Breaking Bailey's Rules(25)

Bailey studied the date on the headstone. “You were here when she died?”

“Yes.”

She did quick calculations in her head. Walker had lost his wife and son three months before he’d lost his mother and subsequently his father. He had fled Hollywood to come here to find peace from his grief only to face even more heartache when he’d arrived home. No wonder he’d shut himself off from the world and become a loner. He had lost the four people he’d loved the most within a year’s time.

She noticed his hold on her hand tightened when he said, “Dad basically died of a broken heart. He missed Mom that much. Six months. I’m surprised he lasted without her that long. She was his heart, and I guess he figured that without her he didn’t need one.”

Bailey swallowed. She remembered Ramsey telling her that at least their parents had died together. He couldn’t imagine one living without the other. Like Walker’s, her parents had had a very close marriage.

“My father was a good one,” Walker said, breaking into her thoughts. “The best. He loved Hemlock Row, and when I was a teenager he made me promise to always take care of it and keep it in the family and never sell it. I made him a promise to honor his wishes.”

She nodded and recalled hearing her father and uncle had made their father and grandfathers the same such promises. That was why her family considered Westmoreland Country their home. It had been land passed to them from generation to generation. Land their great-grandfather Raphel had worked hard to own and even harder to maintain.

Walker shifted and they moved toward the next headstone. She knew before he brushed the snow off the marker who it belonged to. His son. Connor Andrew Rafferty.

From the dates on the headstone, he’d died four days after his first birthday, which would have been...today. She quickly glanced over at the man standing beside her, still holding her hand as he stood staring at the headstone with a solemn look on his face. Today was his son’s birthday. Connor would have been eleven today.

There were no words Bailey could say because at that moment she could actually feel Walker’s pain. His grief was still raw and she could tell it hadn’t yet healed. So she did the only thing she could do. She leaned into him. Instead of rejecting her gesture, he placed his arms around her waist and gently drew her against his side.

They stood there together, silently gazing at the headstone. She was certain his mind was filled with memories of the son he’d lost. Long minutes passed before Walker finally spoke. “He was a good kid. Learned to walk at ten months. And he loved playing hide-and-seek.”

Bailey forced a smile through the tears she tried to hold back. She bet he was a good daddy who played hide-and-seek often with his son. “Was he ever hard to find?”

Walker chuckled. “All the time. But his little giggle would always give him away.”

Walker got quiet again, and then he turned her in his arms to face him. He touched her chin with his thumb. “Thanks for coming here with me today.”

“Thanks for bringing me. I know today has to be painful for you.”

He dropped his hand and broke eye contact to look up at the snow-covered mountains behind her. “Yes, it is every year. There are some things you just can’t get over.”

Bailey nodded. She then glanced around, expecting to see another headstone, and when she didn’t, she gazed at Walker and asked, “Your wife?”

He looked back down at her and took her hand. “What about her?”

“Is she not buried here?”

He hesitated a moment and then said, “No.” And then he tightened his hold on her hand. “Come on. Let’s head back.”



Later that night as Walker lay in bed holding Bailey in his arms while she slept, he thought about their time together at the cemetery. Today had been the first time he’d allowed anyone in on his emotions, his pain, the first time he’d shared his grief. And in turn, he had shared some of his family’s history with her. It was history he hadn’t shared with any other woman but Kalyn. The difference in how the two women had received the information had been as different as day and night.

Kalyn hadn’t wanted to hear about it. Said he should forget the past and move on. She was adamant about never leaving Hollywood to return here to live. She never even visited during the three years they’d been married. How she had hated a place she’d never seen went beyond him. And she had told him that if his parents died and he inherited the place, he should sell it. She’d listed all the things they could buy with the money.

On the other hand, Bailey had listened to his family’s history today and seemed to understand and appreciate everything he’d told her. She had even thanked him for sharing it with her.

He hadn’t been able to verbalize his own appreciation so he’d expressed it another way. As soon as they returned to his ranch, he had whisked her into his arms, carried her up the stairs and made love to her in a way he’d never made love to any other woman.

Walker released his hold on Bailey now to ease out of bed and cross the room. He stared into the fire as if the heat actually flickered in his soul. Today, while making love to Bailey, he kept telling himself that it was only lust that made him want her so much. That it was appreciation that drove him. He refused to consider anything else. Anything more. And yet now he was fighting to maintain his resolve where she was concerned.

He didn’t want or need anyone else in his life. And although he enjoyed her company now, he preferred solitude. Once she was gone, everything in his life would get back to normal. And she would leave, he didn’t doubt that. She loved Westmoreland Country as much as he loved Hemlock Row.

He inhaled deeply, wanting to take in the smell of wood and smoke. Instead, he was filled with Bailey’s scent. “Damn it, I don’t want this,” he uttered softly with a growl. “And I don’t need her. I don’t need anyone.”

He released a deep breath, wondering whom he was trying to convince.

He knew the answer to that. He had to convince himself or else he’d end up making the mistake of the century, and one mistake with a woman was enough.

When Bailey had noticed Kalyn wasn’t buried there, for a second he’d been tempted to confide in her. To tell her the whole sordid story about his wife and her betrayal. But he couldn’t. The only living person who knew the whole story was Garth, and that was the way Walker would keep it. He could never open himself up to someone else—definitely not another woman.

He heard Bailey stirring in bed and his body responded, as usual. He wondered how long this erotic craving for her would last. He had a feeling he would have an addiction long after she was gone. But while she was here he would enjoy her and store up the memories.

“Walker?”

He turned and looked toward the bed. “I’m over here.”

“I want you here.”

His thoughts were pensive. He wanted to be where she was, as well. He crossed the room and eased back into bed, drawing her into his arms. They only had a few more days together and then she would be gone. She would return to Westmoreland Country without looking back. In the meantime, he would make sure the days they had together were days he could cherish forever.





Fifteen

“I don’t believe it,” Charm Outlaw said, caught up in a moment of awe as she stared at Bailey. “We do favor. I didn’t believe Garth and Walker, but now I do.” She gave Bailey a hug. “Welcome to Fairbanks, cousin.”

Bailey couldn’t help but smile, deciding she liked Charm right away. Everyone had been right—they did look alike. Charm’s five brothers also favored their Westmoreland cousins. “Thanks for the invite. I hadn’t expected all of this.”

“All of this” was the dinner party Charm had planned. Walker had flown them to Fairbanks and Garth had sent a limo to pick them up from the airport. The limo had taken a route through the city’s downtown. Even though a thick blanket of snow covered the grounds, Bailey thought downtown Fairbanks was almost as captivating as downtown Denver.

Walker had given her a bit of Fairbanks’s history, telling her that it was a diverse city thanks to the army base there. A lot of ex-military personnel decided they liked the area and remained after their tour of duty ended. He also told her Alaska had the highest ratio of men to women than anywhere else in the United States. Online dating was popular here and a lot of the men actually solicited mail-order brides.

After resting up at the hotel for a couple of hours, another limo had arrived to deliver them to the Outlaw Estates. Bailey couldn’t help but chuckle when she remembered the marker at the entrance of the huge gated residence. It said, “Unless you’re an outlaw, stay out. Josey Wales welcomed.” Walker had told her the sign had been Maverick Westmoreland’s idea. He was a huge fan of Clint Eastwood. The Outlaw mansion sat on over fifty acres of land.

Already Bailey had met Charm and Garth’s brothers—Jess, Sloan, Cash and Maverick. In addition to their resemblance to the Westmorelands, they carried themselves like Westmorelands, as well. All five were single and, according to Charm, the thought of getting married made her brothers break out in hives. Jess, an attorney, seemed like the least rowdy of the four, and she wasn’t surprised that he had announced his candidacy for senator of Alaska. He indicated he knew of Senator Reggie Westmoreland and although they hadn’t met yet, Jess had been surprised to discover they were related. He looked forward to meeting Reggie personally. He’d been following Reggie’s political career for a number of years and admired how he carried himself in Washington. He also knew of Chloe’s father, Senator Jamison Burton, and hoped as many others did that he would consider running for president one day.