“Stay sharp,” Walker told him, turning and folding into the Viper.
“Same to you,” Peña replied and Walker slammed the door.
Then he fired up, pulled out of his spot, glanced at Peña strolling back to his pickup and hoped to Christ the man knew what he was doing.
Then he put her in first and headed the f**k home.
* * * * *
Walker hit the top of the steps but he heard the music before he hit the utility room. Mood music. Alicia Keyes. Their wedding presents from Lexie’s family were definitely more for Lexie than for Walker but the shopping expedition had one plus for him. Lexie hit a record store and stocked up on decent music. And it wasn’t just so her family would have the soundtrack to their visit they enjoyed, it was for him.
Another way she gave.
He rounded the railing and dropped his workout bag there, looking first to the kitchen.
Around this time of day, she’d be thinking about food but mostly she knew his schedule and he knew she wanted to be close when he arrived home so she could greet him, something she always did, pressing into him and tipping her head back for a kiss. This was whether he came back from the garage or the gym, sweaty or not, his woman didn’t care.
And another way she gave.
She wasn’t in the kitchen so he looked to the second place she usually was, thinking he liked their deck furniture, it was the shit and it looked good. But it cost a f**king whack. He didn’t mind the money, never did if it was nice shit and looked good. But he minded it even less because she used it all the time. When her family was there, they ate out on the back deck. Before they came, his days off, he noticed she had her breakfast and coffee out there and she did it like she did it all the time so he knew she did it all the time. Other times, she’d wander out there with her Kindle to read or her iPod to listen to while she stared at the view. Colorado was new to her, she liked it, she liked their view and she gave it her time, as much as she could when she wasn’t giving that time to him.
So he turned his head to look at the deck and froze solid.
This was because she was curled in the loveseat, legs bent and fallen to the side, heels tucked close to her ass, beer in hand resting on the side of her thigh, head thrown back because she was laughing.
And stretched opposite her in that loveseat was an enormous black man who was turned away from Walker, in profile but Walker could see him smiling.
Lexie righted her head, caught sight of him, her face grew bright and she aimed a shaft of her blinding light right a him as she cried, “Ty! Look who’s here!”
Then, his f**king wife, total f**king goof, like an excited teenager bolted up to her feet on the loveseat, walked to the footstool and hopped down, running through the open door to him as he forced himself unstuck and walked toward her.
In her excitement, she hit him on the fly, her soft body colliding with his, her arms, even with one hand holding a beer bottle, sliding around him, her feet bare necessitating her bending her head way back to beam her smile at him.
“Julius!” she declared elatedly yet unnecessarily.
He looked down at her face then lifted his head to see Julius had angled out of the loveseat and was grinning at him as he sauntered into the house.
Such was their bond, anytime, anywhere, it was safe to say he would be happy to see Julius Champion. Happier by far to see him for the first time wearing faded jeans, a tee and breathing free.
Except that time.
He tipped his head back down and muttered, “Kiss, mama.”
Her smile went brighter, if that could f**king be believed, she went up on her toes, he bent low and touched his mouth to hers as her arms gave him a squeeze. When he lifted his head, she let him go, took a step away and he turned to Julius who had made it close and also had a beer in his hand. He extended his other one and Walker took it.
“Walk,” he muttered as they gripped and locked eyes, no shaking, no hug, the strength of the grip and the communication through their eyes was all they needed.
“Champ,” Walker muttered back.
Julius grinned. Walker grinned back.
“Oh shit, I’m gonna cry,” Lexie announced and the men let go and both looked to her to see she did look like she was going to cry.
“Get a handle on it, Lex,” he murmured, still grinning.
She nodded and visibly deep-breathed, whispering, “Right. Right.”
Walker shook his head and looked to Julius to see Julius was now smiling at Lexie.