He looks so old. The thought hit Wyatt hard, like a punch to the gut.
“You want to come to this thing?” He had no idea where that thought came from, but the longer he stood there staring up at his father, he was kind of happy he asked. The man’s eyes brightened, and he stood a little straighter.
“You sure you want me to?” John sounded hesitant and hopeful, and something about the look on his face made Wyatt feel sad.
“Yeah. I can wait if you need to change.”
John held his gaze for a few seconds and then slowly nodded. “Okay.”
Chapter 24
Regan stood in front of her closet for a good five minutes before she finally decided on what to wear. She had no idea what to expect, and all Wyatt had told her was that she needed to dress warm and casual. She chose a pair of old jeans that A) were comfortable as hell, and B) made her butt look amazing. At least that was what Wyatt had told her the last time she’d worn them. He’d rewarded her by ripping them off about ten minutes after she’d put them on.
Her cheeks grew pink at the thought, and she gave herself a mental shake, breaking out the new undies she’d purchased after getting her manicure and pedicure the day before. The matching bra and underwear were hot pink, with tiny little Hello Kittys adorning them. She couldn’t resist. And even though Carly had looked at her as if she were crazy, she knew Wyatt would love them.
She pulled out a kelly-green turtleneck made of the softest cotton ever and checked her hair and makeup before slipping on black boots and a long wool coat. Bella wagged her tail, looking up expectantly.
“Sorry, girl. I’ll take you for a walk later.” She grabbed a new bone from the bin in the kitchen, and Bella ran off with her new treasure just as the doorbell rang.
The sound kick-started her heart, and it thumped fast and hard as she opened the door with a smile. “Right on time,” she said, her words slowly dying as she found a young man standing there. He looked vaguely familiar, about twenty, with
big blue eyes, a face that didn’t look as if it could grow facial hair if it wanted to, and a smile that was infectious. Dressed all in black, he turned to the side, and she spied a classic-looking Cadillac big enough for eight.
“Miss Thorne?”
She nodded. “Yes?”
“I’m Dave Grady. I’m here to pick you up.”
“Dave Grady,” she murmured, pulling on her gloves. “Dixon’s grandson?”
He nodded. “Yep. Seth is my dad.”
“Did Wyatt send you?” She was confused because she’d been expecting him.
“He did.”
“And where are we going?” She closed the door behind her and inhaled some fresh Michigan air. The sun was warm on her face, and she turned toward it.
The young man shook his head and motioned her forward. “I’m not supposed to say. I’ve been instructed to pick you up, and then we have one more stop before our final destination.”
“Sounds quite mysterious.”
“Right?” he said, opening the door for her. “It’s kind of cool.”
She spied Mr. Abercrombie on his front porch and made a point of waving to him before slipping inside the car. The roads weren’t busy, and they sped through town, and in less than ten minutes pulled into the Bergens’ driveway.
“I’ll be right back,” Dave said.
Regan watched from the backseat as he knocked on the door, which was promptly answered by Gwen. She was wearing a red-and-white sweater, jeans, and fluffy boots, and talked animatedly with Dave as she glanced at the car. She disappeared for a few moments, and then reappeared dressed in her winter coat, with a few bags she handed to Dave, her husband Brad a few steps behind.
They looked surprised to see Regan in the car, and she got a quick hug from both of them.
“What’s going on?” Gwen asked, clearly puzzled.
“I have no idea. Something Wyatt cooked up.” Regan arched an eyebrow. “Where’s Patrick?”
“Wyatt came for him about an hour ago.” Brad looked as confused as Regan. “He didn’t say much other than that he needed Patrick and that we were to wait for our ride.”