Page 26 of Wilde Flame

Before she could answer, another voice did. “He is.”

I spun around to find Caden leaning against the doorjamb of the kitchen. I swore that was his favorite standing position. Casually leaning against something like he had no worries in the world. I wasn’t sure why, but it was hot as hell. And I hated him in that moment for reminding me that he was so good-looking.

“What are you doing here?” It came out ruder than I’d intended.

Raising his brows, he countered, “What are you doing here?”

“Do you two know each other?” Mrs. Harper asked.

Smiling, I replied, “Yes.”

“Unfortunately,” he said with a frown.

“Caden Wilde, you apologize right this instant!”

Glancing over to Mrs. Harper, I saw her looking formidable, with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. I glanced back at Caden, who seemed embarrassed for half a second, and I smirked at him. He narrowed one eye at me as he drew in a breath and slowly let it out. “I’m sorry, Flower— Lilibeth.”

“Apology accepted,” I replied in a sugary tone that made Caden’s eye twitch. If he was going to call me Tigger, in addition to the Flower Child, then I’d be a bouncy, happy, T. I. double grr Tigger.

Turning to Mrs. Harper, I answered her question more thoroughly. “Yes, we know each other. We met through Emeline. Remember I told you I was volunteering at the ranch last summer?”

Mrs. Harper touched her forehead. “That’s right. This memory, I swear.” Her smile appeared again. “Caden visits me once a week, usually Thursday mornings. He’s offered to put up my Christmas decorations on the front porch for me today.”

I looked back at Caden, who was still leaning against the doorjamb. I wish he wouldn’t do that. He looked so…so…ugh. Good.

Mrs. Harper walked out of the room, and I kept my eyes on Caden.

“How nice of you. I usually visit with Mrs. Harper once a week as well. Sometimes twice, when I can.”

He pushed off the jamb and walked into the kitchen. Picking up a cookie from a cooling rack on the counter, he bit into it. “Must be nice to have all that free time.”

I shrugged. “Some of us don’t drive to Granby each week to meet with our…friend.”

A brow rose. “Jealous, Flower Child?”

I huffed. “You wish.”

“Is that why you snuck away this morning?”

I shrugged. “Actually, if memory serves, I believe you told me you wanted me out of your house, so I left. Like I was told.”

Did he just flinch? No, I was imagining it. “How did you get home?”

“Why do you care?”

A voice cleared, and we both turned to see Mrs. Harper’s eyes bouncing between us. “It appears you know one another very well.”

“No!” we both said at the same time.

“It isn’t anything like that,” I quickly added.

Caden popped more of the cookie into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, then explained, “She got wasted at a bar in Granby last night, and I had to drive her, Ensley, and Moreen home. It was late, and I was tired, so Lilibeth slept in my guest bedroom.”

I scowled. Did he have to tell her I’d been drunk? “I wasn’t wasted, thank you very much.”

He smiled. “Oh, so you were sober? That’s why you threw up?”

I wanted to slap the smirk off of his stupid handsome face. I lifted my hand and pointed at him, ready to lay into him, when Mrs. Harper stepped between us. “Would you be able to help me with the decorations inside the house, sweetheart? I always put them up Thanksgiving weekend, and I’m a bit behind this year.”