“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” she asked.
“For being scared of my own feelings for you. For wasting so much time.”
I could hear the smile in her voice when she replied. “I’m sort of looking forward to making up for said lost time.”
My dick grew hard in my pants, and I had to adjust myself. “I’m staying the night tonight, I hope you know that.”
Merit laughed. “Pack some things to keep here. I have a feeling you’ll be staying over often.”
With a smile, I stopped in front of Murphy and ran my hand over his side. “I will. See you soon.”
“See ya soon.”
I hung up and pushed my phone into my pocket. Roy, one of the ranch hands I hired, was already in the process of cooling the horse down from our ride. I had given Murphy water while I put up the saddle, and now Roy was hosing him down.
“I’ve got this, Mr. Littlewood.”
“Thank you, Roy. If you don’t mind, give him a little treat before letting him out to pasture. Offer him an apple and he’ll be your best friend.”
The young man grinned. “Will do, sir.”
I quickly made my way up to the house, showered, and headed over to the Eden farm next door. The place where I had gone countless times growing up, which Merit and I had explored every inch of, and where we had laughed, cried, and even shared our first intimate moment. If you didn’t count the kiss behind my family’s barn.
As I pulled up to the drive, I stopped when I saw a truck at the end of it.
“Oh, shit,” I mumbled, staring as Roger Eden, Merit’s father, entered in the gate code and drove through. I knew for a fact that Merit had no idea her father was out of rehab and on his way up to the house. I reached for my phone and dialed her number.
“Hey, are you here?”
“No, I’m pulling up to the gate. But, Merit, I’ve got something to tell you, and I’m not sure you’re going to be happy about it.”
“What is it?” she asked, a nervous edge to her voice.
“Your father‚ he’s on his way up to the house. I just saw him drive through the gate.”
She was silent for a moment. “My father? What! What in the hell is he doing here?”
I could hear the panic in her voice. “I’m on my way, sweetheart.”
Her voice came through the phone in a whisper. “My mother and Michael. They don’t know he’s out of rehab, I haven’t had a chance to tell them. Mike is furious with him still.”
“I’m right behind him.”
Roger wasn’t that far ahead of me, and we would most likely get to the house at the same time.
“Where’s Michael?” I asked.
“The barn,” she answered. “Damn. Why would he show up unannounced like this? This isn’t good, Dirk. Not at all.”
“Call Mike, and let your mother know so they have a heads up. I see your dad’s truck; he’s less than a minute from the house.”
“O-okay. Crap.”
She ended the call, and I slowed down as I drove up behind Roger’s truck. I saw him look in the rearview mirror, but I wasn’t sure if he knew it was me or not. I was in my father’s truck, so in all likelihood he’d think it was my dad.
Then a thought hit me so hard in the chest, I was nearly left breathless. Dad wasn’t here. It couldn’t be him coming down the drive to see his old buddy. It couldn’t be him coming over to make sure Roger wasn’t drinking. It couldn’t be him, because he was gone.
I felt my hands grip the steering wheel tighter, and I pushed away the sudden onslaught of emotions.
“Why the fuck are you here, Roger? Why now?” I asked out loud.
I drove behind him as we made our way down the long gravel road that wound through the farm. One side of the road had corn and wheat growing. The other had rows of produce. Behind that was the Christmas tree farm that Michael had taken over. I knew they had big plans this winter for the tree farm from what Merit had told me the other night while she laid in my arms.
Now their father was back, and I knew Lori had filed for divorce. This wasn’t going to turn out well. At all.
Roger pulled up and parked behind all the vehicles. Everyone was there for the big welcome home.
As Roger got out of the car, Michael came walking around the corner of the house from the direction of the barn. Thank fuck. He had a blank expression on his face, but I could tell by the way he walked that he was pissed.
Merit walked out of the front door, her eyes landing on me before she even looked over at her father. I could see the uneasiness in her gaze, and my only desire was to get to her. I made my way toward her as Roger turned and looked at me. He didn’t say a word as I jogged up the four steps that led from the driveway and headed to the walkway to the porch.