“Thanks for saying so. Nice to meet you, Logan.” Declan introduces me as his wife, and Logan shoots me a friendly grin.
“Welcome to the Wild family, Mia,” he says before his whiskey eyes swirl with humor. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”
I laugh. “I’m not regretting my decision yet.”
Declan’s gaze flicks to mine, and he leans over and kisses my head.
Logan’s got the same mischievous grin that Cam has, and he and Declan immediately hit it off. They chat about the Wild Kings, who Logan jokes will beat his San Antonio Stallions if they ever meet up.
“I always root for family over my home state anyway,” he says. “And speaking of family, I almost forgot.” He reaches into the paper bag he’s dropped at his feet.
When he pulls out a cowboy hat, Luke sucks in his breath.
“I’ve been holding onto it for you,” Logan says to Luke as he tries to hand him the hat.
The cowboy hat is worn and looks well-used. It also obviously means something to Luke, who’s staring at it like he’s seeing a ghost.
“Is that…” Luke says in a raspy tone.
Logan nods and continues to hold it toward him. “Come on, Wild, buck up and take your damn rodeo hat back,” Logan says in a teasing tone meant to lighten the heaviness of this moment. “I know you’re not able to get back out there yet, but you will be someday soon. And this hat wants to go on another ride with you.”
Luke’s eyes meet Logan’s. A silent exchange passes between them before Luke takes the hat from his cousin.
“Can’t believe you held onto it all this time,” Luke says to him in a hoarse tone.
“Can’t believe you didn’t think I would,” Logan says.
Luke puts the hat on his head. And it sounds crazy, but everything about him changes. He looks younger and less burdened. Even his scar looks less angry.
Declan clears his throat. “Still fits perfectly, Luke.”
“I agree,” Logan says.
“It does,” I say softly.
“Hey!” Blake wanders into the kitchen with a pretty, dark-haired woman who’s casually dressed in a pink and white checked flannel and blue jeans.
“Hey, y’all.” Blake gives Declan and me a friendly nod. “This here is Macey.”
Macey has the same whiskey-colored eyes as Logan, and she surprises me when she gives me a hug. I hug her back, assuming she must be with Blake.
She’s bubbly and talkative, and as the guys start chatting, she says to me, “I heard y’all just got married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I say, and something about the way she’s looking at me makes me want to share more. “It all happened so fast. I feel like I’m on a ride that could stop at any time.”
I’m pretty sure she’s younger than me, but something in her eyes makes them seem like they’ve seen far more than I have. “That’s called the blind blush, right? Everything is good at the beginning because real life hasn’t set in yet.”
I stare at her, wondering if she knows the truth about Declan and me.
I quickly realize that’s not what she means when she continues chatting. “My mama talks about that feeling all the time.” She flings her hands in the air for emphasis. “She says love can do that to the best of us. And in our town in Texas, which is named after Jane Austen, we’re more prone to being swept away. Our town motto is ‘Find Your Mr. Darcy.’ Who’s got a chance of that, right?” She flings her hands in the air again and laughs heartily. “Certainly not me.”
I nod in the direction of Blake as the guys stop talking and turn toward us. “Are you with Blake? I mean, you came up here together?”
Macey stares at me with the most confused look on her face before she and Blake both burst out laughing.
“Logan would bury me six feet under if I went after his girl,” Blake says with glee.
“I’m not his girl,” Macey snaps at the same time Logan says, “She’s not…we’re not like that.”
