In This Town (24 page)

“You’re really leaving?” she asked as if she couldn’t believe
it. Maybe she’d miss him.

A guy could hope.

“Not for a few weeks but then…yeah. I’ll be heading to boot
camp.”

Jess studied him then slowly nodded. “Yeah, I guess I could
write you back. We can be friends,” she added.

“Friends. Sure.” It was a start, maybe more than he deserved
after he’d been such an ass to her. “But I think, since we’re being honest here,
I should tell you that I plan on coming back here in a few years. And when I
do,” he added, leaning close, so close her eyes widened and she gasped softly,
“I’m going to come after you.” He flicked his gaze to her mouth then met her
eyes again. “I hope you’re ready for me.”

Before she could tell him to go to hell or that she changed her
mind about them being friends, he went down the sidewalk, feeling lighter than
he had since he’d discovered what his father had done. He reached his Jeep,
unlocked the door.

“Anthony,” she called. He turned back; she stood in the
doorway, her hand on Bobby’s head, her feet bare. “Be careful.”

He nodded. Waved and climbed into his Jeep. Before he shut the
door he heard her say, “I don’t hate you.”

Smiling, he drove away, ready to take on his new life.

* * *

T
HE
BREEZE
PICKED
up Tori’s hair, blew
it into her face. She didn’t move, just stared down at the fresh grave.
Shivered.

“I still can’t believe it,” Nora said as she came up beside
Tori. “You know, I used to think that nothing was more important than the truth,
that no matter what else happened, you could at least count on it. Now I wish
the truth had stayed buried.”

They stared down at Celeste’s grave. They’d held a private
service. Tim hadn’t attended, he’d felt too betrayed, was too torn up over
everything that had happened. It’d just been Tori, her sisters and Ross and
Griffin. But Tori hadn’t cried. She couldn’t. She was all cried out, all she
felt was numb.

“I don’t know,” Layne said from Tori’s other side. “When we
discovered Mom had been killed, I wanted to deny it. I didn’t want to admit that
all these years I’d hated her so much, resented her so much and she’d been taken
from us. I felt so damn guilty, as if I hadn’t had any right to those feelings
but they were the truth,” she pointed out. “They were real and honest. She
wasn’t the best mother. But she was ours.”

“She was ours,” Tori repeated. “She was selfish and so
beautiful and fun and irresponsible.”

“She was ours,” Nora said softly. “For all her faults, she
helped shape who we are, who we turned out to be. For good or bad.”

Layne nudged Tori’s hip. “Speaking of good, what happened
between you and Walker?”

Tori slid her sister a sidelong look. “Now, you know I don’t
kiss and tell.”

Layne rolled her eyes. “Drop the act. We saw your face the day
he came to see you after Celeste died.”

“What about my face?”

“You were devastated,” Nora said gently.

Tori fidgeted, her heels sinking into the soft ground. “Of
course I was. We all were. We’d just discovered the woman we’d taken in as part
of our family had killed our mother.”

“No, that wasn’t it,” Layne said. “Or at least, not all of it.
You were hurt Walker left.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Shows how much you know,”
she said, sounding like a teenager. “I told him to leave.”

“Why on earth would you do that when it’s obvious you’re in
love with him?” Nora asked.

Panic slid into Tori’s chest, made it difficult to breathe.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What’s so ridiculous about it?” Layne asked.

“Because I can’t love him,” she blurted. “I’ll just mess it
up.”

“Probably,” Layne agreed. “But since when has that stopped you
from going after what you want?”

Tori laughed harshly. “Are you kidding me? I never go after
what I want. I’ve stayed in this town, afraid to move forward, my whole life. I
got pregnant and married Greg even though I knew it was a mistake, stayed with
him for Brandon’s sake, though that was wrong, too. For all of us.”

“What do you want to do?” Nora asked as if she was really
interested.

“I want to run the café,” Tori heard herself admit. Then she
blushed madly. Forced a smirk. “Crazy, right?”

Nora shook her head. “I don’t think that’s crazy. I think it’s
a great idea.”

“Me, too,” Layne said.

Tori’s jaw dropped and she faced her older sister. “You
do?”

“Of course.”

To her horror, Tori burst into tears.

“Hey, hey,” Nora said as she wrapped her arm around Tori’s
shoulder. “It’s okay. Everything will be all right.”

She shook her head. “It won’t. I sent him away. I was so
scared. He told me he loved me and I sent him away.” She looked at Nora then
Layne. “What do I do?”

Layne wrapped her arm around Tori’s waist and squeezed. “That’s
easy. You get him back.”

* * *

T
HE
FIRST
CLUE
Walker had that
something was up was when half the department rose as one and stared out the
window. Walker continued filling out his report, kept his face turned toward his
computer screen. Ever since he got back two weeks ago, he’d kept to himself, had
downplayed his trip to Mystic Point.

The second clue came a few minutes later when someone opened
the door and the entire room went silent.

The back of his neck prickled with apprehension. With
awareness. He stilled.

“Good morning,” a husky, familiar voice said, one that had
filled his dreams for the past two weeks. “I hope one of you can help me. I’m
looking for Detective Bertrand?”

Walker hunched over his desk, realized he was trying to hide in
a room full of people, some of whom had a clear view of him, and straightened to
see several of his male coworkers point his way.

Tori. In the middle of his workplace looking like a goddess in
her tight, dark jeans and a clinging red top. Their eyes met across the room and
it was all he could do not to get up and walk away like she’d done to him after
he’d declared his feelings for her like some love-besotted idiot.

“Here,” one of his coworkers said, surging to his feet, “I’ll
walk you over.”

She broke eye contact with Walker long enough to smile at the
poor fool at her elbow. “Thanks, but I think I can take it from here.”

Walker didn’t move, couldn’t, as she came toward him in that
hip-swaying, drool-inducing walk of hers. He managed to tear his gaze from her
long enough to note that all the men in the room were checking out her ass—an
ass he had firsthand experience to know was top-notch—as she crossed the
room.

“Hello, Detective,” she said in that purr of hers as she
stopped beside his desk.

“Mrs. Mott,” he said curtly. He wouldn’t ask her why she was
there, wouldn’t lower himself to admitting how much he’d missed her, how he’d
thought of her every freaking day.

“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” she asked.

He flicked his gaze up to her then went back to his work. “I’m
busy.”

From the corner of his eye he saw her fidget, play with the
strap of her purse. She was nervous. Good. She should be nervous.

“Okay, if that’s how you want to play this,” she murmured,
“that’s how we’ll play it.” She inhaled deeply. “I love you.”

And once again, the room went silent. Walker’s neck heated with
embarrassment and he leaped to his feet, wrapped his hand around her wrist and
all but dragged her out of the room, down the hall and into the break room. He
shut the door and leaned back against it, though he imagined more than one
curious soul would be making their way down the hall in the hopes of overhearing
his and Tori’s conversation.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

“What does it look like?” she asked, sounding slightly put out,
as if he was trying to make her life uncomfortable when she’d done nothing but
make his life a living hell since he’d met her. Christ, but he’d missed her.
“I’m here to win you back,” she continued. “Or did you miss the part where I
said I loved you?”

“No,” he managed to reply through gritted teeth, “I didn’t miss
it. No one missed it including my coworkers and my boss.”

But she didn’t seem to care about any of that. “Well?”

“Well what?” he growled.

“Well, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

“Oh, believe me, I have plenty I want to say, but my mother
taught me not to use certain language in front of women.” He shoved away from
the door. “You hurt me,” he said, the words bursting out of him despite his best
effort to keep them inside. “I told you I loved you and you threw it back in my
face.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Walker, please,” she said, holding out a
hand. “I’m so sorry.”

But he didn’t want her touching him, didn’t want her here, not
when he’d been trying so hard to forget her, to pretend his feelings for her
never existed, that they weren’t real. “It doesn’t matter. What the hell was I
thinking, anyway? How can I possibly love you? I’ve only know you a few
weeks.”

“Don’t say that. We may have only known each other a short time
but I know you and you know me. Maybe better than anyone ever has. You see me,
no matter how hard I try to hide, you see me. I want you to. I want to share
myself with you, my thoughts and dreams, my hopes and fears. Everything. Only
with you, Walker. Please say you want that, too.”

He did. So much it hurt. But it was a risk, being with her.
Trusting her.

He wanted to turn her away, wanted to go back to his nice,
normal, safe existence but he looked into her eyes. Saw hope there. Saw love
there.

And he knew he was a goner. That this woman, this complicated,
stubborn, beautiful woman, was going to make his life interesting in the best
possible ways.

“Yeah,” he sighed, knowing when he was beat. “I want that, too.
I want you, Tori.”

She smiled; a real smile that lit her eyes and her entire face.
Then she launched herself at him, buried her face against the side of his neck
and held on as if she’d never let go.

He’d never let her go.

EPILOGUE

Eighteen months later

T
ORI
’
S
FIRST
WEDDING
had
taken place at the county courthouse, the only witnesses her future in-laws, her
father and the judge’s secretary. She’d been all of eighteen, eight months
pregnant and desperate to be loved.

Today she’d stood before a priest at the front of St. Bernard’s
church, her son and her sisters at her side, and had promised to love Walker
Bertrand for the rest of her life.

A promise she knew she’d have no problem keeping.

“You’re smiling,” Walker murmured into her ear as they enjoyed
their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Bertrand to the sound of Nat King Cole’s
“Unforgettable.” The warmth of Walker’s fingers seeped through the silk of her
dress at her hips. “You know that makes me nervous.”

Tori pressed against him, touched the soft hair at the nape of
his neck. “Now why on earth would that make you nervous?”

His grip tightened but he kept their movement slow and easy.
“Because it usually means you’re up to something. And want to drag me into your
plans.”

“I don’t remember you complaining the other night when my plans
included a can of whipped cream and that ugly purple tie you refuse to throw
away.”

“My mom gave me that tie.”

“So I shouldn’t mention that it makes an excellent
blindfold?”

He blushed and glanced over to where his parents sat with
Tori’s father. “Shh. Do you want me to be struck dead by lightning?”

She laughed and he grinned. Kissed her warmly. God, how she
loved him, this stubborn, gruff man. Her man. She held her left hand out,
admired the silver band on her ring finger. Her husband.

Walker settled his hands onto her lower back, his touch now
familiar but no less exciting than it had been all those months ago at the Tidal
Pool motel. Tori laid her head on his shoulder.

For the past year and a half, her family had been dealing with
the consequences of the truth about Valerie’s disappearance and death. Tori knew
they would always be affected by it in some way. They were scarred and forever
changed, but ultimately, they had survived.

She liked to think they were stronger for having gone through
it.

Raising her head, she searched out her family. Nora sat across
from Erin and Collin, having what appeared to be quite the lively conversation
while Griffin held his sleeping eight-month-old daughter. Tori still wasn’t sure
how much she trusted Griffin, but even she could see he was crazy about his wife
and daughter and would do anything for them.

Tori’s father, looking handsome in his dark suit, was speaking
with Walker’s parents while Ken and Astor sat at the table behind them.
Unfortunately, not all of her family’s wounds had fully healed. Thanks to
counseling, Ken and Astor had weathered the storm of his infidelity, but the
rift between Ken and Tim remained. And Anthony had yet to forgive his father,
but did his best to remain in contact with his mother, sister and cousins—and
most especially, Jessica—while stationed overseas.

Tori nodded toward Jess as the teen led Tanner out of the
reception hall. “I guess that tells us all we need to know about how that
just friends
thing is working out for them,” Tori
said.

When Tanner left Mystic Point last fall to attend Belmont
University, a small school in Nashville, he and Jess had decided they should be
free to see other people. But every time he came home, they were
inseparable.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

The sound of Layne’s loud, flat tone had Tori and Walker
stilling. They looked toward the buffet line where Layne stood, a glass in one
hand, a plate filled with food in the other.

And a puddle of water between her feet.

“Is that what I think it is?” Walker murmured as Ross rushed to
his very irritated, very pregnant wife.

Tori nodded. Her sister’s water had broken. “I told her she was
going to have that baby today.”

“Heading to the hospital,” Ross said as he steered Layne past
them.

She rolled her eyes. “Ross, I’m not even having strong
contractions yet.”

“Better safe than sorry,” the chief said, looking more nervous
and flustered than Tori had ever seen him.

Ross had maintained his position at the police department, but
Layne had decided it would be better for both their careers and their personal
life for her to accept a position with the county sheriff’s department.

“This one’s for the newest member of the Sullivan family,” the
D.J. said into the microphone as Justin Bieber’s “Baby” began to play.

“What’s going on?” Brandon asked, meeting Walker and Tori as
they left the dance floor hand-in-hand.

“Your aunt is having her baby,” Walker said.

“Yeah? Cool.” Brandon flipped his hair from his eyes. Looked
down at his mom, thanks to his latest growth spurt. “You two going to have one?”
he blurted. “I mean…it’s okay, you know, with me, if you do.”

Walker kept his eyes on Tori as he slung an arm around her
son’s shoulder. “Glad to hear it.”

“Me, too,” Tori said, kissing Brandon’s cheek.

They still had their differences—what parent and teenager
didn’t? But things were much better between them now. She and Greg had agreed to
share custody of Brandon until he was sixteen, at which time they would let him
choose where he wanted to live. For now, he spent Wednesdays and weekends at his
dad’s and the rest of the time with Tori.

“I want another one,” Tori said softly as Brandon headed toward
his grandfather. Clearing her throat, she faced Walker. “I want a baby.”

“What about the café?”

They had talked about kids, of course, but they had planned on
waiting. They had only recently moved into their new home, a renovated house
close to the beach. Walker still worked out of Boston but was considering moving
to a station closer to Mystic Point. Tori had taken over the café, but she
hadn’t done it alone. Her father had gone into business with her and, while they
made their fair share of mistakes, they were muddling through just fine.

“It’ll all work out,” she said, knowing it was true. “Between
Dad and Patty, the café will survive my maternity leave. I don’t want to wait. I
want it all.”

For the first time she believed she could have it all. That she
deserved it.

He cupped her face in his hands. “No more waiting.” He kissed
her. “I love you, Tori.”

She held on to his wrists, happier, more content than she’d
ever imagined. “I love you, too.”

Oh, she still didn’t believe in fairy tales—life was too
imperfect for that. But looking into Walker’s eyes, surrounded by their families
and friends, the future a bright promise, she did believe in something else.

A happy ending.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt of
The Road to Bayou
Bridge
by Liz Talley!