Beautifully Broken Pieces (The Sutter Lake Series Book 1) Read online

  She chuckled. “You’re so lucky to have me in your corner. And since I’ve lived here my whole life, I know everyone’s dirty little secrets. I’ll pick you out some winners.”

  “You’re an angel sent to Earth just for me.”

  “You know it. I may not be looking to hook up, but I am looking to have a couple cocktails. I even wrangled Walker into feeding my horses in the morning so I don’t have to get up early.”

  “Your horses?” I’d seen various horses in the fields as I drove between my cabin and the ranch house but hadn’t thought much about them. They were pretty to look at, but as a vertically-challenged person, climbing on top of large creatures and galloping at top speeds didn’t really appeal to me.

  Jensen’s eyes lit with a passion and love I’d rarely seen. “Haven’t I told you? I have rescue horses.”

  “Rescue horses?”

  “Yup. There is a herd of wild horses not far from here, but sometimes, horses need to be brought out of the wild for health or injury reasons. I take them in. I help rehab them if I can, and I’ve even trained a few to be ridden.”

  “Wow. That’s amazing. How many do you have?”

  “Right now, twenty. But I may be getting another in a few weeks.”

  “Twenty horses? Who helps you take care of them?”

  “Dad lets me mooch some of the ranch hands for the real labor-intensive work, but I do most of the daily stuff myself.” She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the country tune on the radio. “Well, with Tessa’s help.”

  “She helps you take care of the horses?”

  Jensen grinned. “She’s a wisp of a thing, but she’s a hard worker.”

  “She’s really kind.” I flashed back to Tessa’s gentle comfort during my panic attack.

  “The kindest.” Jensen’s face grew serious. “I don’t know her story, but someone hurt that girl. She came to Sutter Lake about a year ago and applied for a job at the Kettle. Barely said two words in the interview, but I couldn’t say no. She lives above the shop and helps me with the horses as her rent payment.”

  My stomach pitched at the idea of someone hurting Tessa, but the pieces seemed to fit. “I’m glad you gave her a place to stay.”

  “Me, too. She has a special way with the horses, especially one that was hurt real bad. They bonded when no one else could reach the mare. Tessa nursed her back to health.”

  “That’s incredible.” What would it feel like to have that kind of connection with another creature?

  Jensen swung her SUV into the saloon parking lot. It was already almost full, but she found a spot towards the back. “Let’s do this.”

  We made our way through the swinging double doors. Music poured out into the night, and a frisson of excitement teased my belly.

  Jensen grabbed my hand and led me through a packed crowd towards an equally busy bar. She waved at one of the bartenders, a stocky but handsome man, who gestured back and pointed to the end of the bar. “Hey, Little J, what’ll it be?”

  Jensen’s face scrunched in distaste at the nickname. “When will you stop calling me that?”

  The bartender chuckled. “Oh, about a quarter till never.”

  Jensen shook her head. “Yeah, yeah. How about four tequila shots to start us off?”

  Both my and the bartender’s eyes bulged. “Jensen—” I started.

  “Not messing around tonight, huh, Little J? Your brother know you’re here?” the bartender asked.

  Jensen’s hands went to her hips. “John. I am over twenty-one years of age, I do not need your or my brother’s permission to drink tequila.”

  John’s lips pressed together in what seemed to be an attempt not to laugh. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get on those shots right away.”

  I tugged on Jensen’s arm. “I don’t know if shots are such a good idea for me. I don’t have the highest alcohol tolerance.”

  She sent me a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry. We’ll just shoot these and then get water bottles to take on the dance floor with us.”

  I caved to the peer pressure. “Oh, all right.”

  John re-emerged with four shots, lime wedges, and salt. “Here you ladies go.” His eyes traveled down the length of my body. “I don’t think I’ve met you before. I’m John.”

  I took his outstretched hand, shaking it. “Taylor.”

  Jensen grabbed two shot glasses, handing me one. “Taylor just moved into the guest cabin a few weeks ago.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you. I gotta get back to work, but maybe I can buy you a drink when my shift’s over?”

  “We’ll see,” I teased. He grinned and headed for the opposite end of the bar.

  “Come on,” Jensen said. “Down the hatch.”

  “Down the hatch” were Jensen’s and my famous last words. The country tunes blared from the bar’s speakers as Jensen and I twirled around the dance floor in fits of hysterical giggles. This was a blast. Why didn’t I go out more?

  On my last twirl, I ran smack into a wall of muscle. “Hey there, Short-stack,” a deep voice said as hands grasped my arms in an attempt to steady me.

  I tipped my head back and found vibrant green eyes staring down at me. “Whoa. You’re pretty.”

  His lips quirked. “Pretty, huh?”

  I nodded. Jensen tugged my hand. “Let her go, Walker. We have more dancing to do.”

  Walker chuckled. “I think you two are done for the night. Bryce is right behind me.”

  Jensen perked up at that, and I spotted Bryce’s sandy brown head making his way towards Jensen. She launched herself at him and, luckily, he caught her. She then proceeded to plant a long, hot kiss on the man’s lips.

  “Shit. I do not need to see that, guys,” Walker grumbled.

  I giggled as Bryce slowly set Jensen down on her feet. “Sorry about that, Walk,” he said. Bryce’s eyes then turned to me, a warm smile in place. “Nice to see you again, Taylor.”

  “You, too.” My body wavered, and Walker slipped an arm around my waist to keep me upright. Shit. Shots were such a bad idea. Walker’s arm felt warm and comforting around me. I burrowed into his side, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

  “I’m going to take her home. Can you handle J?” Walker’s voice rumbled against the cheek I had pressed to his chest.

  “Yeah. No problem, man. I’ll see you later,” Bryce’s voice came as if from far away.

  “Drive safe,” Walker instructed.

  My eyes opened as Bryce said, “I will. Precious cargo.”

  “You got that right.”

  Walker ushered me towards the exit, and I called over my shoulder, “Bye, J! So. Much. Fun.” I punctuated each of the last words with a fist in the air. I could hear Jensen’s laughter even over the crowd.

  Walker propelled me forward. “Come on, let’s go.”

  The cool night air was a jolt to my system, sending any desire for sleep fleeing. I shivered. Walker must have felt the movement because he slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

  I inhaled deeply. The scent of the coat was a mixture of his woodsy cologne and something uniquely Walker. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Walker opened the door to his truck and helped me into the seat in silence, but each brush of his hand sent tingles shooting across my skin. When he leaned across to buckle my seatbelt, my entire body trembled.

  “Still cold?” he asked.

  I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

  He studied my face but said nothing, just shut the door and rounded the truck.

  The ride home was silent. I spun my ring in circles on my finger and nibbled at the corner of my lip.

  Walker pulled into the cabin’s drive, then shut off the truck and came around to open my door. “Come on, let’s get you inside so you can catch some shuteye.”

  He helped me down, and we made our way to the front porch. Two steps up, I turned, leaving me face-to-face with Walker and his gorgeous eyes. “Thanks for tak
ing me home.”

  “Anytime. I’m glad you let your guard down enough to have a little fun.”

  “I don’t have my guard up.”

  Walker’s head fell back and he let loose that same laugh I’d heard that day at the saloon, back when I didn’t even know his name. “Oh, honey, your guard is up so high, you can’t even see over it.” His face grew serious. “But, maybe one of these days, you’ll lower it enough to see that letting people really know you isn’t the worst thing.”

  My breaths came in shallow bursts. Heat flared in Walker’s eyes as his gaze dropped to my mouth. Fuck it. I closed the distance between us.

  My lips met his in a hesitant caress that soon turned hungry. His tongue parted my lips, and I tasted a hint of bitterness left behind by a beer. My lower belly clenched as his hand drifted to my neck, tangling in my hair. I pushed my body flush against his, needing more contact, more of his body, more of anything to do with him.

  Suddenly, the hand on my neck was gone, and there were two on my shoulders, pushing me back. “I can’t. This is a bad idea.”

  I blinked rapidly, still a little dazed from the mixture of booze and lust. “Why not?”

  Walker roughly ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “For one, you’re drunk.” I’m not that drunk, I thought petulantly. “And two…” His voice trailed off as if he were searching for the right words. “The timing isn’t right.” My spine stiffened. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re gorgeous.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting blood. “I get it.” I turned on my heel and headed up the stairs.

  “Taylor…”

  “Thanks for the ride,” I called without turning around. I quickly fumbled for my key, unlocking the door with a speed and dexterity I should not have possessed given how much tequila I had consumed that evening. I was through the door before Walker could say another word.

  I knew an excuse when I heard it. I knew when I wasn’t wanted.

  I flipped the lock and then sank to the floor, my back against the door. The cool wood was a balm to my overheated, traitorous skin. I hugged my knees to my chest.

  I was alone. Just like I was meant to be. Everyone left, whether it was by choice or not. It was better to be alone from start to finish. Tears tracked down my cheeks. “I miss you, Mom.” The words were the faintest whisper. “I miss you so fucking much.”

  Pound, pound, pound. The noise at my door mirrored the beating in my skull. “Hold your freaking horses, I’ll be right there,” I bellowed in the direction of the front door.

  I rolled to a seated position on the couch where I had fallen asleep the night before. Apparently, my bedroom twenty feet away was simply too far. I was still wearing my outfit from my night out, and I was sure my mascara had run down my face. Shit. I got to my feet, steadying myself on the back of the couch when the world turned on its axis a bit.

  When the living room had righted itself, I headed towards the front door. “Who is it?” I called when I was two feet away.

  “It’s your partner in crime,” Jensen yelled through the door.

  A grin stretched across my face, and I pulled open the door. Jensen stood there, holding two cups of coffee balanced on top of what looked like a box of donuts. “Thought you might need a pick-me-up,” she said as she brushed past me, making a beeline for the kitchen.

  I followed her and the scent of caffeine. “You really are an angel sent from Heaven.”

  Jensen waved a hand in front of her face as she opened the box of goodies with the other. “I know, I know.” She took a bite of a glazed donut as she studied me. “You look like shit,” she said while chewing. “What happened to you?”

  The color drained from my face as it all came flooding back. Tequila shots. Dance floor. Walker. Walker’s lips. Oh, shit.

  “Taylor. Taylor! What the hell? Are you okay?” I blinked as Jensen came into focus. She was standing right in front of me now, hand on my elbow.

  “I think I might have fucked up last night.” Complete understatement. More like I made a total fool of myself.

  Jensen’s brows raised. “What are you talking about?”

  I twisted my ring, my stomach roiling. “I might have made a pass at your brother.” I covered my face with my hands, unable to watch Jensen’s reaction.

  “That is awesome!”

  I peeked at her through my fingers. “How in the world is that awesome?”

  Jensen looked confused. “I love the idea of you two together. Did you think I’d be mad or something?”

  I dropped my hands to my sides. “He rejected me. Nothing happened.” Nothing but a soul-searing kiss I’d never forget.

  Her face fell. “Dang it. He is such a freaking idiot sometimes.”

  Now it was my turn to look perplexed. “What are you talking about?”

  She took a sip of her coffee. “He likes you. I can tell.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Jensen hadn’t seen how Walker had shoved me away.

  Jensen’s gaze dropped to her coffee cup as she nibbled on her lower lip. “Listen, Walker was almost engaged once.”

  I sucked in a breath, a weird stab of jealousy hitting my chest.

  “Growing up, Walker was always about Julie. He was head over heels for her from the time he was ten years old and she was nine. He gave her everything from that age on, too. See, she had a crappy home life—single mom who cared more about getting drunk and laid. Jules spent most of her time at our house, and Walker looked out for her like she was spun gold.”

  I swallowed against my dry-as-a-desert throat. “What happened?”

  Jensen’s jaw got tight. “They dated all through high school and the first year he was off at college. They were planning a life together. Walker even had a ring, but he wanted to wait until after graduation to give it to her.”

  Jensen gripped the counter, her knuckles going white. “The week before graduation, she went missing. Her mom didn’t even report it. It was Walker who called the school to see if she was there when she didn’t answer his calls.”

  My heart thudded against my ribs. I kept seeing Walker’s lips pressed against the headstone in my mind.

  “Walker left Portland and came down to help search. He was out of his mind with worry. Two weeks later, they found her body. They never caught the guy who did it.” Tears filled Jensen’s eyes. “It’s why Walker’s a cop. He blamed himself for a long time, for not being here to protect her. He decided he would be there to protect others, make sure there weren’t other crimes that went unsolved like this one did.”

  I reached out and squeezed Jensen’s hand. “I’m so sorry, J.” She’d lost Julie, too. My heart ached for her, but it cracked for Walker. He’d lost the love of his life.

  Jensen shook her head. “He’s drawn to you, Taylor, but he’s never gotten serious with anyone since Julie. He thinks he had his one shot at love and now has to settle for companionship at best. It’s so dumb.”

  My chest tightened. “I don’t know about him being drawn to me. I’m not going to lie, there’s an attraction there, but I think it was more a case of mixed signals than anything else.” She looked doubtful. “Honestly, I’m just embarrassed. I was drunk, and I made a fool of myself.” That much was true.

  “Whatever you want to believe.” She paused for a moment, studying my face. “I think you two would be good for each other. Even if it isn’t a forever thing.”

  The idea of letting Walker into my life in that way, only to watch him go, had panic licking through my veins with such ferocity that I had to grip the counter to steady myself. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  Jensen held up both hands. “Okay. I won’t meddle. Promise.”

  I forced a small smile. “Thank you.”

  She went back to the donuts. “Let’s get to work on curing that hangover. What’s your poison?”

  I studied the box. “Got any Boston Cream in there?”

  “Girl after my own heart. I’ve got two.”

  She han
ded me the vanilla custard-filled concoction, and I took a large bite. It tasted like ambrosia. But as the donut settled in my stomach, a shudder swept through me. It could have been the remnants of the tequila, but something told me it had more to do with Walker Cole.

  17

  Walker

  She had been swimming for at least two hours. Her strokes were vicious as if she were attacking the water. I’d been watching her since I arrived at my parents’ house, just sitting in one of the worn leather reading chairs that sat in front of the large window that looked out over the backyard and the surrounding fields.

  While her swim was aggressive tonight, Taylor’s body still seemed sleek and smooth. Her long legs propelled her forward with surprising speed. I traced her body with my gaze the way I wanted to with my tongue. A flash of her taste filled my mouth, and I bit back a groan.

  I had slept like shit last night, tossing and turning. When I finally fell asleep, my dreams were filled with blonde hair and blue-gray eyes.

  I stood, the chair legs scraping against the wooden floor. I wasn’t going to let her swim until she passed out. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the back door.

  I stepped to the edge of the pool so she’d catch sight of me. My lumbering frame did the trick, and her head popped up as she reached the wall. She lifted the goggles from her red face. “Hey.”

  “You’re done,” I barked.

  Her hands went to her hips as she stood in the shallow water. Liquid ran down her face to her neck, kissing her collarbone and then dipping between her breasts. My pants got tighter. Shit.

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  “You’ve been swimming for over two hours, it’s time for you to call it quits.”

  Taylor’s face hardened. “Have you been watching me?”

  I fisted my hands. “I’ve been enjoying a beer at my parents’ house and couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been racing up and down the length of the pool like you’re running from Satan himself.”