Page 39 of Wild Bliss

“I would be more than happy to help you, but maybe youshould talk to the school board,” he offered with a wince. “I want to beupfront. I don’t want to be your dirty little secret. That’s what Sawyer thinkswe should do. Or I should do. Date you but not in a way anyone could see. Hethinks I’ll ruin your reputation, and he might be right.”

She needed to make a few things clear to him. “Sawyer seesthe world through poop-colored glasses. His hot bod houses the soul of Eeyore.”

“I think he would say he’s being realistic. He doesn’texactly fit in.”

She’d thought about this, too. She’d been in Bliss formonths. Not once had anyone said “hey, stay away from the dude on the mountain.He’s trouble.” They did wonder why he didn’t come to any of the town functions.She’d heard Rachel Harper complain because she had friends she needed to set upand Sawyer was single and uninterested. His disinterest clearly frustratedRachel’s inner matchmaker. “Only because he doesn’t want to. I’ve heard a lotabout how he’s the baddest man in Bliss. Do you know who says it?”

Wyatt nodded. “Sawyer.”

“Exactly. He sees what he wants to see because he’s notwilling to risk getting hurt. No one in town thinks less of him for trying tosave his brother. Now I have heard they think less of him because of his wineselection. Boxed wine shouldn’t be the only option,” Sabrina explained and thensighed. Just because she understood the man didn’t mean she could change him.“I don’t think he’s going to turn around. So the question becomes are we apackaged deal? Do you think you would want to date me if Sawyer won’t?”

This was the question she’d been afraid to ask. She’dstarted this whole weekend with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be forever. Butwhat if Wyatt had been honest with her? What if he hadn’t been trying to getinto her panties and he really did have a thing for her? She definitely had athing for him and didn’t see why they wouldn’t explore the connection betweenthem. Unless he only wanted a woman Sawyer wanted, too.

“Sabrina Leal, you are not getting away from me. I workedtoo hard to get you right where I wanted,” he said, kissing her palm. “Mariedid bring me the complaints. I’m pretty sure they got lost on my desk.”

“You asshole.” But she said it with a smile. It was nice tobe pursued. It made it easy to make the decision. “And don’t worry about thetown. If they could forgive Alexei Markov, who literally brought an entireRussian syndicate down on their heads once and then an assassin, they’llforgive you for being born. You didn’t have a choice. And when you did, you gotout. You’re kind of in the best place possible for second chances.”

“All right, then. I’ll stop with the warnings. And you’llstop going out with those deputies,” he said. “I didn’t like watching you withthem.”

Such a stalker. They would have to work on the behavior.“They were nice.”

“But they weren’t for you,” he said solemnly. “I’m for you.Sawyer’s for you. Even if he’s too stubborn to admit it.”

She needed him to be sure. “You have to be ready for him tonever change his mind.”

“How about you? You okay with just you and me?”

She was more than okay. “I am. I’ll be honest, I’ve wonderedif Sawyer wouldn’t be interested in joining us from time to time, but I don’tknow if I can handle a relationship like that for very long. Wyatt, you shouldknow I went a little wild this weekend, but I want a marriage at some point. Iwant a family. I’m not saying you have to ask me to marry you. But I would liketo date someone who is open to the possibility.”

“I am open to the possibility.” He leaned over and kissedher forehead. “And I hope you remember I’m new to this whole dating thing, soI’ll probably get some things wrong. We didn’t date in the MC. There were twokinds of women…”

She shook her head and put a finger to his lips. “Nope. Youcan keep all those explanations. I’ll handle our dating life. How about we havedinner at Trio tomorrow night? Ooo, or I could come to Hell on Wheels.”

“Trio it is.” Wyatt kissed her, brushing his lips over hersthis time. “There’s actual food at Trio. All we have is fried stuff. It’sstarting to affect my gut. Trio sounds like the perfect place to go for ourfirst date. Everyone will know we’re together, and they’ll stop trying to setmy girl up.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that since you seem to have skippeda couple of phases,” a deep voice said from behind the closed door. “Of regulardating. Like coming over to meet the girl’s family before you spend a weekendtogether.”

Sabrina screamed and coffee went flying as she tried to duckunder the covers because the voice had come from right behind the closed door,and it had not been Sawyer.

“Sorry, sweetie. I wanted to come up and check on you,” Melsaid from the hallway. “Cassidy and your sister have been real worried aboutyou. I reminded them you’re a smart, capable woman, and Sawyer and Wyatt aregood men. But your sister is worried they’ll take advantage, and Cass is realworried about alien activity. You’re of a breeding age, so we have to becareful. Now I told them the Neluts won’t be looking to mate for another coupleof months, and Sawyer’s granddaddy was always real careful about making surethis place wasn’t attractive to them. That’s why there’s always wildflowersaround. They can’t stand the smell.”

“My fake dad is here,” Sabrina whispered. “And I’m naked.”

Wyatt ducked under the covers with her. “We can stay here.Maybe he’ll go away.”

Mel proved he wasn’t going anywhere soon. “Elisa wanted tocome up herself, but I explained if she was on the back of the snowmobile, wewouldn’t have any place to put you. And hers isn’t rigged right to get all theway up here. It’s better in the valley.”

“He’s not going away.” She’d told her sister she wasn’tgoing to go wild. And then she’d gone wild, and now she felt like a teenagerwho’d gotten caught.

“Is he going to kill me? Is that what fake dads do?” Wyattasked.

“Sabrina, you okay in there?” Mel asked.

“Yes.” She had to handle this like the adult she was. “Yes.I am fine. I was straightening up in here and I’ll be out momentarily. I wasn’texpecting company. Elisa said no one would be able to get me until Tuesday.”

“Like I said, those county vehicles don’t have the get upand go mine has. It’s the small nuclear engine I got from some friendly… Well,see, they don’t like the term space pirates,” Mel began.

Sabrina winced as she pushed back the covers. “Sawyer’sgoing to kill me. I got coffee everywhere.”

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