Chapter 26
Eric
“Your father and his girlfriend arrived,” I explain. “He didn’t want me near you, and I was already so in my head about how I was bad for you and that the accident was my fault and I should have protected you. So I left.”
“He’s…not a horrible person. He’s just protective,” she states.
“I know. He’s your father. Being protective is his job. But I should have called. I should have tried. Instead, I came back here, ready to give up and sell the farm,” I admit.
Her hand squeezes mine and her eyes widen. “Don’t do that,” she says.
I grin because I’m not going to do that.
“I’m not,” I reassure her.
She lets out a long breath. “Good.” Then she frowns. “But you were having financial issues.”
“Remember when I told you that my dad bought the farm and I decided to stay and run it when he retired?” I ask.
She nods.
“Well, my father might have designed Windpin processors,” I state.
Her frown deepens. “Wait, like the ones in all the computers?”
“That’d be the one,” I answer.
“Holy shitballs! Seriously? Wait…Oh my God! So you’re like…really, really rich?” she asks.
I laugh and Thor stirs from her excitement. “Uh, yeah. I guess I am. I mean, technically, it’s my father who is rich, but he did put aside a big chunk of change for me and my sister in a trust fund,” I state.
She frowns again. “So, you were never in financial trouble?”
I shake my head. “The farm was. The business was. Could I have bailed it out? Yes. But I wanted it to succeed on its own merit. I wanted to be a successful businessman.”
“That’s why you hired me?” she asks.
“Yes. But I recently found a way to make things profitable, if I need it,” I start.
“How?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.
“I think I know why your father wants this property,” I begin. She holds up a hand to stop me from continuing.
“It’s not my dad. It’s Kimberly, his girlfriend. Katia found some paperwork in my dad’s office. She had Dad rewriting his will. She tried to make him believe I was an ungrateful brat and I shouldn’t get any of his money. And she’s trying to marry him without a prenup and she wants a bunch of properties including this one. I couldn’t figure out what was going on, but then?—”
“Oil,” I finish her sentence.
She nods. “Yes! Katia and I started trying to figure it out a few days ago and I came across some survey records, and you have oil under this property, like, possibly a lot.”
“I know. I was wondering the same thing. I didn’t know it. She had a private company do some survey work on an adjoining farm. Walt Golden’s farm. Fortunately, I figured it out and bought it from him, with rent back so he could stay there. He was struggling too.”
“Wait? You bought his farm?” she asks.
“I did. And I reinvested in this one. Now that I know there’s money in the bank, so to speak, if I need it, I have capital to borrow against.”
“So you’re not going to drill?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No. Not if I don’t need to. This farm is a part of our community and I intend to keep it that way. We’ve been profitable for two months now, Ariana. And that’s all thanks to what you’ve done.”
She smiles. “Really?”
I squeeze her hand again. “Really. I’m so proud of you. And I’m so sorry I fucked up. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of you. I should have been. And I’m sorry about whatever Kimberly is trying to do to ruin things with you and your dad.”
She sets Thor on a pillow and crawls as best she can into my lap. I wrap my arms around her.
“Please forgive me, baby. I’m all yours. I’m not afraid to fall in love with you anymore. I’m only afraid that it’s too late,” I admit, my eyes searching hers.
“Eric Windsor, for someone so smart, you are a really big idiot. I’m here to win you back,” she says with a laugh.
“You never lost me, little catastrophe. You were always mine and I was always yours,” I say as I lean forward and press my lips to hers. They are salty and I realize she’s crying.
I pull back, worried. “Did I hurt you? Is it your leg?” I ask as I search her body.
She laughs and wipes her eyes. “No, you big dummy. I’m just happy. So happy. I thought I lost you.”
I take her face in my hands and kiss her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. Then I bring my lips to hers. “You’ll never lose me. Because I’m not letting you go again,” I say against her skin. Our lips crash together again and I know I’m forgiven.
A clearing throat has us pulling apart a moment later. We both turn and find Katia leaning against the doorframe.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt this little…well, anyhow, Eric, you’re needed at the farmstand and, Ariana, are we packing or….” Katia trails off and looks between us, raising an eyebrow.
I turn to Ariana. She bites her lip and it takes all my energy not to pick her up and carry her to my room to make love to her all afternoon.
“No packing, Katia. But I do need to make one quick call,” she says as she pulls a phone from her pocket.
I watch her press call on her phone.
“Hi, Dad. I’m here. And there’s something you should know,” she begins.
I start to remove her from my lap, to give her a little privacy, but she grips my arm and shakes her head. I grin at her and she grins back.
“Well, are you going to tell me, or is this a new guessing game?” James Titan’s voice breaks the silence.
With a little shake of her head, she puts the call on speaker. “Dad, I’m here with Eric Windsor…my…” She pauses and looks at me and I nod. “My boyfriend and my boss.”
“What?” James screams.
“Dad, calm down before you give yourself a stroke. You need to know something about Kimberly.”
“Why are you with Eric? Get your ass back here!” James yells.
“Dad, listen to me!” she screams, and as if in shock, James shuts up. “She wants you to change the prenup and buy the farm where I work because she found oil here on a neighboring property. The private company that she hired used some university to do the survey and that is online. We were able to find it. There’s oil under this farm as well. She’s been telling you lies about me. She wants your money, Dad, and I think this property was going to be her backup plan. You were going to put it in her name, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” he says quietly as he processes what Ariana’s said.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I think Kimberly just wants you for your money. She wanted me out of the picture, and she knew Eric was hiring because of her research that started with the neighboring farm. It sounds like she has an oil tycoon friend and he mentioned something about possible reserves around Storyview Falls. Or at least, that’s what I can figure out from some documents that Katia found,” she continues.
“George Benjamin?” James asks.
“Yes, that’s the guy. Why?” she questions.
There’s not an answer. “I need to go, Ari. But we are discussing this later. You need to make smarter decisions.”
“Dad, wait. I know you think this isn’t the right place for me. I love that you want what’s best for me. But, Dad, Eric and this farm, they are what’s best for me. I know I was stupid about driving that tractor, and I promise I won’t be doing that again. But, Dad, I love him, I love this farm, I love my friends here, and I love this little town. I feel alive here. Please, at least come here and see things. I want to live, Dad. Really, really live. And I can’t do that in your penthouse. I can’t do that working for your company. I need to spread my wings and live my own life. And I want this life, Dad. Please, just promise you’ll come here. I’m going to stay here. Because this is my home.”
There’s dead silence on the other line.
“Dad?” Ariana asks after about ten seconds.
“And what if it falls apart? Then what?” he asks.
“Then, I guess I’ll find another job and another place to live. I can do this, Dad. Please, believe in me,” she begs and I see her tear up again. I squeeze her hand and she squeezes it back.
“I want you to be happy, Ari. I…” He clears his throat. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“I do, Dad. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but…I needed to make sure this was right for me. And coming here today…I know it is,” she explains as she stares into my eyes. It’s like she’s talking to me and her father all at the same time.
“I’ll come down tomorrow. We can talk. But no more of this lying bullshit, Ari. You tell me the truth. If you love some guy, I better know it. You aren’t some teenager. And I’m sorry if I treat you like that, but I love you. And I want what’s best for you.” He pauses and Ariana’s eyes well with tears. I’m guessing her father doesn’t profess his love to anyone very often. “But I also want you to be happy. So…we’ll talk.”
“I love you too, Daddy,” she whispers.
“OK. I need to go,” he replies as if a mask has suddenly come up over his emotions. I wonder if he’s like this all the time. What a strange man.
“Alright, Dad. Call me tomorrow if you’re able to come down here,” she says.
“I will,” he says and hangs up.
“Is he…always like that?” I ask, truly curious.
She sighs. “He is. He’s not all bad, he’s just…James Titan,” she tries to explain.
I laugh and press my forehead to hers. “I’d rather we be hurkle-durkling, but I think I do need to go check on things.”
She giggles. “Well, I could still go snerdle.”
“You both are seriously weird. I’m going to go get a latte at that coffee kiosk,” Katia says while rolling her eyes.
She looks back at me. “Sooo,” she says.
I brush some hair away from her face. “So, you love me?” I ask.
She blushes. God, I missed her blushing. “Yes,” she says quietly.
“Good, because I love you too,” I state as I cup her jaw and press my lips to hers, letting myself lose track of time for a second as I taste her.
Thor meows and we both laugh.
“We love you too, buddy,” I assure him. “Now, let’s go see how this grand re-opening is doing, shall we?”
She grins. “Let’s,” she agrees as I pick her up in my arms and she wraps her hands around my neck.
I kiss her again as I start walking.
“My crutches?” she says.
I look down at her. “You won’t be needing those. Because I’m not letting you go…ever.”
She laughs. “Eric, you’re being silly. I can walk.”
“I know you can, but I don’t want to put you down,” I state. And I kiss her again as I carry her out the back door.
She looks up at me. “Thank you,” she whispers as she kisses my neck.
“For what?” I ask as I walk us toward the barn.
“For giving me my happily ever after.”