A low growl rumbles deep in Wilder’s throat as he steps forward, shoving past me into the doorway until he’s nose to nose with Ryder. Ryder might be tall, but Wilder towers over him—broad-shouldered and built from years of hard ranch work that started when he was barely old enough to ride. Standing in front of him, Ryder looks like a scrawny kid playing dress-up, his attempt at holding his ground already faltering.
“Don’t you ever,fucking, touch her,” Wilder growls, his voice low and dangerous, each word slicing through the air like a blade. His hand wraps protectively around my waist, pulling me behind him as if shielding me from some threat.
“Wilder, it’s fine,” I murmur, my heart hammering in my chest as I try to de-escalate the situation. But my words barely register.
Wilder doesn’t move an inch, his gaze locked on Ryder. The tension between them is thick, and though Ryder’s trying to stand his ground, it’s clear he knows how this will end if it comes to blows. I stand there, wide-eyed, caught between fear anddisbelief at Wilder’s protective fury.
“I’d never, man. I swear, I’d never. I’m in love with her sister,” Ryder stammers, his voice shaky, his bravado cracking. “I didn’t know that Mercedes was pregnant until the very end. She hardly showed.” His words come out rushed, desperate. “After the baby was born, I should’ve stopped it. I know that, but I didn’t. And I regret that and any pain I’ve caused you or Willow. I—I’m sorry.”
Wilder’s jaw tightens, his teeth clenched so hard I can practically hear it. His fury is palpable, radiating off him in waves.
“I already know, Wilder. I know,” I say gently, my hand landing on his arm. My touch seems to cut through the haze of his anger just enough to guide him outside.
He lets me steer him to the driveway without protest, though his body is still ridged, his fists curling and uncurling as he exhales sharply like he can’t get in enough air. I’ve never seen him this angry before, not even earlier today when he found me in his house reading to Willow. That reaction was nothing compared to the storm he just unleashed on Ryder.
“How did you find out?” he asks finally, his voice low and controlled, though the tension in his body hasn’t eased.
“Cody told me.”
He nods, his gaze fixed somewhere over my shoulder. “I’m sorry for how I spoke to you earlier, Teagan. Now’s just…” He hesitates, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to find the right words lodged somewhere deep in his throat and I understand now how he feels. “It’s not the right time for me to be dating. For me to... feel something so strongly for someone else. Willow is—she’s everything to me, and I’m still trying to figure out how to be her dad. I’m still trying to figure out how to be the parent that she needs.”
“I understand,” I say softly. “Willow is your priority, as she should be. I’m sorry for going into your home without being invited.”
“No, no,” he says, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. You were just trying to turn the electricity back on. I overreacted.” He pauses, his eyes meeting mine for the first time. “Willow has never met a woman I’ve dated before. I just… I wasn’t ready for that. I’m sorry.”
We stand there, the silence between us heavy but not uncomfortable. It’s a silence filled with unspoken words, with things we both know can’t be said. And yet, it feels like I’ll carry this quiet with me long after he’s gone, and I’ve moved away.
The past four days have been a whirlwind, a blur of emotions and moments that feel both fleeting and unforgettable. I can already feel the inevitable goodbye looming, heavy and unavoidable. And when it comes, I’ll hold on to this—this gentle, protective, quiet man who gave me more in four days than I thought was ever possible.
I just want it to be over—another painful but necessary goodbye. Wilder has a child he loves, a little girl born under difficult and less-than-ideal circumstances, but she’s cherished beyond measure. She’s happy, surrounded by a family that loves her fiercely, even in the shadow of her mother’s passing. Willow is his priority, as she should be. He needs time to focus on her, to heal, and to figure out how to be the father and person she deserves.
There’s no anger in me, no bitterness or regret. How could there be? He’s the most responsible man I’ve ever met. He stepped up when it mattered, took responsibility when others might’ve run. I bet he’s an incredible father to Willow. I just wish I could see it for myself—be part of it, even in the smallest way.
I force down the lump rising in my throat, swallowing hard as the goodbye I’ve been dreading for days finally crashes over me in a way I didn’t expect it to.
“Goodbye, Teagan,” Wilder says softly, stepping toward me, his movements slow, almost reluctant. “You’re going to be an amazing veterinarian someday. You know, if you’re ever in town,stop by the ranch. And if I’m ever in Houston…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence, and he doesn’t need to. The words hang between us, heavy and unfinished, like so much else. He isn’t smiling, and neither am I. There’s nothing good about this goodbye and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to look back on this weekend without it feeling unresolved.
I rise onto my toes, my hand lightly brushing his arm as I press my lips to his cheek, letting them linger there for a moment longer than I should.
“You’re a good man, Wilder Cameron,” I whisper, my voice trembling just enough to betray me. “Willow is so lucky to have you as her dad. Thank you… for this wild and beautiful weekend together.”
Chapter 17 – Teagan
Five years later...
“Hey, Benson, I need you to run a full blood panel to assess Penny the python’s health.”
“A full panel?” he asks.
I nod. “This is a good learning experience for you. Exotic animals often hide their symptoms so well that it’s crucial to get a comprehensive view of their internal health to figure out what’s going on with her. Right now, it isn’t apparent based on the physical examination we’ve given her.”
My vet tech nods as we place the python back into the glass storage container that her owner brought her in this morning. Together, we lift her onto the rolling cart we use for large animal transportation before making sure she’s secured tight. He guides the cart down the hallway to the lab to complete the draw while I head to the sink to wash my hands. Once clean, I walk back out to the waiting area to meet with Penny’s owner and give him an update.
“Hi, Mr. Becker?” I ask as I approach a small man wearingblack wire glasses and a cowboy hat. I’ve been working as a veterinarian full time for over a year now and I’ve started to be able to easily identify pets and their owners and this guy somehow manages to look just like Penny.
He nods. “That’s me.”
