Page 86 of Wild Then Wed
Sawyer clears his throat. “We know you probably have a lot of questions—”
Boone slams his mug down hard enough that it splashes. “Damn right I have questions.”
“Boone Jameson,” my mom snaps, her tone sharp enough to make anyone stop in their tracks. It’s the voice she used when we were kids and we knew we were in deep shit.
He mutters something under his breath. Sage still hasn’t closed her mouth.
My mom steps forward, gently wiping her hands on the front of her apron. “Wren, honey. What’s going on?”
“Let’s just sit,” I say quickly, motioning toward the table. “We’ll explain everything, I promise.”
Right then, Ridge appears at the top of the stairs in a hoodie and sweatpants, looking like he just woke up from a nap he started three years ago.
“Explain what?” he asks, yawning as he descends.
“Wren’s getting married,” Sage says, still in a daze.
Ridge laughs—an actual laugh, full-bodied and loud. “Good one.”
No one else laughs.
His smile fades. “Oh, fuck. For real?”
I walk to the dining room table and everyone else follows—Boone reluctantly, Sage still stunned, Ridge trying to catch up. My mom sinks into the chair quickly, her eyes wide.
Sawyer gives me a quick glance, like he’s bracing for impact.
And honestly? He should.
Because we’re about to detonate the biggest bomb this family’s ever seen.
Chapter 16
SAWYER
The walk to the dining room table feels like the longest stretch of hardwood I’ve ever crossed in my life.
I can feel Boone’s eyes drilling into the side of my head like he’s willing me to combust. Her sister hasn’t blinked once. Molly’s trying to keep calm, but her hands are fidgeting in her lap like they’ve got a mind of their own. And Wren—well, Wren looks like she’s five seconds from either puking or fighting someone. Possibly both.
I reach the table first, pull out a chair, and nod toward her, motioning for her to sit.
She raises an eyebrow, surprised by the formality, but she slides in without a word. I take the chair next to her and sit down just as everyone else does, the air between us tight enough to snap.
Boone’s still glaring when I glance over at him. I don’t flinch. I’m not intimidated by him. I get it—his dad’s gone and he thinks it’s on him to be the enforcer. To protect everyone under this roof, including his sister sitting beside me.
But if he’s trying to rattle me, he’s going to have to try a hell of a lot harder.
He’s big, I’ll give him that. Broad-shouldered, squared jaw, pissed off enough to look like he could go a few rounds. But I’m bigger. And right now? Calmer. Which makes me more dangerous, and I think he knows that.
Wren exhales hard, her knee bouncing under the table.
“It’s not what you think,” she says, folding her hands in front of her like she’s presenting at a board meeting. “This isn’t…romantic. It’s not like we’re suddenly in love or something.”
Her sister makes a small choking sound. Boone shifts in his seat.
“I went to Sawyer,” Wren continues. “Because of the water crisis. I know this sounds insane, and maybe it is. But it’s also the only option I could find that doesn’t end in us losing access to the aquifer.”
Boone scoffs like she just told him she joined a cult. “Jesus, Wren. This wasyouridea?”
