Page 58 of Wilder Heart

“How I felt about him. What I wanted. I thought we were on the same page.”

“You didn’t see what happened when Lain saw him leaving the house that day, did you?”

“No. I had offered to take care of Persimmon so Lain could go check on Mary-Beth. He doesn’t like leaving her alone now that she’s nearing the end of the pregnancy.”

“He asked Annalise and Mary-Beth if they were okay. Looked like he might as well have punched Wilder right in the jaw. He might not have meant it that way, but Wilder took it personally.”

“Shit.” That explained why Wilder wanted to get away so quickly. Cash couldn’t say whether Lain had meant to imply that Wilder had been a danger to them. He wanted to think the best of Lain, but Lain’s feelings for his brother were complicated.

“I can’t say whether he actually meant it that way. I don’t reckon anybody but Lain knows how Lain feels about Wilder.”

“Right. He’s been tight-lipped about it. They both have. Stubborn bastards.” He rolled his eyes, and Clyde chortled.

“The hands are going out tonight,” Clyde said. “Looks like Wilder’s finally out of the leg brace. Why don’t you bully him into coming along? A night away from the ranch might do him some good. He’s been cooped up since the accident.”

Cash winced. “He might not be willing to go.”

“That’s why I said bully him.”

Cash laughed. “You really think I can make that man do anything he doesn’t want to?”

“I think he’s the horse, and you’re the whisperer. You’ve earned his trust, so if you coax him to jump the hurdle, by God, he’ll jump the hurdle.”

“Jesus, Clyde.” His face heated.

“Just consider it. I think a couple of beers might do you both some good.”

That was probably true. Cash hadn’t gone out for a decent beer since Wilder arrived at the ranch.

“We’re going to Roddy’s,” Clyde added to sweeten the pot.

Cash groaned. Roddy’s had thebesthot pretzels and cheese dip. They had good burgers, too. Hell, the whole damn menu was a smorgasbord of the best bar food in the county. If anything could convince Wilder to come out with them, it would be that.

“I’ll ask him,” he agreed.

“Great. If he turns you down, I’ll buy your beer for the night.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Cash drawled.

“That is confidence. I’m confident I won’t be paying a dime. Go on now. Don’t let him get away.”

Wilder was headed toward the horse barn, so with a sigh, Cash started after him. By the time he caught up with him, Wilder was inside the tack room. They were the only ones here. Wilder was haloed in the watery afternoon sunshine streaming in through the window behind him, dust motes dancing in the light like glitter. He struck a pretty picture, his jeans hugging his long legs and his cowboy hat framing his head, which was bowedas he considered the halters before him—until he noticed Cash. He turned expectantly, his brows rising, and Cash’s words got caught in his throat.

It had been weeks since they’d been alone. Cash had never thought of himself as a weak man, but he had zero resolve when it came to Wilder. He blindly pushed the door shut behind him and marched right into him, grabbing Wilder by the face and crushing their mouths together.

Wilder uttered a noise of surprise, swallowed by Cash’s hungry mouth, but he didn’t push him away. His arms banded around Cash’s middle, their hats knocking and falling from their heads as they tilted for better access to each other. Cash kissed until his lips felt swollen and sensitive, until his cock was a steel rod behind his zipper and Wilder was a panting mess, leaning on Cash like he needed him to stay upright.

Finally, when he had Wilder pinned against the worktable and the distance between them was well and truly gone, he parted from him. Breathing each other’s air, their lips damp and their bodies hot, Cash smiled, and Wilder smiled back, lopsided andguilty.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Cash accused, albeit with no heat behind it.

The corners of Wilder’s kiss-bruised mouth tightened with regret. “Yeah. I have.”

“I told you not to.”

“I know. I avoid or I fight. There’s not much in-between.” He sighed. “I’m working on it.”

“You don’t have to avoidme.”

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