Page 56 of Wilde Flame

A few surprised gasps filled the air, before someone yelled out congratulations. Soon, everyone was surrounding the little family of five.

I felt tears prick the back of my eyes and quickly blinked them away. Emeline was beaming with happiness, and for a hot second, I was jealous of the love she’d found. Then I felt guilty for feeling that way.

“You okay?”

The deep voice beside me sent a prickle of awareness through my core. I glanced over my shoulder at Caden, who was studying me.

I nodded. “I am. I’m so happy for them.”

He smiled. “Did you know?”

Shaking my head, I let out a breath. “I had a feeling something was going on, but I didn’t press Emeline for any information. How exciting.”

“My sister’s never looked happier.”

“You don’t think she’s taking on too much? An instant family of five?”

He shook his head as he watched his sister. “Look at her. I think this is something she’s always longed for, and particularly with Levi.”

“A family?” I asked.

Caden’s gaze returned to me. “I can remember when she was around six or seven, my mother made me go to her room to play with her. I had to sit at this tiny little table, with all her dolls and stuffed animals around it. We were having afternoon tea.”

I smiled at the image. “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”

He chuckled. “She used to pretend she was the mommy to all of them, and I was their favorite uncle. She told me once that she had two dreams. One was to ride a horse every single day for the rest of her life, and the other was to have a big family with lots of kids.”

I quickly wiped a tear away. “And both dreams came true.”

His head tilted slightly as he regarded me. “What are your dreams, Lili?”

The use of his nickname for me made my entire body warm. I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, the store was a dream.”

“Did you used to play tea and have all of your dolls and animals sitting at a table?”

Laughing, I replied, “I think every little girl did at one point growing up.”

“Not me!” Ensley stated, as she walked over to join us.

Caden laughed. “You had all of your horses and that barn Dad built for you. If I remember, you wanted to be a vet for the longest time.”

“Blame Emily Elizabeth from Clifford the Big Red Dog for that. She wanted to be a vet, and so did I.”

“Remember when you asked Santa one year for a Clifford dog? You were so pissed when you opened your present and found a stuffed Clifford. You set it back in the box, looked at Mom, and asked if Santa was real, because you did not ask for a stuffed dog.”

“You didn’t,” I said with a giggle.

Ensley grinned. “How do you remember all of this stuff?”

Caden shrugged.

Looking at me, Ensley said, “I was so mad. I remember wanting to take that stuffed dog and chuck it out the window. Mom obviously realized I was pissed, because she quickly told me I had one more gift. Then they brought me outside, and Uncle Jason was holding the most beautiful Suffolk Punch I’d ever seen.”

“Suffolk Punch?” I asked. I wasn’t quite up to speed on all things horses, but since becoming friends with Emeline and Ensley, I was slowly learning.

“It’s a small draft horse that originated in Suffolk, England. Their coats are always chestnut.”

I smiled. “So you did get your Clifford, just not as a dog.”