tlruss

Lucas

“Lucas, a moment,” Dad said, calling me. 

“Sure thing, Chief.” I stood and headed into his office. Thankfully, most people at the station knew I didn’t get my job simply because of nepotism. They knew the Walker family worked their ass off for this town. We went to the police academy, put in as many hours, if not more, as all the other officers, and took this job more seriously than just about anyone else.

“What’s up?” I walked in and shut the door behind me. 

“Your momma told me to ask if you were stopping by the house later.” He said the minute I sat down. 

This was what he called me in for?

“I don’t think so.” 

“What are you gonna do for dinner? Because you know that woman worries.” 

Respect demanded I not roll my eyes, but damn it, I was twenty-nine years old. I hadn’t lived at home since I left for college, and still they acted like I was one of my younger brothers. Reed had the right idea. Maybe I should have stayed gone when I left Peach Ridge. 

They had offered me a job at one of the other stations in Georgia and I had seriously considered it. Would have broken dad’s heart though. Being the law in Peach Ridge was a family legacy. I grew up knowing I would work here. Just like my daddy, and my granddad, and every first-born son in the Walker family. It was our birthright. 

“I have a taste for fries from the Pub.” I told him.

“Damn.” A smile crossed his face. “I miss those fries. I’m tempted to join you.”

He said this all the time, but rarely followed through. Mom had him on a strict diet. She was worried about his blood pressure thanks to some test he had done a few towns over. If he wasn’t home for supper then she would have the whole town hunting him down.

I stood. “I’ll try to sneak you in some tomorrow afternoon.”

“Better not.” He shook his head. “If I can’t have the whole plate, it just isn’t worth it.”

I chuckled. There was truth to that statement. 

The rest of the day went pretty fast. I left the station and went home to change. I messaged Maverick to see if he wanted to meet up, but he already had plans. I could call my brothers, but Travis generally worked later than I did, and Dylan always closed down the bowling alley. Which meant it I was on my own tonight.

I drove back into town and parked at the station. The walk to the Pub was nice this time of year and I breathed in the warm country mountain air. 

Man, I loved this town. I loved the feel of it. The people that waved as I passed. The little shops, restaurant, and every bit of small town hospitality. I loved all of it. 

“Officer Walker.” Julie Ann walked out of the bookstore. She managed Dream Pages Books

“Hi there.” I smiled.

“I thought you should know I saw Piper walking around earlier.” She told me. “She looked really upset.”

Great. There went my night. “Do you know where she went?”

“Probably to see Carmen,” she said. “I saw her walk into Rosa’s.”

If Piper was really upset then Carmen was the better choice. I was sure she would get more out of her than I could. 

“Thanks, Julie Ann.” We chatted for a bit and I kept on to Mountain Draft. I would stop my Aunt Irene’s after dinner. That should give Piper long enough to talk with Carmen.

I walked into the pub and sure as shit, the guy I saw her with yesterday was sitting at the bar. His body bowed over his beer, and from the side his face looked pinched. My worry went up a notch. I went over to the bar stool beside him. Maybe I could find out what happened before I made my way to check on Piper. 

He was so deep in his thoughts he didn’t notice me. This couldn’t be good.

“Piper’s new friend, right?” What the hell did she say his name was?

“Yep, Ezra.”

“That’s right.” I nodded as if I remembered. My hand raised to get Raylynn’s attention.

“The usual?” She asked.

“Of course.” I smiled back. We had been neighbors since she came to town. Which was about as long as my baby brother had been interested. If he didn’t pull his head out of his ass and snatched her up, someone else was going to come along and do it first.

They had been playing this crush game for years, but, as much as I wanted to help, they were going to have to figure it out on their own. I couldn’t fix everyone’s love life. Hell, I didn’t even have a love life. So maybe I should mind my own damn business. I would. Right after I made sure this guy didn’t have anything to do with Piper being upset.  

“How come you aren’t out with my cousin?” 

“She wanted to spend time with her mother.”

That explained it. “Ah.” I loved Aunt Irene, but she could be a hard woman. I had been a kid when Uncle Peter left, but I remembered how worried Mom and Dad were about her. I could easily see why Piper spending time with someone passing through would cause problems.

“Thanks Raylynn,” I said when she sat my beer down.

“No problem.” She stood with her hand leaning on the bar. “Did you want something to eat?”

“Mountain fries.”

“Sure thing.” 

I took a long drink. “So, how long are you going to be in town?” Best to start off easy.

“Awhile.” Well, that didn’t tell me shit.

“And how do you know my cousin exactly?” If he answered this one with one word, I was hauling him into interrogation and running his prints. I didn’t trust one word answers. Always meant you were hiding something.

“Pen pals.” A plate of sliders and fries landed in front of him. I wondered if I should add those to my order when his words hit me.

“Pen pals?” What the hell? 

“Yeah, she wrote me while I was in the army.”

My eyebrows went up. “You were in the service?” That would explain the short answers. Maverick was like that. All about the training. Don’t say anything unneeded.

“Yes.” 

“Still in?”

“No, I just finished up.” He picked at his food, popping a fry into his mouth.

He came here based off a letter or some letters Piper wrote him? What was in these letters? She never mentioned writing anyone in the service. How had she even gotten his information to write him.

“What are your plans now?”

The laugh he gave me had a bit of anger to it. “That seems to be the million dollar question.”

“Excuse me?” 

“Sorry.” He shook his head and took a drink. “I just got off the phone with my father and he isn’t happy with my decision.”

“Oh?” I took a drink myself.

“He’s career military. A lot of my family is, and he laid into me.” Ezra took a breath. “Told me I was throwing my future away, and of course asked what I was going to do now.”

The door opened and Dylan walked in. Obviously, he wasn’t closing the bowling alley tonight. He didn’t acknowledge me at all. Instead, going straight to Raylynn.

“I get it.” Ezra looked over at me. I nodded my head to Dylan. “That’s my baby brother. He can be anything he wants. Same for all my brothers, but I’m the oldest and the oldest joins the force.”

“It was never a choice, or maybe it was. I was too young to remember.” I thought back to the first time I saw the station when I was six. “All I do remember is my grandfather bringing me into the station and showing me around. His telling everyone how I would run the place one day.” I shrugged. “Family obligation can be hard.” That reminded me I was still going to need to check in on Piper, and now Aunt Irene. 

“Tell me about it.” He said as my foot came. 

We ate in silence for a moment before I asked what he liked while he was in the service. His eyes widened as if he had never thought of that question. He picked at his food and I gave him time to think.

“The structure.” He nodded. “I liked knowing what to expect. And I liked the brotherhood. I developed some great friends there. Good men who had my back and would lay down their lives for me the same as I would for them.”

Again, he reminded me of Maverick. We had talked about what lead him to join the force and it was the feeling of brotherhood he missed once his service was done. 

“Ever think about the force?” I ate more of my fries.

“The police force?” Surprise was evident in the tone of his voice. 

“Yeah,” I shoved more fries into my mouth and finished them off with a drink. “We have a couple of guys who are ex-military, so you would fit right in. They all talk about the brotherhood the same as you did. Plus, I can guarantee the academy is all about structure.” 

We both sat there finishing our food in silence. I could see him thinking and I let him be. 

I looked over at Dylan and Raylynn when I heard their laughter. Seriously, how was it that neither of them recognized the other liked them? I had figured that out the first time he talked about her, and I didn’t think it was just because he was my little brother.

Man, between Piper and Dylan, it felt like everyone had someone but me. My mind strayed to Lillian, but I shut that down in a hurry. She made her feelings clear. Even if she changed her mind, I had no interest in going there again. 

The more distance I got from that situation, the more I could see spending my life a bachelor. Not that I wanted to, but what choice did I have? It wasn’t like this was back when the town was established and I could order in a bride, and what were the odds the perfect girl would come breezing into town and fall for me and this place? Next to none.

“I still have two years of reserve duty,” he said.

“I’m sure there is a base near here.” I knew Maverick or Arnold could help him with that.  

“I can’t make any decisions until I talk to my family.” 

I had to respect that. “Understandable. Come by the station while you’re in town. I’ll introduce you to Mack. He was air force before the academy.”

“Thanks.” 

We went back to eating. This time, each of us paying some attention to the game showing on the television above us. 

When he finished and pulled out his wallet to pay, I held out my hand. “It’s on me.”

“You don’t have to,” he said.

I laughed. “I know.”

He put his wallet back and stood. “Thanks again.”

I turned to face him. “Do me a favor.”

“Alright.”

There were things I wanted to make clear before we went any further. “My cousin has been through a lot. If you’re just passing through town, then keep passing, but if you’re serious about her, be serious about her.”

He leaned toward me, his expression as stern as mine. If not more. “I’m serious about her. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

Holy shit, what was going on here? That tone. There was no way that he had fallen for my cousin based on a letter.

Then again, my grandma wrote granddad all through the war and the two of them cherished those letters. And being the non expert on love here, what the hell did I know?

I studied him. His posture, his tone, everything he said about Piper and the things he hadn’t. I nodded, feeling better about this new guy. He wasn’t Uncle Peter. 

“Good. In that case, see you around.”

“See you around.” He left, and I finished my fries and my beer.

“Hey, brother,” Dylan pulled himself away from Raylynn, and sat down next to me. “Who was that?”

“Piper’s new guy.”

He swung his head toward the door as if he could still see Ezra and then looked back at me. “Do we know him?”

“Nope, just got into town.”

“I don’t like it.” His eyes narrowed. “We should take him out to dad and have him give him the talk.”

“Piper’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.” I defended, as if I hadn’t just made that suggestion yesterday.

“She’s still our little cousin.” He pointed out. “I doubt you would say the same about Kasey.”

“Kasey is still in high school and dreaming of marrying prince charming.” Our baby sister’s head had always been stuck in fairytales.

“If you say so, but I still think we need to watch out for him.” 

“Maybe you should concentrate on your love versus someone else’s.” I used my chin to indicate Raylynn.

“We’re just friends,” he said. 

“If you say so.” 

“Maybe you should concentrate on your love life.” He turned it back on me. “Or maybe you should get a love life.”

“If only I could.” I mumbled and stood. “Catch you later?”

“Sure.”

I raised my hand toward Raylynn and pointed to the two meals when she looked back. Her nod let me know she would put it on my tab. With a pat to my younger brother’s back, I walked out. The air clearly my lungs, and I turned for Aunt Irene’s.