Wilde Love (Forever Wilde 6)

It came as no surprise that she went right out the following day and flapped her jaws all over town, or at least to her family and friends. When I stopped at the filling station Saturday evening before going to the market for some beer, the man behind the counter looked at me funny. Unlike at the main full-service station in town, this one was farther off the beaten path and had pretty bad turnover behind the cashier counter.

“Evening,” I said as I pulled out my wallet. “Frankie’s stays open till eight, right?”

“Mpfh,” he grunted. “You’re the one they’s been talking about, ain’t you?”

“Can’t say I know what you mean. Thanks,” I said, pocketing the change.

As I turned to leave, he muttered something about laying down with dogs and getting up with fleas. I made my way out of the little building and walked toward my truck, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.

When I got to the shop to get the beer, Letty’s husband, Phil, was waiting out front. I walked up to greet him and he took a swing at me, right there in front of Frankie’s. I staggered back, clutching my face.

“What was that for?” I asked, even though I could have guessed.

“For leading my sister-in-law on, you pussy.”

“Phil, you and I both know I didn’t lead her on. We went out twice. You’re mad because I didn’t sleep with her by the second date? Jesus.”

Before he could take another swing at me or say anything more, I stepped into the store where Frankie, a huge guy with an even bigger brother who’d served in Nam, greeted me pleasantly.

“Your jaw still work, LT?” he asked. “What the hell was that for?”

“Apparently, someone around here doesn’t kiss and tell. And by that, let me emphasize the doesn’t kiss part,” I muttered, reaching into one of the coolers for a six-pack.

“Yeah, I heard you got stuck with the feisty one. Probably for the best. I can see Doc Wilde and Bonnie making a sweet pair.” He punched the price of my beer into his register. “He deserves it after losing poor Betsy.”

I made a noncommittal noise and paid for my beer. Thankfully Phil was gone when I came out of the shop, and my drive home was uneventful.

But the next night, I didn’t even have to leave the ranch property. A group of men caught me at the end of my long drive checking the mail I’d forgotten to get the day before. This time, there was no holding back. Phil, Randy, and a couple of the other guys who worked in the machine shop at the marina all took turns whaling on me and screaming gay slurs at me until I couldn’t stay up any longer. And once I was on the ground, it wasn’t long before it was lights-out.

My last thoughts were of Liam and the kids and how very lucky I was I’d known what true love and family were before I died.

I wanted to stay under where it was fuzzy and painless, but someone I loved was screaming in agony. How could I rest here while he was so upset? After struggling to open one of my eyes, I saw Doc being held back by a strong orderly. Tears and snot covered his face, and he was screaming for all he was worth.

“Weston! Wes, wake up, goddammit! Wes!”

I blinked open the other eye and tried to tell him I was awake, but there was something in my throat. My eyes barely opened at all, but I could see him.

Baby, I’m here. I’m okay.

“Weston,” he cried. “Please, please don’t leave me. Please.”

He finally pulled out of the orderly’s hold and came tripping toward me. I tried to hold out my hand, but only a finger twitched.

“Sir. Dr. Wilde, we need to work on him,” a voice said from my other side. I couldn’t turn my head to see who was speaking. “You know as well as anyone how critical these first hours are. We need to get him into surgery.”

Doc’s hands shook as they held the sides of my head too softly for me to feel. He met my eyes.

The deep blue China Sea.

“I love you,” he said firmly, unafraid of anyone hearing him. He looked fierce despite the tears. “And you’re going to come out of this if I have to drag you kicking and screaming. Do you hear me, Major?”

I blinked to tell him I heard him. The pain was overwhelming, and the thought of surgery meant I could at least escape the pain for a little while.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead and then a soft one to the edge of my lips before saying the words again more softly this time. “I love you so much. When you get better, we’ll go away. We’ll take the kids to California or New York. Or maybe Miami. But I’m not living without you, do you understand? I’m not losing you too.”