Wild at Heart (Wild, #2)

by K.A. Tucker

She could find another pilot to fly her around, of that I’m sure. But it’s becoming more and more clear to me that she doesn’t want another pilot. She wants mine.

Finally, he booms, “Because she’s not you!”

“You haven’t made a single decision about what you might want to do with your life, except to make it clear you don’t want a family yet, which is fine with me.” He throws his hands up in a sign of surrender. “I’m not pressuring you about that. But I thought you were happy! I thought you were making it work! And then this morning, all of a sudden, you’re telling me you hate it here, and now I’m beginning to wonder if you ever planned on even liking it, or if you came here already counting on leaving!”

He shakes his head. “No, Calla, I think you came here wanting to try, but you’re so hung up on not being your mother that you can’t seem to figure out a way to be yourself.”

Perhaps Ethel’s tale of the raven and his goose wife isn’t inaccurate after all.

I don’t give a shit if you know how to cook. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate not living off frozen dinners, but it’s not why I fell in love with you. If you burn everything from now until the day I die, I’ll still love you.”

“Then keep doin’ it! But do it because you want to. Find a way to make Alaska work for you, and soon, you won’t even think about the few little things that don’t.”

“And then I met you, and you were like a wrecking ball comin’ into my life, Calla.” He laughs. “A fucking beautiful, hot-pink wrecking ball. And everything changed for me. All these things I didn’t want before, suddenly all I could think about was havin’ them all with you.”

and I started thinking that maybe I shouldn’t be talking to her about us. Not because I think she’d ever try to convince me to leave you. That’s not her. But it can’t feel good, to listen to me talk about the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

He pulls back long enough to peer down at me, the agony in his eyes piercing my heart. “I can’t ever lose you, Calla.”

“Someone left two dozen eggs here. And our plate?” He holds it in the air.

I push through the porch door and see the wooden objects in Jonah’s grasp.

“He said something like, ‘I am what I am,’ and then he got this big grin on his face and he went inside. It was weird. I’ve never seen that guy smile.”

“‘I am what I am.’” He shakes his head. “Fucking guy gave you a jackass, Calla.”

“And I’m guessing that’s as close to an apology as anyone is ever gonna get from Roy Donovan.”

The detail on the woman—right down to her delicate face—is astonishing. Ethereal, almost. Is she supposed to be me? The donkey is far less polished—the surface rough, the chisel marks choppy. Much like Roy, I guess.

“He gave you eggs,” Toby points out, a hint of surprise in his voice. “He doesn’t give anyone anything.”

“Did I ever tell you how Roy came to help us look for my boy Deacon?”

Less and less people came out each day. We understood. People had to go back to their lives. Nights were coolin’ off fast. Soon, even Teddy said it was time to pack it in. And that’s when Roy showed up.” She chuckles and shakes her head. “He came with his gun and his campin’ gear, sayin’ he was there for some moose huntin’ and took off into the bush.”

“Moose huntin’ had ended and even he ain’t ballsy enough to go off-season. But he was too stubborn to admit that he knew I’d be too stubborn to call it quits so soon, so he made up this cockamamie story, knowing I’d follow. I did.

But he never complained about bein’ out there. Never said anything about quittin’. He waited for me to make the call.”

“He’s an odd duck, I’ll give him that. Not easy to deal with, or even like. But he knows right from wrong, and he chooses right when it counts.”

Maybe he’d see that it’s never too late.”

“Everyone needs someone to care about. Even that old grump.”

“You two sure have a good thing here, Calla.”

“Your own slice of heaven.”

“A young couple needs their space, Calla.”

“We’re still trying to find our bearings. Without Wren and Jonah, life doesn’t feel quite alive anymore.” She offers a gentle smile. “But I think this little trip was a good idea for all of us.” She watches the two figures on the lake. “It feels like I have my family back together.”

He frowns and works his mouth as if tasting the words he wants to say before letting them out. “Will you be here in the mornin’?”

“By the way, I have family visiting from Bangor until next week. If one of them is crazy enough to come here with me, you better be on your best behavior,”

“Why’d you come back, girl?” he hollers after me, tilting his head with interest.

“I must be really bored.” With that, I start the engine and take off, the truck dipping and bumping through the potholes. I catch a glimpse of Roy watching after me in the rearview mirror. And I swear I see him smile.

Roy’s asking for my help. And, by the clench of his jaw, he’s having a hard time doing it.

“Her name’s Delyla.”

“She’s a few years older than you. Thirty-four, I think. Maybe thirty-five.” He studies the floor. “I can’t even remember anymore. It’s been so long.”

He steps out onto the porch, sounding more annoyed than anything. “Get behind me.”

“Come on, girl. Before he gets hold of one of them,” Roy pushes.

Roy and I have an inside joke, I realize.

“I feel like puking.” The nausea has clung to me since my adrenaline slowed. I killed something tonight. Worse, I don’t know if I feel guilty or not about it. I know I’d feel a lot worse if something had happened to Oscar or Gus, or Mabel. Or Roy.

He pauses. “You put my name on those things?” I can’t tell if he’s angry. “Not exactly. See you in the morning.”

His bearded cheeks lift with a smile and a moment later, a low chuckle carries through the quiet night.

I’d like to think it’s because Roy Donovan enjoys my company.

This is why I decided to not go to Toronto, so I can be here to make sure the work happens. And I know we agreed to discuss big spending and this is way more than a thousand dollars, but I’m really excited about it. I was trying to find the right way to tell you because I was afraid you’d think I was insane.”

“And then we could use all that wood from the trees to build another cabin—something bigger—for Agnes and Mabel to live in,

“Marry me.”

He collects my hands in his and pulls me into him. His earnest eyes roam my features. “Marry me, Calla.”

“Because I want to be here when you renovate this old shack, and build a cabin for Aggie and Mabel, and build a thousand more cabins on our property, if that’s what you wanna do. I want to be here for it all.” His throat bobs with his hard swallow. “You’re thinking about the future? Well, so am I, and don’t want any future that doesn’t have you in it.”

“Are you sure, though? Because you can’t ask me something like this and then change your mind later.”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” he promises, cupping my face with his hands, brushing his lips against mine. “Is that a yes?” “My answer will always be yes to you, Jonah. Yes.”

Jonah and I are engaged. We’re getting married. He’s mine, forever.