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Avery sniffled next to me, and I was pretty sure I saw Dirk act like he was rubbing under his nose while he wiped a tear away.
Smiling, I softly said, “Thank you, Merit.”
She returned a smile of her own. “I say, since you’ve flown all this way, don’t wait another day. Dirk and I can both tell you that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”
My hand went to the back of my neck, and I rubbed the tension there. “Wow. Okay, you’re right. Is tomorrow too soon?”
Dirk leaned forward. “You leave that to me. Go to the hotel, get a good night’s sleep, and be back here tomorrow afternoon. I’ll make arrangements to have dinner with Stella and Ty Senior. I think you should meet them first.”
“I agree,” Merit added.
“If you think that would be the best way to handle things,” I stated. Avery was still holding my hand, and she gave it a soft squeeze.
Dirk nodded. “I do, and we’ll all be there for you.”
I pressed my lips together tightly and attempted to keep my emotions in check. “I don’t know what to say. Your kindness is…is overwhelming, if I’m being honest.”
Merit gave me a small smile. “I think it was fate that had our Avery sitting down next to you, Beck.”
Turning to look at her, those stunning turquoise eyes sparkled. I gave a small nod and replied, “I think so too.”
I walked into my suite and sighed. The bathroom was to my left, and as I walked in farther, I saw the sofa, small kitchen area, and, like a sign from above, double doors that led to the king-size bed. I dropped my suitcase and computer bag onto the sofa. The rental car keys and my phone went on the table, and I walked straight into the bedroom and fell onto the bed.
“God, this feels so good.”
Just as I felt my body completely relax, my phone rang.
Groaning, I rolled over and sat up. I knew it was my grandfather, and I also knew if I didn’t answer, he would keep calling. Reaching my phone in time, I swiped to connect. “Hey, Gramps.”
“I take it you made it to Montana.”
I started to kick off my boots. “I did. And you’re never going to believe this, but the person who sat next to me on the plane knew the Shaw family.”
“Really?” he said, the doubt in his voice nearly oozing through the phone. “You didn’t find that strange?”
“Not when her plane was delayed, and she was rerouted from Paris, France. No, I didn’t.”
“How did the subject come up?” he asked. I could hear someone in the background, and I figured it was Shelly, my grandfather’s assistant. I swore the poor lady worked twenty-four hours a day. She was well paid, but still. She had no kind of life since she was pretty much always on call.
“Are you still at the office?” I asked, glancing at my watch, which showed that it was nearly eleven at night in Texas.
“Yes, did you get those reports I asked you to do?”
“Gramps, I’ve been traveling all day.”
“All day? You landed how many hours ago?”
I closed my eyes. “The friend I met on the plane invited me to meet their parents, since they’re good friends with my father’s family.”
He let out a harumph. “You didn’t even know your father. How can you call them family? You have a family here in Texas. A large family with plenty of cousins. I don’t know why you felt you needed to search for his brood.”
“Brood?” I asked with a laugh.
“Yes, brood. When do you think you’ll be finished with this little adventure of yours, Beck? We’re in need of you here at the office. There is a new drill site I want you to research.”
“There isn’t anything I can’t take care of while I’m here.”
“You didn’t do the reports I asked you to do.”
“Gramps, it’s Friday. You don’t need them until next week. Here’s a crazy idea: Why don’t you leave the office so poor Shelly can go home? Leave her alone for the weekend and just take a few days off.”
He laughed. “I’ll have you know I pay her enough money for her inconvenience.”
“I’m sure you do, but at some point, hopefully you’ll realize that work isn’t everything.”
Mumbling under his breath, he sighed. “When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure yet. Like I said, I can do any work that I need to do from here, but I did take two weeks of vacation, so after these reports, you shouldn’t need anything from me.”
“Vacation?”
Sighing, I replied, “Yeah, it’s this thing people do where they walk away from their jobs for a few days, or weeks, to enjoy life. You really should try it sometime.”
“You don’t actually think you’re being funny right now, do you?”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed again. “Gramps, it’s been a long day, and I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”
