Page 76 of Willow Vale

“It’s not my fault the kid wants to hang out with a bunch of assholes on the ranch.” Finn chuckled, ruffling River’s dark hair.

“And I suspect that includes you?” Wren muttered to my right.

Finn made a retort and the conversation carried on, but there was a shift in the air. One that usually followed when Wren spoke up, usually with a joke that didn’t have the same affect it used to since she rarely smiled these days.

She was pushing her salad around on the plate without looking up at any of us. Amelia watched her daughter with concern in her eyes and when she caught me staring, she tried to play it off. But I saw it—the worry that could only belong to a mother.

Hoping to get some attention off Wren, I proceeded to give Finn a lecture on manners. By the time I was done, River understood why there were some words kids couldn’t say no matter who they heard saying it.

“Aren’t you gonna give Dad and Travis a talking to? They’re just as bad as me!” Finn tried to defend, scowling at the men around the table who were trying really hard not tolaugh. Amelia simply shook her head as she continued eating at the end of the table.

“Thank you for reminding me,” I said. Desmond straightened when I leveled him with a look. “A couple of stubborn mules, huh? A kick in the…what did you say we needed?”

“Uh, I have no idea what you’re talking about, honey.” Desmond coughed before he took a nice long sip of his beer.

River tugged on my sleeve. “But Lila, you say bad words all the time. You said it when you hit your foot the other day.”

I felt my mouth drop open just as the entire table burst into laughter.

“Pot meet kettle,” Travis said, grunting when I poked him in his side. We both knew I had no room to deny it now that River outed me. Travis’s hand caught mine before I could poke him again and instead of pushing me away, he simply held it underneath the table. Interlacing our fingers together for the rest of dinner.

CHAPTER 32

Lila

Once River was tuckedin for the night, I closed the door behind me and went to join Travis out on the back porch. He’d invited us to spend the night yet again, though I was starting to wonder if he had to anymore, since we pretty much went to his house right after every dinner.

It just became a natural routine of ours now.

He was sitting on one of the chairs, seeming lost in thought as he looked toward the trees surrounding the property. Stars twinkled in the cloudless blanket of night, the full moon illuminated the mountains, and the smell of summer reminded me of a fresh field of wildflowers.

It was hotter than usual, so I was glad I’d opted to wear my blue summer dress with a V-neck tonight. I caught Travis watching me with a look that spoke volumes on what he thought when he saw me in the main house. He’d been working all day on the ranch and went to check on the bar after Manny called to tell him that a pipe had burst in the bathroom.

I was glad he’d first seen me wearing this dress at the main house and not at his place, otherwise I wasn’t too sure ifthere was any chance we would’ve had dinner with his family tonight.

With everything that had happened over the last month, we’d barely had any time to ourselves. There was always something or someone needing one of us. Our days were so packed that by the time we made it to either of our places for the night, we were passing out on the couch in the middle of watching a movie.

In a way, maybe it was a good thing. We were taking things slow. But maybe, it was time to take the next step.

When I closed the door behind me, Travis turned his head when he heard me approach him on the porch. “He asleep?”

“Out like a light.” I let him take my hand and pull me onto his lap. “He was quite the busy bee in the kitchen with Amelia all day today. He loves the ranch but there’s something about being in the kitchen that sparks his interest too. I hope that’ll stick.”

“More than ranching?” he teased, knowing I’d be worried the whole time if River ever decided he wanted to become a cowboy. Travis brushed a strand of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. “Mom and Dad love him. Finn gets a kick out of him too.”

“He has that effect on people. It’s hard not to love him.” I smiled.

“That is true. It must run in the family then,” he murmured. I knew he wasn’t talking about Irene. We sat in comfortable silence until he confessed, “I’m worried about Wren.”

I nodded. “She’s still recovering. Not being able to ride must be hard to wrap her head around. It’ll take time.”

“I keep thinking that maybe I should talk to her. She’s…different now. I can’t explain it.”

“Then you should. I think that would be good for her.”

“No news on Irene, right?”

I sighed. “No. If she does somehow manage to get my number again, I’ll just take it from there. I don’t want her to ever get to me the way she has in the past. Though, I doubt she will now that she knows I don’t have money to get her out of her debts.”

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