Chapter Six – Beck
Chapter Six
BECK
Driving around Dirk’s cattle ranch had brought me so much peace. A warm, content feeling I got when I was on the family ranch I felt while driving around this ranch. Of course, it helped that both Dirk and Bradly treated me as if they’d known me for years. I made plans to go with Bradly tomorrow to feed a herd of cattle, and I was honestly looking forward to it. On my family’s cattle ranch, there were so many longtime hands employed, and it had taken me years to gain their trust. It took getting in the trenches with them and doing the hard work, which I loved.
My grandfather could never understand why I wanted to do manual labor. According to him, I should just go and enjoy the fresh air and let the paid employees do the work. That wasn’t me, though; I loved getting my hands dirty and diving into the job. If a tractor broke down, I wanted to figure out how to fix it. Not just pick up the phone and have someone do it for me. I learned so much from the guys who worked on my grandfather’s ranch, and if it were up to me, I’d be there and not in Dallas, sitting in a high-rise office with a view, wearing a godawful business suit. Granddad had said more than once he wouldn’t allow me to work on the ranch, that my place was with him. A part of me always wondered what he would do if I simply left and moved to the ranch.
When the tour was over and we headed back to Dirk’s house, the second I walked into the kitchen, I saw her .
Avery.
She’d stood there looking like an angel. Those sapphire eyes of hers caused my breath to hitch, and I’d fought to even find something to say. When I’d told her she looked beautiful, her cheeks had turned a soft shade of pink…
“Penny for your thoughts,” Avery said as she nudged me gently. We were sitting in the back seat of Dirk’s truck, on the way to meet my father’s parents.
“Just wondering how this is all going to play out.”
She smiled, and my heart did a little flip in my chest. There was something so different about Avery. I had dated plenty of women, but I’d only had a couple of relationships, and only one of those was serious. Rachel was the only woman I had ever really had a serious relationship with. I thought I was in love with her, but now I wasn’t so sure. She never stole my breath from my very lungs, or caused my chest to feel like I was falling from the sky every time she looked at me.
Avery did, however. From the moment I saw her walk onto that plane—and prayed she would sit next to me—I felt something I’d never experienced before. In hindsight, it was one of the reasons I’d told her my whole story…well, that and the alcohol I’d been drinking.
“Don’t worry, Beck. I have a feeling everything will turn out perfectly.”
I nodded and looked forward and saw Dirk pulling up to a massive, gated driveway. The words across the top read Shaw Ranch.
A chill ran over my entire body, and I shuddered slightly. My father had gone in and out of this gate. He’d lived here…and something about that knowledge caused my nerves to settle down.
“You know,” I said, as I stared ahead at the long drive. “It’s almost like I can feel him.”
Avery laced our fingers together. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“It is. I always argued with myself, how can a person miss something they never had? But being here…seeing this…” I looked out the passenger window, at the pastures dusted with snow, and slowly shook my head. “It makes me feel like I’ve been missing something vital.” Turning to look at her, I asked, “Does that make sense?”
Avery nodded, her expression understanding. Dirk and Merit remained silent in the front seat.
The main driveway soon had other roads branching off.
“That road leads to your uncle Tanner and aunt Timberlynn’s place. The next road up here will be to your uncle Ty and Kaylee’s place. They live in what was once the original ranch house. Brock used to live there; he sold it to Lincoln before they became an item. Then Lincoln sold it to Kaylee, and, well…when she and Ty got together, he moved in with her. They’ve since built onto it, of course,” Dirk explained.
“And Ty Junior raises bulls for bull riding?” I asked.
“He officially is in the process of retiring. He’s selling some of the younger bulls to another stock contractor. The other ones will live out their lives here on the ranch in retirement.”
I nodded as I tried to remember everything.
We drove for a bit in silence before Dirk pointed to another road. “Blayze and his wife, Georgiana, live down that way, and so do Hunter and his wife, Kipton. Blayze is the ranch foreman. He’s taken over for his father, with Hunter now working alongside him to run the place.”
“Does everyone live on the ranch?” I asked.
This time, Merit answered. “No, Rose and her husband, Bryson, live north of Hamilton, and Ryan and Morgan have their own place. Lily and Maverick live near Tanner and Timberlynn, though, in the house Maverick lived in.”
“That’s kind of nice that so many people live on the ranch,” I mused.
“Kind of like how Bradly lives on our ranch, in the old ranch house,” Avery added.
“Do you have your own place on your grandfather’s ranch?” Dirk asked.
“We have the main house, but we also have a hunter’s cabin, and I usually stay there. The main house is…stuffy.”
Dirk chuckled.
“Down that drive is your uncle Brock and aunt Lincoln’s place. They’ve taken over as hosts for most things, to relieve the pressure on Stella and Ty Senior.”
“And here we are!” Merit said as Dirk took a turn in the drive. My heart started to pound in my chest.
“Beck,” Avery whispered, causing me to turn my head to look at her. “You’re squeezing my hand.”
Looking down, I saw her poor fingers turning white. I quickly let go of her hand. “I’m so sorry.”
She giggled. “It felt like we were taking off all over again.”
I felt my cheeks turn hot. She winked, and I felt it all the way to my dick. Damn, what was it about her that made me… want her so much?
Forcing myself to look away, I caught sight of the house. It was a familiar ranch-style house. Two stories, wraparound porch with rocking chairs and swings. But what made this one different was the fact it was built from logs and river rocks. It was gorgeous.
“Wow, that is a stunning house,” I said as Dirk came to a stop.
We all remained in the truck, and it wasn’t until Bradly pulled up next to us that it felt like we all took a breath.
Dirk swiveled in his seat and looked at me. “I don’t know about you, but I’m nervous.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty nervous. I haven’t even thought about how we’re going to do this.”
He grinned and winked. “It’s a good thing we have Merit.”
His wife gave me an encouraging look. “I thought we could go in first and let Stella and Ty know that there’s someone here who wants to meet them. I feel like we need to at least give them a heads-up that Beck had a child.”
All I could do was nod.
“Probably a good thing that I’m not in charge of the introductions,” Avery mused.
Merit looked at her daughter and rolled her eyes. “Yes, your element of surprise might not be wise for Stella and Ty.”
“Agreed,” Dirk and Avery both said.
“You kids wait out here, and when they’re ready, one of us will come get you.”
“Please let them know that if they don’t want to meet me, that’s totally okay. I don’t want them to feel as if they’re being forced into this.”
Merit gave me a warm smile. “Oh, Beck, they’re not going to feel that way. I can promise you that.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. Dirk and Merit got out of the truck and met Bradly and Mackenzie on the front porch. Then, the four of them disappeared into the house.
My head dropped back onto the seat.
“Are you okay?” Avery asked.
“I think so. A part of me wonders if I should have just let this go. After all, I went this long without knowing my father’s family.”
“No, you shouldn’t have let it go. Beck, your dad would have wanted you to be a part of this family. I mean, I didn’t know him, but if he was anything like the rest of the Shaw brothers, then I know for a fact that it would have been incredibly important to him that his son meet his family.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I couldn’t form words.
Turning to Avery, I opened my mouth to thank her. If it hadn’t been for her, I wasn’t sure any of this would have happened. Her eyes fell to my mouth for the briefest of moments, and I had the insane urge to kiss her. As I leaned closer, her lips fell open slightly, and it felt as if time froze.
Then suddenly, her eyes moved to the right, and she sat back as a smile appeared on her beautiful face.
Swiveling my head, I saw an older woman, maybe late sixties or early seventies, standing on the porch. Behind her was an older gentleman. He had his hands on his wife’s shoulders as they both stared at the truck. We weren’t that far away from the porch, so I could see them clearly.
“Beck, this is it,” Avery softly whispered, her hand on my knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“This is it,” I replied back in a barely there voice.
My hand shook as I reached for the handle and opened the door. I stepped out and shut the door, looking directly at the older couple.
Stella’s hand flew to her mouth, and she seemed to have fallen back against her husband. A sound emerged from her lips, and I couldn’t tell if it was surprise, happiness, or sadness…I just wasn’t sure.
Ty Senior simply stared at me, his mouth falling open.
Avery walked around the truck and took my hand. With a gentle pull, we started toward the porch. Each step up the stairs seemed to be a struggle. It felt like I had a hundred pounds around each ankle. Once I got to the top, I looked into eyes that seemed so familiar.
“Grams, Grandpa,” Avery started. “This is Beck Dahlstrom.”
Stella let out a cry as she hurried toward us, throwing her arms around me. I instinctively wrapped my own around her. She was shaking, but it wasn’t from nerves like me. It was from crying.
Ty Senior walked up, slowly shaking his head as he pulled us both into his arms.
It was only then, for the first time in my life, that I shed a tear over the father I never knew.
It felt like we’d been standing on the porch for an eternity. I could hear a soft sniffle from behind me and figured it was Avery. However, I waited until Stella made the first move to break apart.
When both of them stepped away, I glanced at Avery, who, sure enough, was wiping a tear off her cheek. It was only us four on the porch. The rest of the Littlewoods must have decided to give Stella and Ty some alone time with me.
Avery started for the door, and I almost called out to her to stay, but I let her leave. Light snow began to fall, causing me to snap out of my daze.
“You’ve got to be freezing,” I said as I looked at the two of them, neither one wearing a coat.
Stella shook her head and, once again, brought a hand to her mouth.
“You look exactly like him,” Ty stated as his eyes scanned my body. “Spitting image. It’s…uncanny.”
“My mother would often tell me I looked a lot like him.”
That snapped Stella out of her daze. “Your mother?”
I nodded.
“What’s her name?”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I answered. “Heather.”
Stella let out a soft sob. “He mentioned her to me. Only a few times, but he told me that he was in love.”
I fought the tears that were stinging at the back of my throat. I hadn’t realized how much it would mean to me to know that my father had indeed told his family about my mother.
“He called her his honeybee, if I remember,” she added.
My legs felt unsteady as I nodded. It was the only thing I could do. No words would form, and even if they had, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to speak them.
Ty cleared his throat. “Let’s get into the house. It’s cold out here, and by the looks of that jacket, this boy isn’t from Montana.”
I laughed. “No, sir, Dallas, Texas.”
“Oh Lord, a Texan.”
That time, I laughed harder as I followed Stella into the house, Ty bringing up the rear.
Once we got inside, Stella motioned for me to give her my jacket. That’s what it was: a jacket. It hardly kept the bitter cold from the wind out. If I was planning on staying for any length of time, the first thing I needed to do was buy a winter jacket and some warmer clothes.
“Let’s head into the kitchen. Dinner is about ready. I think Merit took over for me,” Stella said, wrapping her arm around mine and guiding me through the house. I glanced around and wondered if it was the same house my father had grown up in.
As if reading my mind, Ty said, “Your father grew up in this house.”
A strange feeling wrapped around my heart, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand it.
“Stella, you made your famous cheese tortellini and pesto sauce,” Avery said with a wide smile.
Stella crossed to Avery and embraced her. She whispered something into her ear, and Avery nodded.
“I hope you like pasta,” Stella said as she looked back at me.
“I love it. Italian is my favorite.”
Her eyes glistened with more tears. “It was Beck’s…um, your father’s as well.” She cleared her throat and went on. “Right, okay. Ty, grab the tea out of the refrigerator and start pouring the glasses. Bradly, you get the plates. Mackenzie, silverware, and, Avery, you show Beck around quickly…downstairs, the bathroom and such, while we get dinner ready.”
Avery beamed as she motioned for me to follow her.
“There are three bathrooms down here. Years ago, Stella and Ty Senior remodeled the house and enlarged their main bedroom and bathroom. Here’s the half bath. Then down that hall and the last door on the right is the full bath.”
I nodded.
She walked to another door and opened it. “This is Ty Senior’s—”
I took her arm and drew her to a stop. “Avery, call them Grams and Grandpa.”
Chewing on her lower lip, she said, “I feel guilty. They’re your grandparents, not mine.”
Smiling, I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her ponytail. “They’re more yours than they are mine.”
She shook her head.
“Blood isn’t always thicker than water.”
Letting out a breath, she opened the door. “This is Grandpa’s office. He used to run the entire ranch out of this place.”
I scanned the office. It appeared he still did. There were folders sitting on the desk, along with what looked to be an accounting book. I wanted to laugh. He most likely didn’t want to do things on a computer, just like my grandfather.
On the other side of the huge room was a fully stocked bar. In the middle sat a sofa and two chairs.
Avery walked in and turned in a circle. “Can you imagine being little and in trouble, and your mother sends you to this room to face Dad?”
I laughed. “No. I think I would have been terrified.”
“Me too!” She walked over to a bookshelf. “Come here, Beck.”
Doing as she asked, I joined her and saw picture frames on the shelves. Avery turned her back to me, picked up a frame, then turned and handed it to me. My breath caught in my lungs.
“It’s him,” I whispered as I stared at a young man dressed in a Marine Corps uniform.
“They’re right. You look just like him,” Avery said.
I ran my finger over the name Shaw on his uniform. My eyes lifted to take in the face that looked so much like my own.
“No wonder my mother was in love with him. Good-looking guy.”
Avery laughed. “He was, and so is his son.”
My attention lifted from the picture and I met her gaze. I smiled, not sure of what to say at her compliment.
We stood in comfortable silence for a few moments before I handed her the photo. “We should probably be heading back before they come searching for us.”
Avery smiled softly and placed the photo back onto the shelf. I moved in closer, so when she turned back around, already stepping forward, she nearly ran right into me.
“Thank you, Avery. I don’t think I would have been able to do this without you.”
Her beautiful eyes went wide as her chest rose and fell. The urge to cup her face and kiss her was so damn strong, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t exactly sure why I couldn’t kiss her, just that it didn’t feel right.
No, that wasn’t it. It wasn’t the right place and time.
Instead, I leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Her hand immediately rose to her cheek, and she looked away…but before she did, I swore there was disappointment in her eyes.