Page 86 of Wilder Heart

The ice cream shop wasn’t crowded, given that it was before lunch and too early for ice cream for most people. Wilder copied Annalise’s monstrous concoction, complete with chocolate syrup, sprinkles, crumbled Oreos, gummy bears, and a single cherry on top. The gummy bears, he complained, got hard when they got cold, so he wound up picking them off and letting Annalise add them to her own cup. Cash, on the other hand, got a very simple vanilla with mini peanut butter cups.

When they got home, all the ranch hands were out and about. The horse barn’s big doors were flung open, and scattered leaves blew across the brown grass. Cash’s eyes snagged on Billy, who was hauling some hay squares to the round feeder. He would have to address Billy’s lie to Clyde. He could think of only one reason why he would have done it—because he’d wanted to give Wilder enough of a head start to make sure he stayed gone.

He glanced over at Wilder, who was also looking pensively at the younger man.

“We’ll deal with that later,” Cash said, reaching over and taking Wilder’s hand. “Let’s park the truck and start moving your stuff.”

“Moving his stuff?” Annalise asked. “Is he going somewhere?”

“He’s moving into my room,” Cash said.

Annalise tilted her head. “What for?”

“Because we… want to live together, the way your Momma and Daddy do,” Cash said.

“Ohhh,” Annalise said cheerfully. “Do you kiss, too? I think it’s gross when Momma and Daddy kiss, but every time I say so when they do it, they just do it again and laugh about it.”

Wilder chuckled. “We do kiss sometimes, but we’ll try not to gross you out.”

“Okay, good.”

“Want to help us move some stuff?” Cash asked. “He doesn’t have much. And then we’ll take you into the big house and let you chill out for the rest of the day, if you want. You had a real big night.”

“I don’t want to chill out. Can I ride Persimmon? And we need to check on the birds, too!”

“We can do all of that, yes,” Wilder agreed.

“Okay. I’ll help you move, then. You can give me the heavy stuff. I’m really strong! Daddy says I’ll be able to beat him at arm wrestling soon.”

She continued to chatter while Cash parked the truck and led them across the yard to the bunkhouse. He carried Wilder’s duffel for him, and it gave him a little thrill to follow Wilder back into the room he’d run away from just last night. His phone still sat on the bedside table, and Cash picked it up.

“You didn’t take this with you.”

Wilder winced. “No. I was in kind of a hurry.”

Cash smiled and handed it over. “Check your voicemail.”

Nonplussed, Wilder took the phone, tapped the screen, and brought it to his ear. A moment later, he softened, looking at Cash with such warmth that he felt it all the way to his bones.

“I wish I’d heard that last night.”

“I’m glad I got the chance to say the actual words to your face first.” Cash glanced over at Annalise, who was trying to pick up Wilder’s duffel. “But I do intend to love youreal goodlater, if you get me.”

“Oh, I get you,” Wilder said, drifting closer. Over his shoulder, he said, “Sorry, wild thing, I lied. Look away. Uncle Wilder’s about to kiss Cash.”

“Groooss!” she howled cheerfully, hauling the duffel out the door.

It didn’t take long to carry all of Wilder’s stuff to Cash’s room. Most of the clothes he hadn’t packed in his duffel stacked nicely in his hamper. Cash put his toiletries in a cardboard box he assembled from a stack of flat ones in the Blackwoods’ house barn. Wilder draped his phone charger around his neck, and together they carted his things out in one big trip.

There was plenty of room in Cash’s closet for Wilder’s jeans and two coats. Cash made room for him in the dresser, feeling a thrill when Wilder ceremoniously placed a stack of underwear in the top right drawer. Socks and shirts followed, and when he closed the last drawer, he leaned his hip against the dresser and shot Cash a molten look.

“All right, Mister Arden. We officially live together.” His gaze was like melted caramel, and Cash lamented the fact that Annalise was still their responsibility. He wanted nothing more than to ravish his partner right now.

Partner.God, it had a nice ring to it.

Annalise broke the tension. “Can I ride Persimmon now?”

Wilder took a breath and cast her a smile. “Absolutely. Come on, we’ll saddle her up and let y’all play a while.”

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