Demanding All Of You

by Ali Parker

  “I grew up in the town where Alex lives. I moved away for a bit, but after my grandfather passed away, I returned home.”

  Wayne slowly nodded. “I see. Alex said you two met on a farm?”

  “My grandfather’s farm,” he answered. “Well, I guess mine. Like yours, mine was a family inheritance.”

  “Ah, I see. Geraldine, you say?”

  “Yes,” I answered for Damion, who had just taken a large bite of rib.

  “I knew a few guys from that area,” Wayne said. “What was your grandfather’s name?”

  “Oliver Whittle,” Damion answered.

  Wayne grinned, shaking his head. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  “Did you know him?”

  “Oh, about a million years ago. We were both young and wild and running the rodeo circuit. None of us were any good at it, but we enjoyed the partying and the thrill of the ride.”

  “My grandfather?” Damion asked with surprise. “I didn’t know he followed the rodeo.”

  Wayne chuckled. “It’s not one of those things a guy would want to brag about. He probably didn’t want you to know, worried you would follow in his footsteps.”

  Damion laughed. “There was never any worry about that. I’m not cut out for rodeoing.”

  “Oliver and I kept in touch over the years. He didn’t talk much about his personal life. I knew he had a grandson, but I never put it all together. I guess that’s my old, addled brain.”

  “I didn’t know you personally knew Oliver,” I said.

  He shrugged. “We weren’t best friends chatting on the phone every night, but back in the day, we had some good times together. He got hitched before I did. She pulled him out of that wild life and not a day too soon. Oliver was never quite as wild as I was. Maybe that’s why I hung out with him. He grounded me.”

  “I can’t imagine Oliver wild,” I said, struggling to picture the Oliver I knew as a wild rodeo guy.

  “I want to be in the rodeo,” Oliver announced. “What’s a rodeo?”

  We all laughed. “You’ve got to take this boy to a rodeo,” Wayne said.

  Damion grimaced. “We’ll have to see about that. Did you and my grandpa ever win any events?”

  Wayne scoffed. “No. Part of the problem was the drinking. If we weren’t drunk, we were hungover. No one took us seriously and we certainly didn’t either. Oliver though, it was like he was just playing along. He was not quite as committed to the lifestyle as I was. He was one of those guys that read a lot. He was smart. If I was half as smart as him, I would have jumped on those investments he tried to get me to buy into.”

  “Investments?” I asked, looking at Damion.

  Damion had a look on his face. It looked like guilt. And maybe fear. He dabbed at his mouth. “He did enjoy reading. I think that’s were young Oliver gets it from.”

  “All that reading paid off. The guy was good with numbers. I wished I would have listened to him. It wasn’t too many years later I heard about that company he invested in. Oliver knew. Oliver had that sixth sense that a guy needs to hit it big.”

  I was absolutely confused. “I didn’t realize Oliver knew anything about investing. It must not have worked out well for him.”

  Damion almost choked on his food. “Anyone need a fresh beer?” he asked before jumping up from the table.

  “I’m good,” I said.

  “I’ll take another,” Wayne answered.

  I looked at Wayne. His voice sounded strange. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

  “Yes, fine, fine. I’m having a great time. I really appreciate you making the trip out here.”

  “You’re so welcome. Thank you for having us. Are you sure you don’t want us to get a hotel for the night? I don’t want to impose.”

  “No, no. You know this place is so empty all the time. It’s nice to have life in it. Besides, me and Oliver here might need to go down to the pond and do a little night fishing with his new pole.”

  “Really?” Oliver asked. “We can fish at night?”

  “That’s when the fish are really biting,” he said.

  Damion returned, handing Wayne the opened beer. He took his seat and grabbed another helping of coleslaw.

  “Dad, can I go night fishing with Wayne?”

  “Night fishing?” Damion asked.

  “I’ve got a pond, nice and stocked. I like fishing. I don’t like packing up gear and driving to the lake.”

  Damion smiled. “That’s a pretty good setup.”

  “I get to use my new pole!”

  “You finish your dinner and then we’ll get down there when they are really biting,” Wayne told him.

  We enjoyed our meal, everyone appreciating the tasty ribs. We talked about the county fair that would be setting up next month and what our plans were for the summer. It was a simple dinner with nothing fancy and it was absolutely one of the best evenings of my life.

  “You ready to get down there?” Wayne asked Oliver.

  “I’ll stay and clean up,” I volunteered.

  “I’ll help,” Damion said.

  “No, I got it. You guys go ahead.”

  “I think Wayne and Oliver can handle the fishing,” he said.

  “Darn right we can. I’ve already got chairs down there. Let’s go.”

  Damion gave Oliver a quick lecture about listening to Wayne and staying away from the water’s edge. I didn’t say anything. In the particular situation, Damion’s warnings were valid. I was feeling a little protective as well.

  Once Wayne and Oliver were gone, I turned to Damion. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, fine. Why?”

  The way he said it was exactly why I thought something was a little off. “Are you surprised to learn your grandfather was a bit of a wild man?”

  He laughed. “I am a little surprised. I just remember him being the serious guy all the time.”

  “I guess we all have our secrets.”

  We worked together to clean up the table and put away the leftovers. I liked working alongside him. We worked well together.

  “Want to go for a walk?” Damion asked.

  “Sure,” I replied. “We can walk down to the pond. That’s where you really want to go, right?”

  He grinned. “You know me too well.”

  “I’m anxious to check on them as well.”

  He grabbed my hand and we headed off together. The pond wasn’t too far. We came upon Oliver and Wayne sitting side by side. Oliver’s line was in the water but neither of them looked all that interested in the fishing. Both of them were chatting away. Wayne looked so happy. It made me a little sad. The man was so alone.

  “Hi, guys,” I said.

  “Ah, I was wondering how long it would take for you two to show up,” Wayne said with a laugh.

  “I wanted to see him using that new pole,” Damion said.

  “How about the two of you try and catch something?” Wayne said, getting to his feet.

  He was slightly hunched over. I went to him, putting my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll walk back with you.”

  He smiled. “Have a good night. I’ll see you all in the morning. Bacon and eggs for breakfast.”

  “Goodnight, Wayne,” Damion said. “Thank you for dinner and letting us crash for the night.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  He waved goodbye before the two of us started back up to the house. I looped my arm through his. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

  “I’m good. I figured father and son could use some time together. A man needs to fish with his boy sometimes.”

  I smiled. “You’re right.”

  “He’s a good one,” he said. “I wasn’t sure I was too happy about the two of you getting back together after he left you—”

  “How did you know he left me?” I asked.

  He patted my hand. “I could tell something was going on. Little Oliver gave me the answer when he mentioned living in a hotel. Sometimes, you have to lose something to see how much it means to you
.”

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “It was hard to be apart from him, but I’m glad it happened. It was good for us. It made us both see clearly.”

  “Good, good. You hold on to that one. I like him.”

  I laughed. “I certainly plan to try and do exactly that.”

  “The kid is cute too. Really smart, just like his great grandfather. Oliver never talked much about those two. I’m not sure what their issues were, but I think being back home will be healing for him.”

  I nodded. “I agree. He’s had some hard times in his life. I hope Geraldine is the right place for him. It isn’t easy, but Damion is a strong man. He’ll be okay.”

  “With you there to help him, I have no doubt in my mind.”

  I smiled, pushing open the back door and escorting him inside. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No. I think I’m going to lay down. There are fresh sheets on the bed in your old room. I left sheets and a few blankets on the coffee table. You can make up the sofa bed for Oliver.”

  I hugged him. “You’re a good man, Wayne. Thank you. Get some rest and don’t feel like you need to get up early and make us breakfast.”

  He chuckled. “You know how much I like making breakfast. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

  “Goodnight,” I said, leaving him alone.

  I made up the bed in the living room, making sure Oliver’s pillow and blanket were on it before going into the spare room and turning down the blankets. I sat down on the edge of the bed and remembered the last time I had been in this room. It seemed like forever ago. I never wanted to go back to feeling like that. I was going to work very hard not to fall back into old patterns, like running away.

  It was time to let some grass grow under my feet.

  Chapter 61

  Damion

  I walked back into the barn, wiping my hands on my jeans before rubbing them across the back of my neck. It was hot and I had been working hard since I had dropped Oliver off at school. It had been a hard two weeks since we’d gotten back from Wyoming. After talking with Wayne, I felt even more connected to the farm. I saw how important it was for him to have his farm stay in the family and the sadness that it wasn’t.

  I didn’t know if I believed in life after death or angels, but if my grandfather was somewhere looking down on me, I didn’t want him to be disappointed. I didn’t want him to have that same sadness I saw in Wayne. I was ready to give it my all and make sure he could rest easy knowing the family legacy was being taken care of.

  “You ready to tackle that irrigation line?” I asked Alex before taking a drink from the water bottle that was lukewarm and not at all satisfying.

  She got up from where she was sorting out the tools we were going to need. She was wearing another pair of cut-off jeans that teased and tantalized and made a man crazy with need. I should be immune to them by now, but every time she bent over, all I could think about was banging her from behind.

  “I guess we better get it done before we lose that wheat. It’s hot as hell out, and with no water, it’s going to die soon. I hope we caught it in time.”

  “It’ll be fine,” I told her.

  She put a hand on her hip. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and a sheen of perspiration glistened on her neck. She looked dangerous and bossy. Something I found incredibly attractive. On her. “Do you have a crystal ball?”

  I shrugged. “No, but I know my grandfather went through this more than once. It always recovered.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “I hope you’re right. I will be crushed if we lose that.”

  I liked that she referred to it as we. We were a team. She was just as invested in the farm’s success as I was. She inspired me to be better. I had a long way to go toward feeling confident in my abilities. Every day she worked alongside me, I learned something new.

  “We’re not going to lose anything. I refuse to lose.”

  She smirked. “You can’t control Mother Nature. Many have tried and failed.”

  I winked. “Mother Nature hasn’t met me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Sure, tough guy. Let’s get our asses out there. I can feel the wheat shriveling.”

  I laughed. “Now who’s talking crazy?”

  We climbed onto the tractor, her sitting in the front with my legs wide, holding her body tightly against mine. The bouncing tractor was not making it easy to keep my mind out of the gutter. I had a feeling she was purposely rubbing her ass against my crotch just to tease me. She had a good inch or two she could scoot forward. She chose not to.

  We climbed off the tractor to inspect the pipes. “I’m getting a side by side or two four-wheelers,” I complained.

  “Why?” she asked innocently.

  “You know why. You forbade sex in the barn, but you tease me with that outfit and then that ride. It’s not fair. We’ll be taking separate rides in the future.”

  “I didn’t forbid sex in the barn, but come on, a girl can only get so much straw in her hair and other places. I’m not a tavern wench that you can toss in the straw whenever the need arises.”

  I stopped what I was doing. “Do I make you feel like that?” I asked aghast. I couldn’t believe I had been using her. That had not been my intention. I thought the feeling had been mutual.

  She laughed. “No, but I have to pretend to be a little offended or I just seem—I don’t know—easy.”

  “You are not easy. Far from it.”

  “What time do you pick up Oliver?” she asked.

  “Three.”

  “He told me they were going to a park today to learn about the different kinds of trees,” she said with a smile.

  I nodded. “Yep. He loves it. I love that he is learning and having fun in a summer program. The other summer program in New York was making him miserable.”

  She laughed. “Trust me, I heard every detail of the horrors you made him endure.”

  “Have you ever thought about children?” I blurted out. I knew the question was out of left field, but things had been getting more serious by the day between us. I needed to know where she stood on the matter.

  “Are you asking if I want kids? Like the kind that come out of my body?”

  I shook my head, slightly confused by her question. “Um, yes. I suppose the kids that come out of other people’s bodies would be okay as well.”

  She laughed. “I’m kidding. I know what you mean.”

  “Well? Is that a yes or a no?”

  “It’s more like I have never thought about it. I’ve never met anyone I wanted to make a baby with. Make a baby with someone and that person is in your life for the rest of your life whether you like it or not. The limited dating experience I have has not included me meeting anyone I could ever imagine doing that with.”

  I nodded. It still wasn’t necessarily an answer. I was afraid to press the matter. If she didn’t want kids, did that mean she wasn’t interested in being Oliver’s mother? I liked what we had, but I couldn’t keep going like we were without it eventually leading to something more permanent. I couldn’t let Oliver fall any more in love with her than he already was.

  “You don’t want children of your own?” I asked.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  More hedging. Then a thought crossed my mind. “I’m sorry if I’m being insensitive, but is it because you can’t have children?”

  She smiled. “It’s not insensitive. I don’t know if I can or can’t, but I don’t know of any reason why I can’t.”

  I nodded. It was still not exactly the answer I was looking for. “I see.”

  “Hey, you never know. Maybe one of these days, I’ll find someone I like enough to go halfsies in making a baby.”

  “Oh,” I said, returning my focus to the pipes.

  She squatted down beside me. “I’m kidding.”

  “Which part?” I mumbled.

  “Most of it.”

  I was on my knees and forced to look up at her. “Most of it?”

  “
I would love to have a family. I love the idea of family.”

  “I hear a but in there.”

  She sighed. “I don’t think I would be a good mother. I have nothing to go on. I don’t have an image of what a good mother should be.”

  I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her knees. “You don’t need formal training. Mothering just comes naturally to you.”

  “Not to everyone. Trust me. My mother didn’t have a natural mothering instinct in her body. She was horrible, selfish, and didn’t know how to care for anyone but herself.”

  “I’m sorry. That could not have been an easy way to grow up, but I promise you, you are not her. You are caring and nurturing and will make a fabulous mother one day.”

  She grimaced. “I don’t know.”

  “I’ve seen you with Oliver. He gravitated toward you right away.”

  “You said he’d never had a woman in his life. He was probably curious.”

  I laughed. “No, I don’t think so. He likes you. Oliver is a very good judge of character.”

  She smiled. “I do believe that, but I don’t think he thinks of me as a parent. I’m a buddy. I’m a friend.”

  I shrugged. “At his age, a parent can be a friend. As he gets older, that’s when things will get tricky. That’s when it will be time to draw the line between friend and parent. I’m not looking forward to that. I like being his friend.”

  “He’s a good kid. I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about that teen rebellion thing with him.”

  I rolled my eyes. “All kids rebel at some point.”

  “You’re a good dad. How did that happen?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She looked at me, softness in her eyes. “You said it was the hardest time of your life. How did you know what to do? How to take care of him? How to just parent in general?”

  “It just comes to you. I mean, you know right from wrong. That’s kind of the foundation. The other stuff, it’s easy. You love the kid with all your heart. You just love. You let your love for the child lead you. That and teaching them to be good humans. You’re a good person, which means you already have the foundation.”