I turned my gaze to the screen as the opening credits started to roll. As one minute melted into the next, my eyes grew heavy. The heat from Walker’s body only added to fatigue’s call. It wasn’t long before sleep claimed me.
* * *
I awoketo gentle ministrations on my scalp and my cheek pressed against a hard surface. “Time to wake up.”
That had my eyes popping open with a start. I bolted upright. “Wha—?” It was a partially formed word, but my brain wasn’t quite awake yet. Looking around, I saw that almost the entire movie crowd had cleared out. I had slept through the whole show…on Walker’s chest. I was pretty sure there was a spot of drool on his shirt.
“I’m so sorry—” I started.
Walker shook his head. “What did I tell you about apologizing?”
I grimaced. “You shouldn’t have let me sleep on you. You should have shoved me off or something.”
He chuckled, and the low, throaty sound hit me right in the belly. “It’s fine, Taylor. Really. I never mind a pretty woman cuddled up next to me.”Unless that woman is me, and she tries to kiss you, I wanted to say. “Still not sleeping well?” he asked.
“Not really.” To be honest, I couldn’t believe I had fallen asleep so easily next to Walker. Taking inventory of my body, I realized that I felt incredibly rested. God, it was wonderful. I didn’t even feel this rested after an entire night’s worth of pseudo-sleep.
I cleared my throat. “I should get going. Do you know where Jensen is?”
“She’s in the guest house, putting Noah down. I told her I’d take you home.”
Great. Let’s just extend the mortification. “Thanks,” I mumbled.
“All right, let’s get on then.”
I followed Walker to his truck and half jumped, half slid into the passenger seat. He let out a low laugh. “Oh, shut up,” I sniped.
He rounded the hood of the truck and, in seconds, we were on our way back to my house. “So,” he began, “we’re going to the lake tomorrow.”
“That’ll be fun,” I replied, the picture of polite distance.
“You’re coming with us.”
My head snapped in his direction. “No, I’m not.”
“Come on, what are you going to do? Stay home alone and work out all day?”
I had planned to attempt another cooking project and swim laps, but I didn’t say that. “My plans are none of your business.”
“Your plans are coming to the lake with the entire Cole family. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
I huffed, crossing my arms at this familiar refrain. “Does pushiness run in your family gene pool or something?”
Walker let out a bark of laughter. “Why, yes, ma’am, it does. So, you might as well give in now.” He swung his truck to a stop in front of my stairs. “I’ll be here at nine a.m. to pick you up.”
“Fine,” I gritted out.
“Goodnight, Short-stack,” he called as I jumped down from the truck.
“Goodnight, Bigfoot,” I called. But to myself, I huffed, “Stubborn, ornery, no-good, troublemaking men.” Apparently, I was going to the lake.
21
Walker
My truck bumped along the gravel drive as I pulled up to the guest cabin to pick up Taylor. I grinned as I remembered her reaction to me telling her that she was going to the lake with us today. She had been a hissing, spitting little kitten.
I loved getting her riled. It had become a favorite pastime of mine. Over the past few weeks, we’d gone running together almost a dozen times, and I always got a perverse joy out of heckling her along the way. She needed to know that she couldn’t push me or any other members of the Cole family away with her prickliness.
