Page 57 of Wilde Hearts

Ensley’s voice came from behind me. I let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah. I believe I did.”

With a soft smile, Ensley said, “Goodnight, Colt.” Turning to my parents, she walked over and gave them each a kiss and hug goodbye before turning and walking away.

After helping my mother up into the truck, I shut the door and let out a sigh of relief. Once inside, Mom wasted no time telling me all about Logan Miller.

“She’s a mini version of her grandmother, a manipulative gossip queen. But this is the most important part—the girl is only twenty-one.”

I nodded. “I figured she was about that age.”

“Just be very careful around her. Levi Tucker had to fire her from his vet clinic because she did nothing but flirt with him inappropriately.”

“Who’s the gossip now?” I teased.

My father laughed in the back seat. “He’s got you there, darling.”

Mom huffed, then added, “I’m simply trying to let my son know to be careful with that girl. I’m sure she told her parents she had a ride home.”

“That much I gathered. I’m not completely ignorant about women, Mom.”

She glanced at me. “I guess not. I just want you to be very cautious. I don’t trust Logan as far as I can throw her.”

“Duly noted, and thank you for looking out for me.”

The rest of the drive was quiet…until my mother broke the silence again. “Ensley looked beautiful this evening.”

“She did,” I agreed.

“How are things between the two of you?”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter because I knew what was coming. My parents had been very silent about Ensley, and I’d been waiting for them to ask questions. It figured they’d wait until we were trapped in a car together. “Not so hot. She’s angry with me, as she should be.”

“What are you doing to fix it?” my father asked.

I glanced in the rearview mirror before saying, “We’re having lunch tomorrow in Granby.”

“That’s good!” my mother enthused.

All I could do was nod. I wasn’t sure how Ensley would take my explanation for the reason why I’d left town, but she deserved to know the truth. She was the only person I would ever tell. My mother and father could never know the reason.

“We’ll see.”

“You have to be positive, son.”

Nodding, I replied, “I will be, Dad. How did you both enjoy your night?”

“Well,” Mom said with a slight sigh, “I know a change of subject when I hear one.”

I laughed.

“I enjoyed myself,” Dad answered. “It was nice to get out of the house for a bit and eat something other than kale.”

Mom twisted to look at my father in the back seat, a grin stretched across her face. “I hate to break it to you, Jacob, but you ate kale this evening in the salad.”

He laughed. “I figured you’d sneak it in there somewhere.”

The rest of the drive home was filled with my mother telling us all about the new cookbook she’d ordered called The Book of Kale.

It ended up working out perfectly for me to meet Ensley in Granby for lunch the next day. A potential new client called early this morning, and I met with them beforehand. They’d recently moved to Granby from Texas and were looking for a farrier. Turns out they’d also met with Ensley last week, but wanted to make sure they’d checked out all their options. I told them they couldn’t go wrong picking either one of us.