Page 65 of Wilde Hearts

His brows shot up. “You’d do that alone?”

“All I’ve ever wanted was a baby. Ideally, I’d love to be married and start a family, but I feel like time is slipping through my fingers.”

Caden stared at me like I’d grown horns from my head before he finally said, “You’re only thirty, Ensley. You act like you’re on death’s door.”

“I know, I know. Emeline and Lilibeth have said the same thing to me. But seeing you and Emeline with your babies…it’s only made me want one of my own even more. I love my career and don’t want to give it up, but I also want a family. And ever since seeing Colt again, I realize that I want…” My voice trailed off, and I dropped my forehead to the neck of the mare.

Caden moved around and took me into his arms. I fought to keep my tears at bay.

“You realized you want that family with Colt?”

I sniffled. “Yes.” Drawing back to look up at him, I asked, “Do you think that makes me a fool?”

“What? No! Listen, I get that the guy broke your heart, and I won’t lie and say the moment I saw him, I didn’t want to punch his lights out. But I also see the way he looks at you, Ensley. He still cares about you. Did he mess up by leaving the way he did? Yes. But was he also young, scared, and grieving? Absolutely. I think he made a mistake, and by the time he realized what he’d done, he probably didn’t know how to fix it. If you ask me…I think you guys should try to start over. Because I think you’re both just as much in love with each other now as you were when he left River Falls.”

“Start over?”

“Yeah. Mom and Dad gave me great advice when it came to my relationship with Lilibeth. They told me to date her. At the time, I laughed, because she was already living with me and pregnant. But it turned out to be the best advice they ever gave me. Maybe that’s what you and Colt need to do. Go slow. Date…get to know each other again and see where that takes you. I’m not saying you have to forget what he did. But maybe what you need to do to start healing yourself is to forgive. And Colt needs to forgive himself, as well.”

I stared at him for a long moment. “Jesus, what did you do with my brother Caden?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Right? It’s like I’m this totally new person lately. Fatherhood changed me, I swear.”

I smiled as I stretched to kiss him on the cheek. “Finding your true love did, as well, I’m sure of it. It all looks good on you, Caden.”

Smiling, he replied, “It feels good.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

“Of course. I’m always here for you, sis. And if you do decide that Colt needs to learn a bit of a lesson, you know Gatlin and I are ready and waiting.”

It was my turn to laugh. “I’ll remember that.”

He drew me back into his arms and hugged me again. “I love you, Ensley.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I held him a bit tighter. “I love you, too, Caden.”

Colt

By the time I pulled up and parked behind Ensley’s truck at the Wildes’ house, my nerves had settled down a bit. Not all the way, but I no longer felt sick to my stomach.

Yes, Ladd and Vivianne had both been friendly toward me, but only in public. Now I was having dinner at their house, and I wouldn’t blame them if they gave me a piece of their mind about leaving their daughter.

Dropping my head back against the seat, I closed my eyes and drew in a few deep breaths.

The sudden knock on my window made me shriek like a damn girl.

Whipping my head around, I saw Ensley with a hand over her mouth, attempting not to laugh.

I opened my truck door and slid out as she took a few steps back, still struggling not to bust a gut.

“You scared the shit out of me, Pippa.”

She dropped her hand, and I was expecting her to blast me for using her nickname. Instead, she finally let a giggle escape. Fuck if it didn’t send a wave of happiness through my entire body. It felt like a small part of me healed from that giggle alone.

“I’m so sorry. But why were you just sitting in the truck?”

I pushed my fingers through my hair. Ensley followed the movement with her eyes.