Her back stiffened. “Why don’t I get divorced? Really? I like how you say that as if it never would’ve occurred to me.”
He shrugged. “Well?”
“You want the truth? My husband wants me around to raise his kids and I stay because of the prenup. Lovely, isn’t it?”
He didn’t understand rich folks. Wouldn’t she rather be free and a little poorer? “You can leave, Nicole. Just move on. I’m sure you love your stepkids, but they have a mom. You could start over.”
She turned to face him. “I don’t want to start over. I just want what I had. A nice house. A pretty life. And you, Walker. You were always around when I needed you.” She smiled. That sweet little smile she used when she wanted something. “It would be good between us. You know it would.”
Well, hell. Yes, it’d be good, but he couldn’t say he’d ever had bad sex, per se. You got what you put in, as far as he could tell, like most things in life. “Yes, it’d be good, but... It’s not right. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to treat you badly. I thought it was just about convenience for you. You were bored. I was there. But if your husband suspects...” If everyone suspects... “It’s silly, I guess, but a man has to have some standards.”
“Some standards, huh? Real nice, Walker.”
“I’m not talking about you! I’m not one of those guys. We were both there, together, doing the same thing. I’m just talking about myself. For whatever reason, it seemed harmless for a while, a few kisses, some fantasies...but I don’t want to take it further.”
“You damn sure did that night in the tack room.”
Walker took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, trying to scrub away the panic that raced through his head at the memory. Yeah. He’d already shoved up her skirt and unzipped his pants when someone had walked past the tack room door. He’d thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest in that moment, waiting for whoever it was to open that unlocked door and expose them. It had only taken him a few seconds to zip back up and straighten her clothes and then feel damn grateful they’d been interrupted. Nicole hadn’t been so thankful.
She crossed her arms, her hands gripping her own elbows as if she was trying to find a little security. “I miss you,” she whispered.
Oh, God. What was he supposed to say to that? He couldn’t be cruel. “You’re lonely, Nicole. You should leave the ranch. Find something else.”
“No.” Her hands squeezed harder.
“Well, I can’t be your big distraction from your life.”
Her hands still squeezed her elbows, but she tried that sweet smile again. “Why not? You’re so good at it, Walker. You’re fun.”
Yeah, he was fun, all right. A lot of fun. “I know. But that fun got me fired and it’s making it hard to find new work.”
She finally let herself go and moved closer to touch his arm. “I’m sorry. Really. Let me help. Maybe...maybe I can get you hired on back at the ranch.”
“No way. I can’t work there now, knowing what everyone’s thinking.”
“No one knows anything! It will be fine, and I’ll get to see you every day. I’ll talk to—”
Walker cut her off. “I can’t.”
She nodded, but her face went tight and there was no missing the way her eyes glistened. “So you just never want to see me again?”
“Come on. I didn’t say that. And you can call anytime you want to talk.”
“Talking isn’t really what this is about. I don’t want to talk.”
Right. That wasn’t what she wanted from him. It wasn’t what anyone wanted. “Thanks for being honest.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why do you have to be this way? When we’re alone, everything is fine. As soon as I leave, you start regretting what we both want. Just take me to your place and fuck me, Walker. You told me you didn’t want to do it because you worked for my husband. Because it was his house and his ranch. But none of that applies anymore and I want you.”
A tiny part of his brain was telling him it didn’t matter. He might as well. Everyone suspected they’d been fooling around already. Hell, even Charlie knew now. She was probably getting an earful at this very second. So what did it matter?
A bigger part of his brain told him to sit down and shut up. “I can’t. I’m sorry,” he said softly.
“You’ll regret this. You’ll miss me. Give it another week.” She turned away, her hair flying out in a bright arc when she spun to stalk off the porch. Walker let her go, relieved that the conversation was done. He should have been up front in the first place, instead of trying to avoid her. But hell, he’d assumed their friendship would just die its natural death. Done. Over. He hadn’t expected her to demand her due.
He’d liked Nicole at first. He’d been flattered by her attention. He’d gotten caught up in the thrill of flirting with the boss’s hot wife.
Damn it.
He collapsed onto one of the outdoor bar stools and set his hat on another. For a moment, he stayed like that, head in hands, lost in indecision.
He shouldn’t have come to the saloon and he damn sure didn’t want to be there now, but he had to go back in. Otherwise, the story would end with him leaving the bar with Nicole and not returning.
Suddenly he was a hundred times more tired than he’d been an hour earlier. A thousand times.
But he stood, put on his hat, pasted a smile on his face and walked back into the saloon.
“You came back!” Charlie said as soon as he was in earshot.
“I never left.”
Rayleen watched him with sharp eyes, but for once she didn’t say a word.
He grabbed a beer but only drank half of it before he shook his head. “Listen, I’m exhausted. I’m gonna go fall into bed.”
Charlie cocked her head and studied him for a moment. “All right. Walk me home? I’m tired, too.”
Was she trying to catch him in a lie? Did she think Nicole was waiting at his apartment? “A few minutes ago, you were leading the whole crowd in a song. You said you could go for hours.”
“I guess I was wrong. That level of awesomeness apparently wears a girl out.”
He could hardly say no to walking a woman home after dark, even if it was only across the parking lot. She had him roped with that one. “I’d be happy to walk you home, Charlie.”
“Let’s go.”
Before they took two steps, Rayleen called, “Where are you going, Ms. Thang?”
“Beauty sleep!” Charlie shouted back. “And I have to rest up for the weekend. I’ve got men to hunt.”
Rayleen howled with laughter. “Keep me in the loop. I’ll help you tag ’em.”
Walker couldn’t believe it. “That woman doesn’t like anyone, not even her own flesh and blood.”
“Aw. Everyone likes me, Walker. After all, what’s not to like?”
His eyes fell to the dip of her collar and the faint rise of her cleavage. “Not a lot.”
“Are you calling me flat-chested?”
His gaze flew up to meet hers as he pushed open the saloon door. “No! What?”
She didn’t bother