Page 46 of Wilde Flame

“I think a couple of tablespoons. I have some, let me grab it.”

We worked in comfortable silence as I mixed the chicken and Caden cut slices from a fresh loaf of sourdough.

“Chips?” he asked, as he held up a bag.

“Sure,” I said, as I cut up a few strawberries that I found in the fridge. We took our sandwiches and headed back to the living room, where Caden and I sat on the sofa. We ate and talked about River Falls. He asked about my parents retiring here and me following them.

“The idea of not seeing my mother and father very often wasn’t something I was looking forward to. I’d always wanted to open my own store, and after visiting River Falls, well, I knew I had to do it here. I instantly fell in love with the town.”

“You don’t mind it not being a big city?” he asked.

“Not at all. I was so tired of living in Denver. Of course, my mother warned me that in a small town like River Falls, the gossip would be rampant.” I laughed as I thought about it. “I have to admit the first time I saw my name in the paper, I let out a little scream of delight. It was all about the store opening, and just a small piece about me as well, since I was the owner. But it was fun to see it.”

“Don’t ever let my mother or sisters hear you say that. They hate having their name in the gossip column.”

“I don’t blame them. Whoever it is who writes those articles seems to have a problem with the Wilde family.”

Caden let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, they do.”

“Jealousy, probably,” I stated.

“Maybe. You don’t think you’ll miss the city and want to go back?” he asked. That had to be another reason Caden was afraid to open his heart to someone, especially someone not from the small town he grew up in.

“No, I won’t miss it. The peacefulness here is such a gift. I love sitting on my front porch, listening to the wind blow through the trees. I like mingling with the kids playing ball in the middle of the street. It reminds me of all the times my parents spoke about what it was like when they were my age, growing up in a similar small town. How different the times were, and how much slower life was. That’s what I’ve always longed for. My father always used to tell me I was born in the city, but I had the heart and soul of a country girl.”

Caden smiled, then leaned back and placed his hands over his stomach. “That was the best chicken salad sandwich I’ve ever had.”

I playfully hit his thigh and stood. “I hardly believe that.”

He stood as well, reaching for both of our plates. “Believe it. You made lunch, I’ll clean up.”

“How about we both clean up, then maybe we can watch another movie.”

A sexy smirk appeared on his handsome face. “Is that really how you want to spend the afternoon, watching a movie?”

Before I could answer, his cell rang.

“It’s Bryce.”

I took the plates from him while he took the call. I could make out a few words here and there. From what I could gather, it sounded like most of the major roads were cleared.

After rinsing the plates, I put them in the dishwasher, then cleaned the plate the cat had eaten from and set it aside, so Caden could feed her later.

When I walked back into the living room, Caden was standing at the window, staring out over the ranch. It took everything I had not to walk up and wrap my arms around him. I wanted to punch Rachel in the face for hurting him. He had such a beautiful heart, and he hid it behind the grumpy persona he’d adopted after she left him broken-hearted.

Oh, how I wished we had met first, too, Caden.

“What’s the update on the roads?”

He turned. “They just finished clearing 165.”

I attempted a smile. “Guess that means it’s time to go back to reality.”

Caden nodded. “Guess so.”

“Caden…I don’t want you to regret the last couple of days. I knew going in where you stood, and I don’t want to lose the friendship we’ve started. I’ve truly loved spending this time with you.”

He slowly exhaled, and I knew he was about to explain all over again why things had to end. I couldn’t bear to listen.