Page 5 of Reuniting with the Rancher

“Thank you for delivering our food, Mr. Monroe. I’ve already added your trip to the app. Caleb, honey, please take our food in the house.”

“You know who she is?! I swear Auntie, I didn’t tell him.”

She broke eye contact with the slimiest bastard on the planet and gave the best smile she could muster to her nephew. “I knew Mr. Monroe many years ago. You were just a little Boogie Bear then. And look, a decade later and several states away, he’s our delivery boy. Life is funny.”

Greyson's dark eyes narrowed further and his square jaw ticked at her jab. Caleb cleared his throat and Greyson seemed to remember himself, turning his attention toward her nephew.

“Well, I’ll be…Lil Boogie Bear ain’t so little anymore,” Grey said as he smiled down at her nephew from his six feet four inches. “Now I know why that smile felt so familiar. My God kid, what a handsome, intelligent young man you’ve grown up to be! The last time I saw you, you were the cutest toddler with the roundest cheeks. I don’t suppose you still drop everything to dance when music comes on?”

“Nah,” Caleb said, scratching the back of his neck in bashful embarrassment. “I make music now.”

Enough of this.Every moment they spent in Greyson’s presence made her teeth itch and she wouldn’t be able to hold to the niceties much longer.

“Yes, time passes, children grow, circle of life, you probably have to go,” she rushed out as she reached out for their food, eager to dismiss the bastard.

She made a mental note to never order from that restaurant while they were in South Dakota, while also trying to remember the terms of her contract with the ranch so she could quickly and with as much grace as she could summon, get out of it.

If Greyson Monroe was in South Dakota, that meant even the entire state ofNorthDakota was too close. Shit, anything west of the Mississippi was now off limits.

She hated to move Caleb again, but there was no fucking way she could stay here with Greyson here, and he obviously still hated her… He’d out her identity in a heartbeat and the fucking circus of paparazzi would descend, the questions would start again, and she would not put Caleb through that.

She was so distracted by the tatters of her life overlapping she missed the maxed out cues her body was giving her. She’d almost reached the bottom of the steps when she misjudged thedistance of the next step, and her injured leg took too long to catch up with her momentum. She reached out, but missed the railing, so instead of catching herself, she grabbed only air.

Well, shit on me.

5

MEGABITCH

GREYSON

She beganher descent like a queen on high, in a pauper’s wardrobe of well broken in jeans and a crop top that showed off a nice curve of smooth, grab-able, brown skin and somehow ended up in his arms as warm gravy pooled in his lap.

Typical.

She’d left him with a mess before. At least this time it was gravy and not a sick baby and a broken heart.

Disoriented, she stared up at him with those damn beautiful brown eyes and as she focused; they narrowed and fuck him if she didn’t growl at him like some feral cat.

“Auntie, are you ok? Did you hit your head? They said you can’t hit your head? DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD?!”

As soon as she heard the panic rising in his voice, her focus shifted to immediately trying to soothe Caleb while he continued to spiral.

“Boogie Bear, I just missed the step, I’m ok baby,” she said as shrugged herself out of his arms with more force than needed sending him back on his ass as his own leg gave way. Now warm mashed potatoes were sticking to his ass.

“PLEASE BE OK, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BE OK.” Caleb shook his hand as he stared at her unseeing.

“Bear,” she whispered as she limped quickly to him and took his face in her hands. “Bear, look at me. I’m fine. CALEB!”

Caleb finally connected, locking eyes with her.

“I’m fine honey, see? I didn’t hit my head. I’m perfectly fine. Right here with you,” she nodded to him, never breaking eye contact. “I’m here. I’m okay. Okay?”

Caleb started nodding with her. “Okay. You’re okay.” He sniffed long before his face cracked and tears of relief flooded his eyes and overflowed down his cheeks.

“Oh Boogie…” she cooed, bringing him tight to her and hugging him as he continued to break down.

Once he was sure they were stable, Greyson looked at the mess of dinner on the ground and busied himself with cleaning it up. Caleb didn’t need an audience for this tough moment. He made his way to the kitchen of the cottage, salvaging what he could until they both came in, eyes red and looking exhausted.

---