“Do you need help once you get to your house?” Michael asked.
I looked at Brock, tempted to ask if I could take Dirk to his house, but in the end I shook my head. “No, I’m sure he can get out and walk when he realizes he has to.”
“Or he’ll pass out and sleep it off in your car,” Brock stated with a smile. “I don’t blame him; he needed to forget for a bit. This is so hard for him.”
I nodded, as did Michael.
“If anyone deserves to get lit, it’s him,” Michael agreed.
Brock faced me. “Are you sure you don’t need help once you get to your house?”
“I’m sure.”
It was then Brock really looked at me. “Are you okay, Merit? I know how close you were to Brad.”
My eyes filled with tears, and all I could do was give him a nod. If I spoke, I’d cry.
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I will, Brock. Thank you.”
Turning, I hugged my brother. He held me a moment longer than usual and then whispered in my ear, “I love you so much, Merit.”
I squeezed him back. “I love you, too, Mike.”
Death had a funny way of making you realize how limited your time on Earth was. It caused you to stop and appreciate things more, cherish those you love, and be thankful for the time you’ve been granted.
“Like Brock said, if you need anything, call, okay?” Michael said, giving me a kiss on the cheek like Brock had. “And please get some sleep. You look so tired.”
“Will do!” I said as I tried to sound like I had my shit under control, when I was far from having anything under control, especially my emotions. My brother would be so pissed if he knew I was pregnant. Even more pissed knowing the father was Dirk.
They both walked back to the house and entered the side door. I turned and looked at Dirk. Good Lord, had he fallen asleep?
I leaned into my car and pulled the seat belt down and over him. When it clicked, he opened his eyes. “Merit” he whispered, sending a chill over my entire body.
“Dirk,” I replied as I started to pull away from him. He grabbed me, and I stilled.
“We could totally break your car in like we did my truck.”
I shot him a smirk. “You want to have sex in my car outside of Stella and Ty Senior’s house?”
“I’m game if you are,” he replied with a wink and a grin that dripped with sex.
Okay, maybe he wasn’t as drunk as I thought he was. My insides clenched, and I quickly pulled myself out of his hold and out of the car. I shut the door and took in a few deep breaths before I slipped into the driver’s seat.
“Maybe taking you back to my house is a bad idea,” I said as I looked over at him.
“I don’t want to go home. I can’t go home,” he stated.
“How about a hotel?”
He laughed. “Are you that afraid to be alone with me, Bugs?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Dirk.”
He pointed forward, like a character from a movie who’d just conquered the enemy. “Then onward to your house!”
I shook my head and turned around. I wasn’t even off of the Shaw ranch before Dirk started to snore.
Chapter Fourteen
MERIT
“Okay, so maybe I should have had Michael follow me home,” I groaned as I helped Dirk climb the steps of my front porch.
Dirk stumbled and tripped, and I yanked him up before he could fall. How I was able to get him halfway up the steps was beyond me.
“Dirk, can you hold yourself up a bit more? You’re going to make us both fall, you drunk fool.”
“I’m not drunk!” he said, pulling away from me. He somehow managed to race up the final steps and stop at my door. He swayed as I unlocked it and then guided him in.
After I turned on a few lights, I got him to the sofa in the living room where he promptly face-planted.
“Dirk?”
His snores were my only answer.
“Well, looks like you’re sleeping on the sofa tonight.”
I walked over to the oversized chair that was my new favorite piece of furniture, and pulled the throw blanket off the back of it. I dropped it onto the table as I took off Dirk’s dress shoes. He rolled over, and I couldn’t help but smile. He looked so handsome when he was sleeping. His face was void of all the stress the last week had put on him. There wasn’t an ounce of sadness there, and that made my heart ache in both a good and bad way.
“Why did you leave him, Brad? Why?”
I felt a tear slip free, and I wiped it away quickly. I scanned his clothes and decided it wouldn’t kill him to sleep in them. I grabbed the blanket and covered him up and then sat on the coffee table and stared at him.