With a shake of my head, I tried to banish all thoughts of my ex. I needed to stop comparing the two of them. They were worlds apart.

  “Emeline told me that you two are going on a date,” Gatlin said.

  Caden’s drink stopped at his mouth, and he slowly smiled. I couldn’t tell if it was a happy smile, or one of those grins someone gives you right before they tell you to go fuck off. “What’s this? You’re going out with Emeline?”

  My heart dropped. Before I could say anything, Caden continued.

  “I think it’s great. I hope she took my advice to tell you how she felt.”

  I nodded. “She did.”

  “Just remember, she’s still my little sister, so if you do anything to hurt her, I’ll have to hurt you tenfold.”

  Gatlin tapped his drink against his brother’s. “I second that.”

  “You’re both okay with it? The age difference, and the fact that I’m getting divorced and have a kid?”

  “Why wouldn’t we be okay with it?” Caden asked. “You’re my best friend. I know you better than I know anyone else.”

  Gatlin cleared his throat exaggeratedly, causing Caden to glance at him.

  “Sorry.” Turning back to me, Caden stated, “I know you better than you know yourself.”

  His brother smiled. “That’s better, thank you.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “I will add, though, you should have asked us first before you asked out Emeline,” Gatlin said.

  I laughed—then quickly stopped when neither one of them joined in. “Wait. Are you serious?”

  Caden raised a single brow, while Gatlin just stared at me. I instantly started to sweat. I could ask for forgiveness or defend Emeline. I was going with the latter.

  “I didn’t know I needed permission to date your adult sister, who’s very capable of making her own decisions.”

  Gatlin pointed at me and grinned, while Caden nodded.

  “Dude, I knew you’d handle that the right way,” Gatlin said with a wink.

  “That’s because he’s older and wiser,” Caden added with a nod in my direction. “The guys she’s dated in the past have all been little jerks.”

  I cleared my throat. “Well, I’m glad to hear I pass muster.”

  Holding up his beer, Gatlin said, “Passed with flying colors.”

  I wasn’t going to lie, knowing that I had both of Emeline’s brothers’ blessings was a relief. I hadn’t realized until now that I even wanted them…or maybe needed them was the better word.

  Caden stood and let out a long sigh. “Fun times are over. Time to clean up.”

  Gatlin and I both stood as I said, “Just show me what you need me to do.”

  The chuckwagon cookout was a well-oiled machine, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised by how quickly everything was cleaned up and the kids were put on their horses and brought back to camp. Before long, everyone was settled in their cabins and eating their desserts. It was the last night, so the kids were all having small parties to close out the camp.

  I glanced around the main living room area where some of the staff who’d helped with the cookout were having a party of their own. All of the counselors were with their kids in the cabins, so this get-together was adults-only.

  Charlotte Hastings, the camp steward, was heading my way. I smiled as she stopped in front of me.

  “Rhett certainly had a wonderful time at camp.”

  Nodding, I replied, “He did. I got to talk to him for a bit up at the cookout. He’s met a few kids who are in the same grade as him, so when school starts this fall, he’ll have some friends.”

  “That’s wonderful,” she said as her smile widened. “There have been long-lasting friendships made over the years through the camp, as well as during the holiday event. This place has meant a lot to the community.”

  I nodded. “It has. Um, have you seen Emeline? I’ve been looking for her, but don’t see her anywhere.”

  “Emeline was looking for you earlier, but I think you both kept missing each other. She skips all of this. By the end of the week, she’s exhausted and typically heads to her place to get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow will be emotional for her when she says goodbye to the campers. For some, this will be their last time here. The older kids, anyway, unless some get adopted, which is the end goal.”

  “I was helping get horses back in stalls and out to pastures. I knew the equine side of the ranch had a lot of horses, but seeing them all together is shocking.”

  She laughed. “It is.”

  “Thanks so much, Charlotte. I appreciate all you’ve done this week. I know the kids have enjoyed it.”

  She squeezed my arm. “It’s my pleasure.”

  Turning on my heel, I headed out the door with every intention of going home.

  Instead of turning to the right, toward my truck, I headed left…and walked down the trail that led toward Emeline’s cabin.

  Emeline

  “Meow.”

  I glanced down at the five-month-old kitten who was rubbing against my legs. I’d found Luna as a premature kitten in the barn, all alone. I’d taken her in and bottle-fed her. She was white and gray and the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Moose had treated her like his own baby from day one. Cleaning her after each feeding and letting her lie on him while she napped.

  “I know you’re hungry. If you give me two minutes, I’ll have your food ready for you, my queen.”

  “Meow!”

  Her cries of hunger grew louder, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I hadn’t even had time to get changed before she greeted me at the door to tell me she wasn’t happy at all with my absence this week. Moose had somehow made his way home with my mother and father, so I only had one furbaby to tend to this evening. I was okay with that, since I knew Moose would want to go for his usual nighttime walk. I was exhausted and just ready to relax.

  “Tomorrow’s the last day for a few weeks before I get busy again,” I said as I opened my phone and found my Spotify app. “Let’s listen to our girl, shall we?”

  Pressing play on “Landslide,” I smiled when the familiar notes began. Hearing Stevie Nicks always brought up memories of my childhood and my mother having her music on blast. It didn’t matter if we were in the car or in the kitchen, Stevie was playing any chance Mom got.

  Luna reached up and clawed at my legs.

  “Excuse me, I’m not a scratching pole.”

  Once I got her food, I walked over and set it in her spot. She quickly dove into the wet food. And by dove, I mean she was standing inside the bowl, eating.

  “Enjoy yourself while I go get changed.”

  By the time I got out of the shower, threw on a pair of Caden’s sweatpants and Gatlin’s oversized Denver Broncos sweatshirt—items that I’d stolen from both of them—Luna was sitting on my bed, bathing herself.

  I bent over, grabbed my hair, and threw it up into a haphazard bun. Tonight it was going to be all about me. No one asking me for anything or giving me advice on what to do with the camps. This was my time before the emotions of tomorrow would have me in tears all day. I always spent the last night of camp tucked away in my cabin by myself. It was my way of decompressing after the long week of nonstop activities. My only regret was not finding Levi to tell him I’d be leaving early. I had sent him a text and wondered if he had gotten it. It was strange he hadn’t responded back.

  Picking up Luna, I held her against my chest while she purred. “How was dinner, my little princess?”

  Her answering meow made me laugh. “That good, huh? I think I’m going to make chicken quesadillas as a snack. How does that sound?”

  “Meow.”

  “Okay, quesadillas it is.”

  Twenty minutes later, I was sitting on my sofa with hot tea on the coffee table, along with a glass of ice water, my dinner, a warm blanket, and the Hallmark channel. Luna was, of course, sitting next to me, waiting so patiently for me to share my dinner with her.

  “Okay, you don’t have to judge me. I know I used the giant tortillas, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”

  Luna winked, then began to clean herself once again.

  Before I could get totally settled in, someone knocked on my door.

  I froze, as did Luna.

  “Who in the world could that be?” I asked the kitten, who jumped off the sofa and followed me to the door. I picked her up so she wouldn’t run out as I opened the door. I was fully expecting to see one of my siblings. Or even my mother standing there, coming to give Moose back because he’d gotten into something.

  I wasn’t expecting to see Levi.

  My heart did a weird swoop of excitement—before it dropped with dread.

  “Levi. Is everything okay? Rhett?”

  He held up his hands. “Everything’s great. I thought I’d stop by really quick to just say…” His voice trailed off.

  “To say?” I asked, feeling giddy as I smiled up at his handsome face.

  “Well, what I have to say doesn’t use any words.”

  He cupped my face and kissed me.

  It started sweet and slow, but when he walked me backward into my house and kicked the door shut, the kiss changed. It turned passionate and hot, and I forgot everything except for how amazing that kiss felt.

  I lowered my arm, letting Luna drop the remaining few feet to the floor, then I wrapped my arms around Levi’s neck. She, of course, meowed in protest. My fingers laced through his hair, and he moaned deeply into my mouth. My entire body caught fire.

  Suddenly, he drew his head back. “Something’s climbing up my leg.”

  I took a step back to see little Luna clawing her way up Levi’s jeans. “Luna!”

  Levi laughed and pulled the little stinker off his leg, holding her up. She let out another loud meow as she swatted at his face.

  “Aren’t you full of spit and fire.”

  Her little paws batted at him relentlessly as he smiled. I wasn’t sure what it was about that picture in front of me, but it warmed my heart. He kissed the kitten on the head and set her on the back of the sofa before turning to look at me.

  “Hi,” I whispered like an idiot.

  He chuckled. “Hi.”

  “Um, I was about to eat a snack. Would you like to join me, or do you need to get home?”

  He shook his head. “I’m in no hurry. I also just saw your text when I decided to head this way.”

  Smiling, I asked, “Do you like quesadillas?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “Let me go grab another plate, take a seat on the sofa. I have beer, water, and soft drinks.”

  “I’ll take a beer, please.”

  My cabin had an open floorplan, with the L-shaped kitchen to the right upon entering and the living room to the left. There was a small table in a nook that overlooked the west, which I never used for eating. Since it was just me, Moose, and Luna, the sofa was my choice for meals.

  I quickly made my way to the kitchen, grabbed a plate, silverware, and a beer for Levi. My heart pounded in my chest. I stopped and took a deep breath.

  Levi is in my house.

  The man I had naughty dreams about for years was currently sitting on my sofa, with my kitten on his lap. And he’d just kissed the ever-loving shit out of me.

  “This is a charming cabin, Em.”

  His voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Thanks,” I replied as I walked back into the living room. I handed him the plate and silverware, then set his beer on the coffee table.

  I sat down next to him, ignoring the heat of his body against mine. I cut the quesadilla in half, put his share on his plate, and handed it to him.

  “I hope you don’t mind sitting on the sofa to eat. I’m not much of a formal person. Most meals are eaten right here.”

  “Woman after my own heart. If it were up to me, all meals would be eaten this way. My mother insists on eating at the dining room table for every meal except breakfast. That one, we can eat at the breakfast nook.” He shook his head and smiled. “I really need to find my own place, and soon.”

  “Have you started looking?” I asked before taking a bite of food.

  “Not really. I wanted to get Rhett settled in the town a bit more before I started looking for a place. He’s really enjoying living with my parents at the moment. My mother is spoiling him rotten, doing everything she did for me when I was growing up. She’s a far cry from my ex.”

  Frowning, I said, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  He shrugged. “There were times when I wondered if Caroline even had a maternal bone in her body.”

  “I can honestly say I had the best mother growing up.” I smiled. “Now, as well. I know if I needed anything from her or my father, they’d drop everything for me.”

  Levi nodded. “That’s how my parents are. I guess that’s why I was so surprised by Caroline’s lack of motherly love. Don’t get me wrong, I believe she loves our kids; she just doesn’t know how to show it. At least, that’s what the therapist tells me.”

  “Rhett did so good this past week. He thrived here at the camp, and it looks like he’s made a few friends.”

  Levi smiled. “He has. You have no idea how much this has helped, Em. He’s now looking forward to starting school. Before, he was really worried about not knowing anyone. He’s moving from a large school to a much smaller one, and you know how kids can be. Especially in a small town.”

  I let out a soft laugh. “Yes. I remember a few moments in my own childhood where some kids bullied me.”

  He turned and stared at me. “Who bullied you?”

  With a one-shoulder shrug, I replied, “Just a few kids in elementary. By the time I got to middle school, I’d learned not to take anyone’s shit.”

  Levi let out a bark of laughter. “That sounds more like a Wilde kid.”

  Smiling, I replied, “Ensley most certainly taught me to stand up for myself, and that hurting people are the ones who hurt others. I really took that to heart. So if someone is rude or mean to me, I try my best to ignore it, since I have no idea what the person is going through.”

  Levi’s eyes searched over my face. The intensity of his gaze made me look down at my food and take another bite.

  Pointing his fork at Luna, he asked, “So, who is that little beast, and where’s Moose?”

  I giggled. “Moose is with Mom and Dad. That is Luna. She’s a rescue kitten. I found her in the barn, no mother around at all. She was only about three weeks old at the time, so I took her in and bottle-fed her. Now she’s stuck to me like glue. I do think she believes she’s a dog, though. She latched onto Moose as well.”

  “She’s cute.”

  “That’s one word to describe her.”

  We ate in silence, until I couldn’t take the suspense any longer.

  “Levi…what brought you here tonight?”

  He glanced at me. “The kiss wasn’t a hint?”

  The memory of the kiss caused my cheeks to heat. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it very much.”

  Wiping the corners of his mouth, he set the napkin down, drew in a long breath, then released it. “I didn’t want to be alone tonight.”

  My heart thumped against my chest as it beat rapidly. I tried not to fidget when the sudden pulsing moved to my lower stomach. “But you’re never alone. You’re staying with your mother and father.”

  His eyes darkened. “Not that kind of alone, Em. The kind of alone when you’re lying in bed and your mind won’t stop thinking about someone.”

  My mouth dropped open slightly as I fought to make my brain work. “I know that kind of alone all too well.”

  Something inside of me clicked. The cautious Emeline Wilde was no longer present. She disappeared the moment I opened the door and saw Levi. This new Emeline was going to take her older brother’s advice and do what she wanted.

  Setting my plate down on the coffee table, I crawled onto Levi’s lap. His hands instantly grabbed my hips. It didn’t take long to feel his erection grow.

  “We said slow,” I whispered.

  “Did we? I suddenly can’t remember.”

  I smiled. “But every time I’m near you, my body comes alive, and I’ve been fighting it for so many years. I’m tired of doing so. I want you, Levi, and—”

  My words were cut off when he leaned forward and captured my mouth with his. The kiss was hot and desperate, and I soon found myself squirming on his lap. The feel of his hard erection against my core was heavenly.

  Pulling his lips from mine, Levi panted, “If you keep moving like that, I’m going to come in my pants, Em.”

  With a wicked smile, I moved my hands to his jeans. “We should probably take these off then, don’t you think?”

  He closed his eyes. “You’re fucking killing me.”

  I bit on my lower lip as I rolled my hips.

  Levi dropped his head back and groaned. “Em.”

  “If you want me to stop, I will. I know you said you want to go slow.”

  A low growl came from Levi right before he cupped my face and drew my mouth down to his. I moaned as I melted into his body and deepened the kiss. My hips rocked against Levi as he lifted his own to get more contact.

  Jerking his mouth from mine, he grabbed my behind and stood, taking me with him like I weighed next to nothing.

  “Bedroom,” he demanded in a raspy, low voice.

  “Down the hall, first door on the left.”

  Once we were in my room, Levi put me down and quickly started to pull the oversized shirt off, while I stripped away my sweats. Then I stood before him in a red lace bra and matching bikini panties.

  “Fucking hell. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, Em.”

  I went breathless as I watched his gaze take in every inch of my body. Reaching behind my back, I unclasped my bra and let it fall down my arms and to the floor.

  Levi’s breath hitched, and he closed his eyes, an almost painful expression appearing on his handsome face.

  Waiting for him to open them again, I hooked my thumbs into my panties. Once he was looking at me, I slowly shimmied them down my legs and gave them a little kick across my bedroom floor.