Page 40 of Wild Bliss

“I’ll handle it,” Wyatt said, rolling off the bed. “I’msurprisingly good at laundry. I’ve never met a girlfriend’s father before.Okay. I’ve never actually had a girlfriend in the traditional sense. Just abunch of club whor…”

She gave him her best schoolteacher finger. “Do not finishthat sentence, Wyatt Kemp.”

“Yes, ma’am. What I meant to say was my relationships beforethis were mostly transactional.” His lips shut, and he handed her the clothesshe’d been wearing the day she’d joined them. She’d made do with their T-shirtsand sweats she had to tie around her waist.

It hadn’t been hard since she hadn’t worn clothes much.She’d cuddled with them under blankets while they watched movies and lounged onSawyer’s lap while they sat by the fire and talked. They’d seemed endlesslyinterested in her stories from the teaching battlefield.

How was it already ending? She pulled on her clothes withshaking hands. Only a few moments before she’d told Wyatt she accepted Sawyerwasn’t going to stick around, but now, faced with it, she had to tamp down somepanic.

She wasn’t going to be the woman who didn’t take a man athis word. She wasn’t going to push Sawyer. She certainly wasn’t going to sitaround and hope he changed his mind.

“It’s okay.” Wyatt had pulled a shirt on and got into herspace. “So your dad knows. Let’s stop calling him fake because it’s obvious thefeelings are real.” He grinned. “See, I’m learning feelings are important andabout more than anger. The therapy’s working. I’m going to see if Mel wouldlike to join us for breakfast.”

It was probably better than hustling him out of the houseand pretending nothing had happened. Wyatt’s calm helped her balance. “Okay.I’m going to use the bathroom and I’ll be right out. Wyatt, you can tell himwe’re dating but maybe…”

“You and I had the most wonderful weekend. I’m so gratefulyou got stuck here because I fell hard for you. And Sawyer worked in his shop.That’s all anyone needs to know.” Wyatt kissed her forehead and walked off tohandle Mel.

She could so fall in love with him.

But she worried she would always miss Sawyer.

She took a long breath. Reality was back, and she had toface it. At least she wouldn’t be doing it alone.

* * * *

Wyatt made sure his shirt was straight as he walked out ofthe bedroom where he’d spent the absolute best days of his life. The weekendhad been everything he could have hoped for.

With the exception of Sawyer being such a scaredy cat. He’dknown the minute he’d woken up and realized Sawyer wasn’t in bed with them, hispartner was in his shop pretending he wasn’t freaked out it was Monday and theyonly had one more day with Sabrina.

Except they didn’t because they were whole-ass adults whodidn’t have to stick to some arbitrary date they set. Just because they weren’tsnowed in anymore shouldn’t mean they had to end this amazing experiment.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. There was a tall,somewhat gaunt man standing in the hallway wearing overalls and boots and acoat, a trucker hat on his head. He appeared to be in his late sixties butstill had a lean strength no one could deny. He hadn’t been formallyintroduced, but he did know the man’s name. “Hello, Mr. Hughes. I’m WyattKemp.”

He held out a hand.

Mel’s eyes narrowed. “Are you?”

He wasn’t sure where that came from, but Wyatt answered. “Iam.”

“Are you sure?”

“I mean, yes. It’s the name my parents gave me. They neverindicated I was someone else.” He wasn’t sure where this dude was going.“Should I get Sabrina? She’s perfectly fine.”

“Is she?” Mel stalked toward him, a flask in his hand. “NowI told everyone we have a few months before we have to worry about the Nelutspestering our women for babies, but that doesn’t mean a single male couldn’tfind his way here and try to get a head start on the others. Drink this.”

He was pretty sure he shouldn’t drink anything he didn’tknow the ingredients of. Was Sabrina’s adoptive dad trying to kill him? “Sir, Ithink you should understand my intentions toward Sabrina are entirelyhonorable.”

“Yes, your people think it’s honorable to continue your DNAlines by any means necessary,” Mel replied.

Or he was insane.

“It’s beet juice, buddy,” a deep voice said and Sawyerrounded the corner. “It’s perfectly safe. Unless it’s his tonic, and thenyou’re in for a pretty wild couple of hours. I swear he puts peyote in it.”

Mel frowned, a deep furrow above his brows. “I do not. Iwould never use sacred peyote except in the proper religious ceremonies. Peoplejust forget how to make excellent whiskey. With some medicinal properties. Hashe ever taken the beet?”

“I actually am not great with vegetables.” He’d grown upwith carnivores. “I could do a nice salad. Or some corn.”

With a lot of ranch. He bet Sabrina was a nutritionallybalanced kind of woman. He would work on it. He could probably get used tobroccoli and green beans.

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