Wildest Dreams: A Small Town, Single Dad Romance (The Wilds of Montana Book 3)
Chapter 3

“We did awesome.” Katie, the youngest of my employees at sixteen, props her hands on her hips and grins at the rest of us. All four of my girls insisted on coming in today to help me finish arranging clothes and displays for our reopening tomorrow.

They wouldn’t even let me pay them. Well, Melissa didn’t seem to like that she was spending her Sunday here without getting paid, but she went along with the others. I assured her that she didn’t have to stay, but she insisted that she wanted to, so I dropped it. I think she didn’t like the idea of being left out.

All four of them waltzed in at ten this morning with coffees from Millie’s place and announced that they’d be helping until it was done. And I was so relieved because I still had so much to do.

“It looks so great,” Melissa agrees with a smile and points to a nearby rack. “I can’t wait to try on that pink dress.”

They discuss which clothes they’ll be buying for the summer, and I don’t butt in or complain at all. I offer a good discount so my employees can buy their clothes here, wear them at work, and when they’re not here, too. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing strategy.

“I have to go,” Jessica says as she slings her handbag over her shoulder. “I have to get the kids from my piece-of-shit ex and get them dinner. I have to call him a piece-of-shit now because I can’t do it in front of the children.”

“I have to go, too,” my fourth and final employee, Grace, adds. “My brother wants help in the vegetable garden. At least it’s light out until almost eleven at night, and we can do chores late.”

“Thank you all so much for helping me today.” I give them each a big hug. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be here well into the night, and now I can get some rest before tomorrow.”

“You do a lot for us,” Katie says and quickly checks her phone, shooting off a text faster than anyone else I’ve seen. How do her fingers move like that? “I’m just excited that school’s out so I can work more hours. You guys usually get to have all the fun.”

“I do believe that Katie is a workaholic,” Jessica says with a laugh.

“No,” Katie corrects her, shaking her pretty brunette head. “I’m passionate about fashion.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

We laugh, and once everyone has gathered their things and taken off, I make one last pass through my place. To say that I’m in love with how it turned out is an understatement.

The clothes are just so great. Beautiful fabrics and colors that feel good on the skin. I’ve tried everything on, and I can say without a doubt that, although every single piece isn’t necessarily for me, they are well made and will be great for someone. I love that the pieces look and feel luxurious and comfortable, but there is something for every budget.

The new light-colored furniture makes the place look brighter, and Mac came back today to hang some light fixtures that make it look fancy and happy.

Two things I love.

Another delivery came yesterday of a new sideboard piece that I’m using for storage and a place to set out snacks and drinks. For summer, I’ll have lemonade and strawberry biscuit cookies that Jackie Harmon makes over at The Sugar Studio. Jackie makes the best cookies. It was hard to narrow it down to just one variety.

I go into the back and turn off the lights, make sure the back door is secure and locked, and then I sling my cross-body Louis Vuitton bag on and return to the front of the store to let myself out the glass door and lock it behind me.

I’m going to treat myself to dinner tonight. I called Summer, but she and Chase are busy out at the new house, so it’ll just be me tonight.

And that’s okay. I’m getting used to my bestie being preoccupied with her man all the time now. When we were both single, it was easy to get together a few times a week, but now I usually see her just a couple of times a month. I miss her, but I’m so happy that she’s found her soulmate.

In the mood for pizza, I walk down the block to Old Town Pizza. I’ll just order something and take it home so that I can sit outside on my little patio and enjoy the evening. I think I even have some white wine that I haven’t opened yet.

Pushing inside the older restaurant—it’s been here since my parents were kids—I approach the counter and grin at Heather, the owner, as I relish in the scent of garlic and pizza.

“Polly.” Heather greets me with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

“I think I’ll place an order to take home.”

I hear the door open behind me, and when I glance back, I see that it’s Ryan and Jake, and every molecule in my body is now on high alert.

Why is this man so potent?

“Hey, Miss Polly,” Jake says with a shy smile.

“Hi, guys.” I look back at Ryan, who’s watching me with those steady hazel eyes. I know what it’s like to have those eyes watch me as I fall apart at the seams. I clear my throat and smile. “How are you two?”

“We’re great. Here for dinner. Want to join us?” Ryan asks, and Jake nods in agreement.

“Oh, I was just going to take something home.”

“Sit with us,” Jake urges me. “Eating alone is bad for the digestion.”

I can’t help the burst of laughter at that, and Ryan frowns at the boy. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

“It’s science.”

“Right.” I nod at Jake. “Totally science. I don’t want to crash your party.”

“Please crash our party,” Ryan replies. “Come on, we’ll even let you pick the toppings.”

“Who could say no to that?” Heather, who’s been eavesdropping, asks. “Table for three, then?”

“Table for three,” I agree with a nod, and we follow her to a booth by the windows. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be back in a few to take your orders,” Heather replies with a wink, and then she’s bustling off again.

“Thanks for including me,” I say to the guys across from me as we get settled with our menus.

“How are things at the shop?” Ryan asks, closing his menu and setting it aside.

“Perfect.” I smile over at him. I can’t hold back, and I do a little dance in my seat. “It’s so beautiful, and every single thing is officially in place and ready for tomorrow.”

“That’s great,” he replies with a grin. “You work fast.”

“My employees came to help today. Not only wouldn’t they take no for an answer, but they wouldn’t let me pay them, either. They wanted to help out, and we had a lot of fun doing it. They’re so sweet. I’ll do something special for them this week.”

“Doesn’t Katie LaRoy work for you?” Jake asks.

“Yes, she does.” I tilt my head, watching as Jake’s cheeks darken. “Are you two friends?”

“Sort of.” Jake clears his throat and seems very relieved when we’re interrupted by Heather.

“Can I take your drink orders?” she asks.

“I’d love a glass of white wine. It doesn’t have to be fancy.”

“Good, because I don’t have fancy, but I do have white wine.” Heather winks at me and turns to the guys.

“I’ll also have white wine,” Jake says, and Ryan and I both gasp, making Jake laugh. “Your faces were priceless. Iced tea, please.”

Heather nods and turns to Ryan. “And for you?”

“Just water.”

“Okay, be right back.”

“I want to talk more about Katie,” I say and smirk when Jake frowns. “But first, what do you guys get on your pizza?”

“Everything,” Ryan says.

“Even anchovies?” I ask in disgust.

“No, they don’t serve them here,” Jake says. “But if they did, we would. Because we’re men.”

“Okay, then.”

“But we told you that you could choose,” Ryan says, reminding me. “What do you get?”

“Everything,” I reply and smile. “But not anchovies, even if they did serve them. That’s where I draw the line.”

“Is that what you usually get,” Jake wants to know, “or are you just saying that?”

“Hey, Heather,” I call out, getting the other woman’s attention. When she looks up and grins, I say, “What’s my usual order?”

“Large everything,” she replies, and I give her a thumbs-up.

“See? Told you.”

Ryan’s grinning at me. Just watching me and smiling, and it does things to my lady bits that are not appropriate for being in public. His grin widens, as if he knows.

Can the man read minds now?

“I’m going to go get the new high score on the pinball machine,” Jake says and scoots out of the booth before walking to the back of the restaurant where the game is.

“I love that he’s so sure of himself,” Ryan says, watching the boy as he walks away.

“Also, I think he’s trying his best to avoid my questions about Katie. He must have a crush on her.”

“He hasn’t said anything to me, but that doesn’t surprise me. Is she a good girl?”

“She’s the best. She’s super smart and gorgeous, but best of all is her work ethic. She’s only sixteen, and I swear, she’d quit high school to work full time for me if she thought she could get away with it. She loves the shop.” I smile over at him. “So, yeah, she’s a good girl.”

“That’s all I can ask for.”

Ryan sips his water, and I rest my chin in my hand, watching him. All the Wild siblings have the most amazing hazel eyes and dark hair. They’re all beautiful. But there’s something extra special about the man sitting across from me.

“So.” He leans forward on his elbows and lowers his voice. There aren’t a ton of people in here tonight, but I appreciate Ryan’s need for privacy. “You wanted me to call.”

Now it’s my cheeks that darken. I can feel it happening, and I know he can see it because I didn’t put on any foundation today.

“I get that leaving when I did and then saying later that I wish you’d called is sending a mixed message,” I reply, my voice also low. “And I apologize for that.”

“Why did you leave?”

I frown down into my wine, taking a sip for courage. “Because you were sleeping so peacefully, and I didn’t want to wake you?”

He narrows his eyes. “Bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit; you did look peaceful.” I set the glass down and shake my head as I try to decide what to say. “I’m pretty sure we said that it was a onetime deal before we even left the wedding reception.”

“No, we didn’t.”

I squint my eyes at him, remembering that night close to a year ago. “I think we did. We were flirting, and you whispered in my ear that you wanted one night with me.”

“I said that I wanted to take you home for the night,” he says with a scowl. “Not that it would only be for one night.”

Frowning, I blink over at him. “Are you sure?”

“I remember every fucking detail about that night as if it were five minutes ago.” His jaw tightens, and his shoulders tense. “Are you telling me that you walked out on me because of a misunderstanding?”

“And you didn’t call because you thought that I’d bailed.” I can’t help but laugh. “Well, at least we got that cleared up. We didn’t have any problem at all communicating the rest of the night.”

Ryan was excellent at telling me what he was going to do, what he wanted me to do, and how I made him feel.

It was the sexiest night of my life.

“I’d like to take you out. On a date.”

I sober and blink over at him, distracted when I hear Jake yell out, “Yes! Got it!”

“You do?”

“Yeah, Polly, I do. What night works for you?”

“I close the shop every night at six.” I swallow a sip of wine. “But what about Jake?”

“He’s almost sixteen. He doesn’t need a babysitter. How about Tuesday night?”

I mentally scan my calendar and then nod. “I’m free Tuesday night.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Heather makes her way through the dining room with our pies balanced perfectly on the flat of her hands. Jake slides into the booth next to Ryan just as she sets them on the table between us. She gives us plates and silverware and grins. “Be right back with the breadsticks.”

“This smells so good,” Jake says. “I worked up an appetite playing pinball.”

I can’t help but smile at the teenager as he grabs a slice of pizza and takes a big bite.

“Good?” I ask as I set a slice on my plate.

“It’s always good here,” he replies before taking another bite.

“He’s not wrong.” I wink at Ryan and take a bite of my own piece. “Heather never misses.”

“God, I love the smell of this place.” I inhale deeply as I saunter into The Sugar Studio the next morning to pick up the cookies that I’ll set out for customers today. “Jackie, I swear, I gain ten pounds just from walking in here.”

“It’s worth it,” Jackie replies with a wink.

She’s a pretty blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a happy smile, and she’s always dressed in her white chef’s coat. How it stays so pristinely white, I have no idea. Even after she’s been in the kitchen for hours, she looks fresh as a daisy.

“I have to try one of these.” Jackie sets the big tray of strawberry biscuit cookies on the counter, and I pluck one out and take a bite. The cookie melts in my mouth. It has just the right balance of tart and sweet, with a crumbly biscuit, and I close my eyes in delight. “Marry me, Jack.”

The other woman giggles and secures the plastic wrap on the end.

“This is a fun summer cookie,” she says. “And they’re not messy, so people won’t eat them and then make a mess of your pretty clothes.”

“Yeah, I thought of asking you to do a s’mores chocolate chip for fall, but no. Too messy. I don’t need melted chocolate and marshmallow on everything.”

“If you’d like to switch it up now and then, I thought we could do some key lime cookies this summer, too.”

“Holy hell, yes. That sounds great. Thanks, friend. Add it to my tab, if you don’t mind.”

“I never mind,” she assures me and waves as I walk out of the bakery and down the block to my own shop, where Katie’s already inside, hanging pretty blue, pink, and sage-green helium balloons on racks, making the place look extra festive.

“I poured the lemonade into a pretty pitcher,” she informs me and gestures to the sideboard, where it’s already set out next to a bucket of ice and disposable cups. I arrange some of the cookies on a pink plate and then store the rest down below.

We’ll replenish all of this throughout the day.

“Thanks, Katie.” I grin over at her and smile at her yellow sundress and brown sandals. She’s paired the dress with a brown belt to match the sandals, and her hair is teased into a bun that’s anything but messy. “You look extra pretty today.”

“Thanks. I’m excited about the big reveal.” She joins me behind the checkout counter. “Where do you want me today?”

“Help customers, refold things as they get messed up—all the usual things.”

“Sounds fun to me.”

The door opens, and I’m thrilled to see that my first customers of the day are my closest friends.

Summer, Erin, Millie, and Abbi hurry in, with excitement written all over their gorgeous faces. All four women are business owners in Bitterroot Valley, and we’ve become tight, especially over the past year.

“This. Is. Fucking. Amazing.” Millie blinks, and her eyes wander across the room, as if she doesn’t know where to look first.

“So gorgeous,” Abbi agrees. “Polly, this bathing suit is adorable, and I hate bathing suits.”

“Oh, but you have the best curves for it,” Katie says, and we all turn to her in surprise. “Sorry, but she does. That suit is made for curves for days, and we have the best cover-up to match it.”

“She’s good. You’d better keep her around,” Erin says to me with a grin and pulls me in for a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m relieved that it all got done in time,” I confess and can’t help but smile as Summer pulls a blue top off of a rack and holds it up to her. “You’re our first customers.”

“That was on purpose,” Summer replies. “First, because we love you and wanted to see everything.”

“And second, because we wanted first dibs,” Millie finishes for her, making me laugh.

“Well, help yourselves to lemonade and cookies.” I gesture to the sideboard. “And if you want to try anything on, go right ahead.”

“I’m going to be here for a while,” Erin decides, her arms already full of clothes.

“Can I start you a room?” Katie asks her.

“Yes, please.”

More women shuffle in. Some are tourists, who have their husbands and kids in tow. The cookies and lemonade are a huge hit, and we’re out of both by midafternoon.

I make a mental note to ask Jackie to make six dozen rather than four. Seeing the smiles on the customers’ faces is totally worth the expense.

Not to mention, I swear it makes customers more at ease and puts them in the mood to shop. It’s the best thing I ever started doing when I opened this store. It’s a gesture of friendship.

When we’re nearing the end of the business day, Ryan walks into the shop and strides over to me with a big grin.

“What are you up to?” I ask him.

“I ran into Millie,” he says. “She told me that she spent a mint in here today because you have the best clothes in western Montana, and she couldn’t say no to anything.”

“Ha.” I smile with satisfaction. “I think I love your sister.”

He laughs and reaches out to drag his finger down the edge of my jawline, waking up my nerve endings. “Congratulations, Polly. Sounds like it was a good day.”

“It was a great day,” I confirm. “I already have to reorder some stock. I hope my suppliers aren’t sold out.”

“Not a bad problem to have.” He nods at Katie, who walks out of the back with a few items on hangers. “You must be Katie.”

“Hi,” she says with a bright smile. She’s been here all day, but she’s still as bright and fresh as she was this morning. “How can I help?”

“I don’t need anything,” Ryan replies easily, smiling to put her at ease. “I’ve just heard good things about you.”

Katie glances my way. “Aww, that’s sweet. Polly’s the best. What else do you need today, Poll?”

“That’s good for now. You can go on home, Katie. Thank you. You killed it.”

“We killed it,” Katie says with a happy grin before clocking herself out on the computer and then grabbing her stuff to go. “Have a good night! See you Thursday!”

“Bye, Katie.”

When she’s gone, I grin at Ryan. “See? She’s pretty great.”

“I like her,” he says quietly. “You’re beautiful, and I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but you look tired.”

“I am tired, but in a good way.” I lock the front door, flip the sign to closed, and walk back to him. “It was a successful day.”

“Good. I know our date isn’t until tomorrow night, but I think we should celebrate.”

“What do you have in mind?”