AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To my complete surprise, the man neither strikes at nor says anything to me. Instead, he stares back as if in complete shock, searching my eyes for something. Within a minute, he storms out of the house.
A deafening silence fills up the space where just seconds ago we had screamed at one another. And for a heartbreaking moment, I worry that he might not come back.
15
ROCK
Stubborn woman.Who does she think she is, coming back here and making demands like that?
I’m pacing the fields, my entire body taut with anger and distress. I don’t know how long I’ve been gone, but I don’t care.
Letherknow what it’s like to be completely left alone, I think bitterly.
It’s grown pitch black outside and I curse myself for not having a flashlight of any kind.Damn woman distracts me to no end. I wander somewhat blindly until I finally feel the familiar roughness of the pasture fence. The shadow of the cow grazing tells me I’m closer to the house again, but I’m not quite ready to go in and face the music.
“Dammit!” I yell to nothing in particular. In the field next to me, the cow moos and continues chewing her evening meal.
Darcy’s back, I repeat for the hundredth time on my walk. Part of me is relieved to know that my wife’s back and that she doesn’t appear to be physically hurt in any way. Another part of me is pissed as hell that she left like that in the first place.And that she kept the pregnancy from me.
So now what?
I know that I hurt Darcy, and it’s a fact that I was and am completely in the wrong. But she won’t even listen to my side, to the entire story. Sure, our interactions started off as a ploy to get her farm, but I fell inlovewith her. And she refuses to acknowledge that as real.
And what about the baby? I have no doubt in my mind that the child Darcy’s carrying is mine. It pains me to think of her struggling with the early months of pregnancy alone, to imagine her shock and fear and despair going through such a big life change. I had hoped, back when we first got married, that she’d get pregnant soon. Not so much because it would have bound her to me, but because I wanted Darcy to have my babies in her belly. I want to raise beautiful children together on this farm with the curvy girl as their mother.
And now she’s having my child, but she won’t let me be a part of his or her life.
Much to my chagrin, my eyes get a little misty thinking about her bold declaration. “Shit!” I bellow and kick the fence hard with my boot. The cow looks up from her chewing, unimpressed by my frequent disruptions. I grip one of the posts and try to control my anger and heartbreak.
Hands down, this whole mess is my fault. I was dishonest with Darcy, and everything she accused me of is true. I had originally come here to try and take her farm and I’d used my accident to my advantage to woo her.
Hell, she even confessed to me how awful the McLaughlins abused her family, and I said nothing about my true identity, like a liar.
Standing in the dark shadows by the pasture, I let myself feel all of my emotions: shame, regret, and fear. I’m ashamed of my behavior and I regret the actions that led me and Darcy to this point. But mostly, I’m scared that Darcy won’t take me back, that I screwed everything up and there’s no fixing it.
But there’s one thing she keeps leaving out. I shake my head ruefully.
Idolove her.
When my brothers first suggested that I try my hand at persuading the Fields girl to sell, I thought she would turn out to be plain, boring, and stupid. Instead, I met Darcy, who is kind, sharp as a tack, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
You fucked up, Rock. Letting yourself fall head over heels in love with this curvy, passionate girl was definitely not part of the plan.
“Goddammit.” I curse myself. “I have to get her to listen to me, to hear my side of the story.” The cow merely continues to graze like nothing’s wrong with the world.
Abruptly, I know exactly what I have to do. Darcy came back for the farm, not for me, and while that knowledge pains me to no end, I have to give her the power.
Quickly, I cross the dark yard to my pickup truck. Fumbling for my keys in the darkness, I unlock the car and open the glove compartment.Let’s put it all on the table then.
I stalk back to the house, trying to control the surge of emotions running through me. I recognize that most of my anger is toward myself, but I’m also angry that Darcy continues to refuse to listen to me.
I climb up the porch steps and stride into the house. While most of the lights are out downstairs, the lamps from our bedroom are ablaze. I take the stairs swiftly, hearing Darcy gently humming as I draw near. Hearing her soft voice, I pause outside the master bedroom, my courage ebbing ever so slightly.
Shit buddy. It’s now or never.
I knock on the door but don’t wait for a response as I walk purposefully into the room. Darcy looks up, surprised by my bold entrance. She’s wearing skimpy pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Her full breasts, made even bigger by pregnancy, stretch the shirt material.
“What are you doing?” she asks, her tone indignant.
