Page 31 of Sweet Escape (Whispering Oaks Ranch #1)

“Cool,” he says. “Thanks.”

“Is that all you needed? That probably could’ve been a text, baby brother.”

He sits down on the stool beside Liv. Removing his hat, he rakes a hand through his curls.

“Pops wants me to take on more responsibilities around the ranch, and he’s really turning up the pressure now that we’re looking at expanding.

I’m great with the books, man, but I don't know about the rest of it. I’ll have enough on my plate when Griffin finally gets the sanctuary going. ”

“You tell Pops any of this?”

“Well, no. Wanted to get some advice from my big brother first.”

“Alright.” I flip half the omelet over after sprinkling o n the extra cheese for Liv.

Her pregnancy cravings are pretty mundane so far, but that could change once we get further along.

I’m just glad she’s starting to keep her food down.

“Here’s my advice: tell Pops how you feel.

He’s never been one to push us to do something we don't want. You’re not doing yourself any favors by pussyfooting around. ”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Good. Now get outta here.” I point the spatula toward the front entrance, spearing him with a glare. “I have to feed my baby mama and take her to pack her shit.”

“Pack? You movin’ in?” he asks.

She gives him a flat smile and a jerky nod. “Just for a little while. The apartment flooded last night, so I’m moving here temporarily.”

“Temporarily, huh?” Jaxon throws a smirk in my direction. “Well, it’ll be nice to have a pretty face around here. Other than mine, of course.”

I roll my eyes. “Get the fuck outta here with that shit.”

Jaxon chuckles and snags his hat off the island. “See you around, gorgeous,” he says, goading me one last time as he saunters out with a backward wave.

After breakfast, we stop by the big house to pick up Emmy Lou, who spends the whole drive talking Liv’s ear off. I’m certain only some of what she says is English; the rest is in some secret language only the two of them seem to understand. When we pull up outside the diner, Emmy squeals.

“Cupcake?” Emmy asks, her eyes alight with anticipation.

Liv twists in her seat, her expression apologetic as she reaches back to pat Emmy’s lap. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t get a chance to make any yesterday.”

Emmy slumps back in her seat, defeated.

“But you know what? I’m coming to your house today. Maybe we could make some together. What do you say?”

“Pleeeeeease.” Emmy gives me her best puppy dog eyes, and when I glance over at Liv, she’s doing the same with a barely contained smile.

I chuckle softly. “You two are gonna be the death of me,” I grumble. “Let’s head inside so we can get everything packed up. The sooner we get back to the ranch, the sooner you two can make a mess of my kitchen.”

Liv opens the back passenger door and takes Emmy into her arms. Emmy clings to her like she’s her favorite person in the whole world. I get it—she might be one of my favorite people, too.

“Why don't you two wait down here, and I’ll be right back with my things?” She sets Emmy on her feet, and I reach out, grasping her tiny hand in mine.

“Are you sure? We can come up and help.”

“I’ll be fine. Have a seat.”

I nod, watching her back as she disappears through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

“Wilder?”

At the sound of my name, I turn, coming face to face with Jess’s mom. “Caroline, it’s good to see you.”

She crouches down in front of Emmy, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Hey, sweet girl,” she says, her voice slightly choked. “Boy, have I missed you.”She stands, holding Emmy Lou in her arms. “How have you been? Settling in okay?”

“We’re doing well. Are you back for good?”

“We are. Jess is here. Our memories are here, and if you’ll have us, we’d like to be a part of Emmy’s life, too. ”

“We’d love nothing more, Caroline. Jess would want that. I want that.”

Jess’s parents moved out to Colorado when we found out she was pregnant. When she passed, they weren’t sure where they wanted to be, but we buried her here in Oak Ridge next to her grandparents. I always suspected they’d make their way back, too.

Emmy yawns, resting her cheek on her grandmother’s shoulder. A small smile forms on Caroline’s face, but there’s a sadness behind her eyes that’s hard to miss. I gesture for her to slide into the nearest booth, then seat myself across from her.

Rosie stops by the table, notepad in hand. “Hi, Caroline. It’s good to see you back in town. How have you been?”

With a tight-lipped smile, she says, “We’re doing ok. It’s nice to be home.”

Rosie pats her hand and turns to me. “Thanks for taking care of my girl, Wilder. Can I get y’all anything while you wait? If I know my granddaughter, she might be a while.”

“I’m good. Caro?”

“Can I get two of the grilled chicken specials to go?” Caroline says. “My husband is waiting for me in the car.”

“You got it. I’ll have that out for you in a jiffy.” Rosie places a coloring sheet and crayons across from Emmy before heading back to the kitchen.

“So… what are you two up to today?” Caroline asks, peeling open the small package of crayons.

“We just came by to bring my—Olivia to pick up some things. She’s moving out to the ranch until they can repair the damage to the apartment upstairs.”

“Olivia? Is she?—”

“Olivia is a friend.” The word feels woefully inadequate, but I don’t have a definition for what we are to each other.

Most of the time, it’s like we’re just two people at opposite ends of a tether, locked in a game of tug-of-war with no end in sight.

Somet imes that tether coils tightly around us, drawing us together before dragging us apart again.

I want to tie her to me indefinitely, but we both have too many walls up for that to happen.

Caroline places her hand on my forearm. “You’re allowed to be happy, Wilder. Jess would want that, and Emmy needs that. She should see you thriving, not living in the past.”

Unable to come up with a response, I flip my hand over and give hers a comforting squeeze. Her chin quivers, and she closes her eyes. I can’t fathom what it must be like to lose a child. I loved Jess for ten years—she loved Jess for a lifetime.

“We’re having a baby… me and Olivia. Em’s going to be a big sister.”

Tears spring to her eyes, and she smiles sadly. “That’s wonderful news. I’m thrilled for you. I know you always wanted more kids.”

“I did—I do.”

“Let yourself be happy. For Olivia and the kids. You have to live your life for them now, not for the ghost of the girl you once loved.”

Loved. Something about that word doesn’t sit right, but she’s not wrong in assuming the feelings are different now.

I love the memory of Jess, not the person.

She only exists in the past now, in the memories that are slowly fading with the passage of time, and the guilt that still looms over me like an ever-present ghost.

Rosie returns with the takeout boxes.

Caroline pulls Emmy into her arms and kisses her head. “I’d better get going. Would it be okay if we come by sometime?”

“Anytime. I’m just a phone call away.”

We both slide out of the booth, and I pull her in for a one-armed hug, trapping Emmy between us before she hands her over .

“We’ll talk soon,” she says, before glancing over my shoulder. “Congratulations.” She disappears out the door.

When I look back, Olivia is standing there with a duffel bag in her hand and a solemn expression on her stunning face.

Olivia

I packed only the essentials for now. The rest can wait. I really could’ve used Wilder’s help, but I couldn’t stand the thought of him seeing my mess and recoiling at the sight of the dirty laundry overflowing from my laundry basket, or the clean clothes strewn over the armchair in my bedroom.

I still had my three emotional support beverages standing tepid on the nightstand, and the unfinished book club pick lying face down on my pillow. He’s seen enough of my messes to last a lifetime, and I plan to make every effort not to bring any of it into his home if I can help it.

As I descend the stairs with a duffle slung over one shoulder and my rolling suitcase in hand, Wilder’s voice stops me in my tracks.

“Olivia is a friend.”

There’s that word again—friend. We’ve both said it, but it still feels like a stab to the heart every time. I should be content with our relationship, but I can’t help but wonder if I’m clinging to the hope of more—a hope that’s fleeting at best.

Wilder is sitting with his back to me, across the booth from an older woman I don’t recognize. She’s holding Emmy in a way that tells me they must be family. Jess’s mom, maybe?

“You’re allowed to be happy, Wilder. Jess would want that. And Emmy needs that. She should get to see you thriving, not living in the past.”

I tune out the rest of the conversation. I’ve already heard too much. My thoughts trail back to that night on the tailgate. What must it be like to have been loved as deeply and irrevocably as Jess was? I’ve never known a love like that, and I’m not certain I ever will.

It’s not until I lock eyes with the woman that I realize I’ve been staring. “Congratulations,” she says.

My heart squeezes as I watch her leave, and Wilder turns to me with a haunted look in his eyes.

“Was that?—”

“Jess’s mom. Yeah.”

I step up beside him, sweeping a lock of hair off of Emmy’s forehead, then peer into those beautiful, broken eyes of his. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shakes his head jerkily. “No. We should get home.”

Home. But it’s not that for me, is it? I don’t have a home anymore. Not the little apartment above the diner, not the penthouse in Colorado, and certainly not Wilder’s quaint farmhouse at Whispering Oaks. I don’t know where I belong anymore. We —where we belong. Because I’m not alone anymore.