Page 9 of Wild Card (Men of Action #4)

Those are my words. He overheard me telling Wyatt about my plans to come to the park with Wolf.

Two things hit me with a force so strong, my eyes sting.

Talon was sitting across the table. Side conversations were all around us, but Wyatt demanded my attention. He had no idea who Talon was, why he was there, or what he had done to arrange the lunch. To a five-year-old, the most exciting thing was his friend’s birthday party today.

It was a simple conversation, one that wouldn’t compute with most. But Talon listened.

I was with Joe for a long time and he rarely listened.

“Willow?”

I swing my eyes to Talon, noting he’s observing me closely.

“It is the first beautiful day of the season.”

Bex picks up on my apprehension, sinking down and clapping as four dogs race her way. “Who are these cuties?”

“Pepper, Mack, and Rowdy.” The two men hanging back watch intently.

“Watch it, Mack,” one of them commands.

“Careful, Rowdy,” the other directs.

“Pepper, heel,” Talon orders.

The dogs stop in time to save Bex from getting trampled and all nudge her for pats. Whereas Wolf tumbles over himself, trying to get into the mix.

After a few pats, the Dalmatian runs over to Talon, sitting expectantly.

“I’m calling dibs on the one with the Dalmatian,” replays in my head from the woman earlier.

“ Is he yours?”

“No, this dumbass borrowed him.” The guy wearing a USMC shirt steps up, whipping off his glasses to reveal a pair of stunning hazel eyes.

The other man follows suit, only his eyes are a beautiful mocha color.

They are back in a formation.

I was wrong earlier… this is too much.

Three of the hottest men I’ve ever seen all staring at me as if they share a secret.

My brain malfunctions and words stumble together. “B-bor-rowed a dog?”

“He belongs to friends, and I offered to bring him along for the exercise,” Talon clarifies.

“I’m Ford,” Hazel eyes offers his hand.

“Ace.” The other does the same.

“I’m Willow, Talon’s Physical Therapist”

“We know who you are.” Ford’s lips curl.

“And this is my friend, Bex.”

“We got that.” Ace dips his chin.

“Your dogs are really well-behaved.” Yep, that’s what I say. The pressure of these three insanely hot men has me talking like a nervous schoolgirl.

“I have a pregnant wife at home. We’re in the process of training.” The pride in his voice has my heart melting a little.

“Congratulations.”

“Lo! Watch out!” I barely hear Bex before my feet are off the ground and I’m in Talon’s hold. He tucks me close as a football whizzes by my head, landing several yards away. Wolf goes crazy, jumping and pawing at us.

“You okay?” Talon twists me easily in his arms.

“Yes,” I whisper, mesmerized by the flaming blue orbs wandering over my face.

“Watch her,” he demands, placing me on my feet and storming toward the guy chasing after the ball.

“Fuck, this could get ugly.” Ford takes off after him.

“It wasn’t intentional.”

“Asshole needs to learn you don’t throw a ball around crowds, especially if you have shit aim.” Ace crosses his arms casually.

The poor guy with the football pales when approached by Talon and Ford.

“This is ridiculous.” I step that way until Ace stops me.

“Someone came close to hitting Harley with a football, I’d teach him a lesson.”

“It was an accident.”

“Maybe, but he’ll learn.”

“Harley is your wife?”

He nods.

“Well, you should be protective. Especially if she’s pregnant.”

“Talon’s got his reasons.”

“We just met.”

His lips slip into a wide grin, his eyes sparkling slyly. “This is fun.”

A throat clears and I turn to see the guy with the football. “I’m sorry about that. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

He gives a quick nod and basically bolts away.

“Talon, that was unnecessary.”

He ignores me, picking up Wolf’s leash and whistling. Rowdy runs to Ace, Mack to Ford, and poor Pepper peers around for someone to claim him.

Bex grabs his leash. “Where are we headed?”

“Water break.” Talon starts walking.

“Wait, give me my dog.”

“He’s thirsty.”

“I have water in the car.”

“This is a better idea.”

“What is?”

He continues to ignore me while Bex chatters on behind us with Ford and Ace.

When we hit the split in the trail, he deviates to the field area. Two men wave our way, one of them crouching and clapping.

“Aggghhhhh!” Bex yells as Pepper drags her forward toward them.

“Guess I know who Pepper belongs to.”

“Prepare, Cruz and Alex think of Pepper as their child.”

“I can relate.”

“Alex usually runs him a few times a week, but he’s having knee issues. I offered to help him out.”

“That was nice of you.”

“I’m a nice guy.”

A chuckle sounds behind us.

All the dogs pull forward, getting more and more excited. It’s then I spot the large basket of toys next to a full water station set up.

“Let those fur babies go,” the man standing instructs, bracing as they run to surround him.

When we get close enough, he scans over me, his bright blue eyes widening. After a few seconds, I resist squirming under his obvious examination.

“Cruz, that’s enough,” Talon grouses.

“I can’t help it. How do you guys do it?”

The man with Pepper stands. “Hi, I’m Alex and this is my partner, Cruz.”

“I’m Willow.”

His smile tells me he knows exactly who I am.

Cruz continues to ogle until Alex elbows him.

“Girl, I never thought I’d see anyone look good in the coral cream, but you wear that Lulu like it was made for you.”

I glance down at my leggings and feel a sense of relief. “Thanks, they were a splurge.”

“Liar,” Bex makes a choking sound, covering her mouth.

My obsession with Lululemon is borderline addiction.

Cruz waves down my body. “Gorgeous, stylish, and rocking neon. Girl, own that shit, not many can pull it off.”

I could argue that coral cream isn’t technically neon, but his compliment glides through me.

“Thank you,” I reply shyly, all eyes on us.

“You do know the words,” Talon teases.

“Alright, pups, let’s hydrate.” Cruz lays down four bowls, filling them with water.

“Wait, how do you have a bowl for Wolf?”

“I brought it,” Talon answers casually.

“But you didn’t know we’d run into each other.”

“I knew.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Babe, you were in this park, I’d find you.”

“Thank God you showed. Another lap around that trail was boring as fuck,” Ford throws out as he passes.

“How many laps did you do?”

Talon shrugs. “Three or four.”

“That’s like… five miles.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Those poor dogs.”

“They’re used to it. Well, Mack is used to it. We’re working on Pepper and Rowdy.”

“Wolf would make it about halfway and plop down.”

He drops his chin, smiling down at me. “I’ll remember that for next time.”

Next time… The words sink in.

My stomach does a topsy-turvy move. He’s so close, the woodsy aroma of his body wash mixed with a scent that is all him surrounds me.

My gaze moves over his face, noting his stubble is thicker than Thursday.

An unfamiliar need to run my fingers through the scruff rushes through me, remembering the way it felt against my skin the night we kissed.

I pull my bottom lip through my teeth, his eyes heating at the motion.

“Honey, you keep looking at me like that, in about thirty seconds, your ass will be in my truck.”

“Your truck?”

“The closest we can get away from these prying eyes.”

I snap back to the moment, shaking out of my stupor. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.

His arm hooks around my waist, tugging me close. His voice is husky and low when he says, “Have dinner with me tonight.”

Yes! Yes! Yes! My brain screams until the little reminder rears up.

“ I can’t.”

“Willow, this hang-up you have?—”

“No.” I place my hand on his chest. “I have plans already.”

His heated eyes grow stormy and my heart races. “I’m having dinner with my dad. We’ve been having some, umm… family issues. Well, the issues aren’t new, but Dad and I haven’t seen each other in a while. He’s worried about me.”

His stormy orbs deepen to a scary shade. “Does he have a reason to worry about you?”

“No!” I squeak, slamming my mouth shut.

“Willow?”

“No,” I repeat a lot quieter. “He’s my dad and worrying is in his job description.

I’m actually worried about him, too. He’s made some major changes, leaving my mom and moving out.

This is the first time I’ll see him since.

My grandparents planned a family dinner.

Well, family including Bex, who is like family.

It will be good for Dad. He’ll be in a safe space to talk if he wants, or not.

Who knows? Wyatt always provides a lot of entertainment and… . ”

I’m so caught up in my babbling, I miss the storm subsiding and his eyes taking on concern. “Your parents are splitting?”

“Seems like it.”

“It tearing you up?”

“Not at all,” I answer honestly and catch the flicker of surprise.

“You close with your mom?”

“Not at all,” I repeat.

“You want to talk about it?”

Instead of sounding like a parrot, I shake my head.

Normally, I’d shut this down. Sharing my personal business isn’t my style.

But something inside me pushes on. Being in his hold, his heartbeat steady against my palm, the concern in his eyes mixed with the warmth of his expression—all of it combines to create a place that seems safe.

“My mom and I haven’t been close in a while,” I share quietly.

“She made some critical decisions that hurt me and never looked back.”

“Critical decisions that hurt her daughter?”

“Something like that.”

“When’s the last time you spoke?”

“Almost a year ago.”

He blows out a soft breath. “Her loss, angel.”

“Not sure she sees it that way.” My mind goes to the fancy announcement and perfect penmanship on the envelopes. Then the picture of her with Bex yesterday replaces the image. “It’s very complicated.”

“You want me to come over when you get home?”

“No, one bonus of tonight is my brother has been slotted with DD. Bex, Grandma, and I will drink Grandpa’s award-winning margaritas.”

“Award-winning?”

“Grandpa doesn’t skimp on anything. They are lush.”

“Lush?”

“Lush,” I confirm.

“Peach-infused Vodka and a strong margarita, good to know.”

“You remembered.”

“I remember everything.”

The gravel in his voice tells me he isn’t just referring to my drink choice that night.

“You get home, things don’t go well, and you aren’t settled, call me. I can come over, or listen.”

I’m about to mention that I don’t have his number when his hand slides down my waist to my hip where he retrieves my phone from the pocket. A few seconds later, his phone rings. “Now you have my number and I have yours.”

“How did you get past my code?”

His lips curve on one side and he leans in, brushing his lips past my ear. “I have my ways.”

This time my stomach does an all-out plunge, free-falling until I’m sure he’s holding me up.

A million butterflies surge through my system at the thought of this man, crushing my reservations.

One thing is for sure—I’m in so much trouble.