Chapter Thirteen – Colt
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.
“I was mentally preparing myself.”
Confused, she asked, “For dinner?”
I let out a huff of laughter. “For dinner with your mother and father, as well as you. A part of me thinks this is all a plan to get me into your father’s house so he can beat the hell out of me.”
She drew back and frowned. “You think my father would hurt you?”
“If I were your father, I’d want to throttle me. So, yes.”
Another smile appeared, and it was damn nice to see that instead of a frown or dirty look. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “My father isn’t going to throttle you, Colt. Maybe ten years ago he would have, especially since I spent days in their bed, crying.”
An instant stabbing pain hit my chest, and I closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Pippa.”
My eyes snapped open when she took my hands in hers. The skin-to-skin contact felt like pure heaven. “It’s in the past, and I…I think for both of our sakes, we should move on.”
It was my turn to be confused. “You do?”
She nodded. “Yes.” Another deep breath. “I know you said that you still loved me—”
“I do,” I quickly interjected. “I never stopped.”
The corner of her mouth twitched in an almost-smile. “And I already told you that I was still in love with you. So Caden had a suggestion for us earlier today.”
Intrigued, I asked, “What was it?”
She swallowed hard. “It’s just a suggestion…”
I nodded, willing her to hurry up and say it. “I’m not going to lie, if Caden told me to die my hair rainbow-colored and dance naked on Main Street to get you back, I’d already be on the phone booking my hair appointment.”
“It’s not that outrageous, Colt. He just thinks we should start over.”
“Start over how?”
She looked down at the ground and kicked at nothing. “He thinks we should date. Like, from the beginning.”
I fought the urge to jump back into my truck and drive to Caden’s house. I’d never in my life wanted to hug a dude, but damn it all to hell if I didn’t want to hug Caden Wilde at this very moment.
Forcing myself to stay calm, I replied, “I like that idea.”
Her head snapped up, and she did smile this time. “You do?”
I nodded and tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Yeah. I like it a lot.”
She bit her lower lip, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to kiss her.
Poking her finger into my chest, she said, “I’m still mad at you, though. Don’t forget that.”
I held up my hands. “I won’t, I promise.”
A little smirk appeared, and fuck if I didn’t want to kiss her again.
“Okay, well, my mom and dad are probably peeking out the window watching us.”
I laughed. “Reminds me of old times.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” she laughed. “Ready?”
Nodding, I replied, “It’s now or never.”
We’d started to head toward the front porch when Ensley stopped again, turning to face me. “I will say this—you’d better make our first date as romantic as Caden did for Lilibeth.”
I blinked a few times. “Wait, what does that mean? I have no idea what he did though.”
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “That’s a you problem.”
Turning on the heel of her boot, she marched up the steps to her parents’ house and walked inside. I jogged up the steps and followed. My heart was racing, and I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or fear.
Once inside, I drew in a deep breath and moaned. “Oh my gosh, please tell me your mother made her meatballs.”
Ensley glanced over her shoulder as she took her coat off and hung it up. She reached for mine as she said, “Do you really think my mother would make your favorite meal? She said she was making tacos—my favorite meal.”
I shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for wishful thinking.”
“You’re both here!” Vivianne said, as she walked into the living room, first hugging her daughter, then me.
She pushed me back and gave me a once-over. “I made your favorite—meatball subs.”
I looked over Vivianne’s head to see Ensley standing there with her mouth open in shock. I smiled at Vivianne. “I thought I smelled them!”
Wrapping her arm around mine, she guided us through the living room and into the kitchen. As we passed Ensley, I shot her a smirk, and swore I heard her growl.
Once in the kitchen, I spotted her father, preparing a salad. “Hey, Colt.”
“How’s it going, Mr. Wilde?”
He laughed. “Just call me Ladd. My father is Mr. Wilde.”
Ensley made her way into the kitchen and kissed her father on the cheek, then looked down at the salad. “What’s this?”
Looking at the bowl in front of him, then back to his daughter, he said, “A salad.”
With a shake of her head, Ensley put her hands on her hips. “No, that’s Colt’s favorite salad.”
Vivianne laughed. “I make that salad all the time. You love it, Ensley.”
When Ensley looked my way, I raised my brows.
“I like the air-fried garbanzo beans, that’s it.”
Vivianne reached into the refrigerator and took out salad dressing. “You request this salad constantly, sweetheart.”
Ensley glared at her mother. “Mother…I do not.”
Vivianne looked from Ensley to me, then back to her daughter. “Ohhh…I see what’s going on here. That’s right, dear. You do not request this salad all the time, nor do you ask me to make meatballs when you’re feeling blue.”
Ensley blushed, then threw her hands up in the air.
I blinked a few times and looked at Ladd. I must have had a pleading expression on my face because he held up both hands. “Don’t look at me for advice, I’ve got none for you.”
Focusing back on Ensley, I opened my mouth to speak, but she shoved her finger into my chest. “You make me so angry, I want to just punch you!”
“Okay.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Okay? Okay what?”
“Punch me.”
“Ahhh…I’d like to remind you who it is you’re talking to there, Colt. Do you remember when she punched Gatlin and broke his nose?” Ladd said.
“He had two black eyes for weeks,” Vivianne added.
Ensley glared at her parents. “You two hush!” Turning back to me, she drew in a breath and held it.
I closed my eyes—and when nothing happened, I peeked open one eye to see Ensley staring at me.
“If you’re going to hit me, just do it.”
“Not in my house will there be any violence tonight,” Vivianne stated, as if this was a normal, everyday occurrence.
It took me a second to realize Ensley’s attention was focused on my right hand. When I looked down, I saw the bracelet she’d made for me shortly after we started dating. It had been on my wrist for nearly twelve years. I’d never taken it off.
Her eyes snapped back up to mine. “I didn’t notice that earlier today at lunch.”
I held up my wrist. The bracelet had seen better days. “I had on a long-sleeved shirt.”
She swallowed hard and reached for my hand. Her finger ran over the bracelet she’d lovingly made so many years ago. “You’re still wearing it.”
“Of course I am. The only way it’s ever leaving my wrist is if it falls off.”
Those beautiful baby blues looked up at me, wetness building before she quickly blinked it away. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
We were soon lost in each other’s eyes, and just as she leaned closer to me, and I leaned closer to her, Ladd’s throat cleared, snapping us both from our trance.
I quickly looked up and asked, “Do you need me to help with anything?”
Vivianne was smiling, and Ladd was attempting not to, but failing.
Finally, Vivianne said, “The salad’s done and so are the meatballs. I’m just going to pop the sandwich rolls into the oven to warm them up.”
“Would you like to eat in here or the dining room?” Ladd asked.
“The dining room,” Ensley said quickly, as she reached into a cabinet and pulled out some plates, handing them to her mother. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. I’d come over to the Wildes’ plenty of times for dinner in the past and had always been treated like one of the family.
“Silverware still in the same spot?” I asked.
“Sure is!” Vivianne replied, as she slid the rolls into the oven.
Ensley followed me into the dining room with napkins and we set the table in silence. When I took a moment to look at her, she was frowning.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
She set the last napkin down and faced me. “You never took it off?”
I held up my wrist and smiled. “I would’ve had to cut it off, and that was something I’d never do. I cherish it.”
“Cherish it?” Her head tilted, and though she had a slightly skeptical tone, a soft smile stretched her lips.
“Of course I do, Pip. You made me this.”
She started to chew on her lower lip, and I swore she wanted to ask something else. Instead, she cleared her throat and said, “We should go back to the kitchen and help grab stuff.”
Vivianne was just placing mozzarella cheese over the meatballs, and my mouth started to water. No one could make meatballs like Vivianne Wilde.
“My father would kill to have some of these meatballs,” I said with a laugh.
Ladd handed me two plates with sandwiches. “He’s in kale hell, I’m sure.”