Page 28 of Wilder Heart

Annalise put her hands on her hips. “Tell me, Uncle Wilder! You can tell me! I’m a big girl now. Daddy says so. He says I haveto be a big girl because I’ll have little brothers to help take care of.”

Wilder’s chest tightened at the reminder. “Does he know you’re calling me Uncle Wilder?” He couldn’t imagine Lain would care for that.

Her head tilted in confusion. “You are, aren’t you? You’re his brother. I heard them in the kitchen saying you were my uncle.”

“You did, huh?” He resisted the urge to ask what else they’d said. Just because it was about him didn’t mean it was his business. They could have whatever opinion about him they wanted, and he was probably better off not knowing. “Listen, kid, I’ve got to finish up in here. Why don’t you run off and find that turkey of yours?”

“Perdita’s with Pongo and the rest of the flock behind the house. Momma had to shoo them away from the laundry line while she was hanging clothes up.”

“Maybe you should go help her guard the clean clothes.”

“No, she’s done now.”

He blew out a breath, propping the shovel up against the wall and going to the wheelbarrow with his very chatty shadow trailing after him.

“I want to come with you when you go into Blaze’s paddock today.”

“Hell no.”

Annalise gasped, and he stopped, turning to look at her with wide eyes.

“You didn’t hear that.”

She looked scandalized. “You said a bad word.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did. Iheardyou.”

“You didn’t hear shit—goddammit.”

Her mouth fell open. “I’ve never heard Daddy cuss before.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s a saint.”

“What’s a saint?”

“Uh,” he cast about for something that wouldn’t sound jaded and sarcastic, “a very good person.”

“Oh, yeah. That makes sense.” She nodded, her long ponytail bobbing along behind her.

He dumped the wheelbarrow at the compost pile, and she waited in the sunlight, rocking from side to side like she physically couldn’t stand still.

“Why are you still standing there?” he asked when he turned the wheelbarrow around.

“I told you. I want to go with you into?—”

“And I told youno.”

She met his eyes for a long, measured moment. “No you didn’t. You told me?—”

“Don’t—”

“Hellno,” she hissed, and then dissolved into wild giggles.

He laughed despite his better judgment. “Comeon. Don’t tell your parents I said bad words in front of you, okay? They probably already think I’m a bad influence.”

“Why would you be a bad influence?”

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