and hugged her hard again, lifting her off her feet. “Don’t believe my own press, but it’s great to see you too.”
“It’s been so long. I’ve missed you so much. I have so much to tell you,” she whispered, feeling like she was glowing inside. Rafe was here. Her twin.
“Hi, we haven’t been introduced.” Walker’s heart thudded like a stone when she heard Calum’s voice speak up behind her. “Calum Quest.”
Calum’s voice was friendly. And he was smiling, but the hand he stuck out to shake was assertive, and his eyes deeply assessed. And, this time, his smile was devoid of the usual accompanying laugh lines feathering along his tanned, sculpted cheeks.
“Rafe Wilder.” Rafe straightened and shook Calum’s hand and then looked at Walker, clearly wanting a heads up as to why some bloke was putting out such intense vibes.
She had the worst timing ever.
“Wilder,” Calum repeated and something in his voice was really off, and Walker felt her stomach cramp and tension crawled through her.
“Walker’s my twin,” Rafe said. “When news finally caught up that she’s had the year from hell and her life imploded, I took emergency family leave so I can help her settle wherever she wants to go but, Walker,” he turned back to her. “I could work on sponsoring you to come to Melbourne with me. Think about it. Never figured you’d head west, but you always liked a challenge, maybe lasso a little more family while you’re hiding out. Did you find any? Did the old man marry again? Have some more devil spawn as grandma used to say?”
His voice was affectionate. His eyes warm. Calum’s jaw could have cut granite and his eyes could have iced over the Mojave. Walker couldn’t speak and she didn’t dare look at Calum. She’d really effed it all up this time.
“My sis has balls, showing up her deadbeat dad on his empty promises that someday he’d head back here. Did you really head out to Wild Wind ranch? Anything left? Anyone there?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, finally gathering up the nerve to look at Calum.
She wished she hadn’t. He was like a stranger. Million miles away, all warmth gone.
Calum’s eyes lit on Walker, and her heart sank further. His expression was tight. Distant.
“You two have a lot of catching up to do.”
And then he was gone.
Walker watched him walk away. His walk was different. More direct, less insouciant swagger. She’d done that. Her pride. Insecurity. Need for privacy. And wanting to protect her heart. But it wasn’t fair; she wanted to wail. She shouldn’t have to spill her guts and pull out all her dirty laundry in the first week of meeting him. They weren’t even dating. Technically, she could argue that she barely knew him.
But it sure had felt like she did.
Calum took the stairs two at a time to his room. He had to get out of here. Breathe. Think. She’d lied to him about more than one thing. He’d been so stupid. There’d been clues. The slipup on her name. The disc necklace with the engraved calligraphy WW that nestled in the delectable hollow of her throat. Even her air of mystery, the sadness that would sometimes chase across her face, the easy way she often deflected questions about her past. It had all intrigued him. He’d known she had secrets.
Hell, he’d known and savored her mystery and had tried to suss out her secrets like he was a reporter.
So why was he so pissed?
Because he thought he was special. He felt that she had really let him in.
And he’d been so ripe to take a fall like this. Idiot. He’d been so tired of standing out in the cold, on the sidelines, and he’d felt Walker had let him inside. He barely knew her yet he felt shattered as if he’d lost a long time love.
He just had to get out of here. Get some breathing room. And space to just exist before he had to think again.
Ironic as hell. He’d story-boarded parts of the episode to pitch to sponsors and of course everyone was thrilled. Small western town, roots, mystery, conflicting stories. A carnival for the living on the ruins of the dead. Even his concept for his last show mocked him—celebrating life even while standing on and being surrounded by death. His relationship with Walker was dead just like so many other people and relationships in his life and he had to just keep going like nothing was wrong.
His hand shook as he tried to get the key card in, so it took several tries and a deep breath as he pressed the top of his head against the door.
Calum barely resisted slamming his door before he paced in his room. Up. back. Up. Back. Up. He stopped. Stared. On the corner of the bed, draped over a bottom corner was the damn bird of prey quilt from the attic—so similar to the one he’d had as a child. His impulse was to grab it and hurl it across the room. She was gaming him, of course. One last game. But damn it looked so similar to his baby blanket that he’d crushed to his chest and cried into for weeks after his parents had died, even though he’d long ago ceased to be a baby. Night after night. His gran washed it, but always put it back in his room like she knew he needed it. Until one day he hadn’t. He’d made new friends. Found a new sport. Life went on, right?
It just kept on going whether one was on or off the ride, enjoying or hating it. Round and around. And he’d get on. But, dammit, some days just made is seem impossible.
With a curse, he grabbed the small quilt. But instead of hurling it, he balled it in his hands and held it up to his face. Breathed in the fresh scent.
He definitely needed to clear his head.
Say goodbye to the fantasy—finding a woman he loved, a town he could put roots down, heck, he’d even imagined having a family of his own.
He’d been so stupid. Desperate.
His bike. A long ride would clear his head. And then he’d check out and either stay with Laird as he prepared to film his last show and Halloween special or find another hotel—any hotel would do as long as he didn’t have to see Walker day after day. Filming around the hotel and the town was going to be hard enough. In the short time he’d known her, she’d completely stormed his heart. He felt like she was part of his DNA, but she’d been playing a game all along. He’d even dragged Laird and his family into her deception.
Another gulp of air and he tossed the blanket aside, pocketed his keys, and grabbed his jacket. He flung open the door and saw Walker pacing in front of it, whispering to herself. Any other time he would have been charmed down to his toenails. She jumped. Froze. And then turned to face him like he was the guillotine operator.
“I’d like a chance to explain,” Walker said, eyes steady on his.
“Don’t bother. I’m heading out.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Soon as I can,” he said, knowing his voice sounded harsh, giving her access to his pain, to how much he’d let her hurt him. “Relax, babe, you’ll get your show. It was always about the damn show for you.” He hated that he sounded bitter.
He shouldn’t be. He’d been nothing to her. He hadn’t let himself fall for anyone so deeply before. He’d seen the devastation firsthand when someone lost the person they loved most in the world. He’d always kept it casual. Until now.
Man up.
There’d be another girl and another after that. He’d have a few beers. Some conversation and then things would progress and he’d head out again looking for who knew what? He sure as hell didn’t.
“Initially, yes,” Walker said carefully. “It was about getting the feature. But as I got to know you, as we talked, it was about so much more, but I was hired—kind of a pity hire—to try to get the bookings up at the hotel since this fall is so slow due to the cancellation of the rodeo. And I am supposed to manage and improve the social media presence as well as help book, market, and manage events at the hotel—keep it growing as a destination hotel.
“Have fun with that.” He knew he was being a jerk, but he was tired, oh-so-tired of being lied to and played and used. “I’m going for a ride”
“No.” Walker body-blocked him and, short of picking her up and moving her, he couldn’t pass.
“Get out of my way, Walker.”
“I’d like you to hear me out.”
“Nothing to say. Going for a ride. Not leaving town. I already got the contracts and permits signed. Got my crew coming. Did the research. Pitched an angle to sponsors so you’ll get your show, Walker, and then I’ll get out of your way.”
“Calum, please.” Her voice broke on his name. “I’d like to explain about why I used my mother’s maiden name.”
“Irrelevant. One too many games.”
“It wasn’t a game. It was survival. I worked in DC for a senator for years. And then everything went wrong. I lost my career, my condo, my good name. I came here with nothing by two suitcases of clothes, and I’m not trying for the sympathy vote, but I can barely pay my student loans and legal bills. I had to sell most of my life and take a job from a former intern who felt sorry for me. So, big deal. I didn’t want anyone to possibly recognize me and have it all start over again,” she said. “I didn’t know you when I made that decision. Trust is earned.”
“Right back at you. You let me bring you to my friend’s house. You sat at their table, played with their kids, ate their food, and never once said that you thought you might be related. Who does that, Walker? Who? My whole life I’ve been chasing the truth, trying to find something pure, tangible. Alive. I’ve wanted answers. I finally got one. There aren’t any. Just a bunch of questions.”
“That’s a useful saying. Great refrigerator magnet. Truth isn’t pure. It’s always shades of grey.”
“Keep telling yourself that. I bet you’ll be back in DC in no time, top of the heap. No one will keep you down for long.”
She still didn’t move and he was worried he’d cave so he picked her up, hands spanning her waist, and marched back into his room, dumped her on the bed, and then left, making sure the door clicked shut behind him.
Walker laid on the bed where she’d briefly fallen asleep in his arms last night. She’d been so happy, full of hope. She’d felt like her life was finally heading back up and she was excited to face each day. And now Calum was gone because of one small, okay, large, omission or lie that she’d decided on as a protection before she’d ever even met him.
He hadn’t listened. Been unforgiving. Absolute. And then he’d left. He’d actually walked out. So much for her fresh start. One more man she only saw the back of his head when he walked away, never looking back because she’d made a big mistake.
Unforgiven.
She stared at the ceiling. When her eyes began to burn, she squeezed them shut. She was not going to cry over a man and what might have been. She had to get back to work. She had an event to plan and a brother she could visit with.
Still she stayed prone.
Just ’til my eyes stop leaking.
And that was when she heard it—the very light scrape.
She’d forgotten. Calum had moved the chair to his room. The things Calum had done to her body, the way he’d made her feel in that chair last night rolled through her brain like a movie. For a moment, she was frozen. Heart pounding. Mouth dry. And then the wave of prickly awareness and electricity seemed to snap in the air around her.
Walker jumped off the bed.
“No way, stupid chair. You are not spying on me and laughing at my pain, and you better not have even been noticing anything last night you little pervy voyeur.”
And the whole time she yelled at the chair, she was pushing it out into the hall and towards the service elevator.
“Lover’s spat?” Ava asked coming out of one of the rooms, cleaning supplies in hand.
At this point Walker thought her luck was so skewed in the wrong direction she didn’t even try to salve her pride. She’d tried to do that with Calum and protect her privacy and look want happened? Dumped-ville. And they hadn’t even been dating.
“I’m getting this thing out of my life. I hate it. It’s mocking me.”
“Oh, my.” Ava pressed her lips together probably trying not to laugh. She looked at the chair, cocked her head and then walked closer.
“You know, I’ve been talking with Angelica Puente, head of housekeeping, about some of the old furniture in the attic.”
Walker was still shoving the chair toward the elevator.
“Damn this nosy sucker’s heavy.” She huffed.
“Let’s carry it. I’ll help.”
“Not getting close to carry it just in case it’s a teen relative, I see you, Joshua Wilder.”
“Walker?”
Okay, she was officially losing her mind. Not surprising at all, considering the year she’d had and that Calum had dumped her before he’d even been hers. And she’d had a serious makeout session in a chair that was clearly voyeuristically haunted. A little insanity was probably a good respite. That way she wouldn’t have to think about Calum leaving her. He’d already left at the first hurdle. Never looked back. Like her dad. Like Jared. She’d been abandoned over and over and she just had to stop wanting any connection with anyone. Ever. Especially a man.
“Why do you want this thing?” She forced herself to speak so she wouldn’t have to think about Calum’s face when he’d realized she’d been using a fake name and that she’d had dinner with cousins she’d hadn’t acknowledged.
Thinking about what she’d done now, made her realize how insane that sounded. He was right not to trust her. Right to think she didn’t deserve the precious gift of his heart.
“I don’t. Sandra Reynolds Kingsley who owns Copper Mountain Chic on Main Street wants this chair or some of the older furniture stored upstairs for display as she has so many brick and copper accents in her store she thought it would theme nicely.
“Tell her to enjoy.” Walker did the final heave onto the freight elevator. “Just don’t let her put it in the dressing room”
