Page 75 of Choosing Us

My shoulders fall, and I accept defeat. “I’m sorry, Walker. I promise I didn’t mean for it to happen, and I’m not quite sure when it officially even happened, but I get that it’s a conflict for you.”

“Wait, conflict? What? No.” He scrunches his eyebrows and leans in to lower his voice slightly. “Harlow, why do you think I asked you to meet outside of the office to talk just the two of us?”

“Well, you’re technically still on paternity leave … so, convenience? To draw some sort of boundary? Express disdain for my decisions?” My shoulders drop even more as shame causes my face to redden. I am not at all ashamed of Ryan, but I am feeling terrible about disappointing Walker, especially when he is someone I respect so much.

He scowls and leans back into his chair. “What the hell? Harlow, you aren’t making any sense here.”

Cami sneaks up and drops our coffees and cinnamon rolls, then all but runs away without a word—accurately reading the vibes of this conversation.

I raise a hand in protest. “Hold on, I’m confused.”

“That makes two of us then.” Walker’s scowl deepens as he looks at his drink and pauses before looking back at me. “Harlow, I think you misunderstood why I asked to meet.”

“Okayyyy. Then why did you ask to meet?”

“The entire Callahan Cavalry, Brigade, and half the town know you and Ryan are dating.”

“Half the town?!” I stage-whisper as heat floods my cheeks. I don’t even know half of the town, but the idea of strangers knowing my love life is slightly terrifying.

“Welcome to life in a small town, but that’s not the point.”

“I still don’t understand.”

He nods as he takes a drink of his coffee while I play with the napkin under my cup.

“I wanted to talk to you and find out why you haven’t come to me yourself. Did I do something to make you feel like you couldn’t tell me?”

Wait.

What?

I lean back into my chair, shocked by his words. “Walker, I trust you completely, both personally and professionally. You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Okay, then why am I forcing the issue instead of you coming to me?” Walker is a stoic guy most of the time, and it would be easy to misunderstand his hard exterior for a lack of depth, but that’s not true when it comes to my friend. “Why am I calling this meeting only because I saw Ryan pick you up yesterday?”

Then I see it.

The flash of hurt in his eyes.

My eyes fill with tears as it dawns on me that in my attempt to put off a potentially challenging conversation, I’ve hurt my friend.

Now I might be sick for an entirely different reason.

“Walker, I’m … I’m so sorry.”

His eyes widen and he reaches for another napkin to hand me as an alarmed expression covers his face. I don’t let tears typically show in public settings, but my oversight has me gobsmacked.

“I just don’t get why you didn’t say anything. You clearly spoke to my wife, and any time I try to ask her about it, she all but says she’s Switzerland and scurries away.”

I laugh at the image of Vivian running away from her confused husband while yelling about being a neutral country.

“I asked her not to say anything until I was ready.”

“Okay. Are you ready now? Or the real question is—why did you need to be ready at all? It’s me.”

I point at him. “Exactly! It is you. You aren’t just my boss; you’re my friend, Walker. And Ryan is your brother-in-law.”

His eyes narrow as he assesses me. “And…”