Wilde Side

by Jannine Gallant

  She returned his smile. “I guess we were all pretty lucky.”

  His grandpa patted her shoulder. “A pleasure, young lady. My grandsons are finally wising up and holding onto keepers.”

  Sawyer rolled his eyes. “She’s not a fish, Gramps, and we’re just friends.”

  “Sure you are.” The older man stepped back, leaned on his cane and grinned.

  Griff took her hand and squeezed it. His older brother strongly resembled Sawyer with the same green eyes and rugged good looks. “It’s about time I met Ainslee’s maid of honor.”

  “No kidding. Congratulations on winning over the best woman I know. You’d better make her happy.”

  “I intend to.”

  “Enough with the meet and greet. Let’s go see your new house.” Sawyer punched his brother’s arm as they walked away. “Dude, look at you so responsible and adult-like. All you need now are a couple of kids and a dog.”

  Ainslee laughed as she followed them, walking next to Devin. “We have the dog covered. Rocky’s inside. I told you about him.”

  “Your rescue pup. I remember. This is beautiful, Ains.” Devin pointed toward the view of rolling hills with the ocean visible in the distance. The sun setting through the marine layer turned the sky spectacular shades of orange and red. “No close neighbors, either.”

  “We were lucky to get this place. The house is older, but we’re looking forward to fixing it up. The three-acre parcel is what sold us.” Her smile grew as she spread her arms wide. “I can’t believe this is all ours. We dumped every penny of the money we got from the treasure hunt into the down payment.”

  “Worth every cent.”

  “It sure is.” Her smile softened. “Enough about me and Griff. Let’s go talk. I’ll show you around the house later, unless you want to grab something to eat first? I’m sorry you missed dinner.”

  Devin shook her head. “We stopped for food on our way here from the airport. Getting a commercial flight at the last minute was interesting to say the least.”

  “I bet.” Ainslee hooked her arm through Devin’s. “We put a bench down at the edge of the lawn. We can watch the sunset and catch up.”

  “You have no idea how good that sounds.”

  Sitting next to her best friend with the incredible view stretched before them brought a lump to Devin’s throat. She was thrilled for Ainslee—and more than a little jealous. “You look wonderful. It sounds cheesy, but you’re actually glowing.”

  Ainslee grinned. “I’ve never been happier. Griff is the man I’ve been looking for my whole life. That’s not to say we haven’t had issues to work out, but we’re in a good place in our relationship now.” Her eyes darkened to a deep, chocolate brown. “A very good place.”

  “That’s great.”

  “So, tell me about you and Sawyer.” Her brow creased in a frown. “I expected you to be glowing, too. You’re not.”

  “We broke up.”

  “Devin, no!” Her voice rose. “I had such high hopes for the two of you.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, the man is…” She let out a long sigh instead of saying what she was thinking. All I want out of life. “We love each other, but we’re too different.”

  Ainslee wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed. “How so?”

  “He wants me to move to the ranch.” She bit her lip and shook her head. “I can’t do it. I just can’t. I need to have my own life with a career that makes me happy. I could never be just an extension of any man.”

  “He’d expect that?”

  “Well, he made it clear living in a city wasn’t an option for him.”

  “That sucks. I hate seeing you miserable, and I can tell you are.”

  “We’re both pretty upset, but for me, living on their ranch all winter would be slow death by boredom. I can’t set myself up for that.”

  “You shouldn’t have to. There must be some sort of compromise the two of you can reach.”

  Devin’s shoulders slumped. “We tried the long-distance thing for a few weeks, but even in that short amount of time we could tell it wouldn’t work as a lasting solution.”

  “I’m sorry.” The arm around her tightened. “You would have had great in-laws. Namely, me.”

  Devin snorted and laughed. “Are you trying to make me feel worse? Anyway, the subject of marriage never came up. We didn’t get past the trying to steady date phase.”

  “So, is this weekend going to be weird for you?”

  “No, we’re both determined to enjoy your happiness and not let our problems get us down. We want this to be a fun few days, especially after what happened.”

  “You’ll get through this because you’re the strongest woman I know. Always have been. Always will be.” Ainslee stood then held out a hand to pull Devin to her feet. “Let’s go join the group. Sleeping quarters are a bit tight. Griff’s parents and grandpa and my family are all staying in a hotel. I was going to let you and Sawyer have the spare bedroom, but now I’ll put Eden and her friend in there. You can bunk in the office on the couch, and Sawyer can sleep in the tent in the yard with Tripp.”

  Devin grinned. “Sawyer will be right at home in a tent. Are Eden and Tripp here now?”

  “No, their sister is driving down from Tahoe with her old college roommate. She should be here soon. Tripp flies in from Europe on a redeye tomorrow. We expect him by mid-morning.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Devin gazed out at the open sea where the last of the sunset colors faded into darkness. “The whole family will be here.”

  “Yes. Griff’s pretty happy about it.”

  “I bet.” Loneliness threatened to engulf her. She was certainly welcome, but not as a member of the Wilde clan. She was Ainslee’s friend, and that would have to be enough.

  * * * *

  Sawyer threw the Frisbee in a sizzling arc across the lawn. With a quick leap, Tripp caught it, and, with a flip of his wrist, sailed it to Griff. The disc slipped through his older brother’s fingers and smacked him in the chest. With a grunt, he collapsed onto the lawn.

  Dropping down beside him, Sawyer stretched out flat on the grass and stared up at the thin layer of clouds drifting across the deep blue sky before glancing over at his brother. “What happened to you? You used to be faster than that.”

  “Not old age.” Griff flashed a grin. “I guess I have other things on my mind.”

  “Like the end of your freedom.” Tripp lowered to the ground with a visible grimace. “I guess it had to happen to one of us sooner or later. Honestly, though, I always though Sawyer would be the first to take the plunge.”

  Sawyer scowled. “Why me? Do I seem domesticated to you?”

  “Uh-huh. You look like you want to be every time Devin walks by.” Tripp’s ridiculously long lashes fluttered over bright green eyes as he pressed a hand to his chest and faked a swoon. “Dude, you have it bad for that girl.”

  Sawyer rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

  “Probably.” He picked up the Frisbee and spun it on one finger. “But, I’m a happy idiot with no woman to make me miserable.”

  Griff sat up. “What happened between you and Devin?” One shoulder rose in a shrug. “Not that you have to tell me since I’ve heard the whole sad story from Ainslee, but I thought I’d get your perspective on this epic failure of yours.”

  “Nothing to tell. She dumped me.”

  Tripp dropped the Frisbee. “Why?” His slow smile—the one that had charmed women on most of the continents—spread. “You don’t usually have a hard time getting a date. You are, after all, a Wilde.”

  When a brown and black miniature dachshund strolled over and stared down at Sawyer, nose to nose, he sat up and stroked the little guy’s back. With a moan, the dog rolled over and stuck all four feet in the air.

  Griff snorted. “Rocky likes you more than he does me.”

  “Great. Tripp’s the chick magnet, and I get the dog.” Sawyer let out a sigh.
“To answer your question, I asked Devin to spend the winter on the ranch with me. She declined. Something about dying of boredom and needing her own life.”

  “I don’t blame her.” Tripp leaned back on cocked elbows. “So, why don’t you move in with her instead?”

  “She’s leaving her job with Walton in DC to look for a new one…in a city. You know that kind of life isn’t for me. None of us would survive long crunched in an apartment building full of people. I’d be miserable.”

  Griff gave him a long look. “You’re not a quitter. If you care about the woman, come up with a solution. Ainslee isn’t too happy you broke her best friend’s heart.”

  His stomach did a funny little flip. “Is that what Devin told her?”

  “Pretty much. There was also some stuff about you being a chauvinist.”

  Sawyer frowned. “Hey, I’m not a chauvinist.”

  “You kind of are.” His younger brother pointed an accusing finger. “I notice you expect Devin to drop everything to accommodate your career, not the other way around.”

  Sawyer narrowed his eyes. “Would you quit skiing for a woman?”

  “Nope, which is probably why I’m still single.”

  Griff pushed to his feet and brushed grass off his jeans. “I saw you flirting with Eden’s old roommate at lunch.”

  “Hannah? Why wouldn’t I? The woman is seriously cute in a don’t mess with me sort of way. Funny, I know I met her once or twice when Eden was in college, but I don’t remember her being so hot.”

  “She’s lost weight.” Sawyer stood then picked up the bouncing dog when Rocky landed on his feet. “Now who’s shallow and superficial?”

  “There’s a difference between shallow and chauvinistic. Anyway, why wouldn’t I flirt with her? She’s the only single woman around here, unless you count Devin.” He eyed Sawyer up and down. “Since I’m pretty sure you’d kick my ass if I put the moves on her, I’ll stick to teasing Hannah.”

  “Smart decision.” Still holding the dog, Sawyer followed his older brother toward the house. “Are we going inside for a reason?”

  “I need to get the key to the shed where we stored the tables and chairs we borrowed for the party tomorrow. You two are going to help me set them up.”

  “I suppose we can make ourselves useful.” Sawyer set Rocky down on the patio then stuck his hands in his back pockets. His gaze zeroed in on Devin, chatting with his sister and her friend Hannah while Ainslee watered pots of pink flowers. Her smile looked natural—not like she was empty and aching inside. Maybe his emotions didn’t show, either. Yeah, right. The strain of pretending he was happy had grown old in a hurry.

  Tripp gripped his shoulder. “I really am sorry about Devin. She seems great.”

  “She is, but I don’t want to go into it again right now.” Turning away, he changed the subject. “Where are you going from here? Someone told me you flew in from Europe this morning.”

  He nodded. “I was in Switzerland filming for a new movie in the Extreme High series. They got some early snow over there, so we were able to start production ahead of schedule. Next, I head to Alaska for a little heli-skiing, and after that there’s a competition in Colorado before Christmas.”

  “Busy as always.”

  “Sure, just like you are in the summer. What’s the point in wasting life sitting around when you can be out living the dream?”

  “Even if we’re doing it alone? Look how happy Griff is.”

  Their older brother let the screen door slam shut as he stepped out onto the patio. Giving the keys in his hand a little toss, he paused to drop a kiss on his fiancée’s upturned lips then headed in their direction. A smile lit his eyes.

  “He does look happy. Getting laid on a regular basis will do that to a man.”

  Sawyer snorted. “Then how come you aren’t wearing a goofy grin?”

  His brother reared back, eyes wide. “Do you mean to tell me there’s more to a relationship than awesome sex?”

  Sawyer gave him a shove that sent him backward onto his ass. “You really are a jerk.”

  Tripp’s smile stretched as he jumped to his feet. “Pushing your buttons is so easy.”

  “Whatever. One of these days some woman is going to tame you.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it.”

  * * * *

  Devin scrolled through the old newspaper article and frowned. “Huh? Interesting.”

  “What’s interesting? How come you’re still awake? It’s nearly midnight.”

  She glanced up from the computer screen as Sawyer paused in the office doorway. “I could ask you the same question.”

  “Tripp and I were throwing darts in the garage. I came in to brush my teeth before hitting the sack.”

  “Oh. Griff wasn’t playing with you?”

  “He’s sleeping with Ainslee. I’m bunking with my little brother in a tent. Let’s just say Griff was more motivated than we were to turn in.” He swayed as he pointed at the couch made up with a sheet and blanket. “Unless…”

  “I don’t think so. How many beers did you drink out there?”

  “Not enough to inhibit my performance if you change your mind.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You can still say inhibit, so I guess you’re sober enough to listen to what I found out about Roman.”

  He entered the room, planted his hands on either side of her shoulders atop the chair back and leaned down. Warmth emanated from him along with an earthy scent that set up a flutter in her stomach.

  “You checked out Roman?”

  “What? Oh, yeah. After Syd called to tell us the authorities are leaning toward sabotage, I thought someone should look into the man’s past to see if he’s somehow connected to the congressman.”

  “I imagine the FBI or Secret Service or whoever the hell is in charge will question him.”

  “I’m sure they will.” She scowled. “Someone tried to kill us. I didn’t want to wait for official notification to find out who was responsible.”

  “Understandable. So, what did you learn?”

  She touched the computer screen. “Did you know Roman’s mom, Tamara, graduated from high school in Jackson Hole? She moved to Missoula, Montana a few years later, where she married Roman’s father sometime before her son was born. He still lives there.”

  “Huh, Roman acts like he has no family. I wonder why.”

  “Maybe he and his father don’t get along.” She glanced up. “Didn’t you say Walton lived in Jackson Hole prior to moving to the state capital when he went into politics?”

  “Yes, but I don’t get it? Did Walton know Roman’s mother?”

  “I’m not sure. Yet. Geez, it took me two hours to learn this much.”

  He pointed at the screen, his cheek brushing her hair as he leaned in even closer. “What’s that, a wedding announcement?”

  Devin nodded. “From the Missoula paper. The man she married, Scott Engel, is a professor at the University of Montana. Is it my imagination, or does that look like a baby bump beneath the ruffles on her dress?”

  “The date on the paper is May, and Roman just had his birthday a couple of weeks ago. She would have been about four months pregnant in that picture. A shotgun wedding?” Sawyer shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first. She’s pretty. Looks a lot like her son with that blond hair. How did you find out she’s from Jackson Hole?”

  “The announcement mentions it. Her maiden name was Parks. I looked her up on one of those online classmate sites. She was the prom queen.”

  “If Roman’s family is established and respectable, I wonder why he’s roaming around the country, broke and jobless.”

  Devin leaned away to put a bit of distance between them instead of giving into the temptation to turn her face toward his. His lips were so close… She closed her eyes for a second then cleared her throat. “I don’t know. Roman told me his mom is dead. I got the impression he didn’t have a father, but his dad still lives in Missoula. There
are all sorts of mentions of him online. He’s pretty prominent at the University.”

  “None of this explains why Roman would want to kill Walton.”

  “Unless…”

  Sawyer swiveled the desk chair to look her directly in the eyes. “What are you thinking? Spit it out.”

  She took a deep breath. “There was that rumor circulating about an illegitimate child, and you said Walton was having problems in his marriage before he moved to Cheyenne. That would be around the time Tamara Engel—Parks before she married Scott Engel—got pregnant.”

  “You don’t think the baby was Engel’s?”

  She met his incredulous gaze. “Syd made a comment and then clammed up. But it was enough to get me thinking. Call me crazy, but I think Roman is Walton’s son.”

  Chapter 20

  Maybe all the beer he’d drunk was slowing his thought process, but Sawyer was having a hard time following Devin’s reasoning. “Walton and Roman’s mother both lived in the same town? That’s your evidence for assuming he knocked her up?”

  “When you say it that way, I sound like I’ve lost it.” Her brows knit. “But I don’t think I’m wrong. When we were on the river, Roman made a few derogatory comments about the congressman. At the time, I thought he disagreed with his politics or had a problem with wealthy men in general. He certainly made it clear he thought Dwight was a worthless rich kid. Every once in a while, though, his tone held a touch of envy when he made a snarky remark.”

  “That’s what’s been bugging me. Damn, I couldn’t remember what it was.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. How many beers did you say you had?”

  “Too many.” Stepping over to the couch, he collapsed against the cushions. “When Roman smiles, which isn’t often, he reminds me of someone. Couldn’t put my finger on who exactly, but it’s Walton. They have the same big, square teeth.”

  “You’re right.” Devin spun the desk chair to face him. “Otherwise, they look nothing alike from their build to their coloring. Roman obviously takes after his mother.”

  “We could be wrong, you know.” Leaning back, he closed his eyes as the room swayed around him.