Chapter 31
Tristan
“Daddy!” Sadie smiles wide when she sees me standing by the truck.
It feels as though my world just righted itself when she comes barreling toward me. I pull her into my arms, my heart nearly bursting as I hold her.
She looks up at me, still hugging me tight.
I grin. “You got taller.”
Sadie huffs a laugh. “It’s been three weeks, Dad. Not possible.”
“And in those three weeks, you got taller.”
I release her, and she steps back. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe so, but you’re stuck with me.”
“That I am,” she agrees.
I shake my head with a laugh.
I’ve missed her so much. The house has felt empty and devoid of any real life. Sadie is the glue that holds me together. I know she’s growing up, that I’ll have to let her go, but for now I’m glad I can hold on tight.
“Ready to head home?”
She nods. “I can’t wait to see Grandad and tell him about some new projects I want to do!”
I should be irritated, but all I can think is: Do whatever keeps him busy. No matter how much it’ll cost me.
“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled if it involves anything that drives me crazy.”
“Oh, it will,” Sadie agrees.
I grab her bag, hoisting it over my shoulder. “What did you pack, bricks?”
“Yes, Dad, I thought, What could I need at camp? Oh, I know, bricks.”
“If it was to throw at any boys who tried to talk to you, I’d support this.”
Seriously, I am perfectly okay with her tossing bricks or any other projectile at them. She and her friends are already boy crazy, always talking about how cute they are, which has me ready to pull my hair out.
“I only talked to five boys,” she says and then sticks her tongue out at me.
I’m not built for this. Being a girl dad is really hard. I know what boys think about. I’m all too aware of their devious little minds when it comes to girls. I need to build a fortress or maybe pay someone to follow her around and ward them off.
All of this sounds perfectly rational, right?
I need to focus on anything other than her dating. “Let’s not talk about boys. I’d like to remain happy on our ride home.”
We get in the truck, and she tells me about the girls she met, how she would prefer to never again sleep in a tent, and how much she can’t wait to see her aunts and grandad. The hour ride is taken up by her endless chatter, and I love every second of it.
“Sounds like you had fun,” I say when she takes a breath.
Sadie lays her head back and sighs. “I did, but I’m glad to be home.”
“We’re glad to have you home.”
“Hey, did you see Lark at all?” Sadie asks.
The question jars me so much I almost run off the side of the road. “Lark?”
“Yeah, Dad, Lark who lives behind us. I’m sure you’ve heard of her since we keep getting visits from the cops about her farm.”
I am more than able to play this cool and keep it casual. “Obviously, I know who she is.”
“Okay, did you see her?”
How the fuck do I answer this?
There is no reason in the world why I would see Lark while Sadie was gone. None. And yet I’ve seen her almost every day. Hell, I was with her this morning after we fell asleep under the stars.
“I mean, I’ve seen her in town.”
She nods.
“Why?”
Sadie lets out a heavy breath. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but a bunch of the kids from Infinity Ridge were talking, and a few showed me a picture of you and her.
I said it was clearly photoshopped, because why the heck would you be dancing with her, but then one of the girls said her mom was there and that it’s true. ”
For the love of God. Now they’re showing my daughter?
“First of all, that photo was taken weeks ago. She was at the bar when I was there, and a guy was being aggressive. I don’t think any girl, even a Gatlin, should be uncomfortable, so I stepped in.
In order to make it not look awkward, we finished the fifteen seconds of the slow song,” I explain.
“Secondly, why the hell was that even a topic?”
“Gossip is gossip, Dad. A Stone and a Gatlin together is big news. You can’t expect people not to talk about this. I mean, you guys were, like, dancing and together together.”
“Well, we’re not together.”
Not technically.
I mean, we are probably the closest two humans can actually be together, but that’s not for my kid to know. We’re not dating—in that sense of the word. We’re just…casually friends who happen to have a deeper connection that I’m sure as fuck not thinking about.
“I wouldn’t care if you were,” Sadie says, and this time I do run slightly off the road, causing the truck to hit bumps that vibrate the truck.
I get back between the lines and assemble my thoughts.
What the hell does that mean? She doesn’t even know Lark.
Okay, staying calm is the only way to get through this.
“Sadie…I…” I don’t know what to say.
She turns in her seat to face me. “I’m just saying that I’m old enough to understand things. You should be happy, you know? If you met someone, and I liked her, I wouldn’t mind if you dated. I don’t know if that’s why you don’t try with Lark—or anyone.”
There’s a gas station ahead, so I pull in. This isn’t a conversation I want to have while driving, since I’ve almost gone off the road twice. Clearly, this girl is trying to kill us both.
I put the truck in park and turn to her.
“Where is this coming from?”
She shrugs. “Just when I was away, all these people were talking about their parents. Jessica’s mom just got divorced, and she’s already dating someone new.
Tabitha’s dad is getting married to his new girlfriend, and he’s not even divorced yet.
I know Mom died, and it’s probably different, but…
I just don’t want you to be alone all the time. ”
“I loved your mom very much, and in the beginning, it definitely was that I wasn’t ready to date. I had you, a three-year-old who needed me. Then I took over the ranch, and that was a whole new set of reasons I just wasn’t ready to get back out there. Now that’s not the case, really.”
“Then what is the reason?”
I don’t fucking know.
I don’t have a reason other than the one woman I would date…I can’t.
Lark would complicate my life in ways that neither of us want to step into. Her family, my family, the fact that she drives me crazy, and then the fear of letting myself love another person, only to lose them.
I look into those blue eyes that are just like her mother’s and give her a version of the truth. “Losing your mom was really hard. Then I almost lost you. I just don’t know if I can handle going through it again.”
Sadie reaches her hand out, resting it on mine. “I understand, Daddy.”
“I hate that you do.”
“But you’re the strongest man I know. Remember that too.”
I smile warmly and lean in to kiss her cheek. “I’m glad you think so. How about we stop for some ice cream and keep your grandad waiting?”
Her grin is full of mischief. “Deal.”
I turn, put the truck in drive, and pray we never have a talk like that again. I’m not sure I can handle thinking about a life with someone else, because the only person I see is Lark, and that’s never going to happen.
“What the fuck is going on now?” I say aloud as we pull up to the house and find Jimmy’s cruiser parked out front.
“That’s a bad word,” Sadie says with a smirk.
“Yes, well, don’t repeat it.”
I hate the whole “do as I say, not as I do” mantra, but it applies here.
“Can I say shit?”
“No.”
“Damn?”
I glare at her. “No. No cursing.”
“What about asshole? I feel like that’s different.”
“It’s not.”
Sadie purses her lips. “Technically it’s a body part.
Therefore, it can’t really be considered a curse word.
” Before I can argue that point, she goes on, “Also, bastard is in the dictionary, and really all the curse words are, so I don’t know how you can say that they’re not appropriate if the dictionary has them. You know, that’s an educational book.”
I swear, not even twenty minutes ago, I had this sweet, smiling little girl in my truck. The return of the way-too-old-for-her-own-good girl is back. I miss the other one.
“As much as I’d love to have this fight with you, I need to go see why we have the cops here—again.”
“Well, at least you have an airtight alibi.”
Yes, there’s that. “Let’s go.”
We exit the car, and at the same time Jimmy comes out the front door. “Tristan, I’m sorry, but…”
“But what? I was literally gone since seven this morning, driving out to pick up Sadie.”
He sighs. “I understand, but this happened earlier than that.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
He looks to Sadie. “Why don’t you go inside, sweetheart. I’ll be in once I’m done talking to your dad.”
“Are you arresting him?” she asks.
“I sure as hell hope not.”
She nods once. “Me too, because then I’ll have to hate you, Uncle Jimmy, and I really don’t want to.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he retorts.
“Go see your aunts and grandad,” I say. “I’ll get this sorted and be in soon.”
At least that better be what happens. There is no way that there’s any actual proof that I’ve done anything to the Gatlins, because I’m not actually doing anything. I just have to keep remembering that all of this is baseless accusations.
“Look, I’ve been doing my best to keep this from escalating, but you’re not fucking helping here,” Jimmy says with an exasperated sigh. “I can’t turn a blind eye because you’re my best friend.”
“Well, I’m not asking you to, but I am asking you to believe me when I say I’m not doing anything to their ranch.”
“Tristan, there’s fucking proof!”
“What proof?” I ask, knowing whatever the hell he’s got is a lie.
He hands me his phone, pulling up a video. “This was at four this morning.”
I push play and there I am, on the horse, riding through the field from Lark’s barn, heading toward my property.
“Okay…”
“And this,” he continues.
There I am outside the barn, closing it up.
Fuck, this was from this morning. After she was so upset, I didn’t feel right leaving her. I just…wanted to make sure she got in okay. So I took a chance—a stupid one—and rode with her back to her barn, closed everything up, and then headed home.