Wilder (The Wild Ones 3)

He taps his chin, seeming to consider that.

I nod in agreement with the deal.

“Well—”

“You can’t let them kidnap a girl just to get a flag raised!” Chester says as though he can’t believe this.

“She’s not going to resist. It only took her five weeks to fall so head over heels for my boy that she moved across the country to be with him,” Ma argues.

Piper whimpers against my chest, tucking herself closer to me. It only helps my case when everyone sees her practically inching into my lap.

“By the time the wedding rolls around, she’ll be in fit form and raring to go,” Ma assures Vick.

“Deal,” Vick tells her, and he points the gavel at me. “Raise that flag every time you’re supposed to.”

Grinning, I nod. It’s a small concession for the prize.

“You can’t be serious!” Chester barks.

“Can it, Chester!” George snaps.

“You’ve got your priorities, and I’ve got mine,” Vick states dismissively, banging the gavel. “The Wild Ones have been in one place for too long. I’m afraid all other issues will have to wait until the next meeting.”

“We still need to talk about the skunks,” Chester says, but Vick is already ushering people out.

Releasing Piper, I stand up on the chair, cupping my hands around my mouth to make my voice carry.

“There are still a lot of dishes in the lost-and-found boxes at the diner that need to be claimed,” I call out to them.

“As if they’re going to claim them now that you’ve skunk-bombed the others,” Nila says as she comes back in, snatching her bag from under the chair she abandoned. “Bye, future sister! I can’t wait until you’re in our family.”

Piper just stares in confusion at the whole scene.

“That wasn’t for real, right? It was some sort of funny hazing? You know, because I’m the new girl in town or something?”

I tuck her against my side, kissing the top of her head, as I smile and steer her out. I’ve got plenty of time to make her want to walk down that aisle.

It’s going to be a damn good year.

I guess I need to go buy a ring and figure out a way to make my bride less resistant to marry me.

Thunder rumbles overhead just as we get outside, and rain immediately drops out of the sky like icy bullets.

“I made it rain! Honey, I made it rain!” Ivory Nickel shouts as she leaps into her husband’s arms.

Welcome to Tomahawk. They say not to drink the water. I think the rest of the world is crazy and we’re the only ones who’re sane.

To each his/her own.

THE END