Danni Rose (The Sherwood)

“You stayed at Danni’s last night?” Matt asked him.

“I did.” He didn’t look at Matt but that wasn’t unusual. “I’ve been there since the attack.”

“How is she?”

“Same as always. Stubborn and full of herself.”

“Uh huh,” Matt responded. “So, how’d you come to ride here with Jackson Hand?” He asked.

Their server dropped their coffee and water on the table and poured two cups of the town of Sherwood’s best brew. Matt looked up for just a second to say thank you then he looked at his mug. “He pulled up beside me and offered me a ride,” Walker said when the server walked away.

“What was on his mind, Walker. I know he didn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart.”

“Sure, he did,” Walker replied then he lifted the mug to his lips.

Matt laughed, and a few customers turned and looked at the two big men, most knew them then they turned back to their breakfasts. Walker glanced up at Matt and cleared his throat.

“He was just filling me in on plans for taking Danni to Louisiana when he returns home.”

Matt sat his cup down. Walker watched him swallow his coffee. “What’d you tell him?”

“I didn’t think she’d leave her family.”

Matt nodded like he agreed. Then he shocked Walker when he said, “I think she might have a tough time leaving you too, Walker.”

His eyes shot up to Matt, his best friend, had been since first grade when Matt defended him against Jerry Cliff, Bobby Hankins and Steve Johnson.

They ganged up on him after school. Matt stepped in and made the odds a little more even. They both went home with black eyes and he had a busted lip. He didn’t know about Matt, but he got a butt whooping from his dad for fighting on school grounds.

He shook his head thinking about the old man. He could barely remember him now, after all these years. Twenty-two years, he’d been gone. Shank Wild up and left with another woman in the night while he and Jesse were sleeping forcing his mother to work harder and be away more often to make ends meet.

Walker felt resentment for the man that had created him when at one time, he knew he felt nothing but love for him. He adored his father even though he was strict he was fair. He wasn’t afraid to say I love you, boy, remember that.

When the skies are pouring, and the tobacco fields are blooming, the sweet smell filled Walker’s nostrils, that is when he remembered him the hardest. His father smelled like the tobacco fields, bringing it home on his clothes every day.

The tobacco tar stained his fingers and the gum was always under his nails. His hands never seemed clean but then there were times when Walker worked the fields himself that he had the exact, same hands. He couldn’t get them clean enough just like his father.

When he didn’t respond Matt said, “I know how you feel about Danni.”

Walker’s eyes hardened. He glanced at his best friend and he said, “How’s that, Matthew?”

“I’ve known you forever, Walker. If I had a problem with how you feel about Danni wouldn’t I tell you? I don’t so just don’t hurt her like Jackson did.”

“I don’t intend on hurting her because I don’t intend on filling her head with fairy tales that are never coming true.”

Matt shook his head at him. “She has feelings for you too. So, you’re going to be a dumbass and ignore those feelings that you both have. Possibly and I’m guessing that’s a big if, because I haven’t talked to my sister about how she feels about Jackson, let him possibly take her to another state?”

“She won’t go with him,” Walker declared with a harsh tone to his already rough voice.

“Why not? What’s to keep her here?” Matt asked.

Walker looked at Matt. “You, Layla, Justin. Your Mom and Dad. Your brothers. Your granddad. He’ll give her that garage someday.”

“Then you could run it with her. Hell, you’re just as good with cars as she is, and I know you aren’t poor.”

He shook his head no. “I have nothing to offer Danni Rose. She deserves better than me. I might have money to my name but I’m still an ex-con with a brother who would always use her against me.”

Matt scoffed at his friend. “She deserves someone exactly like you,” Matt informed him. “Someone who wouldn’t selfishly walk away without a care for how it destroyed her. Then return eight years later expecting her to just fall back into his arms.” He slid out of the booth. “I’m using the toilet.