Page 16 of Reuniting with the Rancher

“You can’t afford me,” she teased lightly, giving him a small smile. “You’re already getting a deal for the students… Listen, we’ve all got scars, Grey. Life is an ass kicker, the scars, the changes shows we’re still in this.”

He considered her for a moment, then his gaze flickered to her leg, and the limp she couldn’t hide, especially the last two days. His expression softened. “What about you?” he askedquietly. “The accident left you... with more than meets the eye, huh?”

Lily’s smile faltered as her eyes found purchase on the ground. “I—” she started, but the words seemed to catch in her throat.

Greyson’s brows furrowed in concern. “Lily?—”

“I’m not ready to talk about it,” she cut him off, her voice tight. She swallowed hard, blinking away the all too familiar sting in her eyes. “Not yet. You know I used to have abeautifulbody. Thick and smooth like silk. Now…well parts of me look more like crushed velvet. No more mini skirts.” She shrugged.

Greyson nodded slowly. “Okay. Whenever you’re ready.”

Lily gave him a small, grateful nod. Silence stretched between them again, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as before. They sat side by side, both broken in their own ways, both quietly understanding that their wounds, all of them, would take time.

Finally, Greyson stood, attempting to brush the dirt and mud from his pants. “We should get this bench finished before midnight.”

“You’re not taking my resignation on that either, huh?” Lily shook her head and took his outstretched hand, wincing slightly as she rose to her feet. “Ok…let’s cool it on the mud baths this time. My face is already flawless.”

He smirked, the tension between them softening. “No promises.”

9

SONGBIRD

GREYSON

Lily disappearedinto the outdoor shower near her cottage, her hair and clothes caked in mud.

The look on her face when bench collapsed was priceless, but the look on her face, the pride, when they finished it together? Angelic.

He remembered that face. He was starting to remember a lot of things.

As the water began to run, he leaned back against the porch railing, still smiling to himself. The humor of the situation had done something to ease the tension between them. Maybe it was the absurdity of it all, or maybe it was something deeper—something he wasn’t ready to admit yet.

Suddenly, a loud scream cut through the night air.

Without a second thought, Greyson bolted to the shower, heart pounding as he yanked open the door. “Lily!”

She was naked under the cold spray, her eyes wide in shock, hands frantically trying to turn off the water. “It’s freezing! I tried to turn it off, but the tap?—”

He saw it immediately: the handle had snapped off in her hands. Water sprayed everywhere, and before he could think, he was under the shower with her trying to control the flood. His clothing was soaked, sticking to his skin as icy water drenched them both.

“Damn it,” he muttered, maneuvering his body to block the spray as best he could. His back took the brunt of the freezing water while he fumbled with the emergency shutoff valve.

Lily laughed through her teeth chattering, watching him fight the spray like it was a battle in itself. “If I-I-I didn’t know better, I’d think you were s-s-setting me up,” she quipped, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “The bench and now this-s-s-s…”

Greyson finally managed to shut the water off, the sudden silence very loud. He turned to her, dripping wet and breathless. Very aware of the naked woman in front of him. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Songbird.”

She froze, the playful smirk slipping from her face as his old nickname for her fell from his lips as if he’d never stopped saying it. His heart ached at the sound of it and he could tell it affected her too. Her voice was quieter when she responded, her eyes meeting his. “But you did, Greyson.”

His face paled as the weight of her words settled between them. He took a step closer, shaking his head slowly. “I didn’t know, Bird. I loved you so darlin’… And I was grateful for every moment near you and understood I didn’t deserve it. When I thought you left…” His voice cracked, the regret so raw in his tone that it sent a shiver down her spine.

He grabbed the towel hanging nearby and gently wrapped it around her trembling shoulders, his hands lingering as he rubbed her arms, trying to stop the shivering. He touched her gently, afraid she’d break under his big, clumsy hands.

The space between them was electric, their breaths mingling in the cool night air. His dark eyes searched hers, and there was no anger—only the sharp relief of pain and a hint of wonder.

“I thought I was throwin’throwin’ rocks at the sun..” he started, but the words hung in the air unfinished.

She swallowed hard, her pulse quickening as his hands slid up to cup her face, his thumb brushing away a droplet of water from her cheek. Her heart strummed beneath her arm as the silence stretched between them, unspoken words heavy in the air. He held himself back for moments that stretched for forever until she tipped her face up to him in permission, in askance, in submission.

---