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“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.
