Read (3 Book Romance Bundle) "Escape to Vegas" & "Love, Forgiveness & Horseshoes" & "The Cowboy's Love" Page 11

  Chapter Four

  Friday morning marked one week since being back in Melville, and I had spent most of it riding with Adam or seeing my grandmother. That morning I had gotten over to the hospital early because I wanted to have some time to eat breakfast with my grandmother and then maybe take her up on the roof and play a game of cards or something if they would let her.

  I pulled on my clothes and skipped out into the kitchen, grabbing an orange to hold me over and headed out the door. I had already convinced my father to let me borrow the truck. He told me I could as long as I spent some time with my mother and took her into town when he left for the farmer’s market Saturday morning. It was a great place to sell the eggs and milk to a lot of people and gain new customers. We used to make it a family weekend all the time when we went to the farmer's market. So, I happily agreed.

  It was sprinkling on my way over to the hospital, spitting against the windshield only enough that I had to keep turning the windshield wipers on intermittently. It was getting on my nerves, actually.

  When I got to the hospital and walked inside, I walked towards the public restroom but found myself greeted by none other than Adam. "What are you doing here?" I asked him. "Is everything alright?"

  He chuckled and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Now it is," he teased. "Actually, I came because I figured you'd be here. I have kind of an important question to ask you, and I didn't want to wait for us to go for our ride." I nodded, not sure what to expect him to ask me. It was a strange encounter, and he actually looked a little nervous.

  "Would you like to go out with me, like on a proper date?" he asked, sliding his booted foot along the tile like a nervous school boy.

  "I'd love to," I said, giving him a squeeze and a peck on the cheek. "But hey, I have a date with my grandmother first. Just tell me when and where to meet you."

  "Iris, I don't want you to meet me anywhere," he said before pausing. I looked at him, feeling confused, but I gave him a chance to finish first. "I know how your father is going to feel about us going out, but I want to face him like a man. I want to face this whole thing like I man. Maybe it will set a good example for the rest of the family." He gave a sigh, and I couldn't help but smile at the amount of pride he had. "I want to pick you up tonight at 6:30. I will not be hiding this." He nodded to me.

  "Okay, I'll be ready. Where are we going?" I asked. "So I know what to wear."

  "Wear something nice," he answered. "That's all you need to know." He smiled and walked passed me, exiting through the automatic doors at the front of the hospital. I put my mind back on my grandmother and headed up the elevator to her. It was going to be an interesting evening that was for sure. Now I had to work up the courage to tell my father before Adam showed up at the house. If he hated anything more than the Walkers it was surprises.

  After a nice long morning with my grandmother, I headed back home, ready to talk to my father about Adam. Well, at least as ready as I was ever going to be. I pulled into the drive and put the truck in park, glad to smell the fresh air. Even with that garden up there, I felt stifled in that hospital. And I hated driving a pick-up. In Denver I had gotten used to my small Honda or sometimes even a bus. I just stood outside for a moment and let the nice breeze hit me before it started sprinkling.

  I went into the house and found that my father was covered in dirt, like he had just came back from working on the ranch. It may not have been the best time to catch him; while he was exhausted, but I just needed to get it over with. "Hey, Dad, I wanted to let you know that Adam Walker is going to be coming by tonight. I would appreciate it if you were at least civil with him."

  "Why in the world would he be coming over here, Iris?" I cowered a little at his booming voice. His anger had always scared me as a child. At over six feet tall he was a pretty intimidating man.

  "Because he's taking me out on a date tonight," I said, flippantly.

  "No, he isn't. I forbid you to go on a date with that boy or even see him. You have to stay away from that family, damn it!" I saw the spit spew from his lips with his wrath, but I stood up straight and decided to stand my ground. He couldn't give me any real reason not to see Adam. "Dad, I'm an adult now. I have a career and my own place. I am 24 years old. I am going to make my own decision about Adam whether you like it or not. It's up to you whether you handle it with grace." I smiled, feeling proud of myself in that moment, and walked out of the room.