Chapter 6 - The Stare-Down on the Porch
The silence that followed Dominic’s greeting was so absolute you could hear the distant caw of a crow in the neighboring cornfield.
Henry Carter did not take the offered hand. Instead, he folded his massive, dirt-stained arms across his chest, planting his boots firmly on the wooden porch planks as he glared down at the billionaire from New York.
"I don't remember inviting any city slickers onto my property," Henry said, every word dripping with rugged hostility. "And I sure as hell don't remember my daughter mentioning she had a boyfriend when she called yesterday."
Sophia rushed forward, her face burning. "Dad, please—this is Dominic. We... we met in New York. He drove down with me to help."
"Help with what? Plowing the north forty?" Henry scoffed, his eyes narrowing further as he eyed Dominic’s cashmere sweater. "Looks like the only thing this boy has ever lifted is a silver spoon."
Dominic’s smile didn't reach his eyes, but it remained fixed, cool and impenetrable. He slowly lowered his extended hand, slipping it casually into the pocket of his trousers.
"You’d be surprised, Henry," Dominic replied, his voice dropping into that low, magnetic register that had made grown men fold during contract negotiations. "I’ve lifted heavier things than farm equipment in my life. And I usually don't drop them."
Henry’s jaw tightened. A muscle twitched in his weathered cheek. He recognized something in Dominic—not the city fashion, not the car, but the absolute, unyielding stillness of a man who was used to giving orders and watching the world bend to accommodate them.
Before Henry could fire back another insult, the screen door behind him creaked open again.
A younger woman with tired eyes and light brown hair tied in a loose knot stepped out onto the porch.
"Dad, stop it. Mama heard you yelling all the way from the bedroom," Emma said, her voice sharp with exhaustion. She looked past her father, her gaze landing on Sophia—and then widening in sheer shock as she spotted Dominic standing beside the SUV holding Lily’s hand.
"Sophie?" Emma breathed, rushing down the steps. "Who is... is this—?"
"I'm Dominic," Dominic repeated smoothly, stepping forward to offer Emma a warm, disarming smile that completely vanished his mob-boss aura for about three seconds. "It’s a pleasure, Emma. Sophia has told me so much about you."
Emma blinked, looking from Dominic to her sister, her mouth slightly open.
"He's... he's my boyfriend," Sophia managed to choke out, the words tasting foreign and absurd on her tongue.
May you like
Emma stared at Dominic for a long, agonizing beat. Then, slowly, a grin spread across her tired face. She looked at her father, whose scowl had deepened into a thundercloud, and let out a sudden, bark of genuine laughter.
"Well," Emma said, stepping up and grabbing Dominic’s hand before Henry could object. "Any man who can drive four hours into Lancaster County in a luxury SUV without puking at the smell of pig farms is all right by me. Come inside. Mama’s waiting."
