Page 28 of Wilde Hearts

Mom once again waved off Ensley’s words. “Don’t be silly. You haven’t had a good meal since you came here.”

“I have, actually. I went out to dinner with Doug last night. He, um…he came to town to check on…things.”

“Things?” I asked.

Ensley completely ignored me.

“That was so nice of him to do that for you.” Mom turned to my father. “I wonder if the kids can bring you back a salad?”

My father’s eyes lit up. “A sandwich sounds amazing, though. I’d do anything not to have to eat hospital food again.”

“I don’t think the doctor would approve of you eating deli meat. A nice salad will do.”

Sighing, my father said, “I guess a salad from a deli is better than a salad from the hospital.”

Clapping her hands in delight, my mother flashed a wide grin at Ensley. “Then that settles it! You kids will grab lunch, talk about Jacob’s schedule, then bring us back something yummy.”

Ensley forced a smile, and when I looked at my mother and father, I knew exactly what they were doing.

Playing matchmaker with me and Ensley.

I glanced back at Ensley and winked. She shot me a dirty look before rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to her phone.

Lunch was going to be interesting.

Ensley

“I pulled up the sandwich place my mother was talking about. It’s a short walk if you’d like to head there together.”

I hit the elevator down button so hard, I winced at the pain that shot through the tip of my index finger.

“Is that a no?”

I turned to face Colt and gave him my best glowering expression. “Listen, I’m only doing this because your mother forced me into it. I don’t have anything to say to you.”

The elevator doors opened, and I hesitated a long second before getting in.

Once we were inside, Colt faced me. “Ensley, if I’m going to be staying in River Falls for good and working for my father, we’re bound to run across one another. Don’t you think we should…”

Folding my arms over my chest, I asked, “We should what?”

“Talk. Settle things between us.”

“Settle things between us?” I echoed with a humorless laugh.

“Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words. But I really would like to try and explain.”

“You had plenty of chances to explain. Actually, 3,652 days, give or take a few. Let’s just get through this lunch, and whatever it takes to get you on board with your father’s clients, and then I’m done. I’d really prefer to never have to speak to you again.”

The doors opened, and I nearly sprinted out of that little box. I’ll never be able to ride in an elevator again without fearing it might get stuck.

“Is that really what you want? To just ignore me the rest of your life?”

“You’ve done it to me for the last ten years, so it shouldn’t be that hard, right?”

Colt sighed. “It’s complicated, Ensley.”

I laughed again. “Sure it is. So complicated. You left the woman you supposedly loved, not so much as a reason why and with a note that really said nothing. Spent the last decade wandering the globe and, oh, what else? That’s right…never contacted me. Not. Once.”