Page 26 of Wild and Wrangled

Gus wasn’t at the table anymore—probably went to say goodbye to Teddy—so I grabbed my suitcase and walked out the front door, where I found Wes and Ada parked and making out in the cab of Wes’s truck.

Sometimes it was exhausting to be surrounded by people who were in love. I hit the hood of the truck with my palm, and the two of them jumped apart.

Wes had the decency to blush and look embarrassed, but Ada looked pleased as hell as she got out of the truck and gave me a hug.

“Disgusting,” I said as she pulled me into a hug.

“Shut up,” she said. “I told him to give us a fifteen-minute head start and then he’s going to pick up Brooks—that way we can make sure Graham is gone before he gets there. Wes is the world’s sweetest man, but I’m scared he might punch Graham in the face if given the opportunity. And Brooks is a wild card, honestly.”

“Good call,” I said, sending Wes a wave. He got out of the truck and immediately came for my suitcase.

“I’ll put this in your trunk for you,” he said. Always the gentleman.

“Thank you,” I said. “And thank you for your help today. I appreciate it.”

“Anywhere, anytime,” he said with a smile.

“Do you want me to drive?” Ada asked, and I nodded as I handed her the keys. I was grateful she offered.

We got into my car and waved goodbye to Wes and started making our way out of Rebel Blue.

“So,” Ada said, “I’ve been thinking.”

“Dangerous,” I responded.

“Since I’m coming to your rescue today, I think it’s time you tell me what went down with you and Dusty.” I froze. That was not what I was expecting.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean, I just think it’s kind of weird that I’ve never really seen you guys interact, at least not if you can avoid it, yet he was the one you chose to spend the day of your almost-wedding with.

“You pretend like he doesn’t exist, you don’t talk about him at all, but you’re okay with him living on the same property as you. I just want to know what the hell happened between you two that created this weird…thing…you guys have going on.”

“We dated in high school,” I said with a shrug. When I said that, it made it sound like that’s all it was. Young love.

It was more than that, but when you fall in love that young, a lot of people spend a lot of time trying to convince you that it isn’t real, and there’s no way it will last.

I guess they were right about the latter part.

Dusty was my first everything, but not in just a first love way. He was my first real friend. He was the first person who cared enough to get to know me, who peeled back the layers I had drawn around myself and liked what they saw. He made me want to like myself, too.

“Well, duh,” Ada said. “I know that, but everything about you two screams a whole lot more details than high school fling or sweethearts—especially in a town where those things are common.”

I shrugged. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Why?”

Because it hurts.“Because I don’t.”

“Cam,” Ada said firmly. “I’m sorry, but you have to give me something. As your friend, I’m worried about you, and I’m worried about you being on the same slab of property as someone who obviously impacts you in a big way, and I can’t tell if it’s positive or negative.”

For someone who told me she didn’t have a lot of friends before coming to Meadowlark, Ada was a good one.

I let out a long sigh. “Look,” I said. “You’re right, Dusty impacts me, and it really isn’t positive or negative…it just kind ofis.”

“Were you born being this cryptic? Or is it something you learned along the way?”

“Probably a little bit of both,” I said. “I appreciate that you’re worried about me, but I don’t think you have to worry about Dusty and me.”

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