Page 42 of Wilder

When he finally looked me in the eyes and told me he saw his life going in a different direction, one that didn’t include Boone Ranch?

I swallowed back the rising bile in my throat.

Oh, it would kill me.

“So, which one is it?” Asher asked.

I blinked, snapping back to the present. “What?

“Are you thinking about something or did I annoy you?”

I sighed softly, leaning back in my chair until the back of my head hit the wall. I slowly closed my eyes, red bleeding past my lids from the harsh fluorescents overhead. “You never annoy me.”

If anything, Asher had done the opposite: wormed his way into my heart without either of us realizing it until it was far too late to turn back.

“Okay, now I know you’re lying.”

“I’m not,” I replied, my voice firm. “You haven’t, and never have, annoyed me, Asher.”

Silence stretched between us for a beat. Just long enough to have me wondering if I’d somehow crossed a line by being so honest.

“I think you’re only being nice to me because my horse is in the hospital.”

“Your horse, hm,” I drawled.

Instantly, he sputtered, scrambling to correct himself.

“I—I didn’t mean it like that.” His voice pitched higher, full of flustered panic that had no right being as damn cute as it was. “I meant... fuck. Did you know my brother might be getting engaged?”

I nearly snorted. A very obvious subject change but I’d let it slide for now. I did wake him up at four in the morning barely a few days into his vacation. “Oh? That’s exciting. This is good news, right?”

“Yeah. Absolutely. I like his boyfriend. We just met officially, but he’s always been a solid guy from the times we talked on the phone before I left for Texas.”

“That’s good to hear. I hope the rest of your vacation goes well.” Hanging up felt like a punishment, except the longer I talked to him, the more I was fighting with myself to tell him to come back. “Have fun, all right?”

There was a small, almost unnoticeable hesitation before he said, “You’ll keep me in the loop right? With Pelly?”

I felt it then. That stupidly familiar and unavoidable warmth pressing against my ribs, blooming before I could so much as try to keep it down. I was too charmed by him. Too fond and in too deep with my feelings to ever pretend I had it in me to deny him a damn thing.

“Of course I will. I’ll let you know as soon as the other tests come back.”

He let out a relieved sigh. “Okay great. I’m going to go back to bed now.”

“I’ll text you when I’m heading home with her.”

“Thank you, Wilder.” There was a smile in his voice. “I hope you get some sleep, too.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wouldn’t be doing any of that until he was back in Texas. Until he was safely tucked back into that damn bunkhouse and back on my ranch where he belonged.

Where I wanted him to belong.

It wasn’t true—not by a long shot, but that lie was the version my heart wanted to believe, even if it was somewhat delusional.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced out a quick, “Sure. Take care.”

For him, I’d at least try.

Even when I knew it was pointless.