Wilde Heart (Wilde Women Book 2) Read online

  Wilde Heart

  Copyright © 2015 by Suzanne Halliday

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by an means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

  ISBN 978–0-9904309–9-5

  This book is meant for mature readers who are 18+. It contains explicit language, and graphic sexual content.

  Edited by www.editing4indies.com

  Book Cover Design by Sommer Stein of Perfect Pear Creative Covers

  Formatting By Champagne Formats

  Table of Contents

  Other Books

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Other Books by Suzanne Halliday

  The Justice Brothers

  Broken Justice

  Fixing Justice

  Redeeming Justice

  Family Justice

  Always

  Wilde Women

  Wilde Forever

  This book is dedicated to

  The drive-thru Starbucks near our temporary home in the great southwest

  Specifically for the Venti Classic Chai Tea Latte or the Early Grey Latte

  Without which I’d still be throwing words out

  And

  Ella and Beau

  Who make every day an adventure

  “KISS! KISS!” CRIED THE CROWD of happy partygoers, as they tapped glasses and encouraged the smiling couple at the center of attention to lock lips. Obliging their well-wishers, the grinning man in the perfect tuxedo dipped his beautiful partner dressed in a clinging white off-the-shoulder gown in a dramatic dancer’s pose then snatched her upward quickly and into his arms for a ravenous kiss that was met with a chorus of sighing, “Awwws.”

  A pudgy man dressed in a suit that appeared to be a size too large waved everyone to their seats then started addressing the crowd in an overly loud voice that suggested he’d had his fair share of cocktails.

  “Before my illustrious mother-in-law comes up here and takes the stage, I’d like to propose a toast to my brother-in-law, Bob, and his wife, Darcy,” he slurred as he held his glass aloft. “Thirty years is a long time to put up with each other, but you two have certainly shown all of us that it’s possible.”

  As far as toasts went, it wasn’t a very good one, but the man doing the talking wasn’t expected to do much more than take up space. All families have a groan-worthy relative or two, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, he was one of them.

  A tall older woman with elaborately coifed silver-grey hair, dressed to the nines and more or less dripping in expensive-looking jewelry, strode confidently forward, fixing the inebriated man with a cold stare. When he dropped like a stone into his chair looking both sheepish and morose, she paused ever so slightly until he had the sense to hang his head.

  The DJ hired to handle the festive occasion rushed at her, handing off a microphone that she waved away with a snort. “Young man,” she bit out, even though he wasn’t young by any stretch of the imagination. “I am fairly confident that, even at my advanced age, I still know how to project my voice as to be heard by all present.”

  Sitting at the table closest to the couple being honored, three beautiful young women snickered with undisguised delight, then quickly coughed and cleared their throats, straightening up in their chairs when the grand dame in the spotlight looked their way.

  Having been summarily put in his place, the DJ plastered a tense smile upon his face and lifted the microphone as he spoke.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for the mother of the groom, the incomparable Bryanna Charles Baron-Wilde.”

  Raucous applause burst upon the gathering with all the men present rising politely to their feet while several of the younger guests, including the three women, hooted and hollered, “You go, Nana!”

  The older woman stood there with a sly smile on her beautifully made-up face as if she was accepting a congratulatory curtain call—something that wasn’t all that far from the truth.

  Eventually waving away the acknowledgment, she waited until everyone was seated and the room perfectly quiet before beginning to speak.

  “Thirty years ago, our family was blessed when my beloved son, Robert,” she said with a beaming smile as she turned and nodded in his direction, “was lucky enough to convince Darcy Abbott to take him on as a husband.”

  The three women seated together reached for each other’s hands in a sisterly connection that spoke volumes about their relationship.

  “It sounds lovely now, but at the time, my husband and I weren’t so sure these two would ever make it to the altar.”

  A titter of amusement traveled around the room while, at the head table, the anniversary couple elbowed each other playfully. Although his hair was now shot with grey, Robert Baron-Wilde was still a devastatingly handsome man and the woman he looked at with such love and longing, his beautiful wife, Darcy, looked more bride than middle-aged mother.

  “The Baron-Wilde family has always been an interesting lot, to say the least,” the older woman stated emphatically. “As most of you know, I led my dear Anthony on quite the adventure before he managed to haul me in front of a preacher!”

  The three young women giggled as she spoke.

  “It was pretty amusing to watch many years later when young Darcy did the same thing.” Smiling broadly and casting the woman in bridal white a conspiratorial wink, she let the laughter die down before continuing.

  “In honor of this momentous occasion celebrating their thirty years of marriage, I’m going to add a new chapter to the Baron-Wilde family lore and let you all in on a little known fact about Robert and Darcy’s journey.”

  If her statement meant to grab everyone’s attention, she succeeded. Almost the second those words left her mouth, every pair of eyes in the room blinked and grew wide.

  “As you know, my Robert was something of a bonehead all those years ago. After several years of dat
ing and even after they were living together, he seemed incapable of sealing the deal. Poor Darcy,” Bryanna mocked while giving her son a pointed look. “She really did put up with his nonsense much longer than I would have. Anthony and I made a bet one night that if he didn’t, as they say, shit or get off the pot.” This comment was met with a ripple of good-natured laughs. “That we were sure Darcy would haul butt in the other direction. A little like I did,” she added with a flourish.

  “Now, I may or may not have had a hand in what happened next, but sure as we predicted, the day came when my son was handed his hat after Darcy packed her bags and went off to London to pursue the dreams she’d put on hold while Robert dragged his feet.”

  “Idiot,” someone in the gathering shouted. “What an ass,” cried another.

  Grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat, she nodded her head dramatically in agreement.

  “Anthony was sure his son would immediately come to his senses and track her down but I disagreed, so we set up a friendly wager.”

  Gently fingering a long necklace hung with a diamond-encrusted owl showing emerald eyes, she smiled and sighed softly.

  “I knew Robert would hem and haw so we bet on a timeframe. Since almost three months passed before someone,” she sniped with a raised eyebrow, “finally dusted off his passport, I won the bet! This necklace was my prize. Anthony thought the owl was fitting because I had clearly demonstrated knowledge of our son’s foolishness that he hadn’t seen.”

  Stopping to remove the necklace, Bryanna walked over to where Darcy sat, leaned in and kissed her affectionately on the cheek, then straightened and placed the glittering jeweled owl around her daughter-in-law’s neck.

  “This is where it belongs now,” she told her with a knowing smile. “Mothers always know, yes?”

  “Mom,” Robert choked out in a voice brimming with undisguised emotion.

  Bryanna stroked his face lovingly and put her palm on his cheek. “This woman has stood by you, given you three beautiful children, and put up with a family that is sometimes hard to deal with. I love her like she’s my own child and am proud to call her my daughter.”

  The three women sniffled and reached for their purses to extract tissues as they watched their parents and grandmother embrace. It was a lovely moment that they would remember forever.

  Now it was Robert Baron-Wilde’s turn to talk. After wiping away some tears with his pocket-handkerchief, he guided his aging mother to her seat, kissed his adoring wife on the lips, then straightened and addressed their guests.

  “Well,” he chuckled. “Following Bryanna Charles in the spotlight is no easy thing! Thanks for that, Mom.” The room laughed along with his jest.

  “I had no idea that you and Dad made a bet around my stupidity, but I’m glad you did and more glad than you’ll ever know that Darcy hadn’t slammed the door shut on a future with me.” Smiling down at his wife, he drawled, “But that doesn’t mean she didn’t make me crawl, beg, cry, plead, and whine until she finally agreed to marry my sorry ass. I’m not surprised at all to learn that you may have had a hand in that, Mom.”

  Bryanna waved her hand at him and shook her head as if to imply she was innocent—but everyone in the room now knew better.

  “I thought that our wedding day was the most important event we’d ever share—but I was wrong when four years after that momentous occasion our family started to grow.” Reaching down to grab hold of his wife’s hand, he bent over and raised it to his lips for a gentlemanly kiss upon her knuckles.

  With her hand in his, Robert turned watery eyes on the three young women sniffling and smiling at them from a front table.

  “My beautiful wife gave me a love I am thankful for every single day and blessed our marriage with the birth of three wonderful, amazing daughters who have given us more joy than we ever imagined.” A murmur of acknowledgment greeted his words.

  “You know, daughters are like snowflakes. They are the same on the outside, beautiful, loving, and kind. But on the inside, each is totally unique and completely different from her sisters.”

  Darcy Baron-Wilde blew her children a kiss and mouthed I love you, as the girls struggled to keep their composure.

  “Our first blessing was Brynn. In every way that counts, she is a Baron-Wilde through and through. Her mother and I are so proud of what she’s doing, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw in a shameless plug for the business she started all by herself. I expect everyone in this room to get their asses upstate to visit the Wilde Bakery, and hopefully, by this time next year, the Baron’s Tea Room will have a grand opening. We love you, sweetie.”

  Brynn pressed her lips together to stop the torrent of tears threatening to fall while her two sisters on either side hugged her tight.

  “Two years after our Brynnie lit up our lives, a real firecracker joined the bunch when Rhiann came along. Always a girly-girl, I never remember her in anything but a dress and always, always with a new pair of shoes! Quite the fashionista, even as a schoolgirl, even though her love of footwear only grew worse as she got older.”

  Laughter erupted around the room when Rhiann lifted her foot and wiggled it declaring, “Jimmy Choo,” with a silly giggle.

  Robert shook his head and crooked a half smile. “Our Rhiann lives in the Big Apple now and has taken an impressive job with a high-fashion magazine where she heads the marketing department. We are so damn proud of you for chasing your dreams, daughter.” Laughing, he added, “I see your mother eyeing those shoes, honey, and I feel a New York City shopping trip coming on.”

  “Good time to put my discount to good use,” Rhiann yelled out with a hooting laugh.

  Then he turned a warm, loving smile on Charlize. “And then there’s sweet Charlie. Darcy had a hard time with our third and she was something of a surprise, but one we give thanks for every day.” Looking around the room as he tightened his grip on his wife’s fingers, he covered their clasped hands with his other and smiled indulgently. “Did you know that Charlize has just graduated from art school? Quite an accomplishment. Right now, she’s helping Brynn finish the remodeling at Mom and Dad’s old farmhouse, and before too long, she’ll be off to Italy where she’s been accepted into a prestigious art academy. Pottery and glass, right, sweetie?” he asked as Charlie beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

  “Our three snowflakes. The same but distinctly different.”

  Darcy rose and stood next to her husband as he handed her a flute of champagne. Holding his glass high, Robert offered a toast saying, “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming out tonight to honor us with this marvelous celebration.”

  Tipping his glass toward those gathered, he clinked his glass with his wife, and with arms entwined, the long-married couple drank.

  Turning toward their daughters, they raised their glasses again. “To our snowflakes. We love you, Brynn, Rhiann, and Charlize.”

  “Hear, hear,” someone called out.

  Bryanna Charles Baron-Wilde got the last word in, of course, when she raised her glass to all present and said, “To my son, Robert, his beautiful bride, Darcy, and their three magnificent daughters. Wishing you all love, laughter, and a lifetime of happiness.”

  “RHIANN. THERE’S A PHONE CALL for you on line two. And when you’re finished with the call, Mr. Ashforth would like to see you upstairs in the executive suite.”

  Oh, for fuck’s sake, Rhi groaned. She’d been doing cartwheels to keep from having to face the CEO of Black Phoenix Group. The very idea of having to answer to the man who broke her foolish twenty-year-old heart made her jaw lock up.

  Liam Ashforth was back in her life, and she wasn’t happy about it. She’d lucked out when he’d gone off to Europe right after acquiring Passion, the high fashion magazine she worked for, even though that meant having to deal with the unctuous Kim Walsh. As chief financial officer for Liam’s global business, she had absolute authority, which she wielded like the vicious bitch she was turning out to be. Having made it abundantly cl
ear that she felt a fashion magazine was beneath the dignity of BPG, she’d been making everyone’s life a living hell. She was a mean-spirited, venomous bitch who Rhiann had disliked on sight.

  To make matters worse, she’d been a particular shit toward Rhiann’s department, putting everyone on notice that BPG’s CFO was going to be personally overseeing each and every expenditure and department request. She thought the communications, marketing, and advertising departments were, as she put it, spending money like they printed it. Bitch. With every passing day, Rhiann’s supposedly fabulous New York life was slowly crumbling to dust, bit by bit.

  Snatching up the phone, she squared her shoulders, ready for another round of business fuckery and pushed the button for line two.

  “Rhiann Wilde,” she answered while clicking her impeccably manicured nails on her desk.

  An exasperated sounding voice came across the line howling, “I need your help, Rhi.”

  Hearing her older sister’s pitiful wail struck straight in her heart. “Oh, my god, what’s wrong, Brynn?”

  “I just can’t,” her sister babbled. “It’s too much for my brain to process.”

  “Aw, honey. Relax, okay? Take a deep breath and tell me what’s happening. It’s not good for the baby for you to be so ferklempt.”

  Brynn barked out a laugh. “Ferklempt? Good heavens, Rhi!”

  She chuckled. “Shut up, you. Now tell me what’s got your knickers in a twist.”

  She heard Brynn sigh, as well as what sounded like a stack of papers rustling. “You’re going to have to do this, Rhi, I have baby brain or something.”

  “Ooookay. Do what exactly?” Sensing that she needed to focus, Rhiann sat forward and put her forehead into the hand whose elbow was resting on the desk.

  “Plan the wedding, of course! I printed out a bunch of lists, but it’s all just a blur. Help!”

  “Uh, wedding? What wedding? Who’s getting married? Have I missed a memo or something?”

  “Oh shit, Rhi! I’m sorry. You’re right—I forgot to call you last night ‘cause, well . . .” Her sister snickered softly. “I guess we kinda lost our way a bit. Jax came back, and he asked me to marry him again. Squee!”