Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Good girl,” he murmured, approving, and Callie laughed.
The man was honestly a different guy with my daughter.
We got out of the car when we arrived at the school, Walker at our backs as we strode to meet Regan at the gates. There was a group of moms who were kind of cliquey and always stood together at drop-off. I could feel them watching us, probably wondering why Walker had driven us to school.
We waited for the bell to ring, for the kids to disappear inside, Regan and I engaging in conversation while Walker stood beside us, alert. Regan asked if I was okay, and I assured her I was before we moved on to talk about Monroe and Lennox. I’d chatted with Roe on the phone yesterday, and she seemed good. Tired but good.
Finally, once the kids were inside the school, Walker touched my arm. “Time to go. Regan, you’ll call if there are any issues after school or at tae kwon do.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, sir. On it, sir.” She tapped two fingers off her forehead.
He scowled at her, and she threw him a cheeky, dimpled smile.
Laughing under my breath, I let Walker lead me back to the SUV, ignoring the heat of his palm that didn’t quite touch my back. He opened the passenger side door, and I climbed in.
“She needs to take this more seriously,” he grumbled once he was behind the wheel.
“I don’t think she’s not taking it seriously.” I smiled. “I think she was reacting to your bossiness.”
Walker threw me a dark look. “Bossiness?”
“Yeah. You didn’t ask her. You told her.”
“How dare I?” he answered dryly.
“You were in the army, right?” I blurted, my curiosity about him brimming over now that we were alone. “You have military stamped all over you.”
Walker didn’t look at me as he drove out of Ardnoch toward the estate. “Not army. I was a Royal Marines Commando.”
I blinked in surprise that he’d offered this information and also because I was pretty sure that was a special unit. “Aren’t those guys, like, elite?”
“Special operations.” He nodded. “We’re part of the Royal Navy. Amphibious light infantry. Tell me what happened on Friday night.”
I wanted to know more about his time in the Royal Marines, but I knew by his tone that he was done answering questions. So I told him everything, observing him closely to see how he’d respond to the news I’d gone speed dating.
His face didn’t move a muscle.
More proof he was not interested in me in that way.
I ignored the burn of disappointment and rejection and waited for Walker to respond to my tale. However, he remained annoyingly silent until we pulled into the staff parking lot behind the castle. Then he switched off the engine and turned to me. “Why are you in Scotland? Who are you running from? Could they have something to do with what happened on Friday?”
My blood ran cold at his out-of-left-field prying. It was scarily on target, and I stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Then I shoved out of the car, furious. Just because he’d decided to stick his nose in to protect us, and I’d decided to let him for Callie’s sake, didn’t give him the right to know everything about me.
I was halfway across the parking lot when Walker wrapped his hand around my arm and pulled me to a stop. He glowered, holding tight to me as I tilted my chin to meet him glare for glare.
I didn’t feel threatened or unsafe.
It was the opposite.
And that annoyed me more.
I yanked my arm out of his hold, and he released me immediately.
“I can’t protect you if I don’t know who I’m protecting you from.” He pinched his lips together.
“This could all be a massive overreaction. You realize that, right?” I shook my head at him, irritated by so many things in my life right now. “I don’t need you interrogating me like I’m the bad guy.”
“You being evasive tells me there’s something going on here.”
“Yeah, you’re interrogating me!” I threw my hands up in exasperation. “And you didn’t even say thank you for the lemon pie yesterday.” On that grand and ludicrous announcement, I whirled and marched into the castle.
Thankfully, Walker let me go. I changed into my uniform and told Frannie I’d catch up with her in our first room. A few minutes later, I knocked on Aria’s office door and slipped inside.
Aria stared at me, brow furrowed. “Is there a problem?”
“I need you to call your dad,” I answered grimly.
Thirteen
WALKER
I had a hard time believing that someone as easygoing as Sloane was annoyed because I hadn’t verbally shared my thanks for the pie she baked me.
She could be pissed off about a multitude of things. Sloane had reasons. But my instinct told me she was pissed off because I was close to the truth when I asked her who she was running from.