The Detective and Her Bachelor

Chapter 29

Have you ever been on the verge of getting an answer you've desperately been waiting for? The moment right before you learn the truth is both excruciating and exhilarating. It's your farewell to waiting. Leaving the hunt for the truth behind. It's almost as good as the answer itself. Because as soon as you learn the truth, the journey to discover it is over. 

Luke eyed me carefully over his glass, his question delivered carefully as he watched my reaction. "Tell me, Delle, how much do you know about The Walker Family?"

I leaned back on the couch sighing. "Honestly..." I glanced at the mantel, a flash of anger sparking. "Just what you and Andrew have hinted at." 

Luke's serious expression cracked, showcasing a hint of surprise, his voice softer. "You call him Andrew." 

I shrugged. "It's his name." A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "I get the impression that he prefers it."

Luke smiled, a genuine, open smile. Not the showy camera smile he had shot me earlier, but one that seemed more personal. One that felt private. Reserved for those who were trusted. It left me startled. 

How had I earned that smile?

"He does." Luke seemed to relax minutely. "This whole thing started with... Family drama. I take it you haven't met our mother yet?"

I shook my head, anger sparking again. I clenched my hands into fists at the thought of Andrew's parents. How his gift had been cast aside when he dared to want something different. I blinked several times to push the roaring fire inside, down into a set of manageable embers.

"No," I replied, tone darker than I had intended. "And something tells me she may end up looking worse than your brother if I did. I may have to put that off for as long as possible. She doesn't strike me as the cuddly type."

"If a cactus were cuddly, then yes," Luke muttered from behind the rim of his whiskey glass. "No. We have a... traditional way of doing things in our family. The Walkers have a unique marriage system set up." He took a swallow of his drink, Adam's apple bobbing up and down along his throat as he paused. "A list of suitors is created and Andrew is supposed to go out with each of them and pick a bride to assure strong company and family connections."

Luke shrugged, staring off at nothing. "And because he's the oldest, our parents insisted he follow that tradition. But Andrew being the clever guy that he is..." Luke turned and smiled at me, his grin mischievous. "He pointed out that the official list didn't need to be created by my parents, but had to be created by an expert."

"So..." I said, beginning to realize what Andrew had done.

"So when I got a call asking me to be a contestant on 'Hearts Don't Lie,' I said yes," Andrew interjected, walking back down the hall. "It was the best way to keep my parents from picking a spouse that would spend our entire marriage spying on me for my parents." He sat down next to me on the couch, swallowing most of the whiskey in his glass, face unreadable.

Luke chuckled, running his fingers through his long brown hair. "His mom was furious."

I caught Luke's slip. "His mom?"

Luke shrugged." We're half brothers. Another reason why they don't care as much if I don't follow the rules." He leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed, unbothered to openly share a family secret as he ate a cracker from the bowl. Like he hadn't just given me dirt that could keep the paparazzi fed for months. 

Luke Walker wasn't publicly known as a half-brother. He was viewed as Andrew's full brother. It gave me a deeper look into The Walker's. A family that clearly had its share of secrets. My fingers were itching to write down theories. To have the other Detectives dive deeper into the Walker's family history.