Page 44 of Sweet Escape (Whispering Oaks Ranch #1)

Daddy Issues

? Next thing you know - Jordan Davis

Wilder

Dad pulls up to the county auction house with fifteen minutes to spare, parking his truck in one of the last available spots in the lot.

We knew it would be a packed house with everybody chomping at the bit to get their hands on the only available land within a fifty-mile radius of Oak Ridge.

Garrett Farm used to operate with an on-site bourbon distillery, but it’s been defunct for several years now.

The estate was left in limbo after the eldest Garrett passed.

The truck doors slam in tandem as we step onto the sidewalk, both removing our hats as we enter the building.

The auction house is in a large converted pole barn lined with chairs, a center aisle separating two sides leading up to a small stage.

There’s a projection screen at the front of the room with a podium for the auctioneer.

A stout man with a handlebar mustache is there, speaking in hushed tones with a younger man who bear s a striking resemblance, though slightly taller and less grey.

“Paul and Ethan Asher,” Dad says. “They’re runnin’ this shindig.”

I scan the crowd, recognizing most of the people here with a few new faces scattered about. My stomach plummets. “Don’t look now. Nick Bennett… twelve o’clock.”

“Ah, hell. This ain’t gonna be good.”

“Go find a seat. I’ll see if I can smooth things over.”

Dad walks off to the bank of seats near the front, and I stride in the opposite direction, staring straight into the eyes of Olivia’s father. He’s standing next to Nathaniel, Liv’s uncle and the owner of Oak Ridge Nursery.

Nick’s jaw tics when he sees me coming toward him. “I’ll meet you over there in a second, Nate.” Nathaniel waves and walks off toward the seating area, leaving me in a standoff with Nick.

“Mr. Bennett,” I say. “Nice to see you.”

“Wilder. I trust you’re treatin’ my girl well?”

I keep a tight leash on my anger for Olivia’s sake, but if he thinks he has any right to ask me that after the way he shut her out, he’s sorely mistaken.

“You’d know the answer to that if you bothered to reach out.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets, his eyes trained on the floor as he rocks back on his feet. “You’re right. I haven’t been a very good father.”

“Or grandfather.”

He huffs out an indignant breath. “That too. Is she… are they okay?”

I don’t know what I was expecting from this interaction, but it wasn’t remorse or even concern. I’m pleasantly surprised, but it’s not my forgiveness he needs to earn, and he’ll have a lot more groveling to do if he wants to make it up to Olivia.

“They are, but I’m not going to talk about them with you. Not after what you put her through. If you want to know how they’re doing, ask her yourself. Be a man and find a way to make amends.”

He nods tersely. It’s not a promise, but it’s something. “Russell after Garrett Farm?”

“You surprised?” I ask, brow furrowed.

“Nah. But it ain’t gonna come easy.”

It’s not the only item up on the auction block today, but it’s the only thing we’re after.

Buying Garrett Farm would allow us to expand our operation into the next pasture over.

Griffin’s always wanted to start a horse rescue and sanctuary, and having that extra land could help bring his vision to life.

I cock my head and bite down on the inside of my cheek. “We’re prepared. Are you?”

“Look… I don’t know how much you know about this feud of ours, but you should stay out of it. I won’t come between you and Liv, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let bygones be bygones. Russell has some things to answer for and it ain’t got nothin’ to do with you.”

“All due respect, sir, it has everything to do with me if it involves my family.”

He stabs a finger at my chest in warning, his posture growing rigid. “You keep my daughter out of this.”

“Liv’s my family now, whether you get on board or not,” I say defensively, not backing down despite his threatening tone. “You have no right to demand anything from me. Six months, Nick. I’ve been with her every goddamn day, watching her stare at her phone, hoping you’ll call.”

He takes a small step back, narrowing his eyes at me. “You love her.”

It’s not a question, so I don’t respond. I wouldn’t know what to say if I did. I care about her, but I don’t think I’m capable of love. Not anymore.

A silent question hangs in the air, one tense moment before he shakes his head. “You’re a dumb son-of-a-bitch if you can’t see it. Don’t string her along, Hayes. She deserves better.”

With those parting words, he strides off to his seat, leaving me with no hope for resolution between our families and one big question I need to ask myself. Can I love Olivia Sullivan, and if I can’t, am I willing to let her go?

“Up next on the auction block is a plot of 200 acres formerly known as Garrett Farm. Included in the sale are several outbuildings, a pole barn, and a distillery. We’ll start the bidding off at half a million.”

The first paddle flies up, and the auction kicks off in a flurry of activity, but we came prepared for a challenge and won’t easily back down.

For the first few minutes, paddles rise in quick succession from every direction, and it’s hard to see who’s still in it.

By the time the bidding reaches $1.5 million, it’s down to my father, Nick, and someone bidding by proxy.

Eventually, Nick taps out at $2 million, storming off in a huff of anger, and Pops places the winning bid at $2. 5 million.

It’s what we wanted, but it’s not going to come without repercussions. The rest of the auction is of no interest to us, so we head out to the parking lot only to run straight into an irate Nick.

“I bet you’re real fuckin’ proud of yourself, huh?” Nick spits out. “You just have to keep fucking with my livelihood.”

“It’s not personal, Bennett. Everybody was vying for the same piece o f land.” Pops crosses his arms over his chest. “I think it’s about time we have this out, man to man.”

“Man to man, huh? Twenty years later, and you’ve finally got somethin’ to say for yourself?”

“It wasn’t personal back then, either. We needed the land, and we bid on it. If I’d known you were about to go under, I would’ve helped, but you let your pride get in the way of our friendship, and you’ve refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You still pretending you didn’t fuck with our fence line and poison the feed?”

Nick’s eyes widen, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think I’d sink that low? Come on, Russ. We were friends once.”

Dad’s jaw tics, his finger jutting out less than an inch from Nick’s chest. “We were. I treated you like family, and how did you repay me? You dragged my name through the mud and tried to sabotage me and mine.”

“Look, I don’t know nothin’ about any poison or fence tampering, I swear it.” Nick's anger dissipates, and he holds up his hands in surrender.

“Then who?”

“Beats the hell outta me.”

Pops pulls off his hat and scratches his head. “Alright, look—if what you’re saying is the God’s honest truth, it’s clear we have some things to discuss. Why don’t we go grab a drink? We’re about to be family, after all.”

Nick sighs, raking a hand down his white beard, hesitating for a beat. “Only if you’re buyin’.”

“I can work with that. Meet you at the Ridge tonight around five.”

We part ways and head over to the truck. Pops doesn ’t speak. His face is a mask of quiet contemplation as he pulls onto the interstate.

“You think he’s telling the truth?” I ask.

“I dunno. Nick Bennett can be a real son of a bitch, but I’ve never known him to be a liar. That still leaves me with plenty of unanswered questions.”

“You really believe someone deliberately did those things back then?”

“Maybe. I could never prove it. It’s possible it was all a misunderstanding. Something could’ve gotten into the feed from the plant, but that doesn’t explain why it was only our horses that got sick. I suppose a storm could’ve taken out part of the fence.But I was so sure.”

“It’s been a long time. I think it’s time to bury the hatchet. He’s about to be family whether we like it or not, and I won’t have some petty feud over some decades-old misunderstanding getting in the way of Olivia’s happiness.”

He nods. “You’ve got yourself a good woman, son.”

“She’s not mine.”

“You might not see it, but everyone else does. You’re afraid, and I get that, Wilder. I really do. You and Jess had somethin’ real special, but she wouldn’t want you to miss out on life because you can’t get past the guilt.”

“I’m not?—”

“You are, and it’s alright, but at some point you’re gonna have to face your fears.

You’ve got Emmy and another one on the way.

If you don’t get your head outta your ass, you’ll lose Olivia to a man who has his shit together.

Do you really want someone else helping raise your kid because you can’t admit what the rest of us already know? ”

“Well, don’t sugar coat it now.”

Dad chuckles derisively. “I’ve never been one to mince words, you know that. You have a choice to make, son. Loss can either harden you, or it can make you appreciate what you have before you let it slip away. You vowed ‘til death do you part. She’s gone and now you’ve got to keep on livin’.”

I glance at his profile, not a hint of trepidation to be found. “So, if Mama died, you’d be open to finding love again?”

“Hell no. That woman has all the best years of my life tied up with a pretty little bow. We’ve had a beautiful life and made a beautiful family together.

Ain’t nothin’ else out there for me. Besides, she made me promise we’d go at the same time, and I’ve never broken a promise to your Mama. I ain’t about to start.”

“Bit hypocritical, don’t you think? I’m supposed to move on, but you wouldn’t do the same?”