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  “I’d better go get cleaned up,” he said.

  He strode purposefully back inside the house and disappeared into the bathroom. The shower ran for a long time before she gave up waiting to talk to him and went to check on her pie instead.

  13

  On Sunday morning, Walker rose early and readied himself for church. He woke Ashleigh up as soon as he was showered. He told her that they were expected to make an appearance at church today.

  She seemed strangely excited as she nervously smoothed her dress and her hair. She kept asking him if she was wearing an appropriate amount of makeup.

  He assured her that she looked perfect. Her cheeks flushed at the compliment.

  She hooked her arm into the crook of his as he escorted her to the Escalade. He was feeling vaguely nervous for some reason, but he needn’t have been. He realized as he watched her at the luncheon picnic afterward that he was being crazy.

  She’d listened to Pastor Jim’s message with rapt attention during the service, despite the way he’d treated her. Later, she had fallen into an easy rhythm with Remy and Rose at the picnic. She helped the women set out the food, promising to bring her newly discovered spin on an apple pie to next week’s picnic.

  “The secret is so simple, you’d weep,” she joked with one of the older ladies in the community who’d started speaking to her around the pie table.

  His eyes never left her as she played with Shiloh and Harper and the other children at the picnic. Or when she’d talked quietly to Rose while they refilled their juice glasses. Or when she’d been chatting to Remy about possible wedding venues and local vendors.

  As it turned out, he liked watching her with his family and the other members of his community. The realization nearly floored him, but he couldn’t deny it. She looked like she belonged there, something he’d never thought of himself, even if he had been born here.

  Jenny had been an outsider as well. He’d chosen her because she’d been troubled and never quite seemed to know where she belonged. He’d always felt much the same way.

  Ashleigh’s eyes found his in the crowd every so often. She favored him with a wide smile every time their eyes met. She seemed to be in her element amongst the family. She was handing out slices of pie and carrying juice to the elder and younger members of the community.

  Pastor Jim appeared at the edge of his vision. Walker heaved himself off of his chair, making a beeline for the good pastor. The man had put the fear of God in his fiancée far too recently for the rage to have dissipated quite yet.

  “Pastor, may I have a minute?” he said as he reached Jim’s elbow.

  Jim started at the sound of his voice, but followed him away from the crowd.

  “How are ya, Roman?” Jim asked as they walked. “Haven’t seen you at a service for a minute there since you arrived in town with that fiancée of yours in tow.”

  “Speaking of my lovely bride, Jimmy, I heard you had a bit of a run-in with her the other day.”

  Jim faltered at his tone, but squared his shoulders nonetheless. He’d known Walker for long enough to know that if he was going to get punched over his ill-advised words to Ashleigh, it would’ve happened by now. Walker was not the kind of guy to deck the town pastor at a church picnic more than a week after an incident had occurred.

  “Just giving her fair warnin’ not to hurt you, my friend.” He shrugged.

  “Let me worry about who hurts me in the future, Jim. You’d best be kind to my beautiful bride. She doesn’t know anyone in town, and it’s not her fault what happened in the past. She’s not Jenny. Doesn’t even know too much about what happened back then.” Walker’s tone was colder than ice as he spoke to the pastor, who recoiled as he listened.

  Jim surveyed Walker for a long minute before nodding his agreement.

  “If you’ll excuse me, Roman, I need to get back to my less hostile parishioners.” He flitted away before Walker could answer.

  Yeah... That could’ve gone better. He made a snap decision to talk to his brothers immediately. Something told him they had to know to be ready to protect Ashleigh at the drop of a hat. He knew they would anyway, but he felt like he owed it to them to give them a heads-up.

  He wouldn’t tell them everything, of course. He’d never betray her trust that way, but they deserved something, at least. And he knew that he needed them looking out for her.

  Remy, Rose, and Ashleigh were huddled with some of the women from the assisted living home as he approached his brothers. Sawyer’s children were playing with some others nearby, but Sawyer and Colt were spread out on a blanket by themselves. As he approached, he folded his long legs as he lowered himself onto the blanket with them.

  “Hey bro! Feels like it’s been a while!” Colt exclaimed, slamming a fist on his shoulder. “I get it though, man. Do you remember when Rose and I first started out?” He chuckled at his own memory.

  Sawyer was, as always, more subdued than their exuberant younger brother. He swept Walker’s expression, and his eyes widened. Colt was there not a second later.

  “What’s going on, Walker?” Sawyer asked in a low voice, his eyes scanning their surroundings in a subconscious habit.

  Colt’s eyes narrowed and he focused his gaze on Walker, who silently thanked God for his brothers and their unwavering loyalty. Of course, he’d been there for them when they’d needed him, but it was more than that. They’d been bonded by more than blood from what they’d seen as SEALs, the brotherhood that had existed there.

  “It’s Ashleigh. I don’t have any concrete reason to be right now, but I’m worried. She didn’t come from a good home. Her parents died when she was young, and she didn’t have any family to go to.”

  She’d shared almost as much with The Colonel and Marilee earlier in the week, so he didn’t think he was saying anything that was a betrayal of her trust.

  “The point being, she doesn’t come from good circumstances. A time may come when she’ll need some protecting...” He trailed off.

  Sawyer and Colt nodded without hesitation. Sawyer placed his hand on Walker’s arm and gave it a quick squeeze.

  “If you care about her, she’s family, bro. No questions asked.” His eyes were dark with concern and Colt wore a similar expression, but true to their word, neither asked questions or pushed him for more.

  Walker was exhausted by the time they buckled up and headed home. Church luncheons never failed to drain him.

  He tried his level best to ignore it, but he felt a strong connection to Ashleigh as he drove her home. She seemed oblivious though as she chatted excitedly all the way home. She told him about Rose’s ideas for her veterinary practice. She talked about Remy’s plans for Shiloh’s next birthday party. She also mentioned the invitation she’d received from some ladies at the assisted living home to join the book club Remy was part of.

  He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine before he turned to her, placing a hand on her knee. She immediately grew silent as she sucked in a breath at the contact and focused her emerald eyes on his. They were wide and bright as she regarded him, darting between his mouth and his eyes.

  He leaned over and pressed his mouth lightly to hers, grasping the hair at the nape of her neck gently, with far more restraint than he felt in that moment.

  Her body came alive under his touch. She responded to him, leaning into the kiss, one hand grasping at his bicep while the other cradled his cheek.

  He pulled away, his body cursing at him and feeling cold as her hands slipped away. “I wanted to thank you for today, Ashleigh. You were incredible,” he said as he gathered his thoughts and gave her knee a final squeeze.

  14

  Ashleigh woke up on Wednesday morning to Walker’s concerned face gazing intently at her from the doorway to the bathroom. As soon as he saw her eyes flutter open, he started walking toward her. She stopped him with her hands held out.

  “Don’t! Morning breath,” she explained as she lazily slid out of bed, ignoring his chuckle.
r />   He had something to tell her, that much she could tell from the look he had been giving her as she’d woken up. She’d never woken up to him staring at her before, so she knew something was happening, especially considering his tense posture and the way his eyes had seemed almost sorry.

  She brushed her teeth, rinsed her face and then headed back to him. He was sitting on their bed, staring out at the greenery outside. The beds she’d ordered for the guest rooms had arrived a week or so ago. Technically she could’ve moved out of his room by now, but neither of them had said anything about it, so she’d stayed on in the main bedroom.

  “What happened?”

  A rare moment of uncertainty slipped over his handsome features before he answered. “A wedding date has been set.”

  Her jaw dropped, and her heart seemed to speed up and stop at the same time. “What?” she breathed. “Our wedding? How has a date for our wedding been set without our knowledge?”

  He gave her a grim smile. “Welcome to the mystical world of The Colonel and Mrs. Roman. Apparently they spoke to Pastor Jim and booked the gazebo for a month from Friday.”

  “A… a month?” She barely managed to get the words out.

  She had reconciled herself to the marriage between her and Walker, looked forward to it even. Though she knew that he didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her, she held out hope that he might develop them, and living here -- safe with him -- was a million times better than the alternative, even if he never wanted to touch her. Although, things had been different between them this last while, making things confusing.

  “Yeah, one month and two days, to be exact.” He shifted on the bed so that he could pull her toward him.

  She sank into him, pressing her face to his chest and breathing him in. His heart beat steadily as ever under her ear and she felt him hold her head to his chest, gently twisting her hair in his hand.

  Well, this is new. The thought registered that he’d never done something quite like that before, but it was strangely comforting. Like he needed her embrace just as much as she needed his.

  “One more thing,” his quiet voice murmured against her ear. “The Romans are coming!” he joked, but his voice had ominous undertones. She pulled away from him, raising a questioning eyebrow. “I mean Rose and Remy are on their way, and it’s a safe bet Marilee will show up at some point.” His brow furrowed as he mentioned Marilee.

  Ah, that would be the reason for the ominous tone then. She’d watched him with Rose and Remy, and there was nothing but brotherly love there. They weren’t the reason for the joke seeming like something darker.

  “When will they be here?” she asked, burrowing into his chest again.

  “Since Rose lives right next door and Remy was already on her way when I spoke to Sawyer, I’d venture a guess at any second.” He grinned down at her.

  Sure enough, not even a minute later he was shooing her into the shower as she heard the girls calling from the kitchen.

  “You two had better be decent in five minutes flat,” Remy’s voice ordered while Rose pealed with laughter.

  “Relax, Remy!” Walker’s voice called from the other side of the door once Ashleigh was safely in the bathroom.

  She took her time showering and dressing.

  Aw, look who’s trying to fit in now, but you’ll always be Doll in your heart, a voice taunted her from the back of her head. But for the first time ever, she managed to successfully shut it down. She was about to become a Roman, god damnit. Real or not as her relationship with Walker might be, their piece of paper from the state would be real and these were proud people. She was done with being the weakest link.

  She questioned her resolve as the Roman girls descended on her once she entered the kitchen. Remy pushed a massive mug of steaming coffee over to her and informed her that she’d better get ready to work if she wanted control over anything at her own wedding.

  Soon, it felt like every surface of her kitchen and the dining room table had been taken over by wedding planning.

  “It might seem rushed and last minute, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be great,” Remy assured her.

  “With us by your side, anything is possible,” Rose said in a dramatic voice as she struck a Supergirl pose.

  Remy collapsed in a fit of giggles and threw a piece of ribbon at Rose. It floated to Rose’s feet harmlessly as Rose rolled her eyes with a smile.

  “So, have you thought about what you want to do with the gazebo?” Rose questioned her.

  “Honestly, I only found out about thirty minutes ago that I’d be getting married there, so I haven’t had much time to think about what I want to do with it.” Her words came out far snippier than she’d intended. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. This is all just happening very fast all of a sudden.”

  Both girls looked at her empathetically.

  “It tends to be that way with the Roman men,” Remy said softly. “That’s why we’re here.”

  Rose produced pictures from a worn folder. “I wouldn’t use the gazebo as is. It needs a bit of work. So I suggest that we cover everything in white draping.” She pushed two pictures over to Ashleigh, illustrating the difference.

  Ashleigh gasped as she observed the intended venue where she was to be married in little over a month.

  Rose gave her shoulders a squeeze as Remy asked, “So we’re a go with the white draping then?”

  Ashleigh nodded wordlessly as Remy scribbled in a small notebook she’d pulled from somewhere.

  Remy and Rose bustled through the morning, doing what they’d done with the draping. They tried not to overwhelm her, limiting her options by perfunctory questions before presenting her with photographs.

  Ashleigh was quiet at first, trying to come to terms with the fact that she was actually planning a wedding to Walker, but the Roman girls finally managed to open her up just a little.

  “Where are you from, Ash?” Rose began. “Oh my God, I didn’t mean to be forward! Do you mind if I call you Ash? It just feels as if we know so little about you. Damn! I keep putting my foot in my mouth. I’m going to shut up now. I know what it feels like to have people prodding you against your will.” Her voice turned dark and quiet at the end of the sentence, but she didn’t elaborate.

  It suddenly occurred to Ashleigh that she might not be the only girl here who had her secrets.

  More than anything, this prompted her to talk. They’d been so friendly to her, and maybe she had her secrets, but so did they. It didn't mean that she couldn’t engage with them at all.

  “I’m fine with Ash.” She shot a small smile toward Rose. “And I’m from New Orleans, but I left there a long time ago.”

  They didn't push her for more about why she’d left, or where she’d gone.

  “Where are your family?” Remy asked gently. “Sawyer mentioned that your parents have passed on, do you have any other family?”

  “Nah,” she drawled. “After my parents passed away, whatever family I had all vanished pretty quickly.”

  They chatted about nothing for a while after that, passing wedding photographs between them.

  “I haven’t lost anyone in my immediate family,” Remy offered cautiously, seemingly out of nowhere. “I don’t know how much Walker has told you about us, but I lost the love of my life and my baby’s father for four years…”

  Her eyes glazed over at the memory. “I’m not comparing it or anything!” she said quickly. “I’m just trying to say that I know something about loss, but I also know there’s life after it.” Remy tried to shrug, but shivered instead.

  “I understand where you’re coming from,” she assured Remy softly.

  Rose stared into the distance, into a past only she could see before she added her piece. “I’ve lost a part of myself. A big part, actually.” Her revelation startled Ashleigh. She always seemed so put together, so confident. “Lord knows, Colt’s had his hands full putting me back together.” She sighed, but smiled as she spoke Colt’s name.r />
  “How’re things going with Walker? He’s always been so private.” Remy’s voice was gentle and caring as she asked.

  Ashleigh was taken aback again at how closed off he was with them. It wasn’t like he was an open book with her, after all the man could give her emotional whiplash, but at least he talked to her. It didn’t seem like he really spoke to many others.

  She wanted to be honest with them, so she bit her lip and tried to figure out how to say what she meant.

  “Things are good, but I feel like I want to be closer to him. Somehow. Like you said, he’s not the easiest guy to get to open up,” she admitted.

  Rose put a kind hand on her arm. “No, none of our Roman boys are,” she conceded. “But Walker might be the most reserved of them all. Maybe you need to bond with him more, you know, spend more one-on-one time with him in the run up to the wedding. It can be a stressful time for them as well. Even if they won’t admit it.” Rose rolled her eyes before making a suggestion with sparkling eyes. “There’s a fair coming up this weekend, maybe you should ask him to go with you? You know, turn the tables and ask him on a date? Colt loves that kind of thing!” She blushed.

  Ashleigh blushed in turn as she pictured asking Walker on a date, but she shrugged. “Maybe I will. Thanks, Rose.”

  The front door swung open and Ashleigh looked at the clock, shocked at the time. Well, well… time really does fly when you’re having fun. And she really had been, she realized.

  Walker strode into the kitchen, his eyes fixed on Ashleigh and the short sundress she’d chosen this morning. He had already been gone by the time she’d finished in the shower.

  He was dirty and sweaty from his day’s work on the ranch, his t-shirt clinging to his muscles as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and downed it one gulp, his eyes never leaving hers.

  The girls muttered their excuses as they took one look between Ashleigh and Walker and they were gone before she could even say thank you.