The Forever Girl (Wildstone, #6)(11)

“Yep, flu’s all gone, thankfully.”

And he and Heather had seen each other? What’s going on?

Caitlin took her turn at hugging Walker, squeezing so hard he grunted, but he let her hold on for as long as she wanted. “You need another haircut already,” she said, reaching up to ruffle his dark hair, making him laugh and shrug.

Caitlin too? Maze stood there feeling . . . stupid. And a whole bunch of other things that reminded her of being a kid. Once, in a long-ago foster home, she’d been woken up by a nightmare and had gotten out of bed—a big no-no in that house. She’d wandered into the living room to find the entire family watching TV, eating ice cream, and playing games. She’d felt so unimportant, but worse than that, she’d felt invisible, unwanted, like she was someone no one remembered existed.

Shrugging that off, she decided to obsess about other things. Like how it really pissed her off that Walker was even better looking now at almost thirty than he’d ever been. He was six feet plus of solid perfection, smelling deliciously male and rocking a rough five o’clock shadow and finger-tousled hair that gave him an undeniable bad-boy look that had always drawn her in.

Caitlin was still hugging Walker, and honestly? Maze had to fight the urge to do the same. Then she remembered the last time she’d been in his arms, which had been amazing but had also been immediately followed by the harshest heartbreak of her life, and the urge vanished.

Jace came out of the kitchen with Sammie wrapped around him like a monkey, which reminded her that he was her pretend boyfriend for the weekend. Probably not great for the role if she got caught mentally jumping another man’s bones.

Jace set Sammie down and she immediately began to run in circles, apparently enjoying the sound of her voice as she sang gibberish.

Walker hunkered down to Sammie’s level and she stopped on a dime to smile at him.

“Wow, you got big,” he said.

“Big!” she repeated jubilantly, and went back to running in circles.

Walker rose back to his full height and finally looked at Maze. Her first urge was to do the same as all the other females had and fawn over him, dammit. Her second urge was to throw something at him.

He’d made sure to stay a part of everyone’s life but hers.

She tried really hard to not do stupid, immature shit anymore, but she definitely felt a regression coming on and turned to Jace. “Hey, honey,” she said in her best sex-kitten voice. “Need anything?”

Jace stepped closer and smiled down at her face—his mischievous smile, not that anyone but her knew that. “No, baby. I’m good,” he said, and gave her a little pat on the ass.

Her back to the rest of the room, she narrowed her eyes.

He just grinned. “How about you, baby? Can I get you anything?”

A lobotomy would be great. She looked away from him, and her eyes—the traitors—sliced back to Walker.

He was watching her in that quiet, assessing way he had.

Dammit. He’d always had a high bullshit meter, and she didn’t need it going off here. So she took a deep breath, accessed her genuine affection for Jace, and went up on tiptoes to brush a kiss to his jaw.

“How about I get you all drinks while you guys put your stuff away in your rooms?” Caitlin asked. “What does everyone want?”

“My usual,” Dillon said, still on the couch.

Walker sent the guy a look that should’ve had Dillon losing control of his bladder. “Seriously?”

“What?”

“Is there a problem with your legs that keeps you from getting your own damn drink?”

“Actually, yes. Sprained my ankle. Ask me how.”

Walker shifted his expression to his patented don’t make me kick your ass look.

Dillon wisely shut up.

Maze picked up her bag and handed it to Jace. “We’re upstairs, second bedroom on the left. You okay for a few? I’m going to help Caitlin.”

Jace eyed Walker, who was also heading into the kitchen. “Sure,” he said. “You go help Caitlin.”

“Jace . . .”

“Don’t worry, Maze. I get it.” He leaned in closer. “But you skipped a bunch of pieces to the puzzle when you dragged me up here to pretend to be in love with you, including the fact your once-almost-husband would be here, so you owe me a long bedtime story later.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“Hmm.” But he gave her a reassuring smile. “Later, Maze.”

“Thanks.” And this time when she kissed his cheek, it wasn’t for a role; it was in gratitude.

She moved into the kitchen and found . . . great . . . only Walker. Suddenly her heart didn’t fit inside her rib cage, and she realized she’d only been fooling herself about moving on. She hadn’t moved on at all. She’d been faking it, even to herself.

Normally, he had a good five inches on her, but she was in boots today. Kick-ass boots with three-inch heels, which she’d worn on purpose in case she had to go toe-to-toe with him. She peered into those sky-blue eyes of his, the ones that could be ice or fire depending on his mood. Given the chill she felt now, it wasn’t exactly a mystery as to how he was feeling. She let a beat go by and then another, hoping Caitlin would materialize, but as it turned out, a few seconds with a man who’d seen you naked felt like years. Deciding she wasn’t up for this, even with her boots, she turned to go.