Falling For A Redneck (16 page)

The following morning Marissa woke groggily to a knee in the stomach and squealing. Wincing
, she cracked open one eye to see Mason bouncing on her excitedly.

“Mari! Mari!” he squealed. “
Me get eggs.”

“Hunh?”
was her reply to little Mason, her brain not yet functioning without its morning caffeine jolt.

“Come,” Mason said
, tugging down the covers. “Help me.”

S
till not sure what Mason wanted, Marissa sat up in bed, yawning. She peered at her watch and gasped.

“Mason, it’s the crack of dawn.”

But being a child, he seemed oblivious to this fact and started bouncing again.

“Eggs!
Come on, Mari.”

Marissa’s fuddled brain finally put two and two together. “You want me to help you go get eggs?”

Mason nodded eagerly.

“But I don’t know where the store is
.”

He
giggled adorably. “No store, silly. Chickens!”

Marissa just looked at Mason stupidly. What did chickens
… Oh.
Ohhhh.
A little flutter of panic went through her.

“We need to get the eggs from the chickens?”

“Yup.” Mason grinned happily at her. “My turn,” he said, puffing out his little chest.

“Why doesn’t you
r dad help you?” she asked, trying to weasel out.

Mason’s face crumpled. “You no help me?”

Forget puppy eyes. Marissa sighed as Mason pulled a guilt trip on her with the mastery of a pro.
Damn cute little bugger
. “Okay, I’ll help. Just let me get dressed first,” she said, getting out of bed and digging through her bag.

What did one wear to pick eggs? Definitely shoes she could wash, she thought
, yanking out her rubber flip-flops. Shooing Mason out of the room for a sec while she changed into some clothes, she tied her hair back in a ponytail and took a deep breath before setting out on an egg-hunting expedition.

She only hoped she survived.

*

Dirk heard the scream all the way in the house where he leaned against the kitchen counter
, bugging his mom for tidbits of bacon, which she kept him away from with a wooden spoon, an old game of theirs. At the piercing shriek, though, Dirk ran from the house to his mom’s amused chuckle and his dad’s snort.

He ran into Mason bolting from the chicken coop.

“Daddy,” he panted, jumping up and down and pointing. “Mari stuck. Chicken eat her.”

Forget
puzzling over this odd message, Dirk took off again with long-legged strides to the coop, ducking inside and letting his eyes adjust to the dimness.

When he did, he had to restrain a chuckle
—not an easy task—because he finally figured out Mason’s message. Marissa stood pushed as far back as she could get in the corner, her face a mask of terror, her feet hopping up and down trying to escape—and here he did let out a little chuckle that he disguised as a cough—baby chicks that were pecking at her sparkling toes, peeking out from her flip-flops.

“Help,” Marissa screamed
, seeing him. “They’re going to eat me,” she sobbed.

“Um
, princess, look at your toes. No blood. They’re picking off the jewels in your nail polish.”

“What?” Her head dropped to look, just as a little chick darted its little head down and
attempted to pluck a shiny gem from her toe. He saw her cringe then relax as it finally dawned on her that the chicks weren’t actually hurting her.

The look on her face made Dirk laugh. Big belly guffaws that turned into snorts as she stalked over to him and slugged him right in the gut. Dirk laughed louder and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh
, princess,” he said, almost in tears. “You are priceless.”

“It’s not funny,” she pouted with a glare meant to freeze him.

“You are so bloody cute, you know that?” He looked at her tenderly. When she continued to glare, he kissed her, his hard lips meeting her soft ones. She held her body rigid in his arms at first, but as he deepened the kiss, he felt her relax until her arms twined around his neck and she kissed him back.

“Ewww!”
announced a voice behind them. “They’re kissing,” Avery said with disgust followed by Mason saying, “I wanna kiss Mari. My turn, Daddy.”

Dirk let go of her reluctantly
, the soft look on her face so tempting. Little hands pried them apart. Looking down, he saw Mason wedge himself between them and hold up his arms to Marissa.

“Me too,” he begged. Marissa, still with a dazed look on her face, scooped him up and allowed him to plant a big wet kiss on her cheek and hug her. Dirk wiped the drool off her face and grinned when she mouthed
thank you
. He had to admit she was getting better, though. She hadn’t even shuddered that time.

Funny
, though, how in the bedroom she lost her ick-aphobia. Of course, he hadn’t tried to decorate her with a pearl necklace—yet.
Down, boy
, he chastised himself, feeling all the blood rush to his groin. Later. For now, he needed to help Marissa and the boys grab some eggs before his mom ended up in the coop with her wooden spoon, asking what the hell was taking them so long.

*

One greasy, yet absolutely delicious breakfast later, which Marissa ate this time with no coaxing from Dirk and almost no self-recrimination, she leaned back with a smile and resisted the urge to pat her tummy. She watched Dirk joking with the kids and felt her lips curve in a smile. So domestic a scene, and she liked it. No, make that loved it. She hadn’t felt this alive and content in a long time.

That feeling stayed throughout the day as Dirk dragged her around the farm
, showing her more things and helping out with some of the chores that always needed tending. Marissa got dirty and rumpled, and instead of running for the nearest hand sanitizer and spray cleaner, she laughed and played and joked.

They spent another evening on the porch looking at the stars
, talking about everything. Well, almost everything. Marissa still held close the secret of her barrenness, but everything else, from her first boyfriend to her unpopularity in high school, they discussed.

Marissa surprised herself at her openness with him.
Fuck friends aren’t supposed to talk about deep issues,
but Dirk seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her, and she obliged, feeling a closeness to him that she’d never felt with anyone, even her ex.

Once again, when hours later they decided they needed to sleep, he gave her a sweet kiss at the bedroom door, one that curled her toes and made her eyes mist a little. So much tenderness he gave her in that embrace,
leaving Marissa confused—and horny. He made her want so many things, all of them involving him. Things she’d thought she didn’t need anymore, things she suddenly realized she did.

The next few days were filled with discovery and little time alone
, as either the children or his parents always seemed to be around. She even met most of his siblings when they came to dinner—a raucous family affair that left Dirk red-faced a few times when his siblings relayed all his guilty childhood secrets. Marissa enjoyed herself heartily, laughing so hard her cheeks hurt.

Marissa and Ana didn’t have any more deep discussions on relationships
, although Ana did keep throwing out strong hints about how Dirk would make a smart girl very happy. Something Marissa already knew.

She even began to dream a little of the life she could have with him
, filled with love and family. And passion. A passion they hadn’t indulged in since they’d arrived, which left her aching and, judging by his smoldering looks, left him frustrated too. And this was what made Marissa realize they were definitely more than fuck buddies. They had a relationship based on more than just sex, but friendship too.

But
it would all end when he found out her secret and left her for another woman who could give him what she couldn’t.

Marissa ducked out of the chicken coop with her basket full of eggs, a triumphant smile on her face. She’d done it all by herself! And she hadn’t even screamed, not even when one of the hens, annoyed at being disturbed, had nipped at her fingers.

Shutting the coop entrance, she heard the crunching of gravel behind her. Marissa whirled around to say hello but stopped when faced by a stranger.

The woman who eyed her looked beautiful in a rough, rocker-chick kind of way. She had long wispy blonde hair, kohled eyes, a tight black tank top and curve-hugging, faded jeans.

The blonde eyed Marissa up and down
, making her feel self-conscious, which pissed her off. So, arching a perfectly manicured brow, Marissa said in a cold tone, “Can I help you?”

The
stranger rudely answered with a question. “Who are you?”

“A guest.
I believe Mrs. White is up at the house. Do you need me to show you the way?”

The blonde tittered. “I know my way fine. Actually
, I was looking for Dirk. Have you seen him?”

A
shiver ran down her spine, like someone walked on her grave. Looking more closely at the woman, she couldn’t help but notice the similarity between the boys and this blonde beauty, who had to be their mother.

Clara had
returned.

“Dirk’s around here somewhere,” Marissa answered vaguely, moroseness clutch
ing her heart.

“I can’t wait to see him,” gushed
Clara. “It’s been so long. We had a bit of a misunderstanding, you see.”

Not one to give anyone quarter, Marissa spoke bluntly.
“I’d hardly call it a misunderstanding. You abandoned your boys and him when he went to prison.”

Funny how the truth annoyed people.
Clara shot Marissa a dirty look. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you can keep your damned opinions to yourself. He’ll forgive me. He always does. He’s never been able to resist me.” With a sly smile, she tossed her golden waves. “So, if I were you, I’d shove off. You know what they say, two’s company, three’s a crowd.”

Before Marissa could retort, Dirk came striding across the yard. Clara saw him at the same moment and bounded across the
space. She threw herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist. An impressive feat considering the tightness of her pants. Marissa hoped they split even as she felt her heart crack.
How can I compete with Clara, the mother of his children?

I can’t.

Turning her back on the reunited duo, Marissa slipped away behind the barn, heading for the woods. Maybe she’d find some more raspberries—and a quiet place to shed the tears brimming in her eyes.

She heard Dirk calling her name, but she ignored him
, walking faster instead, unseeing and blinded by her own stupidity.

Dumb.
So dumb. She’d done the one thing she’d sworn never to do. Fell in love. Oh yes, much as she’d fought it, she couldn’t deny it. She loved her big, stupid redneck and his boys.

Damn it. I knew better
.
I knew it would never last
. And having seen the beautiful Clara, Marissa wondered how she could have ever thought she could compete.

Big arms wrapped around her from behind, crushing her to a solid chest.

“Let me go,” Marissa cried, struggling.

“No,”
he replied in a determined voice. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you running away?”

“I’m not. I was going to pick raspberries,” Marissa said
, fighting to control her voice and the tears, but one wet drop escaped her and splashed on his hand.

“What the hell?” she heard him exclaim. She dropped her head
, trying to hide her moist eyes as he turned her around in his arms. But once again, his strength won out, as he held her with one hand and used his free one to tilt her chin up to look at her.

“
You’re crying,” he stated softly.

“Am not,” Marissa said stubbornly, lips quivering.

He wiped a tear from her lashes with his thumb, looking at it with tight lips and narrowed eyes. “What did she say?”

“Nothing,” Marissa lied.

“Let me guess, she told you to shove off because she was back or something to that effect.”

Marissa nodded slightly.

Face losing some of its grimness, Dirk sighed and tilted his head to the sky. “Oh for Pete’s sake, princess. You don’t honestly believe just because she came flouncing back asking for forgiveness I’d suddenly forget what you and I have and go back to her, do you?”

Marissa
, feeling sheepish at hearing her fear so boldly stated, just nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

“What Clara and I had is over.
Dead. Gone and buried. You couldn’t pay me to get back with her.”

“But she’s the mother of your boys
.”

“Boys she willfully abandoned. Do you know she’s never once contacted them or tried to see them since she left almost three years ago
? Let me ask you, does that sound like a mother to you?”

“No
.” Appalled didn’t come close to describing her reaction. She’d never leave a child of her blood. Hell, she’d almost reached the point now where they’d need the Jaws of Life to separate her from Dirk’s boys.

“I don’t know what she thinks she’s up to, but I guarantee you one thing
. It changes nothing about how I feel about you.”

Marissa wanted to ask how he felt, but Avery
came yelling “Daddy!” across the yard. “Mason’s crying. Come quick!”

Dirk muttered a curse and
, holding her hand, tugged her along behind him as they both raced back to the house. They came across Clara, hands on her hips, confronting a crying Mason.

“I
’m your mother. So stop your wailing and hug me,” Clara demanded.

“No!”
yelled Mason. Mason spotted Dirk and Marissa and ran to them, little legs pumping. To Marissa’s surprise it was her legs he wrapped himself around, not Dirk’s. Feeling his little body heaving with emotion, she scooped him up in her arms. Mason threw his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder.

“Don’
t let her take me, Mari,” he hiccupped in her ear.

“I wo
n’t, little guy,” Marissa whispered back, incensed at Clara’s behavior.

A
n ugly look on her face, Clara stalked over to them. “Well, isn’t this a pretty picture?” she drawled sarcastically. “Only one problem: I’m their mother.”

Avery
, who had stood silently watching beside Dirk, spoke. “You left.”

Out of the mouths of children…

His calm statement made the color drain from Clara’s face. “But I had to,” she sputtered. “I’m back now, though. We can be a family again. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“No,” said Dirk. “I’m sorry
, Clara, but that’s not going to happen.”

“They’re my children
.” Clara confronted them, her eyes stormy and mean. “If I want them back, then I’ll get them back.”

Mason let out a wail against Marissa’s neck
, and she hugged him tighter.
Ooh, if only I had my whip here right now
,
I’d teach this bitch a thing or two about scaring little children.

Just then Dirk’s mother came out on the front porch
, wiping her hands on her apron. She took one assessing look and announced, “I have fresh cookies and coffee. Why don’t you all come inside?”

“I think Clara was just leaving,” stated Dirk, an emotionless look on his face
. However, Marissa could tell his anger simmered close to the surface.

“Actually
, cookies and coffee sound great.” With a bright smile and a swing of her hips, Clara sauntered into the house as though she belonged.

A heavy
sigh left Dirk, and he rubbed his hand over his bald pate.

“Daddy,”
said Avery in a little voice. “Is she going to take us away?”

Dirk dropped in
to a crouch and crushed Avery’s little body to his chest in a big hug. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Or me
, thought Marissa, hugging Mason tight.