Danni Rose (The Sherwood)

I’ll be right back.”

Walker nodded at his friend. He sipped from his coffee mug letting the dark brew warm his gut and wake him up. Danni, full of want and need riding him last night filled his mind once again, making him crazy. He wanted her all right. Again, and again.

The door to the diner opened. The bell over the door tinkled, a cute, little sound that Patty hadn’t changed over the years. He heard the boots, the sound of an angry person stomping in his direction. Someone was in trouble. He wasn’t expecting it was directed at him. Hell, he wasn’t expecting it to be Danni.

She stopped at his table. His dark eyes shot up to her face and he knew that he was in trouble for leaving her alone in her bed, naked but satisfied. She leaned her palms flat on the table. Her body got a little closer to him. “I didn’t ask for anything but your body, last night, Walker Wild but a little respect this morning woulda been nice,” she hissed. Then she leaned back and snatched his water from the table dousing him with it. Danni turned and marched out the door, passing her brother as she left.

Walker was relieved the glass wasn’t full but the ice cubes going down his front were freezing cold. Patty came to the table and helped scoop them into his empty glass.

“You’ve done it now son,” she said to him trying not to laugh.

“I did,” he agreed. “I guess if I ever get a car, Danni won’t work on it for me.” He looked up and smiled at Patty. She wiped his face with a clean towel. Then she handed it to him.

“Towel dry your hair,” she said. He did as she told him and ran the towel over his thick, wavy hair.

“I’ll be damned,” Matt said when Patty walked away. “You pissed Danni off good. What did you do?”

“Nothing I want to discuss with you,” Walker said.

Their server brought Walker another water and behind her another server had their breakfasts keeping him from having to explain to Matt what he had done. He ate his food but the entire time, he could only think about the fire in her eyes. The venom in her words. She was angry and rightfully so.

Later, he would swing by the garage and check on her. Apologize to her and do what? Lead her on even more than he had? No, he would stay away from Danni like he should have from the beginning, a year ago when she gave him a place to sleep in her barn. A place he thought he could be closer to her to protect her from his brother when Jesse started snooping around again and making veiled threats about Danni Rose.

Chapter 13

She was under the car on the lift when the familiar voice filled her ears. She sighed. She was in no mood to talk to Jackson this morning. She continued working on the vehicle she had been working on all morning. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a loose ponytail. Her hands were covered in grime and oil. Her face was free of make-up, but she never looked more beautiful and when Jackson stopped by the car on the lift and peeked under he told her so. Danni rolled her eyes at him.

“How about dinner with me, tonight?”

“I’m too busy,” she declared.

She couldn’t imagine going on a date with anyone after making love with Walker last night.

“Danni, why are you being so obstinate? You know how it can be between us,” Jackson informed her.

She lowered her hands to her sides and shook her head. “Jackson how long before you head back to Louisiana?” Danni asked.

“Mom isn’t doing well. She doesn’t have long,” he admitted. “Once she’s gone, I just have to clean up her affairs then I’m heading home. I want you to go with me, Danni.”

She frowned at him. They didn’t even know each other anymore. “Jackson, I have family here. I love Sherwood. I’m not like you.”

“What else do you have, Danni? Nothing,” he answered for her. “This job that does nothing but makes you old before your time.” He glanced at her grandfather, his hands gnarled by arthritis. His shoulders that ached every morning. She looked where he looked at her granddad Hal. She loved him, and she loved what she did. She felt anger that Jackson didn’t understand her.

“We can get a house, Danni. We can have those kids you always wanted.”

She shook her head. The only kids she wanted was Walker’s kids. Beautiful, dark-eyed boys with his wavy dark hair. She felt herself getting emotional.

“Stop,” she told him. “Jackson, you hurt me.”

“Let me make it up to you.”

She sighed. Why couldn’t he understand? He couldn’t just walk back in and pick up where they left off. Things were different now. She was different. Her heart belonged to someone else, but she didn’t want to tell Jackson that she was in love with Walker. It was none of his business.

“Jackson,” she heard her voice crack and she stopped. Danni inhaled to try to calm herself. “It’s too late.”

He shook his head no. “I have never forgotten you. Don’t you understand?”

“This isn’t the time to discuss this. I work here.”