“Meet Logan Wild, your cousin,” Luke says to us.
Logan extends his hand to Declan and then me. “Heard a lot about you, Declan. Not to mention watching you crush it on the ice on TV.”
“Thanks for saying so. Nice to meet you, Logan.” Declan introduces me as his wife, and Logan shoots me a friendly grin.
“Welcome to the Wild family, Mia,” he says before his whiskey eyes swirl with humor. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”
I laugh. “I’m not regretting my decision yet.”
Declan’s gaze flicks to mine, and he leans over and kisses my head.
Logan’s got the same mischievous grin that Cam has, and he and Declan immediately hit it off. They chat about the Wild Kings, who Logan jokes will beat his San Antonio Stallions if they ever meet up.
“I always root for family over my home state anyway,” he says. “And speaking of family, I almost forgot.” He reaches into the paper bag he’s dropped at his feet.
When he pulls out a cowboy hat, Luke sucks in his breath.
“I’ve been holding onto it for you,” Logan says to Luke as he tries to hand him the hat.
The cowboy hat is worn and looks well-used. It also obviously means something to Luke, who’s staring at it like he’s seeing a ghost.
“Is that…” Luke says in a raspy tone.
Logan nods and continues to hold it toward him. “Come on, Wild, buck up and take your damn rodeo hat back,” Logan says in a teasing tone meant to lighten the heaviness of this moment. “I know you’re not able to get back out there yet, but you will be someday soon. And this hat wants to go on another ride with you.”
Luke’s eyes meet Logan’s. A silent exchange passes between them before Luke takes the hat from his cousin.
“Can’t believe you held onto it all this time,” Luke says to him in a hoarse tone.
“Can’t believe you didn’t think I would,” Logan says.
Luke puts the hat on his head. And it sounds crazy, but everything about him changes. He looks younger and less burdened. Even his scar looks less angry.
Declan clears his throat. “Still fits perfectly, Luke.”
“I agree,” Logan says.
“It does,” I say softly.
“Hey!” Blake wanders into the kitchen with a pretty, dark-haired woman who’s casually dressed in a pink and white checked flannel and blue jeans.
“Hey, y’all.” Blake gives Declan and me a friendly nod. “This here is Macey.”
Macey has the same whiskey-colored eyes as Logan, and she surprises me when she gives me a hug. I hug her back, assuming she must be with Blake.
She’s bubbly and talkative, and as the guys start chatting, she says to me, “I heard y’all just got married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I say, and something about the way she’s looking at me makes me want to share more. “It all happened so fast. I feel like I’m on a ride that could stop at any time.”
I’m pretty sure she’s younger than me, but something in her eyes makes them seem like they’ve seen far more than I have. “That’s called the blind blush, right? Everything is good at the beginning because real life hasn’t set in yet.”
I stare at her, wondering if she knows the truth about Declan and me.
I quickly realize that’s not what she means when she continues chatting. “My mama talks about that feeling all the time.” She flings her hands in the air for emphasis. “She says love can do that to the best of us. And in our town in Texas, which is named after Jane Austen, we’re more prone to being swept away. Our town motto is ‘Find Your Mr. Darcy.’ Who’s got a chance of that, right?” She flings her hands in the air again and laughs heartily. “Certainly not me.”
I nod in the direction of Blake as the guys stop talking and turn toward us. “Are you with Blake? I mean, you came up here together?”
Macey stares at me with the most confused look on her face before she and Blake both burst out laughing.
“Logan would bury me six feet under if I went after his girl,” Blake says with glee.
“I’m not his girl,” Macey snaps at the same time Logan says, “She’s not…we’re not like that.”
Their body language says something different, though. Macey’s cheeks flush and Logan’s jaw clenches tightly. She shifts closer to him, and his hand brushes against hers before he dips his fingers inside one of the empty belt loops on her jeans and tugs her into his side.
Blake rolls his eyes and then gives Declan and me a look. “Sure, they’re not like that. Whatever they say. These two…” he says cheerfully. “No one in town can define them.”
“So you guys aren’t…” I say hesitantly to Macey as I point at Logan and then her.
“No.” Her whiskey eyes flash with an emotion I can’t read. “I’m not the kind of girl a guy brings home for good.”
“Oh.”
“Macey doesn’t believe in marriage,” Logan mutters almost under his breath. His mouth twists in amusement, but it doesn’t mask the emotion behind his eyes when he adds, “She’s never going to marry.”
I want to ask her why that is, but she shutters her previously-open expression as she shakes her head forcefully. “Never. Logan and I are…” Long pause. “Best friends. Right?” she asks him.
He puts his arm around her protectively. “Right. We’ve been best friends our entire lives. Always will be.”
“What else are you?” Blake mumbles from behind him.
Without letting go of Macey, Logan uses his other arm to backhand Blake in the stomach. Blake oomphs and doubles over.
“Jesus, Wild.” Blake groans. “Y’all are so sensitive.”
Logan’s intense gaze fixes on Macey. “You want to go for a walk on the ranch before breakfast? Can’t get a mountain view like this in Texas.”
Her face lights up. “Yes.” She turns to me and says almost apologetically, “I’ve never been out of Texas before. Logan brought me here as a surprise.”
“That’s so sweet,” I say.
“He somehow managed to get my boss—aka my daddy—to find a replacement for me for the week. I’m a bartender, and let me tell you, I haven’t had a day off in…”
“In far too long,” Logan says firmly. “And no one deserves it more than you, Mace.”
While I’m inwardly swooning over how sweet Logan is with Macey and how much he obviously cares about her, he grabs his cowboy hat and puts it on.
“We’ll be back shortly.” He tips his hat at me politely and takes Macey’s hand as they leave through the back door.
“God, they’re so…” I say.
“Infuriating?” Blake suggests. “Frustrating? Stubborn as two old mules? Yes, that’s them.”
“I was going to say romantic. They seem to be tight.”
“They are. Logan would do anything for Macey,” Blake says matter of factly like it’s something he’s used to seeing. Something he counts on even.
Declan’s phone buzzes, and he glances at the screen. “Holy shit.”
“What is it?” I ask him in concern.
“Savannah’s in labor!”
Chapter Thirty
Declan
Mia hangs back as Luke and I call out to Chase and Cooper and start figuring out who’s going to the hospital. Blake says he’ll stay at the ranch and make sure everything’s okay with the cattle they unloaded in the middle of the night, and he offers to do any chores that haven’t been done yet.
“We’ve got a ranch hand who cleans the stalls,” Luke says to him. “This is your day off. Enjoy it. You all have to drive home tomorrow.”
I turn to Mia. “You ready to go to the hospital or do you want to go tell Jamie Beth first?”
She stares at me, her blue eyes swirling with uncertainty.
“What is it?” I say, pulling her aside so we’re not overheard. “Do you not like hospitals? I’m sorry—it’s your mom, isn’t it? I wasn’t thinking…”
“Declan.” She reaches for my hand. “It’s not t
hat. I just…I know I’m technically family for the time being, but you and I know the truth. So do most of your relatives. I don’t want to intrude on such a special moment for your brother and Savannah. And for you—you’re going to be a godfather.”
Yes, I’m going to be a godfather and an uncle. And the only person I want to share that moment with is standing in front of me with a look on her face like she’s not wanted.
“I want you there with me,” I tell her honestly. “As long as you want to be there.”
She reaches for my hand. “Of course I do. Let’s go.”
We’ve been sitting in the hospital for just over three hours, and Mia’s fallen asleep on my shoulder. I don’t want to wake her by moving, so I decline Luke’s invitation to go grab coffee.
He takes a look at Mia curled up next to me in the chair. “I’ll bring you back a cup.”
“Thanks.”
He pauses. “Last night wasn’t another one-nighter, was it?”
I don’t want it to be. But I’m not sure what it was exactly. “Not your business, cousin.”
“I get that. But what you and your wife have…” He points between us. “That’s not a one-night thing.” He taps my shoulder with his fist. “You two need to figure out your shit.”
Yes, we probably do. But not in the maternity ward where I’m waiting for my brother’s first child to be born.
Mia sighs in her sleep and shifts closer to me. When she throws her hand against my chest, I grab it and hold on.
And that’s how we’re sitting when my parents walk into the room.
“How did you get here so fast?” I ask them in surprise.
“We took the red-eye,” Mom explains. “Call it mother’s intuition. I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow.” She leans down and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Oh, Declan. So good to see you.”
Dad’s always-stern expression softens at the sight of Mia sleeping against me. “She must be exhausted,” he says in as gentle a tone as I’ve ever heard out of Tyler Wild.
I nod, not about to explain that our lack of sleep from fucking all night is what has her so wiped out.
My brother saves me from making awkward small talk with Dad.
“You want to come meet the newest Wild?!” Cam calls out as he steps into the waiting room of the maternity ward. “She’s beautiful like her mama.”
Mia jerks awake at Cam’s shout. “Savannah had the baby,” I tell her as her eyes blink into focus. “Do you want to come meet her with me?”
She puts her hand on my cheek. “You’re an uncle. Congratulations.”
I hug her tightly, and then we walk into the room to meet my niece.
Seeing my little brother holding his first child nearly brings me to my knees. I didn’t expect to be this affected, and I hesitate as Cam holds his daughter out to me expectantly.
But Mia seems to know what I’m feeling because she reaches for my arm and urges me forward.
As I take my niece into my arms for the first time, a riot of sensations hits me.
I love this child so much already.
I’ll do anything for her.
“Welcome to the family, Little Lady Wild,” I say to her.
As I keep looking into her angelic face of pure innocence, I feel a tug in my chest.
I want this, too.
But only with Mia.
I force the thoughts away and look up at Cam. “Have you named her yet?”
He turns to Savannah, who smiles radiantly. “Liberty. But we’re going to call her Libby.”
“That’s a gorgeous name,” Mia says.
I go to hand Libby to Mia.
“Oh, I couldn’t,” she says.
“Why not?” Cam says. “You’re her Aunt Mia.”
Mia flicks her gaze to my brother, who nods nearly imperceptibly at her.
That’s Cam doing what he’s always done—accepting people without judgment. He’s giving us his blessing. Even if what we have isn’t a conventional marriage, he’s telling Mia she’s a Wild.
She wipes her eye and nods back at him before taking little Libby in her arms.
“That’s the second time I’ve seen you hold a baby,” I tell her quietly. “It always looks good on you.”
She looks up at me. “You’re sweet, Uncle Declan.”
My mom runs out of patience at this point, and she begs to hold the baby.
And then my dad takes his turn.
But when he’s done, he beckons to Mia and me.
We follow him out into the hallway where he looks us both in the eye before saying, “I’d like to apologize to you both.” He turns to Mia. “Especially to you, Mia. It was wrong of me to treat you rudely at your wedding to my son. I should never have been suspicious of your motives. Seeing you together, it’s obvious you two love each other deeply.”
I don’t dare look over at Mia.
“There’s nothing ulterior here, and I was an ass for making assumptions like that.”
Mia assures him that everything is okay and not to worry, but Dad turns to me.
I’m taken aback by the remorse in his eyes as he says, “You’ve always been so far ahead of me, son. All I had left was to try to protect you.”
I’m momentarily speechless. Mia says something on my behalf about parents always wanting to protect their kids.
“My dad is the same way,” she says. “He means well even if his methods aren’t always right.”
Dad nods at her appreciatively. “I should have trusted your judgment, Dec. I’m sorry.”
I can honestly say that in my thirty-eight years on this earth, I’ve never once heard my father apologize to me for anything.
All I can do is nod at him while I try to swallow down the emotion clogging my throat.
Then, he brings me in for a hug, and I’m not sure how I manage to hold my shit together.
But I do. I’ve been trained to stay strong and soldier on no matter what.
Chapter Thirty-One
Mia
It’s nearly dinnertime by the time we leave the hospital, and Declan’s quiet on the drive back to the ranch.
Seeing him with his niece was amazing, but then the way he choked up when his dad apologized to him…I’ve never seen Declan rendered speechless like that.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask him as we pull into Wild Ranch.
Funny how this place is quickly feeling like home to me.
“I’m okay,” he says firmly. He looks over at me. “In fact, I have something for you. I got a text while we were waiting for Libby to make her arrival. It’s a package, and I asked for it to be delivered to the cabin.”
“A present?” I smile at him.
“A present,” he confirms.
His eyes return to the road as he pulls off in front of our cabin.
As I step out of his truck and over to the front door of the cabin, I see something propped up against the log wall. The shape is square and wrapped in brown paper.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Let’s bring it inside, and you can open it,” Declan says as he unlocks the door and ushers me inside.
Jamie Beth had texted me that she left our place hours ago, so Declan and I are alone. I take a seat on the couch with the package on my lap and wait while he turns off the security code.
“Glass of wine?” he asks me.
“I’d love one.”
Once he’s seated next to me and our glasses of wine are on the coffee table, he nods at the package.
“Open it whenever you’d like,” he says.
I tear into the package, not stopping until I see—
“The Marilyn Cross painting?” I stare up at him. “But I got an email yesterday that my ticket didn’t win.”
“Yours may not have,” Declan says. “But I bought a few myself.”
I gasp. “How many tickets did you buy?”
“Enough to ensure that you could give this to your dad.” Declan leans forward and kisses me on the mouth.
It feels easy. And natural. And like we’re not just acting the part.
I shake off the feeling and pull the rest of the packaging off of the painting so I can hold it up.
“It’s incredible,” I say as I admire the full mountain view with Montana’s big sky above and the green pasture with horses in the foreground. “He’s going to absolutely love it. And I know my mom would too.”
Impulsively, I lean forward and kiss Declan back. “Thank you sounds trite in this situation, but thank you so much. For you to do this for my family, well…it means the world.”
His arms slide around me, and for several seconds, neither of us says anything. Until—
“I don’t want last night to be a one and done,” he says, his New Orleans accent thicker than normal.
I’ve learned a lot about Declan since we’ve been married.
He’s as honest a man as I’ve ever met.
He works as hard at his job as I do at mine.
And when he’s turned on, his accent gets stronger.
My stomach does backflips as I rest my chin on his shoulder and say into his ear, “We’re on the same page, then.”
He pulls back and looks at me. “Mia, the thing is, to continue what we started last night…it could be dangerous. Because when our year is up…”
I grit my teeth and force my head to nod in response.
Yes, when our year is up, Declan will become my ex-husband.
Because staying in a marriage that was organized by his agent and my uncle isn’t the kind of marriage that lasts.
“Sex without strings,” I force out. “I guess that’s the only safe option.”
Something that looks like sadness passes behind Declan’s steady gray gaze. “When I found out that I needed to marry in order to get what I wanted in my career, I thought I’d be singularly focused on that goal. Like I always am when it comes to hockey.”
“But…” I say, hating the hope that’s crept into my voice.
“But right now, all I want is you.”
Within seconds, the painting is safely on the coffee table and Declan’s tugged me onto his lap.
I shift so my knees are on either side of his thighs, and our mouths crash into one another’s.
Declan (Wild Men Book 8) Page 16