Wilde Ride (Love is a Cowboy Book 2), page 1
Wilde Ride Copyright 2026
Cover Design by: Jillian Liota, Blue Moon Creative Studio
Alternate Cover Design: Y’all That Graphic
Interior Design and Formatting by: Elaine York, Allusion Publishing
Developmental Editing: Kelli Collins
Copy Editor: Elaine York, Allusion Publishing
Proofing Editor: Julie Deaton
Proofing Editor: Joanne Thompson
Proofing Editor: Elaine York, Allusion Publishing
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used, including but not limited to the training of or use by artificial intelligence, or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For a list of Kelly’s backlist books, please visit her website at: https://kellyelliottauthor.com/library/
Table of Contents
Wilde Family Tree
River Falls Cattle Company Map
Chapter One – Emeline
Chapter Two – Levi
Chapter Three – Emeline
Chapter Four – Levi
Chapter Five – Emeline
Chapter Six – Levi
Chapter Seven – Emeline
Chapter Eight – Levi
Chapter Nine – Emeline
Chapter Ten – Levi
Chapter Eleven – Emeline
Chapter Twelve – Levi
Chapter Thirteen – Emeline
Chapter Fourteen – Levi
Chapter Fifteen – Emeline
Chapter Sixteen – Levi
Chapter Seventeen – Emeline
Chapter Eighteen – Levi
Chapter Nineteen – Emeline
Chapter Twenty – Levi
Chapter Twenty-One – Emeline
Chapter Twenty-Two – Levi
Chapter Twenty-Three – Emeline
Epilogue – Levi
Lost Love - Chapter One
Other Books by Kelly Elliott
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About the Author
Wait! Before you begin Wilde Ride, have you read Wilde Cowboy? It’s book one in the Love is a Cowboy series and is the origin story of the Wilde Family. My readers are always asking me for the parents’ love story, so with this series, I’ve given you their story first! You, of course, do not have to read Wilde Cowboy before diving into Wilde Ride, but I highly suggest you do. Besides, Ladd Wilde is one cowboy you don’t want to miss out on!
Emeline
Graduation Night – 2018
Two words.
Levi Tucker.
He was my brother Caden’s best friend, and the moment I saw him walk into the backyard of my parents’ house, I nearly died. His brown hair was covered by his favorite black cowboy hat, which he always wore. He was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on. And that was saying something, since everyone I knew, including all my friends, constantly told me how good-looking my two older brothers were.
Levi was twenty-five and I was eighteen. But that wasn’t the issue. The first issue was that he was my brother’s best friend. If Caden had any idea of the naughty dreams I had about his BFF…well, he would send me away to become a nun.
The second issue? Levi didn’t see me as anything other than Caden’s baby sister.
The third reason was Caroline Larson.
Her father and my father were business partners and best friends. That meant she was always at our house and always trying to make a play for Caden, even though he’d been dating Rachel forever. When it finally became clear in their senior year that Caden had no interest in her, Caroline moved in on Levi.
I didn’t like her at all. Of course, my best friends, Kate and Moreen, said it was because I was madly in love with Levi. And that was one of the reasons…but there was something about Caroline that made me think she was a snake. I didn’t trust her one bit.
Speaking of my best friends, Kate and Moreen came rushing over to me. Kate with her beautiful copper skin and dark hair pulled up onto her head and her flowing white dress trailing behind her as she ran. Moreen’s golden red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her beautiful face with its dusting of light freckles was bright with excitement. She was also attempting to get ahead of Kate. I loved them both like sisters. They knew everything about me. The good and the bad. Kate was hissing out my name as she drew closer. “Emeline, Emeline! Levi’s here!”
“And she who shall not be named isn’t with him!” Moreen added.
I smiled. I really loved these two. They were my ride-or-dies. If anyone was going to be there for me, it was Kate and Moreen. Well, besides my brothers, Caden and Gatlin. And okay, my older sister Ensley also ranked higher than Kate and Moreen, but only because she let me wear her clothes and told me to never pluck my own eyebrows. Plus, she had introduced me to Stevie Nicks.
Actually, that’s not true. It was our mother. But Stevie wasn’t cool in my eyes until I heard her music coming from my sister’s car one day when she picked me up from school.
I grabbed their arms and started walking away from everyone. “You guys. Hush!”
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Levi was walking our way, holding a gift box. I quickly snapped my head straight. “Don’t panic, but he’s coming over this way.”
“Deep breaths,” Kate whispered.
Moreen calmly said, “Play it cool.”
“As if I wouldn’t.” I bumped her arm and said, “Laugh like I just told you a joke.”
Kate was in the theater, and I knew she’d make the laugh sound genuine. Moreen, not so much.
Hitting my arm, Kate said, “Oh my gosh, Emeline, you’re too much.”
I felt Levi behind me before he even said anything. “Emeline?”
Spinning around, I smiled. “Levi! Did you come with Caden?”
He glanced toward the house with a grin, then back to me. “No. Your mom invited me, though, and I didn’t want to miss little Emeline’s graduation party.”
I felt my entire body sag instantly. “Little?”
His smile faded somewhat, and he rubbed at the back of his neck. He suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, and that nearly destroyed me. He let out a nervous bubble of laughter. “I didn’t mean it that way. You’re not little. You’re, uh…you’re all grown up and beautiful.”
That inflated me right back up. “You think I’m beautiful?”
Moreen hit me with her elbow as Kate cleared her throat, and I wanted to push them down the hill to give Levi and me privacy.
He glanced at them both, then back to me. “Um, well, yes. You are. But I shouldn’t be saying that.”
“Oh, you can say it all you want, Levi,” Kate stated with a sugary smile.
Glancing at her, I said, “Kate, Moreen, didn’t you need to go do that thing?”
“What thing?” Moreen asked, confusion written all over her face.
“That. Thing,” I repeated.
Her brows shot up. “Oh yeah! That thing. Um, we’ll just go do that thing that we’re supposed to do.”
“Yes. The thing. We’re on it!” Kate added.
They both shot off like a rocket, leaving Levi to watch as they ran across the backyard in a fit of laughter. He turned back to me, two little wrinkles between his brows. “Are they always so…”
“Yes, they are.”
He handed me the wrapped box. “I got you a gift.”
My heart tripped over itself. “Oh wow! Thank you so much,” I said as I took it from him. “Should I open it now?”
“Sure, if you want. I can’t stay for long, so I’d love to see you open it.”
“We can go over to the gazebo, and I’ll open it there.”
Levi smiled and motioned with his hand for me to lead the way. Once we were there, I stepped up and sat on one of the benches. Levi sat across from me on the other side of the gazebo.
I carefully removed the bow and set it aside before unwrapping the box. I opened it, moved the tissue paper out of the way…and stared. It was a shirt covered in pink and silver rhinestones. A beautiful shirt. I carefully lifted it out of the box, my mouth mostly hanging open as I took it in.
“Caden told me you were up for Miss Rodeo at the River Falls rodeo pageant. He said one of the nights you have to ride Ole Blue around with a flag, and I thought…well, I thought this would look nice on you.”
My eyes lifted from the shirt to Levi. “This is stunning, Levi. I don’t know what to say.”
He grinned. “Ensley told me what size to get. I sent her a picture of it to make sure you’d like it. I know you love pink and silver, and when I saw it, I thought of you instantly.”
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. “You did?” I asked softly.
“Yeah. I was in Denver with Caroline, and she found a western wear store. We went in and looked around, and that’s where I saw it.”
The mention of his girlfriend felt like cold water being tossed on my head.
“Caroline thought it looked tacky, but she has a different style than you do.”
That was an understatement. Caroline’s father owned the local grain mill, a few buildings on Main Street, and was also a business partner of m y father’s. They co-owned the sporting goods store in town. She was the princess of River Falls. The girl had more money than she knew what to do with—and zero sense of style.
Deciding to keep my thoughts about Levi’s girlfriend to myself, I simply smiled and said, “Total opposites.”
He laughed. “Yes, you are.”
I nodded, not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing in his mind.
Clearing his throat, Levi stood. “Well, congratulations. I hear you’re following in the family footsteps and heading to Colorado State?”
I carefully set the shirt back in the box and stood as well. “Yep. Equine Science.”
“I’m not surprised by that,” he said with a soft smile. “You and your sister have always loved horses.”
“Get that from our mother and grandmother.”
“And the summer camps? Will you be coming home this summer to help with those?”
When I was thirteen, I presented my mother and father with a fully laid-out plan to start a summer camp on our ranch. I’d spent weeks going over every detail, and had even drawn out where some cabins could be built behind the horse barn. I also spoke with Uncle David and Uncle Mike, my father’s younger brothers, to help with the start-up costs, after doing a ton of research to estimate a budget.
My mother and father were so impressed that they’d decided it was a great idea, and they presented it, along with me, to my grandparents, Gus and Nellie Wilde. They also loved the idea, and before I knew it, River Falls Cattle Company was the new home of Wonder in the Wilde Summer Camp. The camp was for underprivileged kids who weren’t otherwise able to attend camps due to financial issues at home. My father had the idea of hosting a few events at the ranch to raise money, so the kids wouldn’t have to pay anything at all.
By the time I was fifteen, the cabins had been built with donations from local businesses and private donors, and we hosted our very first summer camp. It’s been a learning experience ever since, and with each passing year, we gain just as much as we give back. The camps are held for one week each, every June and July.
“I wouldn’t miss summer camp if you paid me. It’s my baby.”
He grinned. “I always forget you were the one who came up with that idea at the ripe old age of…fifteen?”
I shook my head. “Thirteen. I was fifteen when we held our first camp.”
Levi snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Your mother always said you had the heart for philanthropy. I love that about you, Em. How you care for others like you do. Don’t ever change that about yourself. Promise me that.”
I felt my cheeks heat as I stared at the ground, then back to meet his light brown gaze. My gaze took in his handsome face. His jawline was strong, his cheekbones defined, his nose pure perfection. Don’t even get me started on his eyelashes. Any woman would kill for them. He always wore a slight stubble on his face that made my fingers itch to touch him.
We stood there for a few moments before I turned and picked up the box. “I’ll walk you back up to the house. I want to put this in my room so nothing happens to it.”
Levi turned, and I took in his muscular build. He wasn’t one of those guys who hit the gym all the time and had muscles that were too big. They were earned by hard work, and Lord, did it show in that T-shirt he was wearing. He got his exercise working on our ranch during the summers and on weekends.
“Sounds good; after you.”
My heart pounded so hard, I could hardly hear a thing, it was so loud in my ears. For some reason I was becoming anxious, and I had no idea why.
“What are your plans for this summer?” I asked as we slowly made our way back up to the house.
He kicked at a rock. “I’m planning on taking Caroline to Belize and asking her to marry me.”
I tripped and nearly dropped the box.
Levi quickly grabbed my arm to steady me. “Whoa, watch out there.”
“Tree root,” I quickly said as I started to walk once again. I looked at him, then focused ahead of me. “You’re asking Caroline to marry you?”
He nodded.
“I thought you were starting vet school this year?”
“I still am, but there’s been a change of plans.”
Stopping, I turned to him. His voice sounded so unsure. I wasn’t positive, but I swore I heard a slight sadness in his tone. “With school?”
He let out a humorless laugh. “No, life.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
Levi glanced around as if making sure no one else was nearby. “Caroline is pregnant. She just found out. I’m going to do the right thing and marry her.”
I sucked in a breath. And before I could think better of it, I asked, “Do you want to marry her?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t want to marry her, Emeline,” he retorted, his voice cold and distant. Then he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. This wasn’t something I was expecting, that’s all.”
“What about vet school?”
“I’m going to keep going. Caroline and I will be moving into a little house her parents found for us in Fort Collins.”
Of course they did. Caroline’s father would do anything for her.
“Well…that’s good that you can finish out school and still work with your dad.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck, and when his eyes met mine, I felt sick to my stomach.
“Why do I have a feeling you’re not going to be coming back to River Falls?”
Levi kicked at the ground once again. “Caroline wants to move to Denver when I finish school. She thinks I’ll make more money there rather than here.”
My eyes went wide. “You’re leaving River Falls completely? What about your dad and the practice? I thought the plan was for you to take over when he retires?”
He shrugged. “Plans change.”
I blinked at him and slowly shook my head. “I guess they do. Is this what you want, Levi?”
“No. But sometimes you have to put your feelings aside for the people you love.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That works both ways.”
His eyes snapped up to meet mine. “You don’t understand, Em.”
It was my turn to shrug. “I guess not.”
We started walking again, and when we arrived at the house, we faced each other. Levi flashed me that dazzling smile of his, and I returned the gesture. Holding up the box, I said, “Thank you so much for the shirt. It really is beautiful, and I can’t wait to wear it.”
“You’re welcome. Maybe I’ll see you around campus.”
The chances of us seeing each other would be rare, but not impossible, since at least a few of our classes would be in the same area.
I wasn’t sure whether I was happy or sad about that, now knowing that Levi was marrying Caroline. Before he’d dropped all his bombs on me, I was so excited for the chance of running into Levi at school. I’d even dared to hope we might get to hang out together.
“Maybe,” I replied. Levi took a step closer and drew me in for a hug. It was an innocent gesture. He didn’t linger or hold me too close. It was the kind you give a sibling. He stepped back, leaned down, and brushed a kiss to my forehead.
“See you around, Em.”
My heart slammed against my chest. No one ever called me Em. Now Levi Tucker just went and ruined my first, and probably last, nickname.
He turned and started to walk around the side of the house. He glanced back, and I lifted my hand and waved.
“See you around, Levi.”
Seven years later
A light knock on my door caused me to look up and Moose, my one-year-old chocolate lab, to let out a bark. I smiled when I saw it was my mother. I quickly stood and moved around the desk to hug her. Moose jumped up as well and nearly knocked me over. My little office was across the hall from her office, which was housed in the horse barn over on the east side of the ranch. It was close to my grandparents’ house, and was the original barn built on the ranch when my great-great-grandfather settled this land. It had, of course, been changed over the years, but this barn felt more like home than my own house I’d grown up in. I was here all the time. The barn by my parents’ house was for the cattle, so I hardly ever set foot inside unless I was helping out.
“I got your note that you wanted to talk to me.”
“It’s about the summer camp sessions.”
She sat down in the spare chair in my office. “What about them?”
