Declan (Wild Men Book 8)

by Melissa Belle

  I don’t often like to take advantage of my privileged position, but when it comes to making someone else’s day, I’m happy to do it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mia

  Dinner is a welcome relief from having to wander around the ballroom and worry about the board asking me questions about my new marriage. I think I handle their curiosity well, but I’m not complaining when Declan leads me over to the table and we’re surrounded by his teammates.

  All the guys are friendly and welcoming to me. Arch has dark hair and blue eyes, and Tex is a redhead with green eyes. Both guys are crazy handsome, a fact I don’t doubt they’re well aware of.

  With their dark hair and mischievous brown eyes, the Storm brothers are what Jamie Beth would immediately dub “the hot boys.” They have an intensity to them, though, that’s intimidating. It’s almost like they’ve lived a hundred lifetimes already, and I get the feeling they don’t trust a lot of people.

  “So, it was a surprise when you and Declan got hitched.” Jared looks like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “We had no idea he was seeing someone.”

  I freeze, not sure how to handle the innocent yet pointed comment.

  “And right here is why,” Declan smoothly cuts in. “You’re all fucking nosy as hell.”

  We all laugh, and Declan squeezes my hand. I know he’s trying to keep me calm, and I appreciate his support.

  “Sorry if that sounded rude,” Jared says. He flashes me an apologetic grin. “Max and I and our two brothers were raised for years by just our dad. We loved him, but we didn’t exactly have a proper upbringing.”

  “I admire all single parents,” I say, surprised at myself when I reveal, “My dad raised me alone for a few years also.”

  Jared gives me a second look. “Our mom died when we were young.”

  “Mine too,” I say softly.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Jared says, his expression shifting into a shared pain.

  I nod. “I was a teenager. It sounds like maybe you guys were even younger.”

  “We were,” Jared says. “But then our dad also died when we were teenagers.”

  I bring my hand to my mouth. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine losing my dad also.”

  Jared and Max exchange a look like they’re having a silent conversation about something. Whatever it is, apparently they decide not to share it, and Arch breaks the awkwardness.

  “How do you like living on Wild Ranch?” he asks me.

  “I love it,” I say honestly.

  “Do you ride horses?”

  Arch’s question is innocent, but I flinch anyway.

  I don’t even know why. I’m used to passing off the question; I get it often enough from ranchers and cowboys when I meet them for my work. But, with Declan sitting next to me, the inquiry feels more intimate somehow.

  Realizing I still haven’t answered, I flash Arch a quick smile. “I grew up horseback riding.” And then, I finish with, “I miss it.” That wasn’t supposed to come out of my mouth.

  “You’ll have to take her, Dec,” Arch says to him.

  Before I can protest, Arch adds, “What Coach doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

  I widen my eyes. “No horseback riding is written into your contracts?”

  “Not exactly,” Declan says. “My agent didn’t allow many restrictions in my contract. But, Coach prefers us to keep our feet on land when we’re not on the ice. His words.”

  I laugh. “That makes sense.”

  “But I’ll make an exception for you,” Declan says to me. “Tomorrow morning? You want to go riding then?”

  “Um.” I swallow. “Your cousins have offered up their horses multiple times, but it was never the right time. Why don’t we see what time we get up tomorrow?”

  Declan cocks his head like he’s trying to read me. “Okay,” he finally says. “Whenever you want to, I’m game.”

  “Speaking of game, how come we haven’t seen you at one of ours yet, Mia?” Jared pipes in. “Declan loves having fans in the stands.”

  “Fuck off, Storm,” Declan says with no bite. His expression is nearly amusement. “Mia will come when she can. I’ve got her seats set up.”

  Right now, anything sounds easier than horseback riding. Which would explain why I say, “I’m coming tomorrow night.” I hadn’t planned to do anything tomorrow night, considering what day it is, but it’s too late to back out now.

  Every head at the table swings in my direction.

  “You are?” Declan says. “You don’t have to…”

  “I want to,” I say quickly. Too quickly, and I know Declan notices.

  “Mia…” he begins.

  “I can’t wait to watch you boss everyone else around on the ice,” I say. “I’ve gotten to see it on the television screen, but I imagine in person, it’s that much more amazing.”

  Declan leans over and kisses my head.

  “Ahhh, how sweet,” Arch says teasingly with a smirk. “Two lovebirds. I never thought I’d see Wild settled.”

  I smile, but inside, my mind is whirring.

  What was Declan like before we married? Was he a player? Or did he just not meet the right woman?

  Someone like me, my naïve heart says.

  I look over at my husband, who’s looking at me. His gray eyes lock onto my blue ones, and for one beautiful heartbeat, it feels like we’re the only two people in the room.

  And then, Tex cracks a joke, and the moment ends.

  “That went well,” I say to Declan on our drive home. “Right? I know your teammates had a lot of questions…”

  He chuckles. “Sorry about that. They’re not accustomed to seeing me with a wife.”

  “I liked them,” I say. “They were all friendly. It did feel a little strange being around so many people who don’t know the truth. I’ve been spending most of my time with my dad, Jamie Beth, and your cousins, so I haven’t had to pretend anything, you know? Tonight was the opposite. I hope I handled it okay. I know how important the ownership stake is for you.”

  “You handled it perfectly. I was impressed by how you dealt with all those fuckers.”

  I laugh. “I meet new people every day. This was fine.”

  “You were great with that reporter. Rick can be an ass.”

  “Aw, he was easy to handle. No worries.”

  Declan glances over at me. “Seriously, though—was it difficult for you?”

  “Which part?” I ask him. “Pretending to be your wife?”

  He nods.

  And maybe I’m reading into things too much, but the way he tenses his jaw—I sense my answer means something to him. Something more than just getting the prize of being made an owner of a professional hockey team.

  I reach over and touch his arm. “Being married to you is never difficult, Declan.”

  And now, maybe I’m being naïve, but something about this moment gives me hope that at the end of this fake relationship, maybe Declan and I can stay friends.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “I don’t think I’m awake enough,” I say lamely the next morning as Declan hands me a cup of coffee and leads me out the door of the cabin.

  “You woke up before I did this morning,” he says. “You were sitting at the kitchen table when I got up.”

  That’s true.

  Right now, I’m wishing I’d just told Declan about my riding issue. Then, maybe we wouldn’t be marching to the barn together. And on the anniversary of my mother’s death to boot.

  Declan keeps walking toward the barn, and the only choice I have, other than to watch him leave, is to follow him. So I do. But inside, I’m shaking.

  When we reach the barn, he stops and turns to face me. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  I bite my lip.

  “Mia.” Declan runs the rough pad of his thumb along my bottom lip, forcing me to release the hold my teeth have on it. “Let’s go sit on the couch in the barn and talk.”

  “Okay.”

 
; We sit down in the spare office room in the barn, and I inhale the calming smell of horse and hay through the open door. I’m surprised when Declan takes my hand gently in his.

  “What’s up?” he asks me.

  I raise my eyes to look at him. His expression is serious, and he’s leaning forward with his attention only on me.

  “You really want to know,” I say in surprise.

  “Of course I want to know,” he says. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because this—” I point from him to me. “—isn’t exactly conventional. I’m not sure what it is.”

  “Me neither.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. And something has you out of sorts.”

  I don’t like telling this story, but Declan cared enough to ask, and sitting here in the barn with him soothes me. I don’t want to talk about what today means, though. It’s an anniversary I would rather forget.

  But, I do tell Declan how I haven’t ridden since Mom died.

  “I pretty much replaced a horse with a motorcycle,” I admit. “And I’m scared that if I get back on a horse, especially with you…” That last part slips out unbidden.

  “What do you mean?” he asks me.

  “I’m afraid I’ll miss her so much it will ache,” I say in a stark whisper.

  He reaches forward and pulls me into his arms. I can hear his strong heartbeat beating through his jacket, and I close my eyes and relish the safety of that sound. Declan is alive, and he’s here with me.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he says softly. “But why did you say ‘especially with you?’ If I make things worse in any way…”

  “You don’t,” I say quickly. I lift my head and stare into his eyes. “You make things more real.”

  His mouth quirks up at the corners.

  “Right?” I say. “So ironic, I know. But true. I’m afraid that getting on a horse with you next to me will make it impossible for me to ignore my broken heart.” My voice cracks with those last two words, and I realize that’s why I’ve avoided riding all these years—I don’t want to feel how broken I’ve become.

  “Or maybe,” he says quietly. “Maybe having someone with you will help your heart to heal.”

  I clench my teeth.

  But Declan seems to have made up his mind. He stands up and tugs me up with him. “Come on. We’re going to ride some horses.”

  Thirty minutes later, I slip my foot in a stirrup for the first time since I was a teenager.

  “Do you need a leg up?” Declan asks me from the ground.

  “Nope. It’s like riding a bicycle.” I swing my leg over Midnight’s back and grin down at Declan. “Or maybe it’s like a different kind of riding.”

  He grins back at me. “I like your dirty mind.”

  I look out at the pasture from where I’m sitting on Midnight’s back. And I can’t help smiling.

  God, I’ve missed this view. How many times Mom and I rode together. How many times we chatted and laughed and reconnected after a long day at school for me or work for her.

  “How does it feel?” Declan’s low voice from below startles me.

  I come out of my reverie and look down at him with a smile. “This was our church,” I say simply. “It feels good to be back.”

  He pats my leg. “Good.”

  I didn’t need any help getting onto my horse, but perhaps I should have asked Declan if he did.

  It takes him three times to mount Reign.

  “Are you sure you’ve done this before?” I ask Declan as we start down one of the riding trails through the wooded section of land on Wild Ranch.

  We’re walking side by side on Midnight and Reign, but Declan doesn’t look nearly as comfortable on his gelding as I am on mine.

  From his clenched jaw to the way he’s gripping the reins, I would hazard a guess that Declan hasn’t ridden much. Of course, that doesn’t take away from how hot he looks—all rugged and casually dressed in worn blue jeans and a brown leather jacket, not to mention the cowboy hat on his head.

  He looks over at me and grins. “Does riding as a kid count?”

  “You haven’t been on a horse since?” I say.

  “Nope. I spent most of my childhood on ice.”

  I bring Midnight to a stop and call out “Whoa” to Reign. He stops on command.

  “These horses are well-trained,” I say. “You’ll be fine. Let’s just go slowly through the woods because the terrain is a little uneven. Keep Reign at a walk.”

  “How are you doing?” he asks me. “Emotionally, I mean. Obviously, physically you look amazing. You’re a natural on a horse, Mia.”

  I smile at him. “It feels so good. I…” I reach over and grab his hand. “I can’t thank you enough for making me do this. Or talking me into it. Whichever it was.”

  He squeezes my hand before I return it to its position on Midnight’s reins.

  “I’m proud of you,” he says to me. “Although I have to admit, if I do any trotting, I’m going to be sore before I even step into the rink tonight,” Declan says.

  He means it as a joke, but I know tonight’s game against the second-place Denver Alphas is a big deal.

  “So, this is your former team you’re playing, right?” I ask him.

  “Yep. I enjoyed my time with Denver. I thought I might retire there, to be honest. But, Montana came calling, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to play here. It was like a second home to me growing up.”

  “What a great story that you could come home to finish your career,” I say.

  Declan had told me his plans to retire at the end of the year aren’t being made public yet, and I was careful last night not to say anything about it at the event. But, I am curious.

  “When did you know you were ready to stop playing?” I ask him.

  He keeps his hands on the reins but lifts them to gesture to his shoulder. “I got injured one too many times. Eventually, the body lets you know it’s time.”

  “Are you hurt right now?” I ask him in concern.

  He glances over at me with a half-smile. “You’re the only person in my life who genuinely worries about me.”

  I flush with heat. “Oh, no, I don’t want to bug you…”

  “Mia. You’re not bugging me.” His gaze holds mine. “I like it. I like when you worry over me. I’m just not used to it.”

  “Oh.” Now I’m even more flushed but for an entirely different reason. “Well, you deserve to be fussed over, Declan. I’m surprised you haven’t had loads of women trying to take care of you.” Okay, so that last sentence was unnecessary. Yes, I’m fishing a bit here.

  He doesn’t say anything at first, and I’m sure I’ve pushed him too far.

  Our horses keep pace with one another through the piney woods, but then the path opens up to a clearing. The meadow is lush green and filled with flowers. But my attention is on the huge, blue sky overhead. I look up at it and sigh.

  “God, it’s so beautiful.”

  Declan raises his gaze to where I’m looking. “The sky is one of my favorite parts of Montana. And for the record…” He reaches over and brushes my hand with his. “No woman has ever been in my life long enough to have the chance to fuss over me.”

  My hand tingles where his touched me, and I swallow. “So you haven’t been married before?” I joke.

  “I haven’t found anyone I could tolerate for more than a handful of dates before. Not until you.”

  Oh, God.

  I squeeze my thighs together involuntarily, and that triggers Midnight into a straight gallop. With me holding onto the reins, she takes off across the meadow. I vaguely hear Declan shouting to me from behind.

  By the time I get my wits together enough to bring Midnight to a halt, I’m out of earshot of Declan. I turn Midnight around, but Declan’s now heading toward me at a faster pace than I know he’s used to.

  “You okay?” he asks me.

  I nod and slide off Midnight’s back to the ground. Declan does the same wi
th Reign, and we walk with them to a large tree a few feet away at the edge of the path.

  We tie up the horses on a loose lead so they can graze and relax, and then we spread out the picnic blanket we packed up, along with two chicken breasts I cooked for us this morning.

  “Plenty of lean protein and veggies,” I say as I show him the spinach salad and side of pasta.

  Declan leans over and kisses my cheek. “Thank you. This all looks delicious.”

  We dig into our meals, and for the next little while, all I hear is the sounds of birds singing and the wind blowing. It’s a warm, sunny day for this time of year, and I’m comfortable in my light parka and corduroys.

  “So, while we’re confessing things,” I say to Declan. “You’re the first man I’ve wanted to cook for. Other than my dad.”

  Declan’s gray eyes warm. “That’s nice to know, Mrs. Wild.”

  By his reaction, I can tell the Mrs. comment slipped out by accident. Declan’s cheeks flush, and he mutters something under his breath.

  “It’s okay,” I say with a wave of my hand. “We’re Mr. and Mrs. Wild right now. For a whole year. We should enjoy it. Right?”

  Declan’s smile turns wicked. “Define enjoy.”

  I finish my last bite of food and ball up my napkin. “I’m not sure yet.”

  In truth, I’m testing him. I can’t tell exactly where he’s going with this conversation. And yes, I have more than a few ways I could define enjoy with Declan, but I’m not about to show my hand.

  He takes the napkin out of my hand and starts packing the empty paper plates back into the plastic bag. “I think we should discuss this idea in more detail.” He looks over his shoulder at me, and the layer of guardedness we’ve been using around each other since our marriage began isn’t there. His eyes flare with obvious heat.

  Okay, he’s definitely flirting with me.

  And I don’t know how to respond to a flirtatious husband. A flirtatious guy at a bar—fine. But a husband, who I have to live with for a year regardless of how things go the morning after? Not so easy.