Page 6 of Wilds of the Heart

My head tilted. “Right. Like I haven’t thought of that.”

“Okay, then what did she say?”

I straightened in my chair. “She laughed and told me she was just the next new, shiny object. That I’d get over it.”

“Ouch.” He chuckled. “She could have a point. How do you know you’re not just into her because she’s the first woman to put you in your place?”

I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Think about it. The very first time we met Amelia and Emily, Emily told you off.”

Chuckling, I shook my head. “Technically, I think she told you off first.”

“And has a woman ever done that to you?”

“Only after a breakup,” I confirmed. “But that’s not why I’m drawn to Emily. She’s vivacious, funny, gorgeous, smart, and…”

Perfect. Emily was absolutely perfect in every way.

Her dark hair and brilliant green eyes complemented one another in an ethereal way. Every time I glanced at her, I couldn’t help but notice the glimmer in her gaze as playfulness lurked behind her expression.

She had three sisters, Audrey, Amelia, and May, plus a brother named Brad, who all looked incredibly related, but Emily stood out from them all by far.

“What if she’d fallen all over you? Would you still be crazy about her?” my cousin asked.

“Yeah. It’s Emily. I just… like her.” I smiled. “But because she’s Emily, she never would fall over herself over a guy.”

“Maybe so.”

“Do you know what she told me this morning?”

“What?”

“She got stood up. Who in their right mind would do that to Emily?” The thought made my blood boil.

“Maybe it wasn’t the person’s fault?”

“I didn’t get that impression from her.”

I glanced outside to see the gentle ocean breeze shoving the clouds from the blue sky. It would be a good day to go over to Seattle, an easy ferry ride.

“So, are you going to tell her how you got those tickets for today?”

I froze, shrugging off the unsettling feeling. “Did you tell her sister?”

“It hasn’t come up, but if it does, I’m not going to keep it from her.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I get it. I’ll bring it up.”

“It shouldn’t matter, right? You both arejustfriends.” James smiled.

“Good point.”

“Maybe it’s a good test,” my cousin offered.

“I don’t think testing a relationship is exactly a brilliant idea.”

James chuckled, standing up to stretch. “You’re probably right about that.”