“I just wanted your support. Most children have parents who want their kids to follow their dreams. I’m almost thirty, Daddy. Please.” It’s my last plea for a different outcome with this conversation. “I’m going to tell Mama because this is happening whether you want it to or not.”
Daddy falls back in his chair, a little wildly. “You never do what you’re supposed to do.” He shakes his head. “From the day you were born, we’ve been cursed with your unruly personality. You bring up a poignant point. You’re almost thirty. You need to get married. Bring some value to your life.” My anger fades into defeat—my dreams squashed like a defenseless bug. I was bred to be married off and breed myself. This has always been their goals for me, as antiquated as they may be, I remember a time when I wanted the same things.
Mercer clears his throat. “Sir, I don’t mean to insert myself into family business here, but Clover has more value and purpose in this world than any other person I’ve met. It’s not fair to say she needs to marry to obtain some intangible quality.”
My daddy laughs meanly. “See, Son! You won’t even marry her, but you’ll talk about it. No one will. She’s a wild spinster with a nose in her causes without a care for what her reputation is doing to my career. She wants to go fix hair. The trust fund baby wants to follow her wild dreams.” He huffs. “Someone has to keep her head on straight. Clover,” he says. “I’m sorry, but you’re not going anywhere.”
“I never said I wouldn’t marry her, sir,” Mercer says, shaking his head, correcting him. “I think a lady should be able to pick who and when she marries or even if she wants to marry at all. I have dedicated my life to fighting for her freedom to choose her life. Yours too. I’d thank you kindly for not insulting her freedoms anymore.” He grabs my hand. “Are you ready to go?” Thank God he’s here to catch me before I go to pieces in front of my past.
“I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye, Son,” Daddy says to Mercer. To me, he coos, “I won’t let you waltz off into the sunset, Clover. Go get a manicure or buy a dress. You’ll come ‘round.” Daddy picks up a file on his desk. “I have work to do. You’ll excuse me?”
That’s our cue to leave and I feel like I’ve been drowned in a different way. Mercer takes my arm and leads me out of the office, past the secretary’s desk and into the humid day. When we get to the car, he asks if he can drive. I toss him the keys and he opens the door for me.
“Heading to talk to your mom, then?” he asks, voice tentative.
I lay my head on the dashboard. “Maybe I should buy a dress and forget about my dreams,” I whine. “This is going to be a nightmare.”
Mercer sighs as he starts up the car. “A nightmare, ma’am, is buying a dress instead of living a life.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I ask, teary gaze meeting his for a second before he turns his back to the road.
He swallows hard. “Because I told you I’d fight for us. This is all part of it, right?”
“He’s not going to let me leave. I’m going to need more help than you can give,” I admit. “Remember when I was telling you about your daddy running against him for mayor? How I was worried about what he would do? Well, me leaving might be a good distraction. All of his rage and deceiving ways will be aimed at me.”
“He’s not going to hurt you. You’re his daughter,” he replies, turning into my driveway. I give him the code to open the gates and they swing open to our long drive. “Maybe I’m a glutton for solving a problem,” he adds, shrugging. “Or I really just want you to be mine.”
Mercer raises his brows when he sees the pink fountains, but he doesn’t say anything. “Thank you for speaking up for me back there. I appreciate you trying to talk sense into him,” I whisper.
“I just told the truth. Maybe if enough people say it loud enough, the man will hear it. I meant it. I know you don’t need anyone.”
I wipe under my eyes and fix my hair. “Mercer, Tannie said something today about you only bein’ off for three weeks, and how you’re pretty much only after one thing, and as much as I wanted to believe she was right because that makes things easier, I know that’s not the case. You’re here and it’s messy and if you really wanted something easy instead of my insanity, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Mercer taps his fingers on the steering wheel and presses his lips together. “You really need new friends. Did she say that to upset you?”
Sighing, I straighten the sleeve of my dress. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
He apologizes for the curse words he’s going to say in his next sentence. “If I wanted a loose fuck I could drive up to the city and have my pick. Easy women are plentiful. They don’t want to talk or get to know me. They want to ride my dick and leave before the sun rises.” At his colorful language, I lean away. He parks the car and meets my shocked gaze. “You ready to go tell your mama I’m your man?”
I nod. “Although I’m not sure I know how to handlemyman.”
He smirks a half-smile. “You don’t worry about that, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
We walk into my parents’ house, and I hear my mama’s wails and cries from the entrance foyer. I look up to Mercer and whisper, “Oh, Sherlock.”
He nods once and sets his shoulders square. Battle number two.
Chapter Nine
___________________________________
Clover
MAMA IS CLUTCHINGme like she’ll lose me if she releases her grip. Daddy called her before we got here. The only good thing about that fact is it means Daddy actually believed what I told him, that I’m leaving. There’s no way he’d work Mama up otherwise. They know I’m serious as a heart attack. She finished asking me why and moved on to guilting me into staying for her health. Mama has a big ole’ case of hypochondria. Her doctor has never diagnosed her with anything real, but that doesn’t stop her from having things or convincing my daddy she has things.
“The festival, though? I have everything set up,” Mama says, sniffling. “All that work.”
She’s persuasive. “I’ll still be here for the festival.” I eye Mercer, standing in the corner giving us space. Unlike Daddy, Mama is sad. This is harder. “I’ll do your auction,” I whisper. I’ll explain that to Mercer later. Surely, he won’t mind me going on a fake date.
