Page 90 of Wilde Flame

I giggled as I pictured Mrs. Harper having one-night stands.

“Anyway, we spent a lovely few days together, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to Caden even before that. I know we fought like cats and dogs, but I still liked him. Not enough that I was worried about deeper feelings. Then we spent those days together…and I really got to know him more. We became friends, and then we had another shared evening. I knew then that I couldn’t keep doing it. I was starting to fall for him, and I told him that. So we agreed to just be friends.”

“Then you found out you were pregnant.”

Nodding, I replied, “But that didn’t change anything. I know Caden can’t commit to anyone. He was very honest about that.”

She leaned forward and set her mug on the table. “You think by moving in with him you’ll fall in love with him.”

It was something I hadn’t been able to admit to my parents, or to myself.

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I can’t stay in the garage apartment, and moving in with my mother and father is out of the question. I made the mistake of telling my parents about my feelings for Caden, and now they think I shouldn’t move in with him. And the worst part of all of this…”

She raised her brows. “What’s the worst part?”

“They now want to buy me a house! Down the street from them. I love my parents dearly, Mrs. Harper. I followed them here to River Falls. But I can’t live four doors down from them for the foreseeable future. And I refuse to let them buy me a house.”

“Goodness,” she said softly, as she leaned back in her rocking chair. “You are in a pickle.”

“I know.”

“May I offer you some advice?”

I nodded. “Please! Offer it up.”

“First, I can see how you might be hesitant to move in with Caden, but I think that’s the right course of action. You’re about to be a mother, Lilibeth, and you own your own store. I’m not saying you couldn’t handle it alone, but your life is about to become unbelievably busy. Do you really want to deal with owning a home, having a newborn, and running a store? If you move in with Caden, he’ll be there to help. You can help one another.”

Chewing on my lip, I thought about a dream I’d had of him just last night. I woke up so freaking horny, and I couldn’t imagine having him just a flight of stairs away would make me feel any less so. “I think I should wait until the second trimester.”

“Oh no,” she said, picking up her mug once again and taking a sip before going on. “In the first trimester, you can get tired pretty quickly. And you don’t want the stress of moving hanging over your head. If it were me, I’d move in as soon as possible.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Wait a minute. Are you playing matchmaker?”

Laughing and waving off my question, she replied, “Don’t be silly. Once you get settled in, you’ll feel more at ease and less stressed. Your parents have good intentions, but sometimes they don’t know how to step back and let their kids live their lives. Trust me, I’ve seen it time and time again. I even did it with my own daughter, and I’m sure you’ll do it with your child someday, as well.”

“So you think I should move in with Caden sooner rather than later? What do we tell people as the reason I’m moving in?”

She paused. “I didn’t think of that. The truth? It’s just family, correct? No one else needs to know.”

I bit my lip. “You’re technically right. And it would be less stressful. And Caden’s house is lovely. I could stay there for a little while after the baby’s born and maybe save up to buy my own place.”

“I’m sure once Vivianne Wilde finds out she’s about to be a grandmother, she’ll be planning a nursery in her house, as well.”

I sighed. “Thank you for listening.”

She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Always here for you, my dear. Always.”

Feeling better than I had in the last three days, I cupped my mug of peppermint tea and smiled.

Caden

I rode along the north pasture fence line as the snow fell lightly around me. It was peaceful and quiet. The only sounds I heard were that of Draco’s hooves moving through the snow. When we stopped, I swore I could hear the snowflakes as they hit the ground.

Draco snickered, and I reached down and rubbed his neck. “What is it, boy?”

He threw his head up and down, and I looked around. Fifty feet from where we stood was a massive bull moose. He was staring at us with what looked like a quizzical expression.

“Easy,” I whispered to Draco, who took a few dancing steps. “He’s just out here doing his thing, like we are.”