Page 55 of Wild and Wrangled

“Are you going soft on me, Ryder?” I asked sarcastically. I’d always known Emmy to be stubborn and fierce, but I liked seeing how much she’d grown into herself since I’d been gone. “You basically made yourself a human shield between Cam and me when I crashed your girls’ night last year.” I remembered the way Emmy placed herself protectively between the two of us. As much as it threw me in the moment, I liked seeing that Cam had found a place and people that would protect her. Especially if I couldn’t fill that role anymore.

“Well, she was engaged. I thought she was happy, and I didn’t need you stepping in and fucking it all up.”

“Was she not happy?” I asked. I didn’t know anything about Cam’s engagement. I didn’t know how she and Graham met, how long they were together—nothing. But in the past couple months, Cam didn’t seem to give any indication that she was a heartbroken woman. She seemed…fine. Not sad, just run-down.

Emmy was quiet for a second before she answered. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it since the wedding day. I just…Ithink there was more to her engagement than any of us knew, and I don’t know if she would’ve chosen it if she didn’t have a reason.”

My thoughts immediately went to Cam’s parents. To be blunt, the Ashwoods fucking sucked ass. They were somehow completely absent and totally controlling all at once. They dangled money like a carrot but never approval or love or affection. As a teenager, I don’t think I really understood how bad being in that house was for her. I knew she didn’t like her parents, but I don’t think I understood how detrimental it was to feel like love had to be earned.

I think my parents saw it, though. I think that’s why they always let Cam stay for dinner and put her report cards on the fridge. I think that’s why my dad taught her to change a flat tire and why my mom went to her soccer games.

There were parts of Cam that I had to grow up to understand. I think I was finally starting to do just that.

“That bums me out,” I said to Emmy with a sigh.

“Me too,” Emmy agreed. “So don’t give up yet, okay?” And with that, we went our separate ways for the day.

—

When I got home, I noticed a small human playing on the rocks outside of my front door. What was Riley doing there?

I got out of my truck and started walking toward her. She waved at me excitedly as I got closer. “What’s up, kid?” I asked. “Everything all right?”

“I’m bored,” she said with a huff. “And I can’t reach the Fruit Roll-Ups in the pantry.”

“A tragedy,” I responded. “Where’s your mom?”

“She’s asleep in her office.” Riley sighed.

My spine straightened. “Is she okay?”

Riley nodded. “She was working. I think she got tired.”

“You didn’t wake her up?”

“She doesn’t wake me up when I’m tired.” Riley lifted her small shoulders in a shrug. “Can you come get me a Fruit Roll-Up?”

“Yeah, kid,” I said with a nod. “Let me change my clothes, and I’ll meet you back there.”

“I’ll wait,” Riley said and sat down on one of the rocks. I hurried into my house and took off my coat and whipped my long-sleeved thermal over my head before grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I smelled like horses, but I didn’t want to shower. I wanted to get Riley her Fruit Roll-Up and make sure Cam was okay.

I swung the door back open less than two minutes later. Riley popped up from her seat on the rock, and before I knew it, she had slipped her small hand into mine and was walking me back toward her house.

“How was the coffee shop?” I asked as she walked.

“It was okay,” Riley said. “I tried a hazelnut steamer today.”

“You didn’t like it?” I asked, based on her tone. She shook her head. “I don’t like hazelnut, either. What flavor do you normally get?”

“Vanilla,” she said.

“You can’t go wrong with a classic.”

“I think so, too,” Riley said. “But my mom says I have to try something new once a week.”

“That’s a good rule,” I said. “Because you wouldn’t know if you didn’t like it if you never tried it.”

“Sometimes I like the new stuff, though, like olives. Do you like olives?”

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