She’d cried, she’d become unbelievably angry, and then she’d decided to have way too much fun just to prove to Levi that she could. She’d ended up getting in trouble. Doing bad in school, skipping classes, falling in with the wrong crowd. She’d grown distant with Harper and Delilah. They were older than her and already graduated from high school, so it was natural. She’d forcefully distanced herself from everyone.
It had been a brief moment in time when she had pushed all her limits and done stupid things, just to prove that she could. And it scared her, everyone’s reaction to her wild behavior. Her parents blustered and threatened. Her brothers drove her crazy with their increasingly overprotective behavior. The real kicker? When her father told her she’d amount to absolutely nothing.
That had hurt. More than she ever admitted. Not that she told anyone he said that.
Now she pushed no limits. She played it safe.
Always.
“I think a just-sex thing would be ideal if you asked me,” Harper said, knocking Wren from her thoughts.
Wren gaped at her friend. “Are you for real right now?”
Harper shrugged, glancing around to make sure no one heard her before she explained. “You were in a serious relationship when you were basically a kid. You went wild for a little bit, and then you calmed down. You haven’t really done much since. Having casual sex with a gorgeous man would be a surefire way to cure your blues.”
“Who said I had the blues?”
Harper met her gaze, her expression serious. “Are you really happy here, Wren? I feel like most of the time you’re just waiting for something to happen to you. Like you’re this close to running out of town and never looking back.”
She’d never told anyone she wanted out of here. She was sort of ashamed for feeling that way. Look what happened when West bailed for all those years. They were all angry with him, including her. Her family would be so mad if she left, especially after everything that happened with their mom’s health. She was okay, but Wren was the one who helped her. Drove her to doctor’s appointments, made sure she picked up her meds, followed up to make sure she was actually taking those meds . . .
There were responsibilities she couldn’t abandon, no matter how much she might secretly want to.
“This is my home,” Wren said, her voice sincere. “I would never leave Wildwood.”
“You’re allowed to leave if you want. I know you have ties here. Your family, your friends, your investment in the dance studio.” Harper reached out and touched her arm. “But you can do whatever you want. No one is stopping you. Heck, you’re also allowed to indulge in hot casual sex with a very hot man. You’re an adult, Wren. You can do whatever you want—even Tate.”
Wren laughed and shook her head. “Thanks for giving me permission, but I think I’m going to pass. I’m perfectly content with my life, despite what you think.”
But she couldn’t shake what Harper said. It stuck with her the rest of the night, reminding her that maybe she wasn’t content with her lot in life. She was in her mid-twenties, and she didn’t have a serious boyfriend. Didn’t even have a boy toy, and yeah, there was something incredibly wrong with that.
Not that it was all about sex and finding her identity with a man. No, she’d proved she could be successful on her own. Could she leave though? Maybe she could find a job in a bigger city. A position with great benefits and the potential for advancement. She’d had big dreams as a kid, many of them involving leaving this small town for the bright lights of the big city. So cliché, but back when she was a teen it was also so true.
She’d just never had the guts to do it. Knew what it felt like to be second choice—forgotten by both her boyfriend and her brothers. She didn’t want anyone to feel like they were unimportant, that she wouldn’t put them first, so she’d stayed.
Even if it meant hurting herself.
“You okay there, Woodpecker?”
They’d just sat down to dinner—surprise, Tate was sitting next to her—and of course, he had to go and say something annoying.
Wren offered him a polite smile that felt more like a bearing of teeth. “Shouldn’t you be the one called Woodpecker, considering I don’t have one?”
He chuckled, the low, warm sound stirring something deep within her. “I’m surprised you didn’t call me a pecker.”
“You’re the one who said it first,” she said sweetly as she reached for her water glass. The table was fully set, and Harper had used her grandma’s china and finest silverware. Even the good crystal was out, with water and wineglasses at every setting. Harper really outdid herself.
Wren wondered at the formality of it. This dinner party was a serious affair compared with the barbecue and keg gatherings they normally had. Was something important happening? This had to be about more than just setting her up with Tate Warren, right?
Harper brought out a salad course first, setting the plates in front of everyone as she moved quickly around the table, falling into her chair when she finished. “Dig in!”
Tate stared at the array of silverware spread out on each side of his plate. “I’m afraid I’ll use the wrong fork,” he explained when he caught Wren watching him.
“Outside in,” she told him, earning a frown for her efforts. “Start with the outside fork and keep working in.”
“Ah, thanks.” He picked up the salad fork and smiled at her, the sight of it frazzling a few of her brain cells. He was too handsome for his own good, and that smile . . . “I’m not much for formal dining.”
“Me either,” she said, leaning into him so her shoulder brushed his. He turned his head toward her, his smile soft, his green gaze roaming all over her face.