She chuckled breathlessly. Happy. I liked her laugh—it seemed like a miracle that I’d get to hear it for the rest of my life.
“You know...” I told her. “These seats lean back pretty far.”
With another kiss, she said, “I think your family is probably wondering what’s taking us so long already. There will be time for more tonight.”
My cock twitched again, hopeful fucker. “I can’t wait,” I murmured against her lips. Then I sat back, buttoning my jeans. “You know, this is a real problem.”
Her brows arched, concerned. “What is?”
“I’m going to be walking around with a hard-on all day thinking of this evening.”
She giggled again. “Sounds like a safety hazard.”
“You have no idea,” I muttered. When my pants were on the right way and her blouse was straightened again, I got back on the dirt road. In just a few miles, I saw the metal sign hanging over the turnoff I’d taken thousands of times.
“This is the turnoff for home,” I told her.
She looked up at the sign, pretty brown eyes wide with wonder. “Wow,” she breathed, looking around. Along the dirt road were rolling hills with yellowing grass waving in the breeze like a rippling golden sea. “It looks like something out of a movie.”
“Just wait,” I said, knowing what was coming next.
We topped the hill. A simple white farmhouse came into view surrounded by a white wooden fence. It was a sight to behold with the beautiful prairie behind it.
“This is where you grew up?” she asked.
I nodded. No matter how old I got, this place always felt like a sanctuary from the outside world. Whether it was from mean kids at school, the pressure of college exams, or now problems with work, I always felt more at peace here.
When we got to the driveway, I parked alongside a couple of pickups and a silver sedan. And when I looked toward the house again, I saw my dad waiting for me by the front gate. He wore the same cream-colored cowboy hat as always, paired with worn denim jeans and a T-shirt.
“That’s my dad,” I said softly. “Everyone calls him Gray.”
I rolled to a stop in the driveway, and Dad walked up to the truck, spinning his finger in the signal to roll down the window.
He wasn’t smiling though. Shouldn’t he be happy to meet Jada? I looked over at her to give her a reassuring smile before rolling down the window.
But when I looked back at my dad, he wore a pinched expression as he said, “We need to talk.”
49.Bryce
As my dadsaid those words, I could sense Jada stiffen on my right. My own blood ran cold at the no-nonsense, disappointed tone in his voice. I had to remind myself that I was a grown man, not a kid getting scolded for misbehaving.
Before I could ask what he’d like to talk about, he waved his hand toward the house and turned back to go up the sidewalk to the front door. When I glanced at Jada, she gave me a nervous look. “Did someone tell him we were fooling around?”
“We’re not teenagers to be scolded,” I reminded both of us, despite the heat in my ears. “Let me find out what this is about.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “I can come in with you,” she offered.
I looked toward the house. The front door was closed, and I could only imagine what was waiting inside. “I think it’s just Dad and Aggie here—no one should bother you while you wait, and I don’t want you walking into a landmine.”
She nodded slowly. “Does he know about the arrangement?”
I clenched my jaw. “He does, but now wouldn’t be the time to bring it up if he wanted to lecture us.”
“Okay... Good luck?”
My lips twitched, and I leaned across the seat to kiss her. “I’ll be right back,” I promised.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Okay.”
