We all filed into the church. Walker, Tuck, and I slipped into the row behind the rest of the Cole clan, Walker refusing to let Tuck sit next to me. I pressed my lips together, staring at my lap, not trusting myself not to smile or laugh.
When I lifted my head, my gaze landed on the dark coffin at the front of the church. Pain sliced through my heart as memories of my mother’s funeral slammed into me. She’d opted to be cremated, so there hadn’t been a coffin, but everything else—the flowers, the sea of black, the sounds of sniffling—was all heart-wrenchingly familiar.
My heart picked up its pace, my breathing growing quicker, more shallow. I wasn’t sure if I could do this. It was too much, too soon. A hand took mine, guiding it to a chest. Walker’s voice sounded over the blood roaring in my ears. “Breathe with me. Just copy how I breathe.”
It took a few false starts, but I finally followed his instructions. I’m not sure how long it took, but my heart rate began to slow, and my breathing evened out. “Sorry,” I whispered.
Walker traced tiny circles on the back of my hand, which was still planted on his chest. “What did I say about apologizing? Plus, I’m the one who should be saying I’m sorry. I never should have asked you to come.”
I swallowed thickly. “I wanted to be here for you.”
He squeezed my hand and then lifted my chin with a finger so that I was forced to meet his eyes. “You are here for me. You made me smile on a day when I thought that would be impossible. And when I feel your body next to mine, my soul settles somehow. I feel…at peace. So, you are here for me in every way I need.”
I brushed my lips against his. “I’m glad,” I whispered. Walker wrapped his arm around me and, as the pastor began to speak, I got lost in my own thoughts. I thought about how I hadn’t needed to run as much lately. How well I slept next to Walker. How the peace I felt when I was with him was the same serenity I experienced when I lost myself in the water.
It scared the hell out of me that this man could come to mean this much to me so quickly. I closed my eyes and offered up a silent prayer. Please, God, please don’t take him from me, too.
35
Walker
My body jolted awake as my phone rang out from Taylor’s nightstand. She moaned. Sadly, not the kind of sounds I loved hearing from her. This was an angry, frustrated moan. She batted at my chest. “Make it stop.”
I chuckled, hitting the screen of the phone. “Cole.”
“This is Harry at dispatch. We have a report of an attempted kidnapping. Officers are on the scene, but we thought we should call you, given everything that’s been going on.”
I was suddenly wide-awake, my body on high alert. “You did the right thing. Where’d it happen?” I was already climbing out of bed, searching for the clothes I’d shed in a mad dash to get both Taylor and myself naked as quickly as possible last night.
“Three blocks south of the saloon. Corner of Hillhurst and Pine.”
I buttoned my jeans while cradling my phone between my ear and shoulder. “Tell them I’ll be there in ten.”
“Will do, Deputy Chief.”
I slid my phone into my pocket and pulled my shirt over my head. Glancing back at the bed, I saw that Taylor was sitting up now, fully awake and biting the inside of her cheek. She was breathtaking. Hair all mussed from sleep and me having my fingers tangled in it. Her skin glowing. But her eyes…her eyes were filled with fear.
I crossed to her in two long strides. Cupping her face in my hands, I brought it close to mine. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“What’s going on?” she whispered, her voice still raspy with sleep.
“This happens sometimes. Not regularly, but every now and then. A case where they need a senior officer on-scene. So, I gotta haul my ass outta bed, away from my girl, and give them a hand.” I didn’t want to tell her the details. I didn’t want to freak her out any more than necessary. She’d already had a tough day, she didn’t need this.
Of course, she pushed. “What happened, Walker?”
I kissed her hard on the mouth and then sat next to her on the bed. “An attempted kidnapping.” Taylor’s pretty mouth fell open. “The victim is fine, but I need to go see what’s going on.”
Her hands shot out quicker than I’d ever seen her move, and she clung to me, arms around my neck. “Please, be careful.”
The funeral had taken a toll on her. I never should have asked her to go with me. It was too soon. There were too many bad memories, and now she was freaked the hell out. I rubbed a hand up and down her spine. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise. I just need to take a few statements and put some pieces in place.”
Taylor sagged against me in relief. “Okay,” she breathed.
I kissed the side of her face, her temple, then her forehead. “You’re mine.”
I felt her smile against my throat. “I’m yours.”
I pulled back, studying her face. She still looked concerned, but there was no longer panic in her eyes. I glanced at my watch, three a.m.. “This will take a couple hours, and then I’ll probably just stay at the office. But I’ll call you when things are wrapped up to let you know everything’s okay.”
She nodded, pressing her lips together. “Thanks.”
“Of course.” I rose from the bed, crossing to the closet to grab my badge and gun. Taylor had insisted I get a lock box if I wanted to keep a gun at her house. The thought made me smile.
Holstering my weapon, I crossed back to Taylor and brushed my lips against hers. “Talk to you in a few hours.”
“In a few hours,” she said softly.