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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

For whatever reason, my eyes happen to be on Amanda’s face when the question gets asked, so I can see her expression change. It goes studiously blank, a blankness I recognize because I saw a version of it on Brody’s face the other day when the subject of Justin came up. It’s Wilder for, “There be dragons.”

Then she smiles, an easy, practiced social smile. “You’d have to actually have sex to get walked in on, wouldn’t you? Double income, two workaholics, three kids under ten, you do the math,” Amanda says, with a shrug.

She gets more laughter and a round of amens, and the “easy” smile stays on her face, but she’s not fooling me.

And she’s not fooling Lucy, who’s watching her friend and frowning.

Huh, I think. And Amanda’s life seems so perfect.

Perfect.

There’s that word again.

25

Brody

“Hey.”

Gabe stands a few feet away from the trailered small boat, leaning against a tree, his dog Buck at his side. I’ve just finished checking the plugs and fuel filter. It’s deja vu from our fight over the reviews.

He climbs up beside me. “You want some help?”

Startled, I say, “Sure.”

That’s how Gabe and I come to be working side by side, me quietly checking the fuses and wiring while he hooks up the trickle charger. Buck noses around the inside of the boat, hopping down from time to time, then back up again.

I catch myself humming. Humming!

I’m not a guy who hums when he works.

Or ever.

But I’m in such a good mood.

Getting some will do that to a guy, I tell myself, but I know it’s more than that. First of all, Rachel and I still haven’t officially had the kind of sex that involves me burying myself balls deep in her—

Gah.

But we have been spending a lot of time together the last week and a half, since the night when I told her what happened with Zoë and Justin. We’ve done a couple of parties, but we’ve also spent time talking and kissing and making each other feel really, really good. Telling her about Justin changed things between us. Some of it was the relief of telling someone. Anyone. But some of it was how carefully she listened. And what she said afterwards.

I get it. Why you value your friendship with Connor so much. If he’s the one guy who’s ever seen you for the man you really are.

Gabe clears his throat, drawing my eyes up from where I’m working. “I just wanted to say I appreciate the money you’ve been bringing in.”

I try not to keel over from sheer shock. Even when I was trying to turn over a new leaf with Gabe, when Zoë was first pregnant with Justin, he never outright praised me.