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

I can’t help but chuckle at the complete and utter horror on Polly’s face. “It’s fine, Polly.”

“That was rude,” she says in a loud whisper, looking around to see if anyone heard her. “And I’m sorry for it.”

“It wasn’t rude. It was true. It would suck if the wine was crap, given the price. But, it’s a good wine.”

“Are people always awkward around you?” she wants to know. Jesus, she’s hot, sitting across from me in that dress that makes me wonder what’s under it. When she licks her plump lips, I want to spend the better part of an evening nibbling and kissing them. Polly’s been front and center in all of my sinful fantasies for the last year. “Ryan?”

“Sorry?”

“Do people always say awkward stuff around you? Because of the money? Let’s not beat around the bush about it, because I’m curious, and I don’t want to feel like I’m walking on eggshells here.”

“Always? No. And before I go on, I want it known right here and now that you will not feel the need to walk on eggshells around me. Ever. Say what you want to say. You won’t offend me, Polly. We’ve known each other for a long time. You’re my best friend’s sister. There’s no need to feel self-conscious about anything.”

“Thank you,” she says with a smile. “I agree. That’s why I asked. So, people aren’t weird?”

“I didn’t say that.” I laugh as the server sets the appetizer on the table and refills our wineglasses. “My family and the people who have known me for years have never treated me differently. I have issues that I need to work through with Remington, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with money.”

I sip my wine, thinking it over.

“Mostly, people think they can get something for free from me. Family? Yes, absolutely. Gifts are my love language, so I like to give. But those who don’t know me, don’t care to know me, and just want a piece of the pie? Fuck that. They’re either fired or cut off immediately.”

“Does that include women?” She raises an eyebrow and sips her wine. “I’ve seen the articles and photos of you on red carpets, along with the women on your arm.”

“Including women,” I confirm, watching her. “My circle is small, and I like it that way. Sure, sometimes things are said because people get nervous. You didn’t say what you did out of nerves.”

“No, I just don’t have a filter.”

“Exactly, and that’s the way I like it. Does it make you uncomfortable? The wealth?”

She doesn’t immediately deny it, and I have to admit that I respect that. She takes a moment, looking out at the mountains, sipping her wine, and then turns those stunning green eyes back to me.

“Uncomfortable? No. I wouldn’t say that. I want to make it clear that I’m not on this date with you because of the balance in your checking account. Or whatever accounts billionaires use.”

I chuckle at that and stay quiet, letting her speak.

“I’m here because I like you.” She shrugs a shoulder and reaches for a piece of pastry with cheese that smells delicious. “And because the sex was off the charts.”

I choke on the wine I just sipped, and she grins across from me.

“And now I’m here because of this cheese,” she continues, frowning at the piece in her fingers. “Holy Jesus and the apostles, this is incredible. Now, you tell me why you’re here.”

“Because staying away from you isn’t an option.”

She stops chewing, and her eyes find mine as she licks her lips.

“Life got busy after the wedding and our incredible fucking night together.” I fiddle with the end of a knife on the table, still watching her. “I have Jake, and for a while, he needed my full and undivided attention. So, he got it.”

“As he should,” she agrees, and I can see by the look on her face that she means every word. It only makes me like her more. “He deserves that.”

“Yes, he does. But we’re doing well now, and I can’t stop thinking about you. That’s why I’m here.”

“That’s a good answer.” She gestures to the appetizer. “Eat some of this so I don’t inhale it all, please.”

I want to inhale her. To take her home and lose myself in her. To reacquaint myself with every curve of her body.

But I’ll settle for this for now.

“Now I have another question,” she says, eyeing me with those gorgeous emerald eyes as she munches on the appetizer.

“Shoot. I’m an open book.”

“Tell me more about this major security situation you had.”

I frown down at the table, the delicious food now tasting like cardboard in my mouth. Suddenly, she reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers, squeezing it. I look up into her eyes, and frankly, I’d tell this woman anything she wants to know.

“Was it really bad?” Her voice is soft, not full of pity, but understanding.

I swallow hard and turn my hand palm up so I can grip hers in return.

“Yeah, it was really bad.” I suddenly have a frog in my throat, so I clear it. “I told you about the kidnapping attempt in New York.”

She nods, waiting patiently.

“After that, things calmed down for a few months. Then, I found a company that was in financial trouble, and I wanted to buy them out. They weren’t keen on selling. In fact, they just wanted me to invest and get them out of trouble, but that’s not what I wanted in that situation.”

“Do you ever do that?” she asks.

“I have in the past, but I knew that if I invested in this case, they’d be right back where they were in less than two years. The owners were shit businessmen. I wanted to take it over because I saw the potential in it.”

Just thinking about that time makes my heart start to beat faster, and I reach for my water and take a sip.

“They had no choice but to sell to someone. They really didn’t want to sell to me, because I turned down the investment offer, but no one else wanted it.”

“So, it was a hostile takeover,” she surmises, making me smile, despite the anxiety that wants to rise up through my stomach.

“I guess you could call it that,” I confirm with a quick nod. “I didn’t plan on them taking out a hit on me in retaliation.”

Polly gasps, her eyes go wide, and she simply stares at me. “What?”

“True story.” Jesus, just the thought of it makes me want to sweat. “It was a few months after the buyout was finished, and suddenly, someone else was attempting to break into my condo in Manhattan. Because of the incident before, I had hired my own private security, so they were thwarted.”

“They were caught?”

“No.” Grimly, I sip my wine. “They got away, but they weren’t successful. And they didn’t stop trying.”

“Jesus Christ,” she mutters, still holding onto my hand.

“After about three months of this, I decided it was in everyone’s best interest if I moved back to Montana. I’d already built my house, and it was just sitting here, waiting to be lived in. At first, I was stubborn, not wanting to give anyone the satisfaction of running me out of New York, but it became clear that I wasn’t safe there.”

“Ryan, my God.”

I swallow the bile that wants to come up and continue, purging out the rest of it.

“I hadn’t been here more than a few months when my team started seeing signs of someone trying to get onto my ranch. We installed cameras and added more men, and right before Christmas⁠—”

I pause and drag my hand down my face.

“It’s okay,” she says, her eyes full of turmoil. “You don’t have to tell me any more.”

“No, I’ll finish it. They tried to get onto the property by jamming my cameras. And, they succeeded. Thank fuck Jake was with my parents that day because they got into my house.”

“No.”

“My men apprehended them. I wasn’t home. I was in town, actually. I saw you that day.”

She frowns over at me. “Was that on Christmas Eve?”

“Yes.”

“I still have your gloves.”

I feel my lips twitch, and my gut loosens as she smiles at me. “You can keep them.”

“I plan to; they’re warm. So, what happened?”

I blow out a breath and reach for more cheese. “Well, they were arrested. It was a hitman that the other company hired to teach me a lesson, as he put it, but it was clear that he’d planned to kill me.”

“How do you know?”

I think of the weapons they found on the son of a bitch, the torture implements, and shake my head.

“We just know. I’ll leave it at that.”

“But he’s in jail?”

“For thirty years,” I confirm with a nod. “And he sang like a canary, had documented all of the communication between him and those who hired him, and they went to jail, too.”

“Thank Christ,” she says with a sigh. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”

“It was scary,” I reply. “And I don’t really scare easily. We’ve beefed up security more because there were rumblings out there that there might have been a second man hired, in case the first failed.”

Her eyes widen in alarm. “Ryan⁠—”

“There’s been no attempt at anything. We have ears on the ground all over the world,” I assure her and lift her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “But we keep an eye on things, just to be sure. I don’t want to relax and then get a surprise.”

“No, you don’t. Now I understand why just the deadbolt on my house gave you pause. But, like I said before, it’s sufficient for me.”

For now. If we continue on together, I’ll have to beef up her home security. I can’t let anything happen to her.

“I have some delicious food for you,” Hilary announces with a grin, our plates on a big tray, and Polly pulls her hand out of mine as our plates are set before us.

Conversation during our meal is less intense, and I love Polly’s quick wit and sense of humor. She makes me laugh like I haven’t in years.

“I’m so full,” she says, but when Hilary returns with the dessert menu, she bites her lip. “Yeah, that crème brûlée is calling my name. Share it with me?”

“Perfect. I’d also like coffee.”

“I’d like that, too,” Polly agrees, and Hillary bustles off to do her thing. She glances out the window and smiles. “Look at the alpenglow.”

The mountains are cast in pink as the sun sets opposite of them. We’ve been sitting here for several hours, talking and eating and laughing. It’s felt like mere minutes with her.

“Chase and Summer are coming out to my ranch on Sunday,” I say. “Summer’s going to try riding a horse for the first time.”

“You’re kidding.” Polly blinks at me and then busts up laughing. “Oh, to be a fly on the wall.”

“Actually, I’d love it if you joined us. They’re coming just after lunchtime, but you could come out earlier than that, and I’ll give you a tour. I know you’ve been there before, but⁠—”

“But we didn’t really take time for a tour of the house,” she says with a wink. “I suppose I can take Sunday off. I’d like that, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m getting you on a horse, too.”

She considers that. “It’s been a while, but I bet I can still do it.”

After settling the check, I take Polly home and walk her to her door.

“Do you want to come in?” she asks.

More than just about anything.

But I lean in and kiss her forehead. “I have to get home.”

“Okay.” She sighs when I kiss the tip of her nose. “I understand. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

My hands dive into her hair and fist at the back of her head, and I sink into her, kissing her with all I have. Christ, I’ve missed the taste of her, the feel of her against me.

She whimpers and wraps her arms around my neck, and I pick her up so we’re face to face, and I don’t have to bend down so damn far to reach her.

She tastes like heaven and smells even better, and when she says my name and pins me in that emerald stare, I almost cave and go in with her.

But then my phone rings, pulling me back to reality.

“I have to get home to Jake,” I say regretfully. “That’s him, checking in with me.”

“I get it,” she says, but regret hangs heavily in her voice, and I have to admit that I feel the same way.

“Sunday. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

She nods as I set her on her feet, and I wait for her to unlock her door. She smiles back at me, and then she’s gone. I return to the truck, adjusting myself in my jeans, and call Jake back.

“Hey, buddy, I’m headed home. Where are you?”

“Just got home. Gonna play with Russ for a while. Can you bring pizza?”

I blow out a breath, still trying to settle my nerves. “Sure. I’ll bring pizza.”

“It’s been quiet.” Axel is the head of my security, and we meet once a week in my office, so he can update me on any concerns. “I know you want two guys here twenty-four seven, but I don’t see a need for it anymore.”

“Have you heard that there is nothing to worry about?”

Axel shifts on his feet and sighs. “No.”

“Then they stay. When that’s resolved, we’ll cut it down to one on duty at a time. We have the whole ranch covered with cameras, but in the meantime, I want two.”

“Yes, sir,” Axel replies.

“I’m glad that things have been quiet around here. I’ll have guests on the ranch today, and likely often through the summer because my brother’s kids will want to come swim, and I’d like to be a little more social. I’m adding Polly Allen to the list of names that have full access to the ranch whenever she wants it.”

His eyebrows climb at that. “Full access, sir?”

“Yes. Day or night, she’s to be passed through immediately. No need to check with me first. Program in her license plate so the gate automatically opens for her.”

“I’ll see to it right away. Only you and Jake have full access.”

My eyes are level on Axel’s. “And now Polly.” He nods, and before he can argue further, I say, “That’s all.”

“Sir.” He nods and then walks out of the office.

A few moments later, Jake walks in, all sleepy-eyed and rumpled from bed. He’s in an oversized T-shirt and gray sweats and pads on bare feet to the kitchenette.

“Bagel?” he asks me.

“How about if I make you a real breakfast?”

That makes him eye me as he scratches his scalp through bed-head hair. “What kind of real breakfast?”

“Eggs, bacon, hash browns. Toast. Protein.”

Jake turns to the kitchenette and back to me. “Up here?”

“No, smart ass, in the real kitchen.”

“Sure.” He turns and walks right back out, and it makes me grin. He’s a kid of few words in the morning, but he always finds me so we can have breakfast together.

I shoot a text to Arthur before leaving my office.

Me: I’ll be out of the office for the better part of the day. Hold all calls and move any appointments.

Rather than text back, he calls me.

“Wild.”

“Sir, you were supposed to meet with Tokyo this afternoon.”

“Reschedule it.”

“But we rescheduled it last week.”

“Do it again,” I reply easily. “It’s Sunday, and I’m taking some time off.”

“Wow,” Arthur breathes. “Yes, sir. But we can’t miss the next rescheduled meeting with them.”

“Fine.” The Tokyo issue annoys me. “You won’t hear from me until tomorrow morning at six.”

He doesn’t immediately respond.

“Hello?”

“You’re taking the whole day off?”

“That’s what I said. And I want you to, as well. Go…do whatever it is you do in Manhattan on a Sunday.”

“I could go have lunch with Eric,” he says. “And then we could go to the farmer’s market.”

“Go have fun with your husband,” I reply. “No work until tomorrow morning. The world won’t fall apart. Probably.”

“If it does, I’m not getting fired for it.”

I grin as I hang up and then make my way down to the kitchen, where Jake’s already sitting at the island, drinking coffee—a habit he’s picked up since moving in with me—and watching something on his phone.

“I had to talk to Arthur and tell him that I’m taking today off.”

“The whole day?”

“That’s what he said.” I pull eggs and bacon out of the fridge. “I could make French toast, if you want some.”

“Can I still have all the other junk?” he asks, not looking up from his phone.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Why are you taking the whole day?”

“Today’s the day that Chase and Summer are coming out to ride,” I remind him.

“I know. I went out this morning and got the girls ready.” He always refers to our little herd of horses as the girls. “The bridles and saddles are ready, too. I just didn’t think you’d take the whole day. It won’t take that long.”

“How do you know?”

“Summer’s never ridden before. If she goes too long on a horse, she won’t walk for a week.”

I smirk and pour milk into the bowl with some eggs, whisking them up. “Polly’s coming, too.”

“Cool.”

He’s still staring at the damn phone.

“Would you please put that down while we’re talking? What’s so interesting?” He doesn’t usually do that during our morning meetings, as we started calling our breakfasts together.

“Sorry.” He flips it off and turns the phone face down on the countertop. “It’s a horse race. So, are you and Polly dating or something?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Because I’m not stupid. She’s nice and pretty, and you said you had dinner last week.”

“Yeah, all of that is true. I guess we’re dating.” I glance up and see that he’s watching me with interest. “What do you want to know about it? You know you can ask me anything.”

“Is she going to stay here sometimes?”

“Maybe, but not while you’re here.”

“Good. That’s weird.” He gets up and circles around the island to help me with the bacon. “Are you going to marry her? And if you do, will you have a prenup? You should. You’re loaded, and girls can’t be trusted.”

“Whoa, there’s a lot to unpack here.” I laugh and tug the boy in for a hug, then put him in a headlock and ruffle his hair. “So far, we’re dating. I like her. It’s pretty casual.”

For now.

“If and when I marry anyone, there will most likely be some kind of legality involved because yeah, I’m loaded. Don’t worry, you’re in the will.”

His head pops up, and he grins at me. “I am? Nice. Don’t worry, I won’t off you or anything just for the money.”

“Thanks. That inspires a lot of confidence. And lastly, women can be trusted. Look at Grandma Joy and Erin and Summer. Millie. Heck, even Polly. You know Polly, and you like her.”

He shrugs a shoulder. “Yeah, I like her. Even when she caught those morons stealing from her, she wasn’t a raging bitch or anything.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Watch the language, kid.”

“I’m just saying she wasn’t too bad, and I liked helping her at the shop. She’s always been decent to me. And she treats me like a person and not just a kid. So, if she’s around some, I guess it would be okay.”

“Good. Now, why don’t you think women can be trusted?”

And just like every time I want to talk about his past, Jake clams right up.

“So, this horse race,” he says, changing the subject. “It’s pretty cool.”

He tells me about the race, and I finish making breakfast. When we’re done eating, we hear Polly’s car in the driveway.

“Is Polly early?” he asks me, looking outside to see who it is.

“I told her to come early so we could show her around and stuff.”

He eyes me. “I’ll go to the barn.”

“No way. You’ll hang out with us and help me show her around.”

“Don’t kiss her,” he says, shaking his head ruefully. “I don’t need to see that. I’m an impressionable child.”

I snort. “Right.”

The doorbell rings while I’m still filling the dishwasher.

“I’ll get it,” Jake says and hurries for the door.

I can hear them chatting as he leads her back this way, and as soon as I see her, I want to kiss her like I did the other night. Instead, I smile at her.

“The gate just opened for me,” she says with a perplexed frown. “I didn’t even have to press the buzzer or anything.”

“I told them to let you in whenever you’re here. No need to buzz.”

“Oh, thanks. This kitchen is impressive. I see you went with white paint. That’s probably the smart way to go. You can decorate it with any color you want and change it out with the seasons and stuff.”

“We don’t really decorate much,” Jake says, making me grin.

Polly is nervous.

“Right,” she says with a laugh that has Jake frowning. “Of course. Bachelor pad, and all that. Most guys don’t change things out with the seasons. Hell, even I don’t change anything. I’ve had paint swatches on my walls for two years.”

“Don’t gag,” I whisper to Jake as I pat his shoulder and walk past him and simply pull Polly in for a hug. I tighten my arms around her and feel her shoulders droop in relief. “You’re here because I asked you to be. Don’t overthink it, okay?”

“Sorry,” she whispers with a shaky breath. “I don’t know why I’m nervous.”

“It’s okay. It’s just a tour of the house.” I pull back from her, smile gently, and trace my fingertips down her jawline, and then I turn to Jake, who’s watching us with curiosity. “Where should we start this tour, buddy?”

“Duh.” He turns to start out of the room. “In the theater. I want some Milk Duds.”

“The kid never stops eating,” I inform her as we follow behind him. “We literally just finished breakfast. He’s going to break me within a year.”

“Nah, he can afford it,” Jake says cheerfully and leads us down the hall to the movie theater. “This room rocks.”

“Wow,” Polly says. “You’re right, it’s impressive. You even have a popcorn machine in here. And a soda fountain.”

“It’s legit,” Jake agrees. “Sometimes we can get movies that are only playing in the theaters. Ryan has magical powers or something.”

I smirk and shake my head. “I just know people. Come on, there’s more to see.”

We walk through the gym, past several guest suites, and back to the kitchen.

“There’s more stuff out here,” Jake announces, leading us out back where there’s an outdoor kitchen and dining and living space. “And a pool.”

“You have a pool,” Polly says in surprise. “And it’s open.”

“The guy came last week,” Jake says proudly. I love that he’s at home here and that he’s proud of our place. “There’s a hot tub, too. And a fire pit. Ry, is the family still coming next weekend for a pool party?”

“Yep, and we’ll do s’mores. You should come, Polly.”

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude on family time.”

“You should totally come,” Jake says, nodding. “Everyone is chill. You know them. It’s our first party of the season. Ry said I could bring some friends, too, so it’s not just family.”

“Well, thanks. In that case, I’d love to come.”

I want to hug him. I love this boy and the fact that he’s so welcoming and genuine. It makes me want to hurt the people who hurt him all the more.

“Let’s go check out the office,” Jake says with a smile and heads back inside.

“He’s wonderful,” Polly whispers to me as we follow behind. “Just a wonderful kid, Ryan.”

“I know.”

Once in my office, Jake shows Polly the wet bar and where we usually have breakfast.

“Chase is gonna build us a table so we can eat at it in the morning,” he says with a smile and holds his fist out to mine for a bump, and I happily oblige him. “I’m fine on the couch, but I guess Ryan doesn’t want me acting like I was born in a barn or something.”

“There’s nothing wrong with sitting at the table to eat like civilized humans.”

“Sure.” He rolls his eyes, but he’s still smiling. “And that over there is his command center.”

I smirk, and Polly grins.

“I love that description,” she says. “It fits. Did you buy Antarctica from here or something?”

“Would you like to own Antarctica?” I ask her.

“No.” She laughs. “I bet some big things have happened in this room. Very cool. Now, I need to see the most important space in the house.”

“My video game setup?” Jake asks, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Talk about legit.”

“Nope, more important than that.”

“There isn’t anything more important than that, lady,” he says, making her laugh again.

“I want to see the closet in the owner’s suite.”

I immediately grin and crook my finger. “Follow me.”

“Girls are weird,” Jake mutters as he follows us.

I can see by the look on her face when we walk inside that it’s lackluster.

“You have this huge house, with all of these beautiful amenities, and this is the closet?”

I look around at the simple shelves and rods for hanging clothes. It’s plain and not enormous, but I have that in Manhattan. I don’t need a lot of clothes here.

“It’s just a closet,” Jake says with a shrug. “What’s the big deal?”

“I have so much to teach you,” I mutter as Polly stares at him in shock.

It occurs to me that when she was here that one and only time, she literally only saw the bedroom, bathroom, and entrance in and out of the house. She didn’t even make it to the closet.

She would have, had she not run out on me.

“Have we seen everything?” she asks.

“No,” Jake and I say in unison.

“There’s still a guesthouse, the garage, and the stables.”

“Don’t forget the roof,” Jake says.

“What happens on the roof?” Polly asks.

“We’ll show you.”