I pulled out my phone and found that we still had no signal, so I used the landline to call my father’s cell. When he picked up, I took a deep breath.

“Daddy, it’s me, Liza.”

“Liza! Where the hell are y’all? I’ve been calling both of your phones and getting nothing.”

“I’m so sorry, Daddy. I must have put the wrong address in the GPS. We got so lost. We’re about an hour from the ranch. Walker is just torn up inside, Daddy, and it’s all my fault.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. As long as you’re both okay. Where are you?”

“We’re at a little bed and breakfast out in the middle of nowhere. The owner, Mrs. Jenkins, was nice enough to put us up for the night. She’s going to get us back on the right path tomorrow. Do you think you could give Walker a few hours tomorrow morning? You know, to look over the horses before you get there?”

“Yes, of course. I know how much this trip meant to him. Just make sure you eat and get some sleep darlin’. I love you.”

I smiled. “I will, Daddy. I’m sorry I messed this up for Walker.”

My father chuckled. “It’s okay honey. I know he’s going to do great tomorrow. Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow. Late morning or early afternoon.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Daddy. Night. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I hung up the phone and let out a sigh.

“Why did you do that?”

I jumped and spun around to see Walker …in a towel. In only a towel. Oh for the love of God.

I looked away and said, “Why did I do what?”

I heard Walker rummaging through his bag as he walked back to the bathroom. “Tell your father it was your fault. It was my fault.”

I slowly turned around and looked him in the eye. “Because I know how much this means to you. And, well, I want you to succeed. I mean, I know you will, because you’re, well, I mean… you’re good at everything. You um, everything you touch…or…uh…” I shook my head and turned away. “Walker, can you please get dressed?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” The bathroom door shut and I let out a breath. I kicked off my sneakers. I couldn’t wait to strip out of my clothes and get into something comfortable.

When I heard the bathroom door open again, I was scared to death to see what in the world Walker might be wearing. When Walker put his hands on my shoulders, I held my breath. It was like I’d been hit by lighting. He turned me around and looked into my eyes. I took in his body from top to bottom. He had put on a pair of cotton pants that barely hung onto his hips. The tight tank top he wore made his chest seem even bigger. I wanted to grab his muscular arms and just feel them. When Walker took hold of my shirt, I sucked in a breath. He gently lifted it, pulling it over my head. His eyes grew big as they landed on my chest. I was wearing a tan lace bra that I’d just bought a few days ago. I was internally fist pumping, thankful that I’d put this on rather than a sports bra.

Walker moved his hand to my breast. My breathing picked up as my chest heaved. When his finger touched my skin, I gasped. He moved his finger along the edge of my bra as he watched my chest rise and fall with each breath. I was beginning to feel weak in the knees, so I grabbed onto his arms. He quickly met my gaze. I’d never in my life felt the feelings that were pulsing through my body. I was desperate for him. Desperate for his kiss, his touch—anything he was willing to give me.

Walker slid his hands down and unbuttoned my jean shorts. I swallowed hard as he squatted down to push them from my hips and down my legs. I held onto his shoulders as I stepped out of the shorts. Walker looked up at me and the ache in my abdomen grew stronger. He slowly ran his hand up my leg as he stood up. Everywhere he touched left a burning trail. I closed my eyes, praying that this moment wouldn’t end any time soon.

Walker stood before me, his eyes searching my face intently. He seemed to be seeking permission to take the next step. His fingertips lightly touched my arms as he moved his hands up to cup my face in his hands. He leaned down and our lips were about to touch when someone knocked on the door. We jumped back, away from each other.

“Liza? Walker? I heated up some food for you if you’d like to come down and eat.”

The lump in my throat kept me silent. We stared at each for what seemed like forever.

Walker seemed to snap out of the trance first. “I’m sorry…” he whispered as he turned toward the door. “Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. We’ll be right down.”

My eyes burned as I realized what had just happened. I covered my mouth with my hand before grabbing my bag and heading into the bathroom. I shut the door, turned the cold water on, and splashed my face.

I looked up at myself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe we’d almost cheated. I’d been about to kiss him. We were about to...

The knock on the door pulled me back to reality.

“Liza, are you okay?” Walker asked.

My voice cracked. “Um, yeah. I’ll be right out.”

“If you want to take a quick shower, I’m sure it would be okay…I’ll um…I’ll just head on down there.”

I wiped my tears away and cleared my throat. The only word I could manage was, “Okay.”

When I heard the bedroom door close, I turned on the shower, took off the rest of my clothes, got in, and stood under the hot water. I cried harder than I ever had in my life.

AS I WALKED down the stairs, I heard laughter. Walker and a woman. And that woman sure as hell wasn’t Mrs. Jenkins. I stopped and peeked around the corner. My breath caught at the sight of Walker. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and the stubble was even more of a turn-on then his beautiful, blue eyes. I bit my lip when I saw him smile at someone. Then I saw her.

A beautiful blonde smiled back at Walker. Heat instantly bubbled up as I forced my feet to take me into the kitchen. I cleared my throat and Walker and the blonde both turned toward me. I cocked my head at Walker. His smile faded just a bit as he looked down and took a bite of what looked like chicken and dumplings.

“You must be Liza. Walker was just telling me how y’all have known each other since you were babies.”

I gave her a weak smile as I nodded. “Yeah. We’ve known each other a long time,” I said. I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. What a stupid response.

The blonde giggled. “I’m Michelle, by the way. I help Mrs. Jenkins out sometimes.

Oh gosh. One close encounter with Walker and I forget how to behave. I smiled warmly. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure where my manners are right now. I think I’m just…” I looked at Walker, who was waiting for my response. “Tired. I’m really tired. It’s been a very long day.” I sat down, glancing at Walker, and thanked Michelle as she set a bowl of chicken and dumplings in front of me.