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The closer they got to their ranch and home the angrier at his father Colton became. He couldn’t stop the thoughts running through his head of how their father had left them every day to disappear and they were responsible to care for their dying mother. Jeremiah Banks couldn’t even look at their mother, and she hadn’t wanted him there either. She had been dying. What the hell?
As Evan pulled into the driveway and parked the truck, Ava whispered, “Do you think that perhaps your father was trying to protect you?”
Colton slammed his fist on the dashboard and got out of the truck. Evan did the same, and Ava followed them.
“Well?” she pushed when neither Evan nor Colton answered. Colton unlocked the front door, opened it, and allowed her to walk in first.
She stood there with her arms crossed in front of her chest, wearing one of her pretty outfits that showed off her body. She was sexy, gorgeous, and apparently naive when it came to men like Jeremiah Banks.
He stared at her and spoke his mind.
“He’s a liar. He doesn’t care about us and never has. You don’t get it, Ava. He basically abandoned us when mom was dying. What kind of man does that to his wife and children? Can you tell me that?”
“Colton, all I am saying is that perhaps there is more to your father’s behavior than he let on.”
“Jesus Christ, woman, he’s got you thinking he’s a fucking saint and not the bad guy. Wake up, Ava. We went through it, not you. We didn’t have a father to care for us and make losing our mother easier or at least stand beside us and help. He didn’t do shit.”
“You think that I don’t know how you feel? You had parents and I had no one. Even in an orphanage, I was alone in this world. Yeah, you know what, it was horrible what you went through, losing your mom and dealing with her care the way you both had to, and maybe your dad didn’t make the right decisions, but he felt he did at the time. I’m saying that maybe he had good reason.”
“Good reason? What good reason could a man have for not caring for their dying wife and making their kids handle it? What kind of man gets drunk and doesn’t help or show his dying wife an ounce of tenderness? Answer me that, Ava.” Evan raised his voice this time, and she lowered her head as she clasped her hands in front of her.
“You should talk with your father. You should listen to what he has to say.”
“No,” Evan stated firmly and she looked at him and took a deep breath.
“Your father shared some things with me this evening. I’ve known him for a while now and I believe what he told me was true. Just as you suffered, so did he for different reasons. Perhaps reasons that, if he could share with you, they might ease your pain a little.”
“Nothing he said was true. I’m not going to listen to him beg for forgiveness for acting like an asshole. It’s too late. He just wants to get rid of his guilt. Well that’s something he has to live with,” Colton replied.
“Colton, please listen to me. Please just hear him out. If you don’t like what he has to say, then so be it. But the man wants to speak with both of you.”
“You don’t understand, Ava, the sight of him angers me like nothing else.”
Ava reached for their hands and took them into her own and squeezed. “Sometimes the hardest and scariest thing a person has to do is give someone they once loved the chance to make things right. Could you both, please, just listen to what your father has to tell you?”
“I don’t know if I can, Ava. I just don’t know if I can,” Colton said then pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.
“Why is this so important to you, Ava? Why do you think we should let him off so easily for what he did?” Evan asked.
She pulled back slightly from Colton and stared up into Evan’s eyes. “I’m not asking you to let him off. I’m asking you to move on and perhaps find some closure and heal from the pain that is still so alive and strong inside of you. You had two parents that loved you. One is gone, but the other still lives. I don’t have any parents. I’ll never have any. Just let him talk to you, and if afterward, you still feel the same way, then it’s over. I’ll never bring Jeremiah up again or ask you to make amends.”
Colton looked at Evan, and then they looked at Ava.
“We’ll think about it, Ava,” Evan said then pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.
“Bring her upstairs, Evan,” Colton said. Evan pulled gently from Ava’s lips then swung her up into his arms, making her squeal.
“Hey, what about dinner?”
Colton gave her body the once-over. “Dinner can wait. Being inside of you definitely can’t.” Ava blushed.
He loved being able to do that.
* * * *
Ava smiled up at Evan as he lowered her feet to the carpeting.
He reached behind her to unzip her skirt as Colton lifted the hem of her blouse up and over her head. She wore a set of matching red panties and bra, just for Colton and Evan.
