Wilde Flame (Love is a Cowboy #3)

Prologue – Caden

Caden

“I don’t understand why you brought me here, Caden.”

I pulled the blanket out of the back of my truck and walked toward her.

The basket was hidden behind the carving tree.

Four generations of the Wildes had their names or initials carved on that tree.

My mother and father had gotten married in this exact spot, and in my mind, it was the perfect place to ask Rachel to marry me.

I’d asked her once before, but she’d said we were too young.

She wanted to wait until we were out of our twenties.

So, I’d waited. And while waiting, I’d begun building a house on the ranch for us.

The ranch that I loved to the very core of my being.

Any time I tried to talk to Rachel about it, she would simply tell me to make the decisions and that she trusted me.

I worked my ass off alongside my family to make our ranch a success, and I was damn proud of it all. Now, it was time to think about settling down and starting a family of my own. With kids who’d grow up on this ranch, just as I did. To me, it was the best place on Earth.

“Why do you dislike surprises so much?” I asked.

Instead of answering, she said, “I thought we were going out to dinner tonight in Granby with our friends. You told me to dress up for it, and now you want me to sit on a blanket on the ground?”

“Rach, please?”

She sighed heavily, then sat down, her legs bent to the side as she smoothed her skirt over her knees.

Rachel and I had been dating since high school, and although we were polar opposites, we’d managed to stay together through college and most of our twenties. I knew her better than I knew anyone else.

“Keep your eyes closed for just a couple of minutes.”

Once she closed her eyes, I went and grabbed the basket.

I took out the flowers and put them on the blanket.

The peach cobbler I’d made myself was placed right in the middle.

Peach cobbler was Rachel’s favorite dessert, so I’d taken my time wanting to make sure it was perfect.

I also took out her favorite sandwiches from a little café in Granby, where she always liked to go.

They’d even offered to deliver them to the ranch when they learned what I was doing.

The last thing was the champagne. I took it out and arranged it next to two flutes.

I felt for the ring in my pocket, then took it out and opened the box.

I had been saving up for this ring for the last few years.

It matched a ring she’d said she loved but had been way out of my price range.

I’d gone back to the jewelers, who’d suggested a lab-grown diamond.

They could then essentially duplicate the ring, but the cost was far less.

It was an oval diamond, with smaller, round-cut diamonds on either side of the white-gold band. Instantly, I saw our future the minute I saw the ring in the display.

“Open your eyes, Rach.”

She did, then quickly looked over everything on the blanket. “Wait, we’re eating here? Why did you—”

Her voice cut off when she saw the ring. My heart was pounding so loudly, I was positive my sister, Ensley, and brother, Gatlin—who were both hidden away, one taking pictures and the other recording everything—could hear it.

I’d been practicing all day yesterday and today on what I was going to say when I asked her to marry me. I opened my mouth to speak—but Rachel held up her hand.

“Stop.”

My stomach dropped. She was going to say no…again.

“Stop?”

She stared at the ring, then looked at me. “What are you doing?”

Confused, it was my turn to look at the ring, then back to her. “I would think it was obvious, Rach. I was about to ask you to marry me.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head before meeting my gaze. “Caden, I can’t marry you.”

I struggled to swallow down the bile I could feel rising in my throat. “What do you mean, you can’t marry me? I thought of you when I saw the ring.”

She looked at it again and frowned. “I don’t think I would have picked out such a small diamond.”

My heart sank.

“I didn’t pick any ring out, Caden. I think I saw a ring like that and said that was the cut of diamond I liked, in that setting, but bigger.”

I frowned. “You never said that, Rachel.”

She half shrugged. “Well, I thought it.”

“Am I supposed to read your mind?”

Her eyes met mine. “Caden, we need to talk.”

I shut the ring box, silently hoping Ensley and Gatlin left when they saw where this was going. I glanced around and didn’t see either of them, thankfully. When I focused back on Rachel, her eyes were narrowed.

“Why are you looking around?”

“No reason. We need to talk about what?”

She drew in a breath and slowly exhaled. “Things have changed.”

“What things?”

“Us.”

I swallowed even harder. “What do you mean? I thought we were happy; we talked about waiting until we were thirty to get married. I’m building a damn house for us on the ranch, Rach.”

“That’s just it, Caden. The ranch. When you told me the other night after dinner with your parents that the ranch isn’t going to you, I realized that you and I wanted different things.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh. “Wait, you realized we want different things? Since when?”

“Since I heard you weren’t getting the ranch.

Caden, I thought all this would be yours, and we’d be set.

” She gestured all around us with her hands.

“I don’t want to live in River Falls my entire life.

I want a better life, one with more opportunities—I mean, I don’t want to be a rancher’s wife for the rest of my life. ”

Everything started to spin, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut. I drew in a few deep breaths and exhaled.

When I opened my eyes, Rachel was just staring at me.

“You don’t want to be a rancher’s wife. At what point in the last sixteen fucking years did you not realize I was intending on being a rancher?

Even at fourteen, when we started dating, that was my dream.

I went to college for it, Rachel. You went for fashion; I went for ranch management.

This is something I talked about every damn day!

When were you going to tell me this wasn’t the future you wanted? ”

“Honestly?”

“I would appreciate a little of that, since it feels like you haven’t been.”

“I think I’ve always known, deep down. I thought you would take over ownership and we would have money. That if I was going to have to stay here, at least I’d be comfortable.”

Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked, “How much do you think we make from the ranch?”

She shrugged. “Lori Vibes—you remember her, right? Her fiancé owns a cattle ranch in Texas, and he’s a millionaire.

He took her to Paris when he asked her to marry him.

” She glanced around. “I mean, I get that you thought this would be romantic, but I have to be honest with you, Caden. I’m tired of waiting for the life I deserve. ”

Stunned, I stared at her for a few moments. “The life you deserve…”

“Yes—money, houses, cars, trips to France and Italy and wherever. Like my friends. Seeing their lives outside of River Falls has made me realize I deserve that too.”

“How long have you felt this way?”

Rachel looked down at her skirt and picked something off of it, flicking it away. “A few years now. I was waiting to see what would happen with the ranch, was hoping you’d grow out of this ridiculous obsession with it.”

My entire world felt like it had just imploded.

“So you were waiting to see if I would bring money to the table before you’d consider a future with me. Even though we’ve had sixteen years together, money was your only driving force.”

“Don’t make it sound like that, Caden.”

“Why not? That’s what you just told me! You can’t be with me because I can’t give you the materialistic life you want. Is that not what you just said, Rachel?”

“I wanted it to work out! I really did. I mean, we’ve been dating since we were fourteen, but I always thought you’d be coming into money with this giant ranch! Everyone in River Falls knows the Wilde family is successful.”

I stood, feeling like I was about to get sick. Slowly, Rachel stood as well. “You’ve known this whole time I was never going to leave River Falls. I’ve never led you on to think I’d ever want to leave. My life was always going to be tied to this place.”

She sighed. “I know. I was just hoping you’d change your mind, or that you’d take over completely and make it more bearable for me to stay.”

“And if I didn’t? What were you going to do? Take my money and go have a good time while I worked the ranch?”

“I was hoping I’d be able to convince you to travel with me.”

“And what about kids?”

Now she looked sheepish. “Truthfully, I’ve never once said I wanted kids. You’re the one who always talked about it.”

I quickly tried to run through my mind all the times we’d talked about our future. The moments were few and far between, I had to admit that. How could I have been so fucking blind?

“So, basically, you just went along with me talking about the ranch, building the house, waiting on…what?”

Her cheeks turned red.

“Holy shit. You’ve been waiting for my parents to die?”

“No! I thought it would be your grandparents…and with your dad not wanting the ranch because he has his store, I figured the ranch would go to you.”

I ran a hand down my face. “I don’t even know you, Rachel. How the fuck have we been dating for so long, and I don’t know who you truly are?”

“I gave you signs, Caden. You just chose to ignore them. I’m sorry, but this,” she spread her arms wide once again, “this isn’t what I want.

I want to get engaged somewhere magical!

Grand! And with a ring that’s Instagram-worthy.

I want a husband who’ll spoil me rotten and buy me whatever I want.

And I know now that isn’t something you’ll ever be able to do.

I was going to break things off with you tonight, after dinner.

I truly was. I can’t be in this tiny town one second longer.

I need out. And you’re the only guy I’ve ever been with.

I think…I mean, I want to experience other people. ”

My mouth fell open. “Now you want to see other people? Are you going to ask for their real estate holdings and stock portfolio first before you agree to a date? Jesus…you’re making my goddamn head spin.”

“Caden, you don’t understand. I think you and I should go out tonight, meet up with our friends, then have one last night together before we go our separate ways.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?!”

I turned abruptly, leaving everything sitting there, including the ring, and started down the trail.

“Caden! I am in high heels if you haven’t noticed. I can’t walk that fast!”

I picked up the pace and saw Gatlin and Ensley standing by the utility vehicle, parked next to my truck.

“Did you hear?”

“We heard enough,” Ensley said, shooting daggers at Rachel, who was still calling out my name.

“Take her home for me, will you?”

Ensley cracked her knuckles. “After I punch the shit out of her or before, because I’m game for anything you want?”

I looked at Gatlin.

“Go, I’ve got it.”

Hitting the gas the second I was inside my truck, I spun out and drove off, letting my brother and sister deal with Rachel. Once I was at least a mile away, I pulled over, got out of the truck and threw up.