If We Dare

4. Walker

Chapter Four

Walker

“Who did you say you’re bringing with you to that wedding?” Jackson asked, the skepticism evident in his tone.

“Jade,” I replied before adjusting the air g*n I held in my hand and giving the nail a final tap.

We were in the middle of installing wide plank hardwood flooring in a new guest cabin on the grounds where I worked at Stolen Hearts Lodge. I held my hand out, expecting to feel another piece of wood laid in my palm. When I didn’t, I glanced up to find Jackson staring at me, his mouth slightly open and one hand on his hip.

I wiggled my fingers. He let out a rough laugh before leaning over and handing me another piece of flooring. I fit the piece of wood into the grooves of the last row before reaching for the air g*n and quickly nailing the board into place.

“Have you lost your damn mind?” Jackson asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” I replied as I straightened. “Why do you ask?”

“You know Jade is Lucas’s sister, right?” Jackson paused to snag a water bottle sitting on the edge of the miter saw stand nearby.

I took my leather work gloves off and reached for a water bottle on the unfinished windowsill by my elbow. Turning, I leaned my hips against it as I drained the half empty bottle. “Yeah, I know she’s Lucas’s sister,” I replied as I spun the now empty bottle in my palm. “It’s not a real date. It’s a fake date.”

Jackson lowered his water slowly, running a hand through his shaggy brown curls as he eyed me dubiously. “A fake date? Is that a real thing?”

“You’re asking me if a fake date is real?” At Jackson’s nod, I couldn’t help but laugh. “In this case, yes, it is.”

Jackson shook his head slowly. “Dude, that’s f****d up. I have so many questions. For starters, why do you have a fake date? Then, how did this conversation even come about? Does Lucas know?”

A voice carried from the open doorway. “And how the hell did you get Jade Cole to agree to that date?” Dawson asked as he stepped into the semi-finished cabin.

Jackson threw his head back with a laugh. “I was about to get to that question.”

Jackson Stone was my boss at Stolen Hearts Lodge and owned the outdoor adventure lodge. He also happened to be a veterinarian and had a clinic on site, which was handy since there was also a rescue program for animals here. Dawson also worked here and was on the Stolen Hearts Valley Emergency Response crew with both Jackson and me. I’d snapped up this job when I saw it about six months ago.

For the most part, I liked my job. The lodge was one of those places where everyone was friends with everyone. I didn’t mind that so much. But most everyone here was nosy. Even the guys.

I looked between Jackson and Dawson and asked, “Where should I start?”

Dawson’s face broke into a wide smile. He shrugged easily, his eyes glinting with mirth. “Take your pick, man.”

Jackson chuckled and drained his water before leveling me with his gaze. “What the f**k, dude?”

“I’ll keep it brief. I needed a favor. Jade offered. Y’all saw when I stepped in the middle of that scene at Lost Deer Bar the other night and got that asshole who’d picked her up off the floor away from her. When Jade said she owed me one, I decided to take her up on it. So yeah, it’s a real fake date. She’s just doing me a favor.”

“But why the hell do you need a fake date to your friend’s wedding?” Jackson asked.

Dawson crossed his arms in front of his chest, his lips kicking up in a slight grin. With my friends eyeing me curiously, I shifted my shoulders. “Look, I guess it is a little strange. See, my ex is going to be at the wedding. It’s not that I can’t deal with her. Before you go thinking otherwise, I’m over her. Out of nowhere the last month or so, she started texting and calling me again. She’s dating my friend’s brother, and I’m getting the vibe she’s looking for a way out. I do not want to deal with her bullshit, so it’ll be easier if I have a date.”

Dawson nodded slowly, c*****g his head to the side. “Why the hell is your ex going to be at your best friend’s wedding? I mean, he’s your best friend, right?”

Jesus. These guys and their f*****g questions.

“Yeah,” I replied with a sigh, pausing to toss my empty water bottle into the recycling bin we had in the corner. “She screwed around on me with his brother. His brother is a f*****g d**k. If Dave had his way, his brother wouldn’t even be at his wedding, but you know how that s**t goes with family.”

“Oh, for f**k’s sake,” Jackson muttered. “Now that’s a bunch of bullshit. Under those circumstances, I get finding yourself a fake date.”

“But how the hell did you get Jade to say yes?” Dawson interjected, looping back to his original question when he entered the room.

I shrugged. “I asked her. She said yes, probably because I helped her out the other night. Is that so surprising?”

Dawson arched a brow, nodding slowly. Jackson nodded right along with him, prompting me to ask, “What’s the big deal?”

“Jade doesn’t date.” Jackson made that comment firmly.

“Maybe she said yes because it’s not a real date,” I offered, wanting to ask more about exactly why Jade didn’t date. I kept my mouth shut with those questions because I didn’t want to drag them further into my business than they already were.

“I guess so,” Dawson said with a light shrug. “But you never did tell us, does Lucas know?”

“I don’t know. I suppose I should tell him.” God help me. All of this was starting to seem complicated. I hated complications.

“Well, yeah, you gotta tell him,” Jackson said, as if this was obvious.

“Jade is his little sister,” Dawson added.

My impulsive invitation for Jade to join me at the wedding was snowballing with complications. “f**k. Do I need to worry about Lucas getting pissed off? It’s not a real date.”

Jackson shrugged. “Don’t think so. I would just let him know you have a fake date. Otherwise, maybe he’ll think it’s real,” he said with a slow grin.

“Okay, fill me in on why the hell Jade doesn’t date,” I said, giving into some of my curiosity.

Jackson and Dawson shrugged in unison. “Hell if I know,” Dawson offered. “All I know is one of the other bartenders tried to ask her out and she told him to f**k off, that she didn’t date. She’s kind of private.”

“Like you,” Jackson offered with a chuckle.

“For f**k’s sake. I might have to cancel the fake date if I’m gonna have to deal with all this crap.”

Dawson clapped me on the shoulder. “Too late. Plus, this is a good story. I can’t wait to hear how the wedding goes.”

“Fine, fine,” I muttered as I turned and picked up my work gloves from where I’d set them on the windowsill. “What are you doing out here anyway? I didn’t think you were working today.”

“Oh right. Came out to check with you guys about the schedule for the crew. I need to go out of town in two weeks. Can one of you cover for me?”

“I got it,” I replied quickly. “You can cover for me when I’m at the wedding.”

“When’s that?”

“Next weekend.”

“You’ve got a deal, man,” Dawson replied with a nod. “Just so you know, I’d cover for you anyway.” He pushed away from the doorframe with another grin and a wink. “Catch y’all later.” He stepped back through the open doorway with a wave.

Jackson and I got back to work, and I resisted the urge to ask any further questions about Jade. My curiosity about her was steadfast and rising. I made a mental note to check on the room situation at the hotel.