Page 28 of Grit
“I can’t get that, because I’ve never been where you are. But that’s no reason—”
“You can’t have a relationship when there’s another person in the middle of it! Calvin is Abby’s father. He’ll always be there. That’s not fair to you. Or me. Or… anyone. It’s not fair, but it’s the reality, okay?”
She turned and started to walk away.
Cary yelled, “I don’t…”
She paused, but she didn’t turn around.
You don’t what, genius? You don’t have an answer for her because she’s right?
“You’re not right, Melissa.”
She turned around. “Why not?”
“I don’t know right in this exact moment; you’re just not.” He motioned between them. “This is not over.”
“Cary, it shouldn’t evenstart.”
“Do you want me?”
The look in her eyes tore him to pieces. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter what you want?” He cleared his throat. “I disagree. Very much.”
She smiled a little, but she looked like she wanted to cry. “What’s new?”
Melissa looked at him for a few more minutes, then she shook her head, turned, and walked away.
Cary watched her until she disappeared into the trees.
Well, at least she wasn’t running. That was an improvement.
Kind of.
He finished pruningthe grafted citrus and worked a little in the greenhouse he was using for propagation. If there was one thing he liked about being a farmer, it was the endless experimentation. Every plant behaved a little differently. Every orchard was a slightly different microclimate. Nothing was predictable. Nothing was boring.
Kind of like Melissa.
How could they go from talking about citrus grafts to arguing about her new employees to arguing about their relationship to kissing to more arguing?
The woman didn’t just drive him crazy, she gave him whiplash.
And while there might have been an arguing theme in most of their interactions, it didn’t discourage Cary. He was pretty sure that would just make things more interesting in bed.
Because that was where they were headed. One way or another, their self-control wasn’t going to hold out forever. Something was going to snap. He just hoped they were in a relatively secluded place when it happened.
God, she was so damn stubborn. What did she think? That their attraction betrayed Calvin?
He thought about his friend as he examined grafts. Pictured Calvin’s ornery face in front of him. Cary had loved that kid—missed the hell out of him—but Calvin could be more than a bit of an ass. He was a rich kid from the coast who knew far less about cattle ranching than his wife did.
To Calvin’s credit, he didn’t let that bother him. Much. Cary could see the tension between them at times because Calvin dismissed Melissa too often. Most of it was youth, but some of it was upbringing. Despite his faults, Calvin had loved Melissa and adored Abby. Just like Cary did.
He walked through the greenhouse and into the office at the far end where he kept a desk and his computer. He sat down and leaned back in the creaking chair.Sorry, Calvin—he stared at the stained ceiling tiles in the old building—but you’re gone and I’m in love with your wife. I’m not going to back off in honor of your memory or some shit like that.
And what would Calvin say?
I just want you both to be happy.
