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

“I’m so excited that this is the first official event at Wild River Ranch Event Center,” Polly says, practically bouncing in her seat next to me. My eyes just about bugged out of my head at the sight of her in that little white dress, and I almost pushed her into the house and up against the wall before I heard her say another man’s fucking name. Then, all I thought of was homicide. The thought of anyone else putting their hands on this woman is completely unacceptable.

I reach over and rest my hand on her thigh—out of principle.

“It’s going to be amazing.” She takes my hand in hers and laces our fingers together.

I didn’t realize that this was the first event at the family ranch. I knew that the facility was almost finished and that Rem and Erin had done a fantastic job with it. I saw it a couple of months ago, and it already looked great.

As I drive around the corner, the venue comes into view, and pride immediately fills me. What used to be a collapsed, dilapidated barn from a hundred years ago that my siblings and I all played around when we were kids, despite being warned away from it, is now a beautiful, rustic building that seems to blend in with the mountains behind it. It’s painted white with black trim, with a long cement walkway leading to the huge sliding door entrance from the parking lot.

“Look at that red carpet,” Polly breathes.

Sure enough, there’s a red carpet set up on the walkway with a background for photos with the Iconic Women’s Collective logo all over it. There’s a massive flower arch above the doors. Couples are already gathered, chatting and taking photos, as they make their way inside the building.

“It looks amazing.” I park the sexy little Aston Martin that I pulled out of the garage for tonight’s event and grin at Polly. “Not as amazing as my sexy-as-fuck date, but it’s definitely pretty out here.”

“We wanted everyone who comes tonight to feel important.”

“I’d say you hit the mark, and we haven’t even gone inside yet.”

She beams over at me, leans in to kiss me hard and fast, and then reaches for the door handle.

“Whoa, I’ll get that.” I climb out of the car and walk around to the passenger side, buttoning my jacket as I go. After opening the door, I take Polly’s hand and help her to her feet, tuck that hand in my elbow, and escort her down the walkway.

“You’re here,” Summer calls out with a smile. “Get over here so we can get a founders’ photo.”

“I’m being summoned,” she informs me. Her whole body is vibrating with excitement and anticipation.

“Then you’d better go.” I bend down to kiss her cheek, and then she’s off to pose for photos with her friends. With my family.

The five of them, Polly, Erin, Summer, Millie, and Abbi, pose for the cameras. Hands are on hips, heads are cocked, and you’d think that they pose for photos for a living.

“They’re in their element,” Chase says as he and Rem join me.

“Erin’s been buzzing about this all week. Hell, all month,” Rem says with a grin as he watches his wife.

“They should be proud of this,” I add. “It’s a big fucking deal.”

“You got home early,” Chase says, clapping me on the shoulder.

“I had to. This is important to Polly, and I missed my teenager. I surprised them both, and they seemed pleased to see me.”

“I bet they were,” Chase says as we watch our girls finish up with their photo op.

“I hope there’s food,” Rem says. “I’m starving.”

“I have it under good authority that there’s a nice steak waiting for us inside,” Chase replies as we’re waved over to pose with our dates. “Steak from the Wild River Ranch.”

“As it should be,” I add with a grin.

“I want photos,” Polly says as she reaches for my hand, but then her face sobers, and she looks up at me solemnly. “Unless you’d rather not.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I can’t control what goes out to the press on this,” she says, pulling me aside so we can talk. “The whole purpose of this is to get press, but I don’t want you to think that I’m using you or your influence to garner attention for our collective, and⁠—”

I simply lean in and press my lips to hers, and we hear a flurry of shutters from cameras going off around us. I don’t give a shit who sees us.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. You’re no secret. I’m your arm candy, remember? I’m here to do as I’m told.”

“Okay, then,” she breathes, then licks her lips and grins. “Let’s get photos. More photos, I mean.”

We pose for several minutes in front of the red-carpet banners and then move on to give others an opportunity to do the same.

“I don’t think we need to be fussed over.”

Polly turns at the statement, her brow furrowed. “Jackie Harmon, you get over there and have your photo taken. Oh, my God, you look gorgeous in that gown! I mean, I knew you did when you tried it on the other day, but it’s so beautiful with your hair and makeup done. And those shoes! Where did you find them? I don’t carry those in my shop.”

“I went to Missoula with my daughter last weekend,” Jackie confesses, her face now glowing under Polly’s praise. “Aren’t they a great match?”

“They’re stunning, and I’m totally jealous. Come on, you and Brandon get over there.”

Now, Jackie’s all smiles as she poses for photos with her husband.

“You’re good with people,” I inform Polly as we walk into the venue.

“It’s my job, and everything I said to her was true. Sometimes, we just need a little reassurance. Holy Christ on a cracker, it’s gorgeous in here.”

The two of us pause to take it all in.

The interior of the building is all wood, with huge beams that run the length of the room along the vaulted ceiling. There’s a wall of windows that let in plenty of light and gives us the impression that the mountains are knocking, wanting to join us for the party.

Round tables are scattered around the room with light pink tablecloths and flower centerpieces. There’s a stage on one end of the space, all set up and ready for a band.

“I didn’t realize there would be dancing,” I say as Polly and I find our seats.

“Oh, yeah, lots of dancing. The bar your brother made last year is gorgeous. Look at that thing.”

“Chase is excellent at building things,” I agree. “And he still owes me a table. I’ll have to nudge him about that.”

“Look!” Polly points at the doorway. “London and Drew Montgomery came! We invited them but weren’t sure if they’d be able to make it.”

Erin is already hugging her cousin, Drew, and Polly turns to me with happy emerald eyes and a wide grin.

“I love seeing you this happy,” I inform her as I drag my fingertips down her jawline.

“I love parties like this. Everyone looks great. London’s wearing a Louis Vuitton dress, and it’s amazing.”

“So, what you’re saying is, you love parties like this for the fashion.”

She blinks up at me and then frowns. “Well, yeah. Of course.”

“And you’ve never been to fashion week?”

She shrugs a shoulder. “Someday.”

Try this year, babe.

“Polly, can I please pick your brain before dinner starts?” a pretty brunette, likely in her forties, asks Polly. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.”

“Not at all, Elizabeth,” Polly replies. “Do you know Ryan Wild?”

“I don’t think so,” Elizabeth says, shaking her head. “But I just moved to Bitterroot Valley last year, so I’m still meeting people.” She smiles and holds her hand out to shake mine, and then she frowns up at me. “Wait. Are you that Ryan Wild?”

I cock an eyebrow. “Which one would that be?”

“Yes, he’s that one,” Polly says, laughing. “What can I help you with?”

“Sorry.” Elizabeth chuckles and clears her throat. “It’s nice to meet you, Ryan. As you know, Polly, I sell real estate, and it’s actually going very well. Better than I’d hoped, being new to an area. Bitterroot Valley is popular right now. But you said something at a meeting not long ago that made me think.”

“That could have been anything,” Polly says with a laugh.

“You mentioned that we shouldn’t spend money on trends to plug our business. That it can be a waste and not profitable.”

“Ah, that. Sure. I mean, it depends on the trend, of course, but yeah.”

I’m listening raptly, and the change that Polly’s entire demeanor takes, from the carefree woman at a party to a fierce businesswoman, is a sight to behold. Both sides of her are alluring as fuck.

“There have been some new trends circulating in my field that seem fun,” Elizabeth continues. “But holy shit, the out-of-pocket expense on them is huge, and I don’t feel like there’s much ROI there, you know? But it’s so pretty.”

“I’m the queen of loving pretty things,” Polly says, tapping her chin. “But, Liz, are the pretty things helping your bottom line? Or are people going to buy or sell regardless? Because at the end of the day, I’d want the money in my account so I can buy myself something pretty, or simply save the money for something else in my business that will bring in more money on that end.”

“You’re right,” Liz says with a nod. “It’s just so tempting to jump on the fun trends.”

“But is it a good business decision?” Polly counters. “I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. If it’s not going to elevate your business or drive income for you in some way, it’s not worth it.”

“Thank you.” Liz exhales and grins at both of us. “I already knew that, deep down. I just needed to hear it.”

“Trust your gut,” Polly advises. “You’ll be great. Have fun tonight.”

“Oh, I will. Now, I have to go find my husband. He was talking with someone named Drew Montgomery about football, which means I may never see him again.”

Liz walks away, and I bend down to whisper in Polly’s ear.

“I want to carry you out of here, find a quiet spot, and fuck you until you can’t breathe.”

Her green eyes fly up to mine in surprise. “Why? I mean, no complaints here, but what did I do?”

“You’re fucking brilliant at your job, Polly. You should be a business advisor.”

“I am. That’s why we started this collective. For exactly this.”

We find our seats at a table with the other four women, and I sit next to my sister. Rem and Erin are across from us, and it seems Abbi, Summer, and Chase are off mingling somewhere.

“Have you thought of taking this outside of Bitterroot Valley?” I ask Polly and Erin.

“Yes,” the two women say at the same time.

“We already have some interest in Missoula and Bozeman,” Erin explains. “And I think my cousins are looking into starting up a collective in Seattle.”

“We are writing up bylines, trademarking the name and logo, things like that,” Polly continues as Erin nods in agreement. “There are legalities and the challenges of making sure that the different branches are led by women with strong ethics and a passion for helping others.”

“It would be best if we could sell franchises,” Erin says, tapping her chin. “So we’re not legally held responsible for every single city that wants to participate.”

“I was thinking about that,” Millie says as Abbi, Summer, and Chase join us. “I think we could handle most of the branches in Montana, but outside of that, we’d need to sell franchises. There are so many legalities to think about, and this way, we don’t have to put in that kind of work. We all have businesses of our own already. It would be a lot to handle.”

“You could hire a staff,” I suggest, and all eyes turn to me. “If you wanted to keep it in-house, that is.”

“We don’t generate much money,” Abbi reminds me thoughtfully. “Really only enough for the Collective to pay for itself. We sell tickets to the monthly meetings, just to cover the meal and a drink. The speakers donate their time. Even the ticket price for tonight was just enough to cover dinner, the band, decorations, and such. Erin and Remington donated the facility for the night, which is amazing, by the way.”

“Isn’t it great?” Erin asks, all smiles as she leans in to kiss Rem.

“I kind of like where Ryan’s going with this,” Summer says, tapping her gorgeous white-tipped nails on the table. “We could turn this into a charity situation where we donate to women’s causes. We could have online courses, memberships, and things like that so that it could generate enough money to hire a couple of people and to donate to causes that lift up women. That’s the whole point of this, after all.”

The five women look at each other and then smile.

“We’re going to discuss this further,” Polly decides. “This week. For now, let’s table it and have fun.”

“Good plan,” Erin replies with a nod.

“I do have one businessy thing to announce,” Summer says. “Bitterroot Valley Nursery has been so happy with having cut flowers available in their store while I’ve been based out of there until my shop is rebuilt that they’ve asked me to keep a small kiosk there, and Sharla has agreed to manage it. So, I’m officially a chain.”

“That’s amazing,” Polly exclaims and jumps up to run over and hug Summer. “You didn’t tell me!”

“It was just finalized today,” Summer says with a laugh.

“To badass women,” Remington says, holding up his glass of whiskey. “I’m kind of afraid of them.”

“Here, here,” I reply with a laugh. “To badass women.”

“I heard last night was fun,” Jake says the next morning as he and I have breakfast in my office. I’m sitting behind my desk, and Jake is in the chair in front of it. I want that damn table from Chase.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Russ’s mom got home while we were still playing last night, and she said it was pretty wicked. She said her husband got to meet Drew Montgomery. You know, the football coach.”

“I know Drew,” I reply with a smile. “Did her husband mention that he got to meet London Ambrose Montgomery, the owner of that team?”

Jake eyes me and takes a bite of his bagel. “Not that I know of.”

“See, that’s the problem.”

“It’s a problem that he likes the football coach?”

“No, it’s a problem that he doesn’t acknowledge that Drew’s wife, who was successful before she met him, was also there, and is an impressive woman, as well. That he wasn’t excited to meet her.”

“I think he just likes football.” Jake narrows his eyes. “Wait, is this a lesson about respecting women and stuff?”

“Yeah, kind of. Last night was awesome. I was so proud of Millie and Polly and the others because they’ve built something important. The other women who were there look up to those ladies.”

“Why does it have to be just about the girls, though?” Jake asks, nibbling his bagel. “I’m not asking that to be a prick. All I’m saying is, if a bunch of guys formed a club and said that girls aren’t allowed to come unless they’re specifically invited, women would have a cow. We’d never hear the end of it.”

I stare at him for a moment, then I set my bagel down and clear my throat.

“I don’t even want to think about what they aren’t teaching you in school. Did you know that until 1974, a woman couldn’t even open a bank account without having a husband or a father with her as a cosigner?”

Jake’s brow furrows. “Why?”

“Good question. I don’t mean to sound preachy here, but women couldn’t even vote in an election until 1920. There are many places in this country where men have clubs that women aren’t welcome in. Particularly country clubs, golf clubs, and things like that.”

“Rich people clubs,” Jake says.

“Some are, yeah. There are also other kinds of clubs that are historically only for men, or gentlemen’s clubs, as they’re called. They happen. They’ve always happened. Not to mention, let’s talk about how women are still treated in this country. The way they’re ogled, disrespected, hurt. Some men think it’s okay to lay their hands on them, to rape them, or mock them.”

Jake frowns down at his now-untouched bagel. “Yeah, I know that firsthand.”

“I know you do.” I reach out and cover Jake’s arm with my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I think it’s kind of great that Polly and her friends, one of whom is my sister, have come together to help other women with their businesses. It’s going to bleed over into their home lives, as well. It’s going to give those ladies who are in abusive situations the strength to change their lives. To stand up for themselves.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Jake says thoughtfully and then frowns over at me. “Why do some guys think it’s okay to beat on girls? To be mean to them and make them feel like shit?”

“Because they can.” I sit back and shake my head. “Because women are usually physically weaker, and that seems to make them an easy target.”

“It seems to me that guys should help someone who’s weaker than them.”

“I’m with you, buddy. And that’s one of the reasons I love you.”

Jake blinks at me, and it occurs to me that this might be the first time I’ve told him that I love him.

“Oh,” he says.

“Jake, I don’t just care about you or feel obligated to you. You’re here with me because I love you. Unconditionally. You’re my kid, you know?”

“Yeah.” He blinks fast, as if he’s fighting off tears. “Yeah, I know. I mean, I guess I know.”

He looks over at me and sniffs, and the image of this amazing kid lying in that bed upstairs, broken and hurting because a man who was supposed to protect him beat him forms in my head, and my heart slices as if it were yesterday.

“You’re my family, part of a really big family.” I smile over at him. “And sometimes that family is a pain in the ass.”

He nods. “It’s pretty great. I never had that before. And when I was younger, when my parents were still alive?”

I go very still. Jake never talks to me about his past. “Yeah?”

“It just sucked ass so bad.” He swallows hard and wipes at a tear impatiently. “Dad beat my mom up a lot. I think he was taking her to the hospital that day they died because he’d pounded on her that morning, and she was pretty hurt. I went to school because I had to get out of there. I wanted to help her, but whenever I tried, I was told not to. By her.”

“I suspect she was trying to protect you.”

He nods. “I was just a kid, but man, I wanted to kill him. And when they died, I wasn’t all that sad. I was kind of relieved, and I thought that made me a bad person.”

Shit, I want to cry for this boy and resurrect his parents so I can make them pay for what they put him through.

“And then I had to live with…them.” He swallows again and shakes his head. “And it was worse. I didn’t know it could be worse. I hope I’m not like them. That just because I have my bio dad’s blood in me, it doesn’t mean that I’m like him.”

“I’m so sorry, buddy.”

His dark eyes find mine again. “But you saved me. You didn’t have to, but you did. And you’re nothing like those assholes. You’re a good person.”

“I think I took one look at you and decided that you were mine. Like we were supposed to be together all along.”

“Maybe we were,” he says softly. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I love you, too. Dad.”

I round my desk and pull Jake into my arms, hugging him close.

“You’re such a good person, Jake. You’re nothing like your biological parents, nothing like Wally. I promise you that. You’re so kind and genuine, and there isn’t a violent bone in your body. Unless you’re shooting zombies.”

“Yeah, I kill those suckers.”

He pulls back and grins up at me. He’s grown so much since he moved in here. It won’t be long until he’s about as tall as I am.

“Don’t ever wonder if you have your bio father’s tendencies inside of you, Jake, because you don’t. You just couldn’t.”

“I think I’m more like you, and that makes me happy.”

I didn’t know that I could feel so much pride from one simple statement. “Me, too.”

“So, since, you know, I’m calling you Dad and stuff, you said before that if I decided to, I could take your last name.”

I shove my hands into my pockets and nod at him. “Yes, I said that.”

“Would—” He licks his lips. “Would that still be possible?”

“You want to be Jake Wild?”

“If it’s okay with you.”

“Yeah.” I smile back at him as a grin spreads over his handsome face. “Yeah, that’s more than okay with me.”