Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Derek
I t’s early evening, and the house is warm, filled with the smell of Casey’s favorite lasagna baking in the oven.
Casey is sprawled out on the couch, her nose in a book while Eric scrolls through something on his phone, glancing over at her now and then to make sure she’s okay. These quiet moments, when we’re all home, feel rare, and I savor them. I walk over to the couch, sitting down beside Casey, and she glances up at me, flashing me a smile that always reminds me of her mother.
“Dad!” she exclaims, slipping her bookmark into her page. “Are we eating soon? It smells amazing.”
“Just about ready, Case,” I tell her, patting her knee. “But I was thinking...while we’re all sitting here...there’s something I want to talk to you both about.”
Eric looks up from his phone, raising an eyebrow. “This sounds serious.”
I smile, trying to keep it light.
Casey shifts, sitting up, her wide blue eyes locked on mine. “What is it?”
I take a breath, feeling that familiar tightness in my chest. “I wanted to talk to you both about Miss Shafer. We’ve been spending time together and we really like each other. I want to invite her to Sunday dinner, but I wanted to know how the two of you felt about that first.”
Casey’s face lights up, and she lets out a squeal. “Do you mean she’s your girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean she’ll come over for dinner more? And that we’ll get to see her all the time?”
I chuckle, relieved by her excitement. “It could mean that, yeah.”
Eric’s grin spreads slowly, and he nods, crossing his arms. “Honestly, Dad, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Miss Shafer is great.”
My chest loosens, a warmth spreading through me. I’m relieved and happy all at the same time. “That means a lot, Eric. I want this to be right for all of us.”
Casey tugs on my arm, drawing my attention. “Does that mean she’s going to live with us?”
I laugh, pulling her into a hug. “Not yet, Case. Let’s just enjoy getting to know her better first.”
Eric rolls his eyes with a grin, nudging Casey playfully. “Slow down, Case.”
She sticks her tongue out at him, her cheeks pink. “Whatever! I’m just excited. Miss Shafer is so nice, Daddy.”
“I love you both so much,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “And I want you to know that you’ll always be my priority. Always.”
They each hug me, and at that moment, everything feels complete.
I didn’t think it would be that easy, but I’m glad that it was.
“You guys don’t think it’s too soon?” I ask.
Eric shakes his head as he glances up at me. “Did someone say that?”
“No, but…”
“You tell us all the time that other people’s opinions don’t matter, Dad. So why would you care if someone thought that?”
“I don’t know.” I chuckle, feeling schooled by my twelve-year-old.
“Miss Shafer seems really cool, and you seem really happy with her.” He shrugs as he goes back to his phone. “That’s all I care about. If she wasn’t a good person, then we’d have other opinions.”
“She does seem really cool,” I say as I look over at Casey.
“She’s really nice, Dad. All the kids in my class love her.”
“You’re right. Your old man is just second-guessing things, I guess.”
“Stop doing that…I think that’s what you always say to me,” Eric teases.
Smart kid throwing my words back at me when I need him to.
After dinner, while Casey’s finishing her homework in the dining room, I slip out to check the orchard, taking in the last bit of daylight. The trees are beginning to settle into the cooler season, their leaves thick and dark. I glance over at the apple trees and stop short when I see David under one of the trees. He’s hunched over, muttering to himself, a tool in his hand as he scrapes at the trunk of one of the older trees, leaving jagged, fresh cuts.
“David!” I call out, stepping forward. He jerks up, eyes narrowing as he straightens, tucking the tool behind him.
“Derek,” he hisses, his voice tight.
There’s a wildness in his eyes, and I can smell the faint scent of tequila again.
Shit, it smells like he’s bathing in it.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
He laughs, a harsh, broken sound. “Just checking on the land. The land that is in my family’s name. My daughter’s name.”
“You’re drunk, David. Go home.”
He sneers, taking a few unsteady steps toward me. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was going to tell you. This isn’t your home, Derek. It never was.”
I clench my fists, forcing myself to keep calm. “You’re wrong. This is my home. It’s our home—the kids and mine.”
He scoffs, shaking his head. “Rumor has it that you’re moving on with some new woman, Derek.”
“You need to leave. Now.”
But he doesn’t move. Instead, he laughs again, low and mean, then turns and raises his arm, slashing the tool against the bark of the tree, gouging another deep, angry mark.
“David!” I shout, lunging forward to grab his arm, stopping him mid-swing. “That’s enough! You’re done here.”
He struggles against me for a moment before slumping back in defeat, his face crumpling with an expression I almost don’t recognize. For a second, he looks more lost than angry, the weight of grief and resentment dulling the fire in his eyes.
“Go home,” I hiss, as I loosen my grip.
“It won’t be long before you lose everything. You and those bratty kids…”
“Shut your mouth and leave.”
I can hear some of the ranch hands talking in the distance, their voices carrying toward us. David’s eyes widen before he pulls away, shooting me one last bitter look before turning and stumbling back toward his car. As I watch him drive off, my heart aches—not just with anger, but with the sadness of knowing how far he’s fallen.
When he’s gone, I place a hand on the scarred bark, feeling the rawness of it. I guess I should be glad that the tree is the only thing he attacked this time.
Why didn’t any of the cameras alert me to someone being out here?
I go to my phone and open the app to view all the cameras. Half of them are off-line.
Son of a bitch. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
I go to the bunkhouse where my ranch hands stay. When I walk in, only Mack is in the kitchen.
“Where’s everyone else?” I ask.
“Went into town for dinner.” He shrugs. “What’s up?”
“David was just here tearing into a tree.”
Mack’s eyes narrow. “Drunk again?”
“Yup.”
“Did you call the sheriff?”
“Not yet. He left. I’m going to do an extra round on the grounds tonight, though, just in case. Hopefully, he goes home and sleeps it off.”
“I’m petty enough to call the law now and have him arrested for drunk driving.”
I chuckle to myself. “Not petty at all. Pretty genius, actually. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it myself.”
“You’re nicer than me.” He shrugs as he turns around and goes back to making himself dinner.
Not a bad idea, he was noticeably drunk when he left and not in any condition to drive.
I nod and walk out of the bunkhouse, picking up my phone and dialing the non-emergency number for the sheriff’s office, explaining to them what just happened.
Once I get the kids to bed, I’ll start making sure all the cameras are back up and running. There’s no telling when he’ll come back and what his next plan of attack will be.