Page 82 of Wilde Flame

Dad walked over and set a bowl down in front of my mother, then in front of me. I waited for him to come back with his own bowl and sit down.

I took a bite and raised my brows. “Delicious.”

“Stop stalling, Caden Wilde.”

Setting my spoon down, I wiped the corners of my mouth before closing my eyes briefly. “The last thing I ever want to do is disappoint either of you. Or Granddad or Grams. I hope you know that.”

“Of course, we know that,” Mom replied.

My father added, “And I highly doubt you ever could, son.”

I cleared my throat and just blurted it out. “Lilibeth is pregnant and I’m the father.”

My mother’s eyes widened as Dad’s brows drew down for a brief moment, then shot up.

Dad wore a confused expression. “I thought you two weren’t dating.”

Glancing at my father, my mother laughed. “Are you serious right now, Ladd Wilde? Anyone with two eyes can tell they like each other. Was it Christmas night?”

I nearly choked. This was not how I’d expected them to react. “I’m sorry, how did you know I went to Lilibeth’s Christmas night?”

She shrugged. “Small town, Caden. People talk, and apparently your truck was parked outside of her little rental for longer than a brief visit.”

I watched as she took a bite of stew, smiling as she chewed.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “I’m surprised it wasn’t in the paper.”

Laughing, Mom said, “Oh, this will be even bigger once they find out.”

Dad chuckled as well.

My eyes bounced between the two of them. “You’re not upset?”

Eyeing me, my mother shook her head. “Caden Flint Wilde, are you seriously asking us that question? Upset? I’m thrilled! But I didn’t want to react too much until I was sure how you felt about this. So…how are you feeling?”

Once again, I was reminded of how much I loved my parents. “I’m…confused. Scared shitless, worried I’m going to fuck up a kid. Did I mention I’m scared?”

My mother placed her hand over mine. “Being scared is a natural reaction. Is there a bit of happiness somewhere in there?”

I nodded. “Yes, but I’m still in shock.”

“How is Lilibeth doing?”

“I think she’s okay.”

“You think?” my father asked, frowning. “Have you asked her?”

“Yes. Of course. But my head is still spinning, Dad. She told me yesterday about the baby, and we just went to the doctor today. I heard the heartbeat, and that made it really real.”

“I would imagine so,” Mom said softly.

“I feel worried. Excited. Angry.”

“Angry?” Dad asked.

“That it’s happening this way. I used to dream of having a family, and after Rachel left, I kind of gave up on that dream.”

“You’re angry because it’s not with Rachel?”