Page 87 of Wilder Heart

CHAPTER 28

WILDER

Wilder and Cash didn’t get a chance to be alone for two more days. For better or worse, they spent most of that time in the main house with Annalise. Wilder still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that it was the same house from his childhood. The layout was the same, but that was where the similarities ended. That place had been a prison; this was a home.

They fed her from frozen meals Mary-Beth had made in preparation of exactly this, and they slept on the pull-out sofa in the living room after putting Annalise to bed upstairs.

Annalise’s room was his old room. It was floral and frilly and looked so different it barely reminded him of those old, unhappy days.

Waking up in Cash’s arms in the sun-streaked living room, facing the very spot where he once stabbed his father to death with a kitchen knife, was one of the most surreal experiences of his life. He pondered it for only a moment, and then rolled over to kiss Cash awake. The past was finished; his present was worth savoring.

It was late afternoon when Cash’s cell phone finally rang with Lain’s name flashing on the screen. They’d texted on and off, Lain checking in on Annalise, but a call meant something bigger.

They were sitting outside around the fire pit. Wilder was chopping wood, stacking some and tossing others into the circle of rocks to feed the small fire. Annalise was sitting on the ground with a border collie half in her lap, petting the dog’s soft black ears.

“Hey, Lain,” Cash answered, and Wilder paused with the ax embedded in a thick stump, panting lightly.

Annalise brightened. “Tell Daddy I say hi.”

“Annalise says hi. Yeah, she’s been a total angel. No, I don’t mind at all. Wilder’s been helping me out. Turns out he’s a handy pancake flipper.” Cash winked at him.

That was a damned lie. It was the first time he’d ever flipped pancakes in his life, and his very first one had gonerightout of the pan and smeared batter all over the stovetop. Annalise thought it was hilarious. He’d wound up giving that one to the dog.

“Yes, he has,” Cash said. “She’s really bonded with him, I think.”

Wilder ducked his head bashfully. A year ago, he never would have imagined bonding with any kid, much less Lain’s.

Cash paused, listening to Lain talk with occasional noises of affirmation, and finally said, “Good, I’m sure y’all are ready to be home, and Annalise misses you. We’ll be here waiting. And when you get Mary-Beth and the boys settled in—good, that’s what I was gonna say.” His distant gaze was stern, like he could glare at Lain through the phone if he tried hard enough. “All right, we’ll see you soon, then. Drive safe.”

“They’re on their way home?” Annalise asked excitedly.

Wilder ripped the ax from the stump and gripped it with white knuckles. Lain was coming. Soon, they’d have their confrontation.

“They are.” Cash stood, stepping around the crackling fire to pry the ax from Wilder’s hands. “He says he wants to talk to you when he gets them settled in.”

Wilder nodded. It would be over soon. Either they would resolve things, or Wilder and Cash would set out on their own.

Cash’s palm cradled his cheek. “Steady, baby.”

Wilder inhaled deeply. “I know. I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“Mm-hm.”

Cash hefted the ax. “Why don’t I take over with this and you take a seat for a while?”

Wilder laughed a little hysterically. “Probably a good call.”

“He didn’t sound angry, for what it’s worth. Don’t go into this expecting the worst.”

“Right, yeah.”

Cash gave him a little push, and he went with a dramatic groan to the Adirondack chair and collapsed into it. As he did, movement caught his eye, and he turned his head to see Billy coming out of the bunkhouse common room. Their eyes met, and Billy’s brows descended into a scowl as he took them all in.

Cash noticed him, too, and lifted a hand in greeting. Billy turned away, leaving Cash and Wilder to exchange a look.

That was another thing to deal with later.

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