Page 18 of Almost Home
My heart squeezed as Calla eyed Sadie. “I cannot wait to get to know him better. I’ve had to talk myself down from reaming him for not showing up to our wedding, but at the same time, Wyatt’s not mad, so why should I be?”
Sadie nodded. “I would agree that you shouldn’t launch into your relationship with your new brother-in-law by chastising him for doing his job and missing your wedding.”
Quinn chuckled. “Probably good advice. Plus, doesn’t he know like twenty ways to kill a man using only his pinky or something?”
I laughed at that, the twine around my rib cage loosening enough to take a full breath, and finally dove back into the chips and guac. “That might be an exaggeration.”
“He’s definitely intense and very different, I guess, but I’m inclined to like him. And Warrick was on cloud nine when we left, no joke. I think that man spoke more words to me in the hour after Sunday dinner than he did the rest of the week—and that’s not because he doesn’t normally talk. He was so hyped up after spending time with his brother. I cannot imagine what’ll happen after tomorrow.”
Interest piqued, I bit. “Tomorrow?”
Calla answered. “We’re doing family dinner at the ranch. It’s the first time the three boys have been together since he moved back. And any of the interactions in December were pretty strained. I mean, not awful, but just… a start.”
Sadie nodded bigger now. “That’s what this feels like. It’s all baby steps for them. They’ve been apart so long that they don’t know each other anymore. Warrick’s excited, but a little wary. Trying not to come on too strong.” Her fond smile made clear how sweet she thought her boyfriend was.
“Wyatt is looking forward to it. And honestly, I am, too. I need to get to know this person and figure him out. And I’m going to do whatever I can to get him to talk aboutyou.”
My eyes widened and my stomach dropped. “No, thank you.”
Calla just smiled. “Yep. And I have a great excuse. We’ll just mention how you and Wyatt went out on a date on RuralMatch last year.”
The blood drained from my face. “Please don’t. Oh, please don’t.”
“You cannot do that. That’s embarrassing for Sarah,” Quinn said, shooting Calla a look like she was crazy for even considering it.
“It is not. It’s a cute little story that might just get a response from him,” she said, pointing a chip at Quinn.
Horror washed over me at the thought of them talking about me with Wilder inanyway. It just seemed like too… too much. Too obvious, too personal, too invasive.
“You’ll see tomorrow, but I am pretty sure even if Wilder had a response to that, we wouldn’t see it. He’s got a poker face like none other.”
Sadie gave me a look, and I read the meaning there. She’d help steer things. Maybe even tell Warrick, who’d do the same. I didn’t love the idea of him knowing about my mixed-up mess of feelings for his brother, but he probably already knew.
Calla held up her hands in surrender. “Fine. I won’t tell him, I promise. But I’m bringing you lunch next week so I can report back on my impressions.”
“I’ll agree to that.” I held up my water and she touched her glass to mine.
The conversation moved on from Wilder and me and their dinner tomorrow. I let myself be carried away by it instead of stewing over the possibilities of what Calla might say, or what I’d already revealed.
Soon enough, the feelings would fade. All of them. Now that we’d made our peace, as thin as it seemed, we could move on as… coworkers. Friendly coworkers. I’d banish or bury every other impulse I had for him, and we’d be colleagues. Someday, I’d move on completely. On from him, on from Silverton.
And we’d both be better for it.
CHAPTERNINE
Wilder
Upon exiting the theater, I saw her. There was no place in town I could go and not think of her. The initial plan to come back and not think of her would’ve failed, but at least she wouldn’t have been here. She would’ve been nothing more than an apparition.
Instead, the curse of the small town struck again, hard and fast and stealing my sanity for a moment as I inhaled the look of her every curve and line. I had no prayer of turning away. As though she owned the coordinates of the GPS-guided missile in my mind, I zeroed in on her the second I stepped into shared airspace.
And she did the same, her blue eyes flicking up to meet mine, then widening right as her cheeks flushed. At one time, I would’ve left without a word, but whether due to my new leaf in retirement or the scenes from Friday’s apology and debrief replaying in my head, I headed straight for her despite the knowledge I should go.
She waved as she approached. “Hey, what’d you see?”
Her pretty smile made my stomach clutch. “The new Marvel movie.”
She grinned. “I’m heading into that one in a few.”
