Page 79 of Boots, Bucket Lists & Bad Ideas
“You were on Fox property.” She holds the reins like she holds grudges, tightly and without apology. “Don’t pretend you didn’t notice. The fence line has been carved into this land, and into us, forever.”
I hold back a smirk, knowing exactly where we’re standing. My brother’s ranch sits squarely on Nofarre Stretch, the lone thread of earth that had kept the Wilde and Fox properties apart for centuries. Until my brother and Hope were given the land as a wedding gift from the town.
Now, it’s a silent bridge between two families torn by years of feuding.
A bridge I didn’t fucking make.
A bridge I watched being erected with an anger simmering inside me, I will never rid myself of.
I rest my arm on the log in the back of my truck. “You talkin’ about this log?”
“Put it back on my property.” The slight tilt of her head says more than any words ever could.
I lean my hip against my truck. “You’re really gonna make a scene over one log?”
But I knew she would.
She swings down in one clean motion, all sinew and certainty. It’s like watching a storm roll in over dry land.
Untouchable.
Meant for someone better than me.
You don’t catch that kind of wild. You just stand there and feel it pass through you.
Dust swirls at her boots. She sets her stance, shoulders squared, hands resting loosely at her hips, as if she’s ready for whatever comes next.
“I shouldn’t be surprised a Wilde would want to add log thief to their list of accomplishments. It suits, considering y’all are known for stealin’ cattle.”
I shrug, noting the ancient long feud really doesn’t hit me the way it used to. But then again, up until last year, I thought we were all fighting over the stolen cattle our ancestors claimed. To my surprise, I discovered I wasn’t the only Wilde to fall for a Fox—and neither was my brother.
The revelation hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d spent my whole life shaping my future around a feud I believed defined everything. Only to learn Pa broke the one rule he’d given me. He’d been involved with a Fox in his youth, and her death drove our families further apart.
Now, I’m stuck in this loop where I continue to make sure Jade sees me as the asshole I’ve always been.
“Speaking of which, how was your night in jail?” Her lips curl into a smug smile.
Another shrug. “Ain’t the first time. Doubt it will be the last.” I strum my fingers on the log. “Not sure why you’re upset. It’s just a log, sweetheart.”
She steps close enough that I can smell her. Lord, she smells so fucking good, like wildflowers and fresh cut hay.
“That’s not the point.” Frustration rings in her voice. “You can’t just take things that don’t belong to you and fuck off like nothing happened?”
“Are we talking about the log or your virginity?”
Her hand swings up and slaps my face.
Shit.
I wince.
It stings, and I deserve it.
“Virginity it is.” I rub my jaw.
I half expect her to slap me again. But she finds her control.
“From my side of that sexual experience, it seems I wasn’t the only one to lose my virginity that night. You were hard for a solid minute before coming like an amateur.”
