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Back Walk on the Wilder Side Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. Epilogue
  43. Excerpt from Wilder With You
  44. Also by Serena Bell
  45. Acknowledgments
  46. About the Author

That’s about as much as anyone gets out of Clark since Emma died. He never talked much about himself—or anything—but since Emma passed away, he’s even more tight-lipped. Lately, my mom and Amanda have started hassling him to get back out there and date, which I think is a mistake.

“Rachel’s back, huh?”

“Yeah, so?”

“She’s pretty hot.”

I squint at him. Is Clark interested in Rachel? Something in my stomach clenches, because there is not a brother among us who would begrudge him happiness. If it had been Clark instead of Easton flirting like a fool with Lucy earlier this summer, Gabe might have given her up.

Okay, no, that never would have happened. But you get my point. We all want to see Clark happy so bad we’d cut off a finger for it.

“You should make a move,” Clark says.

The air rushes out of my lungs, and I realize I’ve been holding my breath.

I don’t have to choose between Clark’s happiness and keeping my brother’s hands off Rachel, after all.

Which is when I realize I’m fucked.

Clark takes a look at me and his eyes get wide.

“Holy shit, Brody, you and Rachel?”

I don’t have to nod to confirm this; one look at my face tells him what he needs to know.

“You were actually afraid I was interested in her, huh?” He shakes his head, and the grim line is back to his mouth, grief etched in every line of his face. “Not a fucking chance.”

He looks back towards the house. “I need Mom to lay the fuck off me. Every time she starts, it’s like tearing the scab off a wound.”

I wince.

“I know she’s just trying to help,” he says.

I nod.

“But seriously, man, at this point, if I thought it would shut her up? I’d get a fake girlfriend. Let me know if you find anyone who’s in the market for a pretend relationship.”

I laugh like he’s joking, although I’m not a hundred percent sure he is.

Also, it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.

23

Brody

It takes a while for me to get Justin settled in the portacrib, but once he’s down, I text Rachel. Come over? I give her the address.

While I’m waiting for her, I tie flies, sitting on the couch in front of my coffee table. Beads, cord, feathers, yarn, hooks, spread out in front of me, my mind blissfully empty, as it often is when I tie.

This is my meditation, right here. One beaded nymph after another, while the sedges and midges I’ve already finished form small, neat, satisfying piles.