“So you and your mother both missed time with their children.” Her voice ached. He hadn’t thought about that. Put it like that he was really a whiny jerk. His mom had missed thirty years. What was three to that?
“The plan has always been to work a ranch. Rebuild the Wilder brand stronger than before.”
“The plan?” She cut to the heart of it. “Is that your plan as well?”
“It was,” he said cautiously. It had made sense. He wanted to bring his mother some happiness and peace. And maintain some kind of relationship with Luke. “But now I have you and Montana to think about.”
Sky ran her fingers along his scalp again, this time a little more rhythmically, and he felt his headache ease almost instantly.
“We don’t have to solve everything now.”
“Yes, we do.”
“So you met your father?” Sky asked, her cheek against his chest and one hand still rhythmically stroking back his hair. Her voice was mildly curious.
Kane swallowed the bile that rose up. “Yeah.” He tried to keep his voice neutral to keep the questions to a minimum. He knew he was going for a whole new Kane Wilder, a man of fewer secrets, but it sure as hell didn’t feel comfortable.
Sky continued to stroke him. He’d felt she’d been his secret weapon when they’d been together. She’d cooked. She’d taken care of him—talking to him while he took his post-ride ice bath, soothing his bruises with arnica, massaging his aches, taping him when necessary, and biting back the fear he could feel, but they never acknowledged.
“I never met my father. I don’t even have a picture,” she said.
“He’s a jerk.” Kane rolled over and pinned her to the mattress. Night was starting to close in and Montana might or might not wake up soon. He’d tried his best to tucker her out. “And my dad’s a bigger jerk. I don’t want to be that guy. I swore I’d never be a man who would reject his child,” he said fiercely.
“You’re not,” Sky yielded, her body going soft and welcoming underneath his. “You’re not him at all. We’ll figure this out, Kane. We’ve got time.”
He peeled off her shirt again but kept his mouth shut. In his business, he couldn’t and wouldn’t count on time.
*
Monday slightly after noon, Sky walked out of her last exercise class. Kane’s truck idled in front of the gym.
She was not happy she’d only had a few minutes to take a quick and cold shower after four workout classes. Her capri workout leggings that spelled out Burn in red/orange fiery letters up each thigh should probably have stayed in her gym bag. Kane looked amazing from what she could see.
“Did you give notice?” he asked first off.
She hadn’t wanted to, but knew it was important to at least see this through until the end of the tour in six months—not that she and Montana would travel with him the whole time necessarily. She wasn’t sure what would happen, but much like her pregnancy until she was handed a child, she’d decided she’d play it by ear.
“Friday’s my last day teaching.”
He grimaced but jumped out of the truck, took her gym bag and opened the passenger side door for her. He helped her inside the cab.
“Thank you,” she said, noting his crisp dark jeans, crisp white shirt open at his throat and shiny cowboy boots.
He smiled. “Ready?”
Sky laughed. “I suppose I should say bring it on, but since I taught two spin classes back to back after a pump and a hot yoga class, I think all I’m ready for is a bucket of sun screen, kale and blueberry protein smoothie and lounging on a few noodles in the pool. You’re lucky I snuck in a quick shower,” she said as he drove off, rather quickly.
Bull rider. Kane did everything fast. Well, except sex. She snuck a peek at him and he navigated Scottsdale traffic and headed southwest toward downtown Phoenix. He’d definitely taken his time last night. Sky felt like her body was still liquid, and the way he’d woken her up before dawn should be illegal. She blushed. “You look nice,” she said quickly trying to distract herself. Their daughter was in the car. “Do you have an interview or meet and greet today?”
“The AEBR events usually start Thursday, but since Phoenix is my hometown I have more obligations here usually. I do have two meetings with potential sponsors later this afternoon that can’t be avoided.”
Sky reached into the modified center console remembering Kane kept it stocked with water. Instead she saw a bottle of champagne. Real champagne from France. Not a sparkling wine or just bubbles.
“I thought your meeting was with a potential sponsor.” Sky looked at him. “That seems a bit premature, but you always were confident.”
“Congratulations!” Montana yelled and tossed a fistful of red petals at her. “Mommy’s getting married!”
Chapter Thirteen
“I thought we decided last night that we didn’t have to rush into anything.” Sky tried to keep the smile pasted on her face because Montana was still singing out the “married” word and tossing petals all over herself and the back seat of the truck with a few directed toward Sky.
“No need to wait. Already four years too late.”
“Kane.” Sky tried to keep her voice calm and level even though panic began to bubble in her stomach.
“Don’t make me spell it out,” he said in a low voice.
“Spell what out?”
“Why it’s imperative to do it now.”
She needed it spelled out. She’d thought with their efforts at honesty and opening up to each other last night and their concerted effort to leave the past in the past, Kane was no longer on a matrimonial tear. She sucked in a breath and then another. She hadn’t been this winded after the second spin class and that had been advanced.
Meanwhile Kane held on to his calm demeanor while Montana bounced with excitement. Sky suddenly noticed Montana had on a pale pink lacy dress and pink sandals. Even her toenails had been painted pink.
“You’ve been busy,” she said faintly.
“Prepared.”
Sky looked out the window, determined to harness her thoughts and lay out her arguments why this rush up the aisle—okay probably rush into a county clerk’s line—was totally unnecessary. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t fantasized about getting married when she’d been younger, and if she were honest, all her dreams had featured Kane, but he’d been devastating in a tux, and she in a flowing white dress. In her dreams, she’d walked toward him carrying daisies, and he hadn’t been able to take his eyes, shining with love, off her.
And there’d been guests, candles, flowers, the small church where she’d taken her first communion, music, dancing, champagne, and the reception had been under the stars with a real country music band, and Kane had danced with her all night, holding her close and telling her how much he loved her.
What a cliché!
“Thought we’d agreed to talk to each other,” Kane said evenly as he pulled into the county courthouse parking lot. “What’s going through your head?”
Like he really wanted to know. Talking to each other was a joke. He hadn’t mentioned marriage when he’d dropped her off at the gym this morning. He’d only said he’d take Montana and meet her back at noon.
“Are you surprised, Mommy? Are you? Are you?”
“Definitely,” she said through numb lips.
“So what are you thinking?” Kane asked after he parked and then unbuckled Montana from her car seat. Montana scurried over the seat, squishing the bruised petals back into the small basket that had held them.
“That when I fantasized about being a bride when I was growing up, I wasn’t creative enough.” Sky debated if she should even try to comb her hair and then decided the whole messy high ponytail fit with her exercise clothes. “I didn’t know I’d be rocking the athletic bride look so trendily.”
“You don’t have to.” Kane reached behind the seat and pulled out a garment bag and a shoe box.
She stared. “You bought me a dress?”
“Yes. Good or bad
idea?”
“Probably better than a razor tank and Lululemon capri athletic leggings.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Neither did Kane, because he looked uncomfortable for the first time she could remember.
Before she could think too much about it, Montana squealed, “Oh,” and then she opened a cooler at her feet and pulled out a large bouquet of daisies.
“For Mommy. Daddy said they are your favorite. Are they, Mommy, are they?” Sky took the flowers, but kept her head down. Her eyes swam with tears. Kane had remembered her off-hand comment years ago that she loved daisies and that when she had her own yard she was going to have a border for her garden made of daisies because they were so simple and classic yet beautiful.
“Sky? Are you ready to go inside?”
No.
But she wasn’t going to get a better do-over on a mistake she’d made four years ago.
She blinked back tears. “Yes,” she said.
Grasping Montana’s hand and her daisy bouquet, Sky followed Kane, who had slipped the champagne into a picnic basket and held her garment bag and shoes. Together they walked up the courthouse steps.
Sky slipped into a bathroom feeling like a late hired actress for a movie she didn’t know the title for. Her hands shaking a little, she unzipped the dress.
“Oh.” She stared at the simple strapless white dress that had some beading under the bust line—the only ornamentation. The hem was cut at an angle that looked like it would fall at the longest point mid calf. It was elegant and sophisticated while still seeming like a simple, though beautiful summer dress.
She shed her clothes and slipped on the dress. It had a hidden side zipper, and the fit was perfect. Where Kane got it at such short notice she had no idea. He’d even thought to add some white lace thong panties and a small sapphire and white lace garter. If he announced he could fly at this point she’d believe him. The shoes were silk mules with beading and low heels. She slipped them on and dared a look in the mirror.
She’d dashed on a bit of mascara and lip gloss at the gym.
Good enough, she supposed, and let down her hair and finger combed it.
She bagged up her tennis shoes and clothes and, grasping her flowers, she nervously exited the bathroom.
Kane was holding Montana, probably to keep her from showering everyone who passed with white rose petals and shouting that her mommy and daddy were getting married today.
Kane’s eyes lit with admiration when he saw her, and Sky was seized with shyness, which was ridiculous after all the years she’d known him, heck after all the things they’d done last night. He had been in deep conversation with a man and a woman whom he quickly introduced.
“The judge is ready for us,” Kane said, slipping his fingers into hers. “And then we get the paperwork signed and we’ll be set.”
Sky nibbled on her inner lip, pretty sure marriage to Kane was not going to be that easy.
*
Hours later, Sky sunk beneath the hot, fragrant bubble bath in the Jacuzzi tub just as the sun started to set.
“Sky Wilder.” She tried out the name. It still didn’t seem real. The whole afternoon seemed tinged with unreality. But in twenty minutes, she and Kane had been married, and the judge had signed off on a name change for Montana Kate Wilder, and she was now Sky Wilder. Kane and his attorney and financial planner had done all the paperwork for passports, birth certificate for Montana, college fund, life insurance beneficiary, insurance and his will.
Her head had spun. His life seemed so complicated.
As each form was signed, Kane had grown more and more relaxed.
She’d wondered aloud if there shouldn’t be a prenup. His attorney had hesitated and opened her mouth to speak, but Kane had said firmly said “no.” Even statistical divorce rates wouldn’t mess with Kane Wilder. Then when they’d been filling out the name change forms for Montana he’d asked her about her middle name.
“Why Kate? Is that a family name?” he’d asked, puzzled.
Sky had laughed a little—the tension rolling off her finally. “Really?” she’d demanded. “You and your big brain should be able to figure that one out.”
He continued to wait for an answer, as did the three other people in the room. Montana knew. She’d jumped up and down in excitement.
“K for Kane,” Sky clarified, “and ate for eight seconds that you ride.”
And then she’d seen Kane turn away and wipe something from his eye.
The rest of the day had flown by. She and Colt had made good progress packing up her apartment and her studio. Colt was going to build wooden crates to transport her sculptures to Jonas’s gallery. She’d met his other brother Laird and his fiancée Tucker who’d been so beautiful and vibrant and funny that both she and Montana had felt dazzled. They’d helped her pack up her small bunkhouse before dropping her off at the hotel. Kane had texted her several times during the day and called twice to tell her he was delayed.
She didn’t mind so much. It was just awkward. She’d changed out of the dress again at the courthouse, and Kane had dropped them off at her house. His brothers had been there along with Tucker, but he hadn’t mentioned their marriage so neither had she, which meant what, exactly? More secrets? More hiding away only legal this time?
Sky nearly hummed in pleasure as she stretched full out in the bath. She heard a faint pop, but was too tired to deal with any more surprises. She didn’t even have the energy to turn on the jets for a quick massage.
“Champagne?” A crystal flute appeared in front of her.
Sky didn’t drink a lot because of her mother, but it was her wedding night, although since she hadn’t seen Kane all day, she wasn’t sure what the night would hold.
“As long as you promise that if I ever drink more than one glass…no make that two glasses of wine, cut me off. My mom drinks. A lot.” She’d meant to make a joke of it, but it wasn’t funny. And she got scared sometimes. She had a little girl to take care of. What if she lost control? People said it was a disease. She could catch it.
Kane was silent. She’d shocked him. Smashed another crack in her perfect family picture. Infidelity. Addiction. Dead perfect son. Unresolved grief and anger. The nuclear American family.
“I will always take care of you, Sky.”
She still didn’t open her eyes. She wasn’t quite ready to face him or the rest of her life. So she didn’t know that Kane was naked, until he climbed in the tub with her.
“Cheers.” He clinked classes with her.
Sky’s eyes flew open.
“Strawberry?” Kane held out a strawberry, dipped in chocolate and lightly dusted with crystalized sugar.
“I know you tried to make this day special,” Sky said carefully although the day had seemed bizarre mostly because he hadn’t been there except for the actual vows part, and that had been so…so…impersonal with the judge jumping up from his desk where he’d been eating a spinach and strawberry salad to marry them. “And the dress was lovely and Montana was thrilled, but…” She didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but she also hadn’t wanted to rush into marriage like she had some aggrieved relative wielding a shotgun.
“Seriously, Sky. I couldn’t wait six months to marry you or whatever amount of time you think we should wait to make it legal. I had to act now so that you and Montana are safe. Being my wife instantly gives you rights—money, life and health insurance, ability to act on my behalf if I can’t. You’ll also have an easier time negotiating anything with the AEBR over your art, access, being with me backstage—more respect from the sponsors. I won’t tolerate you being tossed out a side door with Montana because some zealous security guard took my instructions too literally.”
“What instructions?” she asked curiously because all the rest of it was too overwhelming. She didn’t want to think about Kane being injured. He was so vibrant and alive. And the amount of money he wielded freaked her out as well. There were so many changes ahead, and Kane didn’t seem to
want to give her any time to process any of it.
“If I get injured, you can make decisions for me and be with me in the hospital, make decisions over my care,” he said, ignoring her question. “If I get killed, you have access to my life insurance within two days.”
“Stop.” Sky pressed her hand over her mouth. Her stomach was churning. “Just shut up right now, Kane. I mean it. It’s bad luck to talk like that.”
“Baby.” He leaned forward and pulled her up on his lap so she could wrap her legs around his waist. She meant to hold herself back, but the heat in his eyes, the intensity in his deep voice, low and warm, melted her resistance.
“I don’t want to scare you, but I’m in a dangerous profession. High injury rate, and you know from what happened to your brother that mistakes or bad luck can be fatal. Already this season, a few riders are out. I doubt my favorite rider Rory Douglas—we all called him Gramps, such a mentor to me, to all of us—will make it to the end of the tour. He’s really struggling with injuries new and old. He’s only thirty-eight, a young man, but this profession is hell on the body.”
Sky could barely breathe. Kane had a beautiful body. He was so vital. The thought of him damaged, hurting, unable to ride or even enjoy reasonably good healthy cut deep.
“Have you thought about what you’ll do when it’s over?” she whispered.
He nodded decisively, and it was so Kane, that her heart lurched. Of course he had a plan. “But I’m rethinking some things, and a lot depends on you.”
Sky liked the sound of that.
“But I can’t rely on hope to keep me healthy and you and Montana taken care of. I need to be prepared. You need to know what to do in case I can’t.”
“Kane, please…” She touched his cheek. “We’re naked in a bath with champagne that we didn’t get a chance to have this afternoon. Can’t this wait?”
“You need to know. Colt and Luke are co-executors of my will. Obviously I rewrote it so you get everything instead of my mom and Luke. I know Colt makes you a little nervous, but he’s so solid, and he has no loyalty to my mom. She keeps trying to reach him, but so far he doesn’t want to play happy family. I was shocked as hell he showed up to drive me home. He’ll make sure you don’t have to deal with…”
Kane (American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Book 6) Page 19