Page 72 of Wilds of the Heart

I turned around and opened the curtain to see Mae light up.

“You are gorgeous. You have to get this.” She reached out and ran her fingers along my left side. “It hugs you in all the right places.”

I nodded, grateful she thought it looked great too.

“But I do see how it hints at bridal.”

“Maybe it could be two birds with one stone.”

Mae’s brows rose. “With Lucas?”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush.

She let out a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder before walking into the dressing room with me. Mae closed the curtain.

“What’s up?”

“Are you serious about that?”

I frowned and shook my head, bewildered. “Well, it’s a little early on in the whole relationship. I was only teasing.”

Her expression didn’t change much. “What happened to him always going out on dates? You always told me he was busy every weekend. Has he just stopped all of a sudden?”

Her question was one that had flittered through my mind a time or two.

“The last few weeks, he hasn’t been on any that I know of.”

Her brows arched. “And how long do you think that will last?”

I chuckled nervously, touching my chest. “I’d like to believe for as long as I’m with him.”

She nodded in silence. “Aren’t you worried about his past?”

Agitation tickled its way through me as I stared at my sister. This was supposed to be a fun outing, but I couldn’t be mad at her. She wasn’t coming from a vicious place. I’d spent the entire year proclaiming to the world that Lucas wasn’t the settling down type and that I could never be fooled by his antics.

And then I slept with him.

Worse yet, I let myself dream of a future with him.

“I get it, and I’ve definitely been torn about jumping into this with him, but I’m leading with my heart, not my head this time.”

She nodded. “That’s what scares me.”

“But I’m also still guarded. I…” I shrugged. “I just want to try.”

“I understand.” She smiled. “I really do, because not trying would make you live wondering if you missed out on something great. At least this way, you’ll know one way or another.”

I nodded, knowing my sister wasn’t just talking about me. She never got to know. I took a step back and smiled. “Okay. So, what do you think? A winner?”

My sister grinned. “Absolutely. And if he doesn’t treat you right, he has your siblings to deal with.”

I chuckled, nodding. “Not to mention Mimi.”

My sister pretended to shiver as I worked the dress off me.

I placed it back on the hanger and got dressed quickly. Even though I was still excited about the party, hearing my sister’s concerns recharged mine.

But that was the problem with me and why I couldn’t let myself imagine something more with Lucas. I was scared, and like she said, at least I’d know.