Going Even Wilder

By Trish Edmisten

Jillian Somers and Jackson Wilder are back! It’s been eight months since they admitted their feelings for one another, and Jillian’s happier than she ever thought she could be. There’s just one problem. Jackson still hasn’t proposed. When it doesn’t look like he’s going to, Jillian’s sister convinces her to take matter into her own hands and ask him to marry her. Too bad Jackson has other plans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trish Edmisten
• Release date: Oct 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463527412

Trish Edmisten

Author of YA and contemporary romance.

Book preview

Going Even Wilder

A Sapphire Falls Novella

By

Trish Edmisten

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2018 by Trish Edmisten

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Author’s Note

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

About The Author

Look for these titles by Trish Edmisten

For all of Erin’s fans who welcomed me into her world, this one’s for you. Thank you.

Acknowledgements

It goes without saying that I have to thank Erin Nicholas for letting so many authors into her world. As always, I’m privileged to be one of those and honored to be among such distinguished company.

I’d also like to thank Rachelle Ayala. The woman is a wonderful writer. Without her encouragement to all of us, I’m not sure I would have tackled this story.

And of course, I have to thank my husband, Wes. Not only has he given me another amazing cover, but he’s understood and even encouraged my long days and nights at my computer while I toiled to make this story perfect.

Author’s Note

This story is the second of my Sapphire Falls stories and is a continuation of the first one, Going for Wilder. While this story can be read as a standalone, it’s recommended that you read Going for Wilder first and then come back to this one. It will make more sense!

Prologue

Are you almost done, Jackson?

Jackson wrinkled his nose. Jill was mad. The only time she said his whole name was when she was mad, just like his mama did.

I don’t see why we gotta dress up.

You have to dress up for weddings. Everyone knows that, Jack.

Jackson knew that, but this wasn’t a real wedding. Since she was calling him Jack again, he figured he’d better not tell her that. Jackson liked Jillian a lot. She was his best friend in the world, but she could be a little bossy when she got an idea in her head.

The wedding was her latest idea. It wasn’t her best, but he would do it because that’s what friends did. They did things together, even if one of them liked it better than the other. Like when they played soldiers. Jillian always crawled on her belly in the mud when they were sneaking behind enemy lines, and she didn’t even complain about getting dirty.

Jackson liked that about Jill. Even though she liked to do girly stuff, she did fun stuff like playing football or wading in the river.

And because he was a good best friend, he was wearing his Sunday clothes on a Tuesday. Jackson hated his Sunday clothes; black pants and a short sleeved shirt with buttons and a collar and boots because his mama said he couldn’t wear tennis shoes to church.

Come on, Jack, hurry up will ya? Jillian pounded on the bathroom door.

Jackson flung open the bathroom door and almost ran right in to Jill who was standing there with her arms crossed and that huffy look on her face.

Took you long enough, Jillian said.

Jackson just shrugged. What was he supposed to say to that?

Jillian’s face broke in to a sunny smile. You look real nice.

Thanks, Jackson said. Remembering what his daddy always said about ladies liking it when you said nice things about them, he added, You do too.

Jillian had on a dress like the ones she wore to Sunday school, along with her white tights and shiny black shoes. At church, she always had her hair in braids or ponytails, but not today. It was hanging down her back, and it was almost as shiny as her shoes.

Are you ready? Jill asked.

Yeah, I’m ready.

Jillian grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hall. On the way out the door, they passed the living room where her mama was giving a piano lesson.

Jackson’s mama kept making noise about him taking lessons from Mrs. Somers. Every time she did that, he always tried to talk about something else, like football. Just because he liked it when Jill played Mary Had a Little Lamb on the piano didn’t mean he wanted to play.

Jillian didn’t let go of his hand until they were standing in front of the big oak tree in her backyard.

Now what? Jackson asked.

You stand there and wait for me, Jillian said. I gotta come down the aisle.

And then we’ll be married?

No, not ’til the preacher says the dearly beloved stuff.

Jackson shrugged as Jillian sprinted back a ways. When she turned around to look at him again, she took a couple of big breaths and then started walking toward him, only she didn’t walk fast. She walked real slow, humming as she did.

When she finally got back to the tree, she reached out and took his hand. Her hand was warm, probably ’cause of all the running around she just did.

Pretend the tree is the preacher, and he’s saying we’re getting married, Jill ordered.

Okay, Jackson agreed.

Jillian waited a minute before she spoke again. Okay, now we gotta say our vows.

Our what?

Our vows, it’s what people say when they get married, Jillian explained. I’ll say mine first and then you say them back. Then we kiss.

Jackson grimaced. Pretend kiss only. Real kissing is gross.

Then how come grown ups do it?

Maybe it’s not gross when you grow up

Everyone knows you can’t be married without kissing.

Guess we’ll wait ’til we’re married for real.

That’s gonna mess up our pretend wedding, Jack.

No, it won’t. We’ll just hug. That’s not so bad.

Okay, but when we get married for real, you better kiss me.

Jackson gave her a lopsided grin. I promise I will.

Okay, I’m gonna say my vows now. Then you say yours and then we’ll hug.

Okay, Jackson repeated.

I, Jillian, take you Jackson to be my husband forever and ever, Jillian said. Now you say you take me to be your wife forever and ever.

I, Jackson, take you Jillian to be my wife forever and ever.

Jillian smiled real big. Then the preacher says we’re husband and wife and tells us to kiss.

But we’re just gonna hug, Jackson reminded her, just in case she got other ideas.

I know, Jillian said, but she didn’t sound mad like she sometimes got when she was being bossy. We’re husband and wife now, but we gotta hug to make it official.

They leaned forward at the same time and put their arms around each other. It was okay. They didn’t hug all the time, but they’d done it before. Usually it was only when they gave each other presents like for Christmas and birthdays.

Right when they let go and stepped back, there was a big crack of lightning followed by the rumble of thunder. Then it started raining really hard.

We better go inside, or you’ll mess up your dress, Jackson said.

Not yet. I like playing in the rain.

Jackson liked playing in the rain too. This being married stuff wasn’t so bad. Maybe one day, they could do it for real, even if they did have to kiss.

Chapter One

I don’t know why you don’t just ask him yourself.

Jillian gave her sister a skeptical look.

I’m serious. This is the twenty-first century, Jill. It’s not like… Shelby paused to take a bite of her apple pie. "Oh, man. This is so good."

Jillian shook her head. It was no secret that Shelby loved Dottie’s apple pie, a feeling that seemed to intensify over the years.

Kind of like Jillian’s feelings for Jackson Wilder did.

Some people might think it was unrealistic to expect Jackson to have proposed after only eight months of dating, but Jillian had known Jackson her entire life.

As kids, they’d been best friends. As teenagers, they’d shared a single kiss that Jillian had been certain was the start of something more.

Then it happened.

When they were just fifteen, Jackson stopped talking to Jillian. At first, she’d thought he just needed time to grieve the loss of his mother, but it didn’t take long for her to realize he was done with her.

Though she’d been heartbroken, Jillian had done her best to move on. As one year bled into the next, it became easier, but it never stopped hurting. Nor did she stop wanting Jackson who had grown in to one fine looking man.

It had taken ten years, and the help of her busybody little sister and Jackson’s meddling grandfather, but she’d finally gotten what she’d wanted. Jackson had realized they belonged together; had admitted it had been fear holding him back. Fear of falling into the same alcohol soaked trap his father had when he’d lost Jackson’s mother.

Since then, the two of them had been happier than Jillian could have imagined. If they weren’t trading text messages or phone calls, they were together. In fact, they spent so much time together that everyone in town treated them like they were already an old married couple.

There was just