Page 101 of Wilde Ride

It didn’t take me long to find Levi and Rhett. Levi stood as I made my way toward them. He wore black jeans, black cowboy boots, a black T-shirt, and, as always, his black cowboy hat. He looked dashing, dressed in all black. And Rhett was a replica of his father.

As I walked deeper into the dining room, I began to notice people from town. When I caught sight of Janet Miller sitting at a table with her granddaughter, Logan, it felt as though someone had dropped a lead weight into my stomach. I nearly turned and walked out. Instead, I focused on Levi. He smiled, and the urge to flee faded away. I reached the table and was stunned when he leaned down and kissed me—not on the cheek, but on the lips. My eyes instantly went to Rhett who was beaming.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly, before pulling my chair out for me.

My hands smoothed down the floral-print sundress I’d picked out to wear. I’d paired it with comfortable, short heels. “Thank you.” Looking down at Rhett, I grinned. “If I’m not the luckiest girl in River Falls, getting to eat dinner with the two most handsome men in town.”

Rhett giggled.

“I hope you don’t mind, I ordered some chips and queso. I’m curious about this place,” Levi said.

“I hope it’s like Flores! That was me and Brooke’s favorite,” Rhett said before taking a drink of what looked like Sprite.

“I don’t mind at all.”

The waitress approached and placed chips, salsa, and queso on the table. She took my drink order and slipped away. I glanced around the room and saw nothing but locals. Janet, Logan, Dr. Johnson, and even Billy Marshall—who owned the honky-tonk in town.

My mouth fell open when I saw my parents, sitting with some of their friends.

“My parents are here!” I said with a laugh.

“They walked in with us. We got here a few minutes early.”

At that moment, Mom saw me, and her brows rose in surprise before she smiled. I gave her a little wave.

“I took a nap, Ms. Emeline.”

Turning my focus to Rhett, I let go of all the anxiety about being in such a public space with Levi. “I bet you needed it.”

He nodded before dipping a chip into the cheese and popping it into his mouth. He looked at his dad and gave a thumbs-up.

“Good, huh?”

“So good!” Rhett replied.

“Do you guys know what you want to eat?” I asked, picking up the menu.

“We’re getting tacos.”

“Crunchy tacos,” Rhett added.

“That sounds yummy. I think I’ll get fajitas. I haven’t had any since the last time I was in Estes Park.”

After we placed our orders, Rhett launched into a story about his new best friend from camp, Jimmy. I glanced at Levi, and the sharp focus he gave his son while he spoke was so sweet. I couldn’t help but wonder how he was as a girl dad…and I had to push the thought away when I felt tears sting the back of my eyes. I couldn’t even imagine what it must be like for him to not have his daughter here. Rhett often mentioned Brooke in his stories, and I loved that they were keeping her memory alive.

Our food came, and it was beyond delicious. Rhett also gave his tacos a thumbs-up and declared El Rey’s were better than those at Flores. I found myself laughing a lot throughout dinner, thanks to the stories Rhett and Levi shared.

“Isn’t this cozy?”

I looked up to see Logan standing beside our table.

Setting my fork down, I grabbed a napkin and wiped the corners of my mouth before speaking. “Logan, it’s good to see you.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Moving her attention from me, she smiled wider at Levi. “Is this your son, Jett?”

“Rhett is his name. And yes, he is.”

Logan’s face turned red. “Right. Rhett.”