Page 66 of Love in the Wild

Everly wrapped Hadley in a hug. “We’re here for you. Always.”

The warmth of Everly’s kindness had a sting of emotion crawling up Hadley’s throat. “I know.”

Blake pulled the bacon out of the pan and handed the plate to Hadley. “Load up. There’s plenty.”

“Thanks for letting me crash here. I’m sure Brett and Thea appreciate it too.”

“You’re welcome here anytime! It’s always nice to have friends over,” Everly said.

Hadley finished loading up the bacon, sausage, and a biscuit for each of them. “I gotta run, but I’ll see you at the ranch later.”

“Be careful!” Blake shouted over his shoulder as Hadley headed out.

She sang along with the radio at the top of her lungs as she drove out to the road where she’d met with Gage twice now. As before, Gage’s truck sat in the middle of the road waiting for her. She turned down the path and parked in the same place as before.

Gage parked beside her and met her at her door. She handed over the food and drinks before following him to the tailgate of his truck. He set the food down and turned to wrap her in his arms.

The warmth of Gage’s embrace was like the calm after a storm. Tension she’d been silently carrying seeped away as his heart hammered against her ear pressed to his chest.

“Good morning,” she whispered against his clean shirt.

His voice rumbled against her ear. “Good morning. What are you doing to me?”

“Hugging you. This is what people sometimes do when they just want to be close to someone.”

“No, I mean… I don’t even know what I mean. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about you. I miss you all the time. I’m worried being with me is going to get you in trouble, but I don’t know how to fix that besides letting you go.”

Hadley squeezed him tighter. “Good luck with that. I’m not going anywhere.”

Gage cupped his hands on both of her cheeks and turned her attention up to him. His gaze roamed over her face, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I’m selfish enough that I can’t send you away, even if that’s what I should do.”

“Not going anywhere,” Hadley repeated slowly. There were a lot of reasons why she should run, but leaving Gage wasn’t an option anymore. “I just want to point out that Thea didn’t leave either.”

Gage huffed. “Stubborn women.”

“Proud of it,” Hadley said as she patted Gage’s back. “We should eat. I have to get back to the ranch.”

Gage released her and opened one of the containers before handing it to her. “I can’t believe Brett married Thea.”

“I can. I’ve seen them together. Those two are made for each other.”

“My family is gonna flip when they find out. I can’t see this meeting going well today.”

“You’ll help Brett if he needs it today, right?”

Gage leveled her with a stare that sent shivers down her spine. He never just looked at her. His attention was magnetic, and he listened to every word she spoke. “Anything you ask, sunshine.”

“Anything?” If he was giving her free rein, it would be a waste to let the opportunity pass. “Can I say a prayer?”

There was a beat of hesitation, as if she’d caught him off guard, but Gage nodded. “Yeah, go ahead.”

Hadley bowed her head and gathered all of her bravery. “Lord, thank You for this food. Thank You for our friends and those You sent to help us. I pray You would go with us today. Keep our friends safe and let Gage and Thea’s family listen to Brett. I pray You’ll allow healing for these families like only You can. Amen.”

When she opened her eyes, Gage was smiling at her. She’d seen him smile a few times, but the joyful expression always hit her square in the chest.

“You think it’ll work?” Gage asked.

Hadley picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. “We’ll see. We can always ask God for the things we want, but ultimately He has a plan.”

---