Reckless (Chestnut Springs, #4)

by Elsie Silver

“Theo loves easily. That’s just his nature. But he doesn’t often love hard. He keeps that part of himself, the one that’s seen loss too, locked up tight where it can’t get hurt. But you, girl? He loves you hard.”

“He said, ‘Mom, I met her.’ And I said, ‘Who?’ ” Loretta’s lips curve up, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “He said, ‘The woman I’m going to marry one day.’ ”

I couldn’t be more clichéd, the best man drooling over the maid of honor at a wedding.

“Gonna tell you what I told Rhett a couple of years ago when Beau was putting moves on Summer right in front of him.” I snort. “Brave.” Harvey chuckles and takes a swig of his beer, watching them too. “Doesn’t much matter who she’s dancing with when her eyes are on you.”

It’s been a tough road for Beau. I don’t know him well, but I know he’s not the same. Not after he spent days on end hiding in enemy territory with a hostage he freed. A Canadian journalist who’d been missing forever. It was plastered all over the evening news. The hero who walked through fire and knowingly missed his transport out to save a fellow Canadian.

“Because I want you!” she shouts, stopping me in my tracks. “And I want this!” Her hand gestures frantically between us. “I want us! And that terrifies me! Because what if it doesn’t work and Vivi is stuck with two parents who hate each other? I know how that goes and it fucking sucks. We like each other right now. I’m finally happy. It feels safe here. I can’t handle another person who hates me.”

“I can’t believe I just fucked a bull rider at my sister’s wedding.” With a smile, I pull my pants up and turn to gather a handful of paper towels to clean her off. “Rude. You fucked your baby daddy at your sister’s wedding, and you know you’d do it again.”

“Actually, Kip, I do have a few things to tell you. First, refer to my daughter again as the baby, like she doesn’t have a name, and I’ll fucking lay you out. Second, I’ll be at your office on Monday morning. Bring Geoff. I don’t want to fire you at your daughter’s wedding. It would be in poor taste. Lastly, if you think you deserve to stake some sort of claim on this woman as your daughter, you have some serious soul-searching to do. The girl on the dance floor?” He points over Kip’s shoulder at Summer, who is watching us now. “That’s your daughter. This woman here? She’s Dr. Hamilton until you tuck that scaly fucking tail between your legs and come make amends with her.”

“No married women live here. But if you’re here to harass your ex- wife by hand-delivering bills, she’ll never pay. I’ll take that envelope right there on the passenger seat and save you a trip to the mailbox. Cause I promise you …” I lean in and lower my voice. “If you keep showing up here like a fucking stalker, all you’re gonna do is make it real easy to get a restraining order.”

I’m too busy smiling at Dr. Rob Valentine. “She’s no one’s leftovers, and I’ve been enjoying her since before you ever saw the divorce papers, buddy.”

“New rule, you only train people who are less pretty than me.” His eyes do a dramatic roll. “That’s everyone, Tink. You’ve ruined me. Don’t you get it? I only see you. You’ve got all my attention. Every last bit of it.”

So, I cup my daughter’s cherub cheeks and tell her what my dad used to tell me before he’d leave. The last words he ever said to me. “Te vivo, baby girl.”

“It means … I live you. Like I see you everywhere, you are in everything. Our connection is more than physical.”

“Te vivo, Winter Hamilton.”

He looks fucking hot, like an entirely different person. Like … an entirely different experience than I’ve been getting at home. Theo’s chaps are a creamy blue with black stars on them, and his protective vest is black to match his boots. His face is pure focus—with a tinge of vicious. Like I’d lie naked in the dirt for this version of him.

“Rob wants a paternity test.”

Vivi points. “Dada!” I search her face. “Seriously? Now you say it?” She blinks. I point at the TV. “Who is that, Vivi?” “Dadadadada.”

I kiss Vivi’s crown and give Winter my most knowing smirk before whispering in her ear, “Am I fucking you like a princess or a slut later?” And just before she kisses me, she chuckles and responds with, “I don’t care as long as you fuck me like I’m yours.”

“Anything you want to say to this future wife of yours tonight, Silva?” I don’t need to think twice. I hold the mic up to my lips and murmur, “Te vivo.”

“Little Winter Peggy has been making fun of Theo Dale for months now. It’s just interesting, that’s all.”

And the joy in his eyes when he hits the ink that confirms what we already knew. He wasn’t there for Vivi’s birth, but he can be here for every moment after because he’s her dad. Then his gaze shifts over, to the papers he wasn’t expecting. The ones that detail legal name change from Vivienne Hamilton to Vivienne Loretta Silva. My way of showing Theo that he’ll never be an interloper—he’s stuck with us for life.

And when I look back at where Theo was standing—he’s now down on one knee.

“That night we were reckless.” His voice cracks. “But god, I’d be reckless with you over and over again if it means ending up here.”

Going on the road has been a hell of a lot more enjoyable since Winter took a position as a tour doctor. Sure, it means she’s constantly patching up a bunch of dumb bull riders, but all the guys adore her and her no-nonsense approach. And I love having her and Vivi with me at every event.

All I know is that this win is only important for a few moments. Because when Winter whispers in my ear, “Hope you’re ready to do this dad thing again, because there’s another Theo doppelgänger on the way,” nothing is more important than us.