Chapter 26

twenty-six

. . .

Walker

T he morning after the gala, I'd hoped to see River in the kitchen for coffee, or maybe poolside as she swam laps. I hadn't. In fact, I hadn't heard a peep from her and was starting to worry she'd never gotten the gifts I'd left her. Or maybe she had and just thought I was the world's biggest sucker.

Maybe she'd run off with Bishop and was halfway to Vegas.

Nope. We are not manifesting that shit, Walker. Or whatever the hell those woo-woo types call it. Positive thoughts only. By the end of today, she'll have your ring on her finger.

I couldn't let my girl slip away because of something stupid like a misunderstanding. Striding toward her bedroom, I peeked in, hoping to catch her so we could talk. All I found was a neatly made bed and the lingering sweetness of her perfume. Where had she gone? More importantly, what could she be up to?

If Cross was to be believed, she was off trying to dig up our skeletons. But he didn't know her like I did. River wasn't trying to ruin us; she just wanted out of a situation she never asked for. She wasn't the kind of person who would go out of her way to tear us down just to make herself feel better. In short, she wasn't like us.

River Adams had always been too good for the likes of me, but she made me want to be better, be the kind of man she deserved. I could do that for her.

Determination burning bright inside me, I left her room and headed for the one place in this house I hadn't entered in years. Not since Mama died. My hand shook as I reached for the door, memories of her sitting at her vanity as she put on her earrings for a night out with Dad flooding me. I'd been little when she died, so my recollections were sparse, but the way she'd smile at me was permanently etched into my mind. When my father made me feel unwanted, she was the one who taught me about unconditional love. She was the only reason for the good parts about me.

Realizing I was still hovering outside the door like a loser, I took a deep breath and opened it, quickly darting inside. With my luck, Cross would choose this exact moment to walk down the hall, and I didn't want him to try and talk me out of anything, so I made sure the door was shut behind me before I took in my surroundings.

It was a time capsule dedicated to Mama. Even though Dad had never stopped using this room, nothing had changed. Her silk robe hung from the back of a chair, and a bottle of perfume still sat next to her jewelry box on the dresser. A pair of diamond studs glittered from the small container on the vanity table as I flicked on the light. It felt like he'd just been waiting for her to come back.

Overwhelming grief slammed into me for just a second. She'd never know the woman I loved, the family I'd have one day, hell, she'd never really know me. It's what made this moment even more meaningful for me. In a lot of ways, it sort of felt like I had her approval. Like she was watching over me and guided me here so she could be part of such a life-changing event.

I moved until I was at her dresser, hands resting on her jewelry box.

"You'd have loved River, Mama. Casey and Elsie's little girl, remember? I think she was just a baby, but I'm sure you got to meet her. She's perfect for me. I don't think you could've chosen anyone better. She doesn't put up with my shit. And she's the prettiest girl I've ever known. I want to marry her, and I want to give her your ring. I know Cross is supposed to get it, but the only woman who deserves to wear it is River."

Maybe it was stupid, talking to the ghost of a woman who'd long since passed, but it made me feel closer to her.

I lifted the lid and pulled out the two-and-a-half-carat cushion-cut pink diamond with a diamond-encrusted platinum band. Senior may have been an asshole, but he had taste, and he loved my Mama. The ring was still pristine, nestled in its velvet box along with the matching wedding and anniversary bands. I'd save those for later. Right now, I needed to get the engagement part handled.

I was taking a risk by asking River to be mine, but a big part of me knew it was right. I may have only come up with the idea last night, but I'd known in my heart since I was a kid that she would be the one to take my name. Our circumstances had just given me the perfect opportunity. We were meant to be together; there'd just always been a Cross-shaped obstacle in my way. Not anymore.

Pocketing the ring, I pressed a kiss to my fingertips before laying them on the framed picture of Mama that sat on the dresser. She'd been in her housecoat, hair a mess, exhausted, and cradling me as a newborn in a rocking chair. Cross was next to her, looking at her with such a sweet expression I almost couldn't tell it was him.

"Love you, Mama. I'm sorry I haven't come by to visit. I'll do better. I promise."

I gave the room one final look before shutting the door and heading back toward the main part of the house. The sound of voices reached me, and I took it as a positive sign that one of them was the woman I'd been trying to track down all morning.

It was now or never. I'd never make it if this diamond had to burn a hole in my pocket for long. I wasn't a patient man. Hard to believe, I know.

"Okay, Walker. Time to make her yours," I said under my breath.

Before I could start down the stairs, my phone rang. I pulled it out, intending to send the caller to voicemail, but when I caught sight of McCreedy's name, I answered. As soon as my mind was made up about marrying River, I called our lawyer and asked him to apply for a marriage license.

"Is it done?" I asked by way of greeting.

"Not exactly."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"You can't marry her, Walker."

"The hell I can't. There's nothing stopping me."

"Yes, there is. Her husband."

"What did you just say?"

"Your girl's already married."

"To who?" I snarled, ready to make her a fucking widow.

"Your brother."