Page 11 of Wilde Flame

The sound of my name from his lips was sinful. I wasn’t even sure he’d ever used it before.

“No. I just woke up.”

He made his way over to me, placed his finger on my chin and lifted. I couldn’t seem to remember how to breathe the moment he touched me. Yes, one simple fingertip on my chin, and I was ready to melt into a puddle on the floor.

“You have been crying.”

Every single part of my body begged me to reach up and kiss him. Even my stupid head. Instead, I turned away and focused on the coffee filling my mug.

“I’m fine, Caden. Just overslept. I’ll call Moreen and let her know I’m simply running late.”

He cleared his throat. “Okay.”

The sound of him retreating was both a relief and a heartbreak.

Grabbing my coffee, I watched as he turned and headed toward the door. I followed him and stopped in the living room.

“Thank you for stopping by to make sure I was okay.”

He tipped his cowboy hat, opened the door, and slipped out, softly shutting it behind him. I closed my eyes and drew in a few deep breaths, trying to remind my body how to breathe while ignoring the instant feeling of loss.

Why, oh why, was I attracted to Caden Wilde? Why?

Caden

Once I got into my truck, I grabbed the steering wheel and cursed.

“Fuck.”

My head spun with emotions I hadn’t felt in years. Desire, longing, and something I couldn’t quite put my finger on and honestly didn’t want to think about.

I closed my eyes and tried not to see Lilibeth dressed in nothing but lace underwear. Christ Almighty. I knew she had a nice body, but to see those curves up close stole my breath. Then, to see her red-rimmed eyes…it nearly broke me.

Looking back at the house, I drew in a deep breath before turning the ignition on and pulling out of the driveway. I needed to avoid Lilibeth as much as I could. She was quickly becoming a weakness, and I would never be weak for a woman again. Ever.

Ten minutes later, I pulled in and parked at Anna’s Café. It was rare for me to come into town anymore to eat breakfast. One, I was too busy on the ranch, and two, I couldn’t stand the pity on people’s faces whenever they saw me, even a few years later.

The gossip ran rampant after Rachel left River Falls. She had, of course, told people I’d proposed, and that she’d turned me down—twice now. It was even in The Daily Dirt. I thought my mother was going to come unglued when she read it. She told my father she was going to give Janet Miller a piece of her mind once and for all. It took my father, grandfather, and me to talk her out of it. It wasn’t uncommon to see our family featured in the local gossip column. Almost all of us had experienced it at one time or another.

The bell above the door rang, and I swore everyone in the café turned to look. It didn’t take me long to spot my younger brother, Gatlin, sitting at a booth. I quickly made my way over to him and sat down.

Glancing up, he smirked. “Sure, join me for breakfast, Caden.”

“Did Emeline or Ensley call you to go check on Lilibeth?”

Confused, he narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Did anyone call you to see if you were in town?”

He sat back. “No. What’s wrong with Lilibeth?”

“Nothing. She’s fine. Just overslept and no one could get a hold of her.”

“So our sisters thought you’d be the ideal person to go and check on her? That’s insane. You clearly don’t like her.”

Lucy Miller, Anna Miller’s daughter and the café’s owner, walked over. “Hey there, Caden. I haven’t seen you around in a while.”

“Hey, Lucy. I’ll take a coffee and a water.” I looked back at Gatlin. “Have you ordered yet?”