can’t stay that way. She needs to know about our practice
of plural marriages.”
“You didn’t. Not at first.” He finished the last cookie and drained the milk from the glass.
She laughed. “That’s true. Your dads kept me in the dark for more
than a month. I guess you’ll know when the time is right. But don’t wait too long to tell her. She’s got a right to the truth.”
“We’ll tell her. Don’t worry about that.”
“Good.” His mom stood up and took his plate and glass back into
the kitchen.
“Mom, I don’t need any more.”
“Nonsense. I know you, kiddo. You want more.” She filled his
glass with more milk and came back to the table with it and another plate of cookies. “Do you love her, Phoenix?”
“I think so.”
“What do you like about her?”
“Everything. She’s like no one I’ve ever met before. When I’m
not with her, I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Sounds like love to me. Do you think she’ll be open to marrying
you boys? It’s a lot to take in for an outsider, I know. It was for me.”
“I’m not sure what Jessie will think when she finds out the truth,
Mom. But if she won’t have the rest but will have me, I’m going to
Wilde Fire
91
marry her.”
She grabbed his hand. “You’d let go of your share in the mine?”
“Yes.”
Phoenix felt his mother squeeze his hand. “Son, you don’t need to
think about what it is you feel for Ms. Greene any longer. Listen to your mom. You’re a man in love from the top of your head to the
bottom of your feet.”
“You’re right. I am.”
* * * *
“Jessica, thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me.”
Malcolm Winters, Wilde’s local bank president, smiled at Jessie. He was very handsome, but out of place in rural Nevada. Mr. Winters
was way too put together and stylish for the town. He could’ve been a male cover model. Most men here were rough around the edges and
wore boots, jeans, and cowboy hats. That didn’t fit Mr. Winters at all.
She’d hesitated to join him but had relented when he said that he
had information about the mine she might find useful.
“Thank you for the invitation. This is a nice place.” She looked
around the Chinese restaurant with its many statues of dragons and
large fish tank by the cash register. Only four tables had customers sitting at them, and that included theirs. “One question.”
“Yes?”
“Why are we eating in Elko and not Wilde?”
“Wilde doesn’t have Asian food, which I’m a big fan of. And I
want to be away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears.”
“You said you have some information for me.”
“Yes, I did. But before I turn it over, will you tell me what you’ve found so far in your investigation.”
“Nothing I can share with you, Mr. Winters.”
“Please. Call me Malcolm.” He sat down his chopsticks and
motioned a waiter to come over.
92
Chloe Lang
“Fine. Malcolm, my investigation is confidential. Once I report
back to the agency, it may or may not be available for the public to review.”
The waiter stepped up.
Malcolm turned to the man. “More hot tea, please.”
“Yes, sir. Very good.” The waiter bowed then walked through a
swinging door into the restaurant’s kitchen.
“I’m so much more than John Q. Public in Wilde, Jessica.”
“That may be true, but I’m not at liberty to share anything with
you.”
“I see.”
“So, will you be sharing something with me or not?”
“Of course. I only ask because I’m very interested in the mine’s
state. It is an integral part of the community.”
“I agree. That’s why I take my job very seriously.”
“I believe that. And I’m sure the time that you’re spending with
the Wilde brothers is strictly professional. But unfortunately, there are others who aren’t as discerning as I.”
Jessie’s gut clenched. He knew about Phoenix and the other
brothers. This was going from bad to worse at one hundred miles an
hour. “I
of plural marriages.”
“You didn’t. Not at first.” He finished the last cookie and drained the milk from the glass.
She laughed. “That’s true. Your dads kept me in the dark for more
than a month. I guess you’ll know when the time is right. But don’t wait too long to tell her. She’s got a right to the truth.”
“We’ll tell her. Don’t worry about that.”
“Good.” His mom stood up and took his plate and glass back into
the kitchen.
“Mom, I don’t need any more.”
“Nonsense. I know you, kiddo. You want more.” She filled his
glass with more milk and came back to the table with it and another plate of cookies. “Do you love her, Phoenix?”
“I think so.”
“What do you like about her?”
“Everything. She’s like no one I’ve ever met before. When I’m
not with her, I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Sounds like love to me. Do you think she’ll be open to marrying
you boys? It’s a lot to take in for an outsider, I know. It was for me.”
“I’m not sure what Jessie will think when she finds out the truth,
Mom. But if she won’t have the rest but will have me, I’m going to
Wilde Fire
91
marry her.”
She grabbed his hand. “You’d let go of your share in the mine?”
“Yes.”
Phoenix felt his mother squeeze his hand. “Son, you don’t need to
think about what it is you feel for Ms. Greene any longer. Listen to your mom. You’re a man in love from the top of your head to the
bottom of your feet.”
“You’re right. I am.”
* * * *
“Jessica, thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me.”
Malcolm Winters, Wilde’s local bank president, smiled at Jessie. He was very handsome, but out of place in rural Nevada. Mr. Winters
was way too put together and stylish for the town. He could’ve been a male cover model. Most men here were rough around the edges and
wore boots, jeans, and cowboy hats. That didn’t fit Mr. Winters at all.
She’d hesitated to join him but had relented when he said that he
had information about the mine she might find useful.
“Thank you for the invitation. This is a nice place.” She looked
around the Chinese restaurant with its many statues of dragons and
large fish tank by the cash register. Only four tables had customers sitting at them, and that included theirs. “One question.”
“Yes?”
“Why are we eating in Elko and not Wilde?”
“Wilde doesn’t have Asian food, which I’m a big fan of. And I
want to be away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears.”
“You said you have some information for me.”
“Yes, I did. But before I turn it over, will you tell me what you’ve found so far in your investigation.”
“Nothing I can share with you, Mr. Winters.”
“Please. Call me Malcolm.” He sat down his chopsticks and
motioned a waiter to come over.
92
Chloe Lang
“Fine. Malcolm, my investigation is confidential. Once I report
back to the agency, it may or may not be available for the public to review.”
The waiter stepped up.
Malcolm turned to the man. “More hot tea, please.”
“Yes, sir. Very good.” The waiter bowed then walked through a
swinging door into the restaurant’s kitchen.
“I’m so much more than John Q. Public in Wilde, Jessica.”
“That may be true, but I’m not at liberty to share anything with
you.”
“I see.”
“So, will you be sharing something with me or not?”
“Of course. I only ask because I’m very interested in the mine’s
state. It is an integral part of the community.”
“I agree. That’s why I take my job very seriously.”
“I believe that. And I’m sure the time that you’re spending with
the Wilde brothers is strictly professional. But unfortunately, there are others who aren’t as discerning as I.”
Jessie’s gut clenched. He knew about Phoenix and the other
brothers. This was going from bad to worse at one hundred miles an
hour. “I
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