Page 2 of Haden

I lift a brow.

Emilia giggles again. “Brody… You’re going to scare him off before he even unpacks.”

Deciding to leave my duffel and other belongings in the truck for now, I shut the door. “What am I missing?”

Emilia sighs as she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “It’s like a den of wolves in there. Anyone who enters is stuck for life. There’s something in the water, or maybe the paint. I can’t decide if it’s an aphrodisiac or some fertility pheromone. If bachelorhood is important to you, I wouldn’t set foot inside.”

My eyes widen at her odd pronouncement.

Brody growls as he reaches over to tug his sister’s hair. “Stop it, brat. There’s no such thing as a fertility pheromone.”

“Yeah? Then how do you explain all the pregnant women and lovestruck men? Including you and your wife?” she sasses. She turns back to me. “Can you even believe my brother is married? He met Melody, and five minutes later, he married her.” She waves a hand through the air. “She’s fantastic, though. You’re going to love her.”

My smirk returns. Emilia is too fucking cute for her own good. But she’s feisty. All five-foot-two of her is standing tall as if she might exude power with her stance. She even puts her hands on her hips. Her fucking sexy hair is blowing slightly around her, making her look like an apparition.

I’m six-four and more than a foot taller than Emilia. The fact that I tower over her only adds to the appeal.

“Yeah…” I face Brody. “Sorry I couldn’t be here for that. My invitation arrived about four days after the ceremony.” I chuckle.

“Hardy har har har.” Brody nods toward the house. “Come on.”

Emilia shakes her head. “I’m warning you… Enter at your own risk. Maybe don’t inhale or drink anything.”

I lift my brows. “Your brother’s right. You are a brat.”

She cocks out a hip and crosses her arms. “Fine. Make fun of me. You’ll see. If you go in there, you’d better be prepared to take a wife. Cupid will hit you on the way through the door. Weird cartoon hearts will float above your head, and you’ll either end up married to one of the staff or the first woman you meet in town.”

I glance at her as she once again nearly skips alongside me. Her legs are short. She has no choice but to put some pep in her step to keep up. In fact, I slow my gait to be polite.

Has it not occurred to her that the first single woman I’m going to see when I step into the house is going to be her? Unless… My breath hitches. “Have you met someone?”

Her eyes pop wide. “Me? Hell, no. I think the breeding gene only extends to men. I’ve been here for over a month. Cupid has not caught me.”

I snicker. “Maybe you have to be a Wilde man. I’m not related. My last name is Geltman. I’m sure I’m safe.” I’m not actually sure I’m safe at all, not if Emilia is going to be close by.

I wonder how her brother would feel if he knew how lustful I felt toward his sister. He’d probably have me hanged. I’m eighteen years older than her. I’m sure he’d have me hanged. Then again… He told me Melody is twenty-eight. She’s seventeen years younger than he is. He’d be a hypocrite to judge anyone else. But Emilia is his sister…

For some reason, I actually suck in a breath and hold it as we enter the giant kitchen at the back of the mansion. It’s ridiculous. I should not listen to foolish superstitions. Plus, it’s not like I could continue not to breathe the entire time we’re inside.

It’s lunchtime, and the kitchen is bustling with people. The first thing I notice is that there are four women gathered around the giant island, and they’re all young. Under thirty.

The men who come over to meet me are all Wildes. I instantly see the family resemblance. Plus, Brody told me who would be here. His brother—whom I’ve met many times—plus two cousins. These men are all in their forties.

Glancing at Emilia, I fight the urge to smirk yet again. Who among these men could possibly judge me for finding her attractive?

It’s loud, but I shake hands with Ryder and Tiago—Brody’s cousins—before Dallas—Brody’s brother. A round of welcomes is followed by everyone expressing how glad they are that I’ve arrived. I’m bombarded with talk of water pipes, electrical issues, and structural concerns.

Emilia surprises me when she grabs my arm. “He just got here. Let him at least have a sandwich before you give him a list.”

I know this job is going to be massive. I’m not even sure that’s a fair word. I suspect I could be here a lifetime and never fully get on top of all the issues that need attention. It’s not a small house. It’s over a hundred years old and has undergone numerous renovations without any kind of permits. It’s not as if Wilde required the old man, who practically owned the town, to get permits every time he made a change. And it wouldn’t have been just him. His own father as well.

I’m aware of the number of people in the room, all talking over one another. It truly is loud. I’m not used to giant families. Growing up, my own family was small. We lived very far away from my grandparents, so most holidays were spent with just the four of us—me, my brother, and my parents. We weren’t a rowdy bunch. I don’t see any of them very often. My parents have retired and are living the dream in Florida. My brother is currently backpacking somewhere in Germany. A midlife crisis.

What I’m aware of is Emilia’s fingers on my arm. And the tinkle of her voice every time she speaks. And her scent. She’s standing close enough that I can smell her floral shampoo.

I’ve thought about this woman often over the past four years. Every time she visited Brody, I would see her. After all, neither Brody nor I had family living close by in San Antonio, and we’ve been friends for many years, so we’ve spent a lot of holidays together.

When Emilia was in college, her parents moved to Europe, so she started joining us. She and Brody share a father. Her mother is their dad’s second wife.