Page 19 of Reuniting with the Rancher

“I told you ‘bout talking about other men when I smell like you, I’m gonna have to fuck you until you remember I don’t want to hear that shit darlin’.”

And he did. Fuck yeah he did…

Grey was deliberate in his strokes, careful to angle himself so he’d have maximum contact with her clit, bringing her to heights again and again.

Because of his sensitivity, he had to get creative with extending his…efforts.

And it was fucking fantastic.

Rather than throwing off the rhythm, he teased and caressed, licked and sucked more. He paidmoreattention to her erogenous zones rather than relying on dicking her down.

He coo’d beautiful words she missed hearing.

He gripped her tummy, plumping it, and nipping at it before diving back into her heat.

Hewasstarving and later, as she took him into the back her mouth, she understood because she ravenous. Ravenous for everything that was Grey.

Before she finally drifted off to sleep, he cleaned her with such care, and set up her pillows to support her leg she had to bite her lip to keep from showing what his care meant to her.

Throwing the covers over the both of them, Grey set his alarm for an hour. Plenty of time to leave before Caleb woke, but in her heart of hearts she didn’t want him to leave.

This was such a bad fucking idea.

Lily watchedfrom the porch as Greyson sat on the ground with Caleb under the shade of a large, old tree. It was early morning, and the ranch hummed with activity. Caleb adjusted the strings on a couple of the guitars she brought for student use. She was in the middle of careful preparations for the students’ arrival, and the nervous mental chaos of trying to prepare to meet her daughter, but something about this moment made her pause.

Lily thought they were just talking about the ranch, but then she heard Caleb quietly ask, “Did you know my mom? What was she like back then?” and her chest tightened.

Marigold is…was… the light of her life, her sister, her best friend. Caleb rarely asked about her directly, preferring tokeep his feelings locked away, or disclosed, she guessed, to his therapist.Thisinteraction felt different. She hadn’t expected him to reach out to Grey of all people.

Greyson shifted in the dirt, his expression softening as he looked at Caleb. “Yeah, buddy. I knew your mom well. We all went to school together.”

Lily leaned against the wooden railing, reminding herself to breathe deeply as she watched them. Greyson’s voice was low and calm, steadying Caleb.

“Your mom was… she was brilliant, kid. Smartest person in the room, no matter where she went. She had a brain for numbers that I’d never seen before. Where Lily and I struggled with our maths, for her it was a game. She sang all the time just like Lily. And I know you know, their voices together? Magic. She never got jealous like some siblings would have when your aunt performed. Music was more… personal for her. To be enjoyed and shared just with those who mattered.”

Grey tapped his hand against his leg. “I missed her friendship a lot over the years. She was honest, exceptionally kind, and the best thing about her? How much she loved you. She read to her tummy, to you, all the time. She even put headphones on her belly so you could hear all the best music. Classical for sure, but also jazz, rock, hip hop, international… She lived for you.”

Caleb blinked up at Greyson. “Did she ever talk about my dad?” His voice wavered, a little crack of vulnerability slipping through.

Lily stiffened. Caleb had never asked her about his father—not like this. Marigold was always honest with him, explaining that his father was someone who couldn’t handle responsibility, who hadn’t wanted to be a part of their lives. She never hid the truth, so Lily was surprised to hear Caleb express curiosity now.

Greyson hesitated, his jaw tightening slightly. He glanced briefly toward her, sensing her presence and she straightened, her body tensing with anticipation of needing to step in.

“Your dad…” Greyson started slowly, his voice taking on a harder edge. “He wasn’t a good man, Caleb. He wasn’t someone who deserved your mom or you. He hurt her in ways that weren’t fair.”

Caleb frowned. “Why didn’t he want us?”

Greyson’s eyes softened again. “That was his failure. Not yours, and not your mom’s. She deserved better, the best kind of love and so do you.” He paused, glancing over at Lily for a moment before continuing, his tone darker. “And I made sure he knew that.”

Lily’s stomach flipped. She stepped down from the porch, crossing over to them. “What do you mean?”

Grey didn’t look at her at first, keeping his focus on Caleb. “He was making things hard on her… So I made sure he wasn’t a problem for the family anymore.”

Caleb tilted his head, cautious curiosity in his eyes. “What did you do?”

Lily’s twisted her ring, for some reason unable to take it off. There had been rumors, whispers of something happening with Marigold’s professor, but her sister never confirmed it.

Greyson finally looked up at Lily, his eyes clouded with a mix of guilt and something she hadn’t seen before—a hardened fierceness. “I whupped his ass, Songbird,” he said quietly. “The shit he was saying to her, fucking with her classes… I couldn’t watch him hurt her anymore, so I made sure he couldn’t.”

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