Wilde Love (Forever Wilde 6)

Once I started thinking about it, I couldn’t stop.

I obsessed over what it would be like to lie naked in bed with Weston Marian. And I wanted it.

While the next morning at breakfast was incredibly awkward, things were the way they’d always been between us. On the outside anyway. Major proceeded to do his work around the farm and join the family for meals the way he always had. On Friday as usual he took a break from work long enough to take Billy to baseball practice where I met him from the clinic to take over. Only this time, I asked him to stay.

“Do you… do you have to get back? I mean, I know things are busy right now at the farm.” I sounded like a kid with a crush. “Never mind. I’m being ridiculous. I just thought, if you didn’t have to race back, you might want to stay and watch the scrimmage with me, but you’re probably busy with things on the farm and things are probably busy… on…” My eyes widened in shock at my runaway mouth.

Major’s eyes widened too, and the most amazing grin lit up his entire face. “On the farm?” he teased.

“Christ,” I muttered with a self-conscious laugh. “I’m sorry, I—”

“I’d love to stay.”

Once we took a seat on the bleachers, I relaxed and told him about the phone call I’d had from Billy’s middle school science teacher asking if I wanted to help chaperone a field trip to Dallas for his class.

“I can do it if work is too busy,” Major said before cheering for one of Billy’s friends who’d made it to second base. A group of moms leaned over and waved to Major.

“Yoo-hoo, hi, Lieutenant,” a woman named Letty called out with a wave. “I keep meaning to ask if you’re free for Sunday dinner sometime soon. My two younger sisters just back moved to town from nursing school, and I’d love for you to meet them.”

Major shifted his weight until the length of his thigh pressed up against mine. A rush of warmth filled my chest while my face lit damned near completely on fire.

“Unfortunately, the Wildes are riding me pretty hard these days, ma’am. Rain check?”

Had I been drinking something, I would have spewed it out all over the back of poor Lally James, who’d obviously just gotten her hair out of curlers to come to the game.

Major turned to me with a sly grin. “Isn’t that right, Doc?”

“I don’t… it’s… I mean… we’re not… that is to say…” I clamped my teeth shut with an audible click. “Mm-hm.”

His laugh was wild and free. It boomed over the field and made the ladies swoon. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Weston Marian let go like that. His entire face was unlined and full of joy. A deep dimple appeared to the right of his lips, and his eyes sparkled in the late-afternoon sun.

It was goddamned glorious.

And when he met my eyes while his were still full of mirth, I fell a little bit in love with him right then and there. He was my center. My steady rock. The man who made sure our lives had kept spinning without scratching the record.

I must have looked at him like I’d just escaped an insane asylum.

“Doc? You okay?” he asked softly. “There’s a water fountain over by—”

“I…” I swallowed and looked around. There were too many people sitting close by. “I…” Since when had I become this snidely, stuttering person? I swallowed again and spoke as softly as I could. “Can, um, can I come over tonight?”

His fingers twitched where his hand lay on his thigh. “Of course you can.”

I nodded. “Okay… Okay, good. Yeah.”

Now that it was out there, I tried to focus on my son. The scrimmage lasted approximately six thousand hours and fifty-nine minutes. When they were finished, Billy asked if he could ride home with “Uncle Major.” I ruffled his hair and took his baseball gear from him. “Sure can, bud. Remember not to track mud into Granny’s kitchen if you get there before I do, all right?”

Billy tilted his head at me. “Dad, Uncle Major would make me do fifty push-ups if I did that. No, thanks.”

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing when I met Major’s eyes. “You giving my kids PT on the DL, Major?”

He pulled Billy in with a side hug and gave him a knuckle to the head. “That was supposed to be just for us tough guys, Billy. So we could win in a fight against your super-strong dad if ever we were down to just one piece of Granny’s pie.”

Billy pulled out of Major’s hold, but he was smiling. “Don’t be silly. Granny always saves the last piece for Grandpa. It’s kinda gross.”

Major met my eye over Billy’s head. “It’s kinda wonderful.”