Page 73 of Love in the Wild

They walked out into the cool March day, and Thea wrapped her arms around her middle. “Brr. I forgot how long winter lasts here.”

“I’m still getting used to it. This is a new level of cold up here.” Hadley squinted to see a figure running up the hill toward them. “Is that–”

“Hold your horses!” Brett shouted.

“What’s he doing here? I thought he had a meeting with Mr. Chambers.”

Hadley chuckled at Brett making a mad dash from the stables just to see Thea. “I’ll let you two have a minute. I’ll be in the car.”

Seeing Brett and Thea so happy bloomed Hadley’s own hopes. Those two were determined to love each other, no matter what obstacles stood in their way.

The urge to text Gage rose up again. She hadn’t heard from him since this morning, and the need to know more about how Brett’s meeting with Gage and Thea’s family went was crawling up her back.

After a few minutes, Thea hobbled to the car and took her place in the passenger seat.

Hadley turned to Thea as she shifted into reverse. “So, how did it go?”

“He thinks it went well. Everyone walked away unscathed. I heard Gage wasn’t a fan of the plan.”

Hadley focused her attention on the road ahead, pushing down the gnawing feeling that had been roiling in her gut all day. “He said Bruce has been quiet. Gage thinks something is up, but he doesn’t know what it could be. He’s working on it.”

Thea adjusted her position in the seat. The big boot took up most of her leg room. “What else did Gage say?”

Hadley gripped the wheel as she turned onto the main road. Could she talk about Gage without letting Thea see her nerves? “He hopes this plan works, even if he doesn’t hold out much hope. He missed you.”

“What about you?”

Hadley glanced over at Thea. “What about me?”

Thea’s mouth pulled up into a grin. “Does he miss you too?”

Oh, man. Was she ready to confess her growing feelings for Gage? She hadn’t even told him. The thought of putting herself out there brought on the memories of her mom’s failed relationships.

The crying. The screaming. The utter depression and rejection.

If Gage decided he didn’t feel the same way about her, could she handle it? Or would she end up writhing on the couch for weeks like her mom?

“No. I don’t think he misses me. Why?”

“When was the last time you saw him?” Thea asked.

Busted. “Um, this morning.”

Thea straightened in her seat, and her mouth fell open.

Shoot. Heat was creeping up Hadley’s neck. “Stop. It’s nothing.”

“You saw him last night, and you still needed to see him this morning. Sounds like something. Are there feelings?”

Oh no. The true answer to that question was a clear yes, and she couldn’t keep lying to herself.

But hiding her scary feelings from Thea was probably for the best. Hadley scoffed. “It’s been like a week. I’m not riding off into the sunset with him just yet.”

She’d been meeting up with Gage for more than a week, but it was still a short timeline. How had things between them gotten so serious so quickly? She’d completely lost control of her attraction to Gage, and she’d done little to stop it from taking over like a wildfire.

“I don’t know much about him now, but he wasn’t like the rest of them when we were growing up. He protected me. I know he did the same illegal things they did, but you could tell his heart wasn’t in it.”

Thea’s assurances of Gage’s character helped relax Hadley’s constricting chest. “I believe that. He really cares about you. And your mom. He’s doing everything he can to make sure you’re safe, especially since you’ve decided to stay.”

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