Facing West (Forever Wilde 1)

Hudson’s eyes lit up with the mention of playing some tennis at the ranch. Out of the ten of us kids, Hudson was the one who was head over heels in love with the game. He’d take any opportunity to play.

“Let’s go, brother. Gonna kick your ass out there.” He snickered.

I stood up and stretched. “Fine. Let me grab my stuff.”

I followed him to the ranch and noticed several familiar vehicles in the drive. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes. I should have fucking known. After the day I’d had and that goddamned rumor about Pippa going around, I should have known my family would show up in droves.

I got out of the car, grabbing my backpack and storming toward the house. For once, I ignored the trio of yipping dogs and made a beeline for the big kitchen and family room area in the back of the old farmhouse.

Sure enough, there were about a million Wildes spread out over the large open space. Had it been any other family, I’d have thought it was an intervention. But it was the Wildes. So it was more of a love posse.

“What the hell are all of you doing here?” I asked.

Two of my sisters tutted and came at me with hugs, laying on the sympathy and mothering thick enough to make up for my own mother being overseas.

I caught Grandpa’s eyes across the kitchen island, and he gave me a grimace of understanding.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” my aunt Gina exclaimed, throwing her hands up in typical dramatic fashion. Her son, my cousin Max, shot me an apologetic look from where he stood behind her, mouthing the words I’m sorry over his mom’s head.

Gina’s wife, my aunt Carmen, also rolled her eyes at me apologetically. We all knew Gina was the crazy one of the group. And, honestly, it was usually a good bet the one with the Wilde blood was the crazy one in the crew.

“Why didn’t I tell you what?” I mumbled into my sister MJ’s full bosom where my face was mashed uncomfortably against the sunglasses hanging from the collar of her shirt. “Let me go.”

“Forget it. We’re here to love you through this. You know the drill.”

“What if I hate the drill?” I countered grumpily.

“Too bad,” Sassy said, spinning triumphantly with something in her hands held above her head. It was red and green, with fluffy pom-poms flying off it at the end of long strands of yarn.

“What is that?” I asked right as the answer to my question hit me. “Oh god,” I groaned. “No. No.”

My aunt Brenda sulked from the far end of the huge table between the kitchen and family room. “He won the damned thing fair and square. Just fucking give it to him already. Kathryn-Anne Wilde, I blame you for this,” she said, glaring at my cousin Katie. “I’m not getting any younger, and you and that good-for-nothing husband of yours need to get on the baby wagon before I die. I told you one of Bill and Shelby’s kids was gonna get it first. Bunch of high achievers.”

“No,” I said again. “Put that thing away.”

Sassy continued waving it like a flag of victory. “Nuh-uh. Grandpa spent five whole years knitting this gem for his first great-grandchild, and you’re the one who earned it fair and square. Take that, Aunt Brenda. Look at it. Watch me give it to my brother West.”

She was such a fucking brat.

Brenda shot Sassy a look. “Don’t make me call you by your real name,” she warned.

Sassy gulped down her smirk and dropped the knitted monstrosity like a hot potato.

“Aww, now look what you’ve done,” Doc said, leaning over to pick it up. He cradled the lump of knotted yarn in his arms and petted it like it was a baby. “His beautiful Christmas stocking and no one wants to claim it. It’s okay, green-and-red beast. Someone will want you one day. I promise.”

Grandpa walked up and yanked the lump out of Doc’s arms. “Asshole,” he muttered, turning around and placing it reverently back between tissue paper layers in its box.

“Guys,” I said to the room in general. “It’s not what you think. Pippa’s not my baby.”

MJ’s eyes bore into mine like lasers. The lawyer in her was blazing hot for everyone to see. “Is your name on her birth certificate?”

I blinked.

“Well, yes, but—”

“Then she’s yours,” MJ said triumphantly before reaching across a massive puce purse to slide Grandpa’s box over to me before grabbing some carrot sticks out of a bowl on the counter. Only my sister Winnie carried a purse that ugly.

“The twins drove in as well?” I shook my head. “How many of you drove in from the city for god’s sake? Don’t you have jobs?”

I noticed Cal and King playing chess in the corner of the room, noticeably staying quiet. But there nonetheless. It was the first time I’d been thankful Saint and Otto were deployed overseas. As it was, the room was full to the brim with my family.