Page 62 of Make Me Whole
The decent thing to do would have been to decline her offer, but all I wanted was to find Bradley. I couldn't explain it, but the nervous tension gnawing at me gave me the feeling that something was wrong.
"Thanks, Talia," the words were barely out of my mouth, before I rushed up the stairs to his room. When nothing but silence greeted me after a few knocks, I dared to open the door.
My heart just about gave out when Bandit bumped into me from behind before making himself at home on Bradley's bed. I joined him; taking in my surroundings with my fingers buried in his thick fur.
Everything was dark. Dark curtains, dark bedding, even the furniture was made from dark wood. If you'd asked me a few weeks ago, I would've said, without an ounce of hesitancy, that this space fit his personality perfectly.
Now that I knew the man behind the facade, I knew how completely wrong I would've been. He was hurt and hiding behind whatever walls he deemed necessary to protect him.
"Where is he, boy?"
Bandit whined happily when I increased the pressure behind his ear. My eyes still bounced around the room, hoping Bradley would appear just because I willed him to. I spotted a few framed pictures on his dresser, drawing me in like a moth to a flame.
Pushing to my feet, I padded over to better inspect the snaps. My smile was immediate when I picked up the one of Bradley, Talia, and Mavis at the farmer's market. Their grins were wide while all three of them pointed toward a jam tower.
When I returned the picture to its spot, I was unable to resist dragging my finger over his face. "Where are you?" My fingers had barely wrapped around picture number two when movement at the door caught my attention.
A gasp followed by the sound of the frame connecting with the wooden surface filled the air. "Oh, crap." My hands shot out to quickly right the photo when a small piece of paper drifted to the ground.
Mr. Walker moved fast. Reaching the fallen item before I even had time to bend down and retrieve it. His thick, gray brows furrowed while he studied the rectangular paper clutched between his thumb and forefinger.
"I didn't even know he had this," his voice was soft and wistful, I was positive the words weren't meant for me. Then he surprised me by flicking his wrist and revealing what he'd been staring at. "This is his mother."
I didn't need an explanation; the instant I saw the photo I knew it was his mother. She looked like Talia but with darker hair. The woman in the picture was holding a baby wrapped up in a blue blanket; her smile loving as she stared down at the little bundle in her arms.
It was difficult to connect that woman to the one Bradley had told me about. The one that had walked out on her family. "She's beautiful." The words slipped from my mouth before I had time to catch them.
"Yes," Mr. Walker agreed. "She was."
The pain I'd seen on Bradley's face was mirrored in his father's expression. My heart broke a little for them both. How was it even possible for one woman to cause so much devastation?
It wasn't lost on me that Talia seemed to be the only one who was left unscathed and as much as I would've loved to know why this wasn't the time or place.
"I've been meaning to talk to you," Mr. Walker's voice broke through my thoughts. "Are you finding life on the ranch to your liking?"
Tucking a few strands behind my ear, I answered honestly, "It's different, but a good different."
His features softened. "And are you healing?" A few weeks after I'd arrived, I'd decided to give Mr. Walker the watered-down version of what'd happened with my parents and the center.
"I am. This place has a lot of healing energy."And a cowboy who has stolen my heart.
Mr. Walker's smile was back. "I'm so happy to hear that. So happy." He swiped a palm over his beard. "How would you like to stay on permanently?" My mouth opened, but no words came. "We love having you around and if you're worried about privacy, we can always get you a little cabin away from the main house. That's what Sawyer and Beckett did."
My throat felt thick, swallowing almost impossible. "I'd very much like to stay on." This was the new beginning I'd wanted. Once the initial shock wore off, there was only one person I wanted to share the news with.
"Mr. Walker, you wouldn't happen to know where Bradley is?"
His answering grin was completely unexpected. "You and my son have grown quite close."
I swallowed hard. "We have."
"That's good. All I ever wanted was for that boy to be happy because, heaven knows, he deserves it." Mr. Walker studied me for a few seconds before he shocked the crap out of me when he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. "I knew my gut was right about you."
"Uh…thank you?" I probably looked and sounded like the world's biggest moron, but what else could I say?
With his hands cupping my shoulders, he pulled back and looked at me. The grin on his face vanished as a mask of contemplation veiled his features. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen him since last night when—" his lids pinched together before he parted them to meet my gaze again "—I had to deliver some…difficult news."
Then it hit me like a freaking ton of bricks in the head. "I know where he is. Can I take one of the ATVs?"
His gray head was bobbing up and down before I'd even finished my sentence. After giving him a quick thank you, I rushed out and mounted the four-wheeler. As the main house behind me became smaller and smaller, I prayed my intuition was right.
