His eyes lifted back to mine. “You’d call me when you needed a ride and not sit here in the dark or walk home?”

  I nodded again, feeling giddy at the idea of Wilder picking me up and getting a chance to be with him more often.

  “This is a bad idea,” he muttered. “But I can’t seem to say the word no. Not to you.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. I had never been this happy. I wanted to jump out and spin in circles, shout to the moon, which was making its appearance, that Wilder Jones was going to be mine one day. I was sure of it.

  “I think it’s the best idea you’ve ever had,” I told him, causing a low chuckle to vibrate deep in his chest.

  This was only the beginning. Our beginning.

  Ten

  Wilder

  Present Day

  Pulling into the privacy gates of our subdivision, I was so ready to get home and see Sarah. She’d seemed beyond happy every time I talked to her. Hell, she’d been fucking giddy. It was me who was missing her, not the other way around. I was sure she’d be fine if I stayed gone another week. That didn’t sit well.

  When I reached our house, it was dark, but spotlights lit up the front of it, allowing me to see the additions that had happened since I’d been gone. I sat in the drive, not pulling up past Oakley’s car to enter the garage. Instead, I took in the lit jack-o’-lanterns, among the other twenty or so pumpkins on the front steps and by the front door. Corn stalks were tied on the posts with orange ribbons, and there were fake spiderwebs on my front doors. A large, lit-up ghost stood to the left of the doors while a black tree with bare branches, covered in orange lights, was on the right.

  Sarah had mentioned they’d done some decorating, but she had left out the extent of it. Our front porch now looked as good, if not better, than our neighbors’. I hadn’t asked Oakley to do this, and I sure as fuck wasn’t paying her back. If she’d wanted to decorate, then she should have discussed it with me. Not gone off and taken it into her own hands. This was my house. She had no say over how I did things here.

  By the time I parked in the garage and grabbed my suitcase to head inside, I was well past annoyed. Jerking the door open, I went into the house, and the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin filled the air. I paused and took in the garland of fall leaves coming down the banister. The fall candles and ceramic pumpkins on the foyer table.

  Laughter and music came from the kitchen. Belladonna came running down the hallway, apparently the only one aware I had returned. When she saw it was me, she paused and tilted her head to study me, as if she wasn’t sure my being here was a good thing.

  “Sorry, pup. I own the house,” I informed her.

  She turned and walked back to where she had come from, clearly not impressed.

  Oakley should be meeting me at the door, packed up and ready to leave. Not the dog. I was home. What the fuck were they doing in the kitchen? I hadn’t asked her to make dinner. I was going to order out something for us after Oakley left.

  Stalking in the direction of the noise, I noticed more damn pumpkins, leaves, and other fall shit scattered about. How much had she spent on all this? No way was I paying her for it. I hadn’t wanted this. She wasn’t going to be here when it had to be cleaned up.

  When I walked through the door of the kitchen, I paused and watched as Sarah and Oakley stood with their backs to me, doing moves to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, which was pumping over the stereo system in the house. Belladonna was in front of them, watching closely, as if she, too, were trying to learn it.

  “Hands up,” Oakley instructed as they continued the famous moves from the ’80s.

  When they spun around, grinning, both sets of eyes landed on me. Oakley immediately froze while Sarah beamed at me.

  “I learned a new dance!” she told me, then ran over to give me a hug.

  Belladonna barked then and followed Sarah, as if she were just now seeing me and happy about it.

  My anger diminished some as Sarah wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tightly. I bent down and returned the hug, happy to see her having a good time. Even if it was because of Oakley. Who needed to not be cooking in my kitchen and heading for the damn door to leave.

  “Did you see the decorations?” Sarah asked with so much joy shining in her eyes that I didn’t have the heart to voice my annoyance over Oakley’s taking over my home.

  “I did. It’s very festive.”

  She nodded her head enthusiastically. “We made chili and are setting up a chili bar. That’s where you put out lots of toppings and get to choose the things you want to put on your chili. I also saved you some of all the treats we’d made. We have a lot!”

  I lifted my gaze to Oakley. My irritation returned. “Can I help you with your bag, or can you carry it to the car yourself?” I asked her, making it very clear that she needed to go.

  I didn’t want to see her in my home. Doing things a wife and mother would do. That was shit my head did not need. Especially with Oakley.

  The hurt that flashed in her eyes made me feel a slight wave of guilt, but I shoved it away. This was what had to be done. No need confusing Sarah with things. Oakley was her aunt who would visit on occasion when I wasn’t home. Not someone we would hang out with, and she sure as hell wasn’t here to fill a mother role.

  “Uh, I can get it,” she said, her voice tight as she made her way to exit the room.

  Belladonna left us to follow her. Damn dog was as bad as most men when it came to Oakley.

  Sarah let go of me and spun to go grab Oakley. “Wait! I thought you were going to set up the chili bar and eat with us? We made caramel apples, and we were going to slice them up and watch The Lost Boys.”

  Oakley smiled down at Sarah and brushed her hair back from her face. “I thought your dad would be later getting home. But he’s here now. You can catch him up on your week. You know the things we were going to set out for the chili bar. I need to be going.”

  Sarah’s face fell, and Oakley bent down to kiss her forehead.

  “I’m just a text or FaceTime away. No sadness. We will see each other again soon. Send me pictures of you in your Wonder Woman costume on Halloween. I need a new wallpaper on my phone,” she told her, then winked.

  I watched my daughter nod her head, but the smile was gone from her face.

  Dammit. What was so wrong with me? She used to love coming to stay with me. We had fun together. Oakley was just making her forget that. If she wanted to play this game, fine. I had the money to combat her “fun times.” I would take Sarah to Disney World. She could trick-or-treat there. See how much fun Oakley was compared to the damn magical mouse.

  Oakley gave Sarah one last hug and excused herself without looking at me before leaving the room. Sarah watched her go with a forlorn look in her eyes that hurt my chest. I had to fix this. Make her see I was fun too. Remind her she used to enjoy the things we did together.

  Belladonna sat at Sarah’s feet, but the dog looked fucking torn. As if she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing.

  Slapping my hands together, I got Sarah’s attention and beamed a bright grin at her. “Let’s get these toppings set out. I’m starving.”

  Sarah looked from me back to the kitchen door. “Okay. But first, I want to walk Oakley to the door. Tell her bye again.”

  Standing there, I watched as she left the room with Belladonna at her heels to go after her aunt. I didn’t want to hear what they said to each other. It wouldn’t help my mood. Instead, I went about pulling out the things that I knew would go good on chili and setting them on the counter.

  Tucked in the fridge was half of an apple pie, brownies with icing ghosts on them, cookies decorated for the spooky season, and less than half of a chocolate pie. The caramel apples sat on a plate, covered in orange and black sprinkles. Was Oakley trying to give my kid diabetes with all this damn sugar?

  Closing the fridge door with more force than necessary, I glared at it as if the appliance itself had offended me. Sarah’s and Oakley’s voices traveled down the hallway.

  Turning, I walked over to the bar and pulled out my best whiskey. I needed a drink.

  Eleven

  Oakley

  Hamilton was nice.

  Okay, well, most females would say he was hot. Sexy. A great catch.

  I was struggling to stay interested. Maybe I was broken. Why else would I be forcing a smile while carrying a cup of black coffee to the tall, muscular, successful, blond underwear model? Something had to be wrong with me. Right?

  As I entered my living room, he turned from the television show he was watching to me and smiled. He made a lot of money with that smile. Most women swooned over that face of his. Yep, I was defective. That was all there was to it.

  “You sure I can’t get you something stronger than coffee?” I asked him as I approached and held out the cup for him to take.

  “I can’t. Alcohol makes me retain water, and I have a shoot tomorrow, where I’ll be in nothing but briefs.”

  Don’t roll your eyes, Oakley. Do not do it.

  I held up my glass of merlot. “Well, cheers anyway.”

  With a low, amused chuckle, he tapped his cup against my glass, and then I took a long drink of the smooth red wine. This was our fourth date since the blind date when we had doubled with Daphne and Tanner. Tonight, I had made dinner for us, following Hamilton’s strict diet, due to his next week of photo shoots. It was bland and boring, but he’d raved about the boiled chicken and steamed broccoli as if it had been gourmet.

  “You don’t talk much about yourself. We’ve been out four times now, and yet I know very little about you. I know you have your own Etsy store, that you are very close to your niece and text her regularly, that you volunteer at the animal shelter, and you look amazing in a bikini. Tell me something I don’t know,” Hamilton said as he leaned back on my sofa.

  I had tried to keep the conversation off me and more on him. Most men with his looks had an ego and liked talking about themselves. He was no exception. I knew where he had gone to high school, his basketball scoring record, his short-lived college career, even his mother’s maiden name. I didn’t mind. I preferred he talk than me tell him things. If he was talking, then I could sit and pretend like I cared. It was cold and indifferent. I knew that, but then I was damaged. He just hadn’t realized it yet.

  Trying to think of something to say that would interest him but not give away anything about my past, I almost sighed in relief when my text message alert went off. It was the sound Sarah had chosen for herself in my phone. I smiled and pulled out the phone tucked in my pocket and set my wine on the coffee table.

  “Speaking of my niece,” I said to him, then looked down at my phone.

  Dad has to go out of town for two days, and he won’t ask you to come stay. He said he had it handled with Ms. Maynard.

  Asshole. Why was he being difficult? I had done a great job taking care of her when he was gone last month. It had been three weeks since I’d seen her, and I was missing that sweet face.

  I’ll call him.

  She immediately texted back.

  He will be mad. He wasn’t happy about my room.

  My hand tightened on the phone.

  The mural? I thought it turned out great!

  “Is there a problem? You look upset,” Hamilton asked, reminding me he was there.

  I glanced up at him. “Just my ex-brother-in-law being a complete bastard.”

  My phone lit up with a text again.

  He said you should have asked him.

  Asked him if I could help fix Sarah’s room to show her personality instead of leaving her with sterile walls? What was his issue? Did he seriously still hold the past against me? I had put his betrayal behind for Sarah’s sake. Why couldn’t he move on from mine?

  I’m not scared of Wilder. I will call him.

  There was a pause, and then dots appeared on the screen that said she was replying.

  Thank you. I miss you and love you.

  My chest tightened. I texted back.

  Same.

  Lifting my gaze from my phone, I found Hamilton watching me. He was drinking his coffee, clearly relaxed on my sofa.

  “You look like a mama bear, about to attack someone upsetting your cub,” he said.

  I felt like one too. “Yeah, well, Sarah’s dad isn’t a fan of mine, and vice versa. But for her, he needs to let the past go.”

  Hamilton raised his perfectly groomed eyebrows. “Ah, that explains it. I was wondering why any man would provoke you. Most, I assume, pursue you.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, not sure I was following him.

  He smirked. “There is a past between the two of you. A man doesn’t get over a woman like you. He just learns ways to be around you without drooling. Your brother-in-law seems to have taken the jerk role. If he is difficult and treats you badly, then he doesn’t have to worry about you smiling at him and him groveling at your feet.”

  “Ex-brother-in-law, and trust me, it wasn’t a past like that. At least not for him.” The bitterness in my tone was unavoidable. Thinking about Wilder and what had once been was hard. I tried not to do it—ever.

  “Oakley, you can’t be that naive. You have a mirror. You know what you look like. I can assure you that it was that way for him. He must have hidden it well.”

  I laughed then, although there was no real humor in it. “He married my stepsister. He wanted her. Not me. It was never me.”

  Hamilton studied me for a few moments as he drank from his cup. Those green eyes of his were part of the reason his face was so sought after. The sculpted body he had from working out and eating gross food also contributed.

  “I’m a guy. I understand men. I know how we think. Unless your stepsister was equally as gorgeous as you, as intelligent and easy to talk to, completely unaware of her looks and ability to control a man, then he wanted you. He settled for her.”

  “He slept with her. He wouldn’t have sex with me,” I said. “But … but I can’t hate him for that. Not now. Sarah is here because of that. I wouldn’t go back and change it. I love her as if she were my own.” I paused, and a small smile tugged at my lips. “Which surprised me. When I first held her, I thought … I thought I would resent her. Sylvia—my stepsister, her mom—and I didn’t get along. At all. We didn’t like each other, but it wasn’t because I hadn’t tried. She had never been nice to me. Then, she had taken Wilder from me. I hated her. I hated her so much until Sarah’s little face looked up at me and stole my heart. My hate evaporated that day. All of it. For Sylvia, for Wilder. They’d betrayed me, but because of it … we had her. This precious baby girl.” I stopped talking, realizing I had just bared my soul to a man, and … well, I didn’t do that. Ever. Not to anyone. It’d felt good to say it though. Get it out.

  Hamilton leaned forward and set his cup beside my glass. “I wasn’t prepared for that,” he said, turning his eyes back to me.

  I felt embarrassed. I’d just blurted out a lot to him, and it wasn’t like me to do it. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ramble.”

  He shook his head gently as he studied me. “You didn’t ramble. You opened up. Showed me what’s inside. And …” He paused, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “Damn, Oakley. I’m used to beautiful women, but you … you’re gonna end up ruining me.”

  I frowned, unsure of how I was going to be this man’s ruin. There was no future for us. I’d already figured that out, but then there never was. My fractured soul made sure of that.

  “Your heart is so fucking closed off with walls; it was like a billboard broadcasted that fact the first night we met. But I happen to like a challenge, and you were the first one I’d had in … well, a really long time. You letting me see inside that heart. How big it is. How damn pure it is. That’s not something I’m used to. Not from women who look like you. There isn’t one ounce of ego or vanity. Hell, you could at least be a touch self-absorbed. Anything to make you less than perfect. Because right now, I can’t see a flaw. Not a single one.”

  I dropped my gaze from his. He didn’t know me yet.

  “Trust me, the flaws are there. Keep looking. They’ll rear their ugly heads soon enough.”

  Twelve

  Wilder

  I needed to fuck. It had been too long. That was all this was. The dream had meant nothing—other than I was in dire need of sinking my dick into a willing cunt. One who wouldn’t expect anything from me. Who would go away after. Someone easy.

  The doorbell rang, followed by Belladonna barking at the noise, interrupting my internal battle. The one where my damn subconscious had wanted to screw me up while I was asleep. As if I needed any more help in that area. Annoyed by whoever was at the door, I left my coffee that was still brewing in the kitchen to go see who was here to bother me. Sarah had been pouting for two days, and nothing I could do seemed to get her out of it. She was mad at me for not asking Oakley to come stay with her for the next two nights.

  I had paid an ungodly amount to take her to Disney World on Halloween, and at least twenty times that night, she’d mentioned how much Oakley would have loved it.

  Stalking to the door, angry that Oakley was causing issues with my relationship with my daughter and now my sleep, I hoped whoever had decided to bother me had a good fucking reason. Belladonna was wagging her tail with excitement as she stared at the door. She barked at me, as if to tell me to open the damn thing already. Impatient, happy dog. I grabbed the handle and jerked it open, not looking to see who it was first.

  The blue eyes glaring at me with that fake bright smile on her stunning face tripped my temper over the thin line it had been balancing on. Belladonna pushed past me to get to our uninvited guest like she was a walking piece of bacon.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I seethed, wishing like hell the dream I’d had last night about fucking her like a crazed man in my shower wasn’t replaying in my head.