I don’t need to tell her I’ve been crying for the better part ofthe day since my brother and Wilder walked out.
“Well, I’ll be up for a little while if you need to chat. Also, does this mean you’re coming home early? I’ve been looking at apartments for us.”
“You don’t want me as a roommate. I’m unpredictable and impulsive.”
“No. You’re my best friend and I love you. You don’t need to be tamed. You just need to find what makes you happy.”
“Thanks, Wil. Talk tomorrow?”
“Night.”
Willow:And Rose?
Rose:Yeah?
Willow:You look hot in those silhouettes. Keep ’em.
Not if my life depended on it.
31
Wilder
“Looks good, Larry,” I comment, giving the fence a good nudge. We had to move the cattle to the smaller pasture for a few days till the fence was repaired.
He tips his hat.
“Listen, I know you’re off this weekend, but we’re a little short-staffed. You mind doing a shift?”
“Happy to. Just let me know where you need me, Wilder.”
I thank him and I separately want to thank Rose too. She spent all of last week manipulating the schedule, overtime, and budget so that we’re covered through the summer.
She emailed me the final schedule yesterday and sent someone to the Saddle Room with a hard copy.
It’s organized, color coded, and gives me some kind of reassurance that we can pull this off until the season is over.
Assuming no one else leaves.
It’s early Tuesday morning. Two whole days have passed and I’m not any more ready to talk to Rose than I was when I walked out.
I took Tuscan out for a ride these last two nights, runningby the cottage. OK, maybe not running by. More like waiting. Waiting with my heart in my throat until the lights went out.
And even then, it was tough to leave.
After an easy ride along the river, checking the fields, I find myself steering Tuscan back in her direction. The ache in my chest has nothing to do with the land. Or the work, for that matter.
It’s the woman the stubborn part of me is slowly letting go.
How could she be so reckless? How could I be so reckless?
I fell hard for a woman who, in every reality—was never mine to keep.
This is who Rose is. She pushes boundaries, rides the edges like she’s got nothing to lose. Strips naked for strangers like it’s part of her road to self-discovery.
The anger is still fresh.
Her wildness had a spark that lit me up. I thought her unpredictability would bother me, but I lived for it.
