I stood up, but before I could offer her a fake polite goodbye, I noticed the door to the sheriff’s office open and a familiar uniformed body rush out.
Uh-oh.
It took him about two seconds to spot us, and when he did, his eyes got comically large. I couldn’t help my petty jealousy of the woman in front of me, so I made a big production of waving to him with a giant smile. His approach was hesitant, but there was no denying the blush that crept up his neck when he looked at me. Just the sight of it made me want to close my eyes and say a prayer of thanks to the baby Jesus for Walker’s fair skin betraying his attraction to me.
“Uh, hey…” he began. “I didn’t… I mean, I didn’t realize you two… Ah… what’s going on?”
I held his eyes and asked the question I’d asked him a million times. “Everything’s fine. Walker, are you okay?”
His face softened just the briefest amount, and his shoulders released some of their tension. “Yeah. Yeah, Otto. I think I am.”
“Good.” I grinned. “I’m going to have lunch at the Pinecone here with Doc and Grandpa. Would you two like to join us?”
Jolie quickly stood and looped her arm possessively through Walker’s. He furrowed his brows at her before glancing apologetically at me.
“We can’t. We’re having lunch with Seth’s parents,” Jolie said before Walker could say anything.
“We are?” Walker asked.
She shot him a look, and I swallowed a chuckle.
“Well, I’d better get in there. Nice to meet you, Jolie. See you tonight, Seth,” I said, caressing his first name in the deep voice I knew would go straight into his uniform pants to plump up his cock. Walker seemed to shudder the slightest bit, and I noticed Jolie’s eyes widen.
“Y-yeah,” Walker said before swallowing. “Tonight. I’ll swing by around six.”
When I got inside the restaurant and was shown to my grandfathers’ table, I realized they had a perfect view of the bench where Jolie and I had been sitting.
“What did you say to Walker there at the end?” Grandpa asked with a snicker. “Looked like you let slip you were wearing a sequined jock or something. Was that a nightstick in his pocket; or was he just happy to see—”
Doc elbowed his husband with a laugh. “Stop. That’s gross.”
I grinned. “I can’t help it if he gets a thrill out of hearing me say his first name.”
“You ain’t playing fair, boy,” Grandpa snickered. “I need to send Stevie some flowers for alerting Walker you two were out there.”
I remembered the guy in the purple pants worked for my brother West and his partner Nico over at the bakery.
“Nosy little thing,” I murmured, picking up the menu.
“Nah. He and Walker have become friends the past couple of months. I’m sure he was just looking out for him by letting him know you were in the crosshairs,” Doc said.
I snapped my head up. “Friends? What kind of friends?”
Both of my grandfathers began laughing, and I caught several heads turning in our direction.
“Don’t worry, son. I’m pretty sure Sheriff Walker has about all he can handle between his wife and you,” Doc said through his chuckling.
“Soon-to-be ex-wife,” I grumbled.
Grandpa took a sip of his sweet tea before locking eyes on me. “You know he’s moving out to that lake house on Shady Cove, right?”
“He is? Wait. He’s not staying in that cabin on the Walker ranch?”
“No,” Doc interjected. “He’s leaving Jolie and Tisha there.”
I nodded and gave the approaching server my order before looking back at my grandfathers. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing by moving back here?”
Grandpa was the first to answer. “Moving back here is definitely the right thing, Otto. I think your real question is whether or not you’re doing the right thing by getting involved with Seth Walker again.”
I lowered my head and began to fiddle with the straw paper between my fingers. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Otto, the way I see it, you and Walker are like summer bugs flying around the porch light. Even if you knew it wasn’t good for you, you’d still fly dangerously close over and over again.”
“I can’t stay away from him. I’ve tried.”
Grandpa’s smile was sympathetic and kind. “Then maybe it’s time to try something else.”
I looked up. “Like what?”
“Acknowledging you love flying into the light and just go for it.”
A shrill voice came out of nowhere. “Oh. My. Gawd. Is that Otto Wilde?”
I turned to the horrific sound and saw a noticeably older and pudgier version of the girl Walker and I had lost our virginity to.
“Carrie-Anne? Wow, so nice to see you,” I lied, standing up to give her a hug. “How’ve you been?”
She pressed her significant breasts against my chest and held on several beats past comfortable.
“Mm-mm, just look at you,” she gushed. I noticed my grandfathers clamping their mouths against the laughter as Carrie-Anne ran her hands all up and down my chest and shoulders inappropriately. “You sure did grow up mighty fine, didn’t you?”