“Yeah, we’re tight. I live over her garage, so we see each other every day. We fight as often also.” His tone has a hint of humor in it.
“I live down the street from my parents,” I say. “It’s always made me feel safe.”
We’ve reached the lawn of the main house, and all I see are people.
Men, women, kids. And dogs.
I recognize Luke and his twin brothers, Cooper and Chase. I stare hard at the dark-haired man chatting with them.
“Is that…”
“Declan Wild? Yep.”
“The hockey legend?”
“One and the same.” He points at a handsome blond guy and another dark-haired one. “Those two are football players. Colton and Dylan Wild.”
“Wow. I recognize them too. So many athletes in your family. I didn’t make the connection with the ranch name.”
“Declan, his wife, and their baby daughter live on the property. They built their own house here. Dylan and Colton grew up in Montana and have homes here in the off-season.”
Now I feel even more out of my element than I did. Michael’s family is not just huge and cohesive; it’s also successful and wealthy and…famous.
“Come on, and I’ll introduce you around.”
Michael puts his hand on the small of my back and gently guides me forward.
And ready or not, I’m officially initiated into the Wild clan.
Ayden is here with his wife Bella, who is lovely and friendly and takes me under her wing right away.
She’s a singer-songwriter out in Los Angeles, and she’s taking some time to enjoy being a mother right now. She introduces me to Savannah, Leleila, and Mia Wild. Mia is Declan’s wife, Savannah is married to Declan’s baby brother Cameron, and Leleila is the wife of Brayden, the fourth brother of Wild Ranch, although he and Leleila and their twin girls live in a neighboring town on Big River Ranch.
All the women are so welcoming, and they invite me to a girls’ night out they’re having. Leleila and I click right away. We’re both Montana girls who love the mountains.
“That’s amazing you’re an artist,” I tell her. “I can’t draw or paint to save my life.”
“What do you do?” she asks me.
I fidget uncomfortably. “I’m in between things at the moment.”
She nods like she understands, and something makes me tell them all the truth.
“I got passed over for a promotion at the advertising company I’ve worked at forever, and I sort of walked out.”
“I’m sorry,” Leleila says. “You must be reeling.”
“Pretty much,” I admit. “I just had this plan, you know? And now…”
I trail off, but Leleila nods like she understands.
“I was a psych student a while back,” she says. “Until I failed my dissertation. Best thing that ever happened to me.”
I stare at her. “Really?”
“Really. I was forced to listen to my heart and figure out what I truly loved to do.”
Huh.
