Page 37 of Wilder Heart

He turned, panicked, and saw the moment Mary-Beth realized she’d mistaken the wrong Blackwood for her husband. Her smiling eyes fell from his dumbly shocked expression to the tattoo on the side of his neck.

“Oh!” She chuckled, drawing away. Her face colored—turning a similar color to his own, he was sure. “I’m sorry, Wilder, I mistook you for Lain. He has a shirt almost exactly like that.”

Wilder looked down at his own chest, at the pale blue tattersall shirt.

“Here, we brought y’all lunch, since you’ll be out with the herd most of the day. Annalise?” Mary-Beth turned, gesturing for Annalise to come closer.

She was carrying a wicker basket wider than she was, laden with insulated fabric lunchboxes. Mary-Beth picked one off the top of the pile and handed it to Wilder.

“It’s nothing special,” Mary-Beth said, “just a couple of sandwiches and some protein bars to keep your energy up. Did you get plenty of water?”

“I took care of it,” Cash said. “Already filled his saddlebags.”

“Annie, baby, why don’t you go ahead and start handing them out?” Mary-Beth suggested, and Annalise waddled off with the basket to fulfill her new task.

Wilder cleared his throat. He hadn’t said a word since she touched him. “She’s a hard worker.”

“She is. She lives and breathes this ranch. I have a feeling these two will be the same.” She patted her stomach. “Listen, I’d really like to have you over for dinner some night. Not tonight, of course. I’m sure you’ll all be exhausted. Maybe after the herd is moved?”

“Um.” What was he supposed to say? Did Lain know about this? Would he be pissed if Wilder came into the house? He hadn’t set foot in there since—well. Since that night. Since bloodand screaming and‘please, I didn’t get to say goodbye. Please just let me?—’

Cash gave him a none-too-subtle nudge, jerking him from his spiraling thoughts.

“Uh, sure. Yes, of course, if that’s all right with Lain.”

She gave him a conspiratorial smile. “Usually whatever I want is all right with Lain, so I’m sure he won’t mind.” She winked, and under any other circumstances, he’d like her. It was hard to think much of anything when panic was clawing at his breastbone.

“I better go help Annalise, or y’all will be here all day. But seriously, I hope you like pot roast. Oh, and pie! I’ve been craving an apple pie. Having you over will give me a good excuse to bake one.”

“How could I say no?” Over her shoulder, down the aisle from them, Lain was watching them.

She grinned as she slid away from him. As soon as she turned away, Wilder did the same, his hands flying to the pearl snap buttons of his shirt. Once, he and Lain used to make jokes about how they had the same taste in everything. Clothes, food, music. Lain had even once joked that they’d wind up vying for the same girl, and Wilder had chickened out of telling him the truth.

Cash caught his hands. “Don’t, don’t.”

“Let me go.” This wasn’t his life anymore. They couldn’t still like the same things. He was wrong and he didn’t fit here, and he had to get this shirt off before he flew into a panic. He could just wear the T-shirt underneath, and it’d befine.

“It looks good on you,” Cash whispered, his gaze as warm as melted chocolate.

Everybody’s attention was on Mary-Beth and Annalise. For now, they were in the clear. But if Lain looked over…

“Please,” Wilder hissed.

“Promise me you’ll leave it.”

“Why?” Why did he care?

“I told you. It looks good on you. Maybe I want you distracting me today.”

Wilder was going to fly apart, panic and disgust and low-burning anger now mixing with a hot curl of desire. His shoulders sagged, and he took a half-step closer, nearly bringing them flush. The brim of their hats bumped together.

“Cash,” he breathed. Why couldn’t he keep his distance from this man?

“Don’t let the past decide your future,” Cash whispered. “Or your present.”

His mouth was dry, but the sick mixture of emotion was fading. “Okay.” He was beginning to think he couldn’t deny Cash anything.

Beside them, Blaze chuffed impatiently. Some of the others were mounting up, and Mary-Beth and Annalise were waving at Lain, the first one leaving the barn.

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