Page 44 of Tame Me Daddy

All the while, I noticed Grant watching me with quiet satisfaction. Occasionally he would comment on my color choices or offer gentle praise that made me glow with happiness. "Beautiful blending there, Baby Girl." "I like how you did that part." Simple affirmations that landed deep in places starved for approval.

When Lily finished her picture, she bounced up from her chair and went to one of the shelves. "I need a second opinion," sheannounced, returning with an armful of stuffed animals. "Which one should sit with me for the next picture? They all want a turn."

She laid them out on the table—a teddy bear with a bowtie, a floppy-eared dog, a unicorn with rainbow mane, and a soft gray rabbit with long ears and a pink nose.

The rabbit caught my eye immediately, reminding me of the small plush bunny I kept hidden in my drawer back at the ranch—a secret comfort I'd managed to save from my old life, smuggled in my backpack when I fled. I'd never shown it to anyone at Warwick, not even Maya.

Lily noticed my gaze. "Do you want to hold Flopsy?" she asked, pushing the rabbit toward me. "She's super soft."

I hesitated, glancing at Grant whose expression remained open and encouraging. Slowly, I reached for the stuffed animal, my fingers sinking into its plush fur. Holding it close to my chest felt like returning home to a place I'd been exiled from for years—a comfort so basic, so primal that tears stung my eyes.

"I have one like this," I confessed, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "Back at the ranch. I keep her hidden."

"You don't have to hide her," Lily said simply. "Not with people who understand."

Grant's hand found my shoulder, squeezing gently. He didn't speak, but I felt his approval, his acceptance radiating from the simple touch.

With the rabbit clutched to my chest and colors sprawled before me, I continued working on my picture. The act of creation without judgment, without purpose beyond the simple joy of making something, loosened something rigid inside me. When Grant made a deliberate mess of Batman's cape with a streak of neon green, I giggled—the sound light and genuine, reminiscent of a much younger me who hadn't yet learned to police her joy.

"Having fun?" he asked softly, his eyes creased at the corners in a way that transformed his usually stern face.

I nodded, realizing with pleasant surprise that I truly was. It felt like a piece clicking into place, completing a picture that had been fragmented for too long.

"Thank you for bringing me here," I whispered, leaning slightly against his solid frame.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to come," he responded, his voice rumbling through his chest and into mine where our shoulders touched.

I felt something like peace, something like happiness, something like love.

Chapter 7

I ran my fingers through Starlight's mane, gentle and steady. The skittish mare had been my project for weeks, and now she leaned into my touch instead of flinching away. Progress. It reminded me of my own journey here at Warwick Ranch—nervous and ready to bolt at first, now finding comfort in new connections. Two weeks since that night at The Sanctuary with Grant, and everything had changed. Nothing had changed. Both somehow true at once.

"That's it, girl," I murmured, keeping my voice low and even. "We're friends now, aren't we?"

Starlight snorted softly, her velvet nose nudging my shoulder. Around us, the ranch was coming to life—doors slamming in the bunkhouse, boots crunching on gravel, voices calling out morning greetings. But here in the stable, it was just us. Me and a horse that only weeks ago wouldn't let anyone come within ten feet.

I worked the brush through her coat in long, smooth strokes. My hands had changed since coming here—calluses where there used to be softness, strength where there used to be hesitation. I'd changed too, in ways I couldn't have predicted.

"Cherry!" Maya's voice broke through my thoughts. She appeared in the stable doorway, her dark braids tucked under a worn baseball cap. "Staff meeting in fifteen. Boss man's giving out assignments."

"I'll be there," I called back, hiding my smile at the mention of Grant. Boss man. If only they knew.Maya had somehow managed to keep our secret, and I was incredibly thankful to her for that.

Maya lingered, watching me with Starlight. "Still can't believe you got her to trust you. Ryder said she was headed for the auction block before you showed up."

I shrugged, oddly proud. "She just needed patience."

"Well, whatever you're doing, keep it up." Maya grinned. "You got a gift with the troubled ones."

After she left, I pressed my forehead against Starlight's neck. "You hear that? I've got a gift." The mare's steady heartbeat pulsed against my skin. She was finding her place. Just like me.

I finished grooming her and headed to the staff meeting, careful to straighten my shoulders and smooth my expression. At work, Grant was Mr. Warwick, ranch owner and boss. I was just another hand. We'd agreed on those boundaries, and they mattered.

The familiar burn started in my chest when I saw him. Standing tall at the head of the gathering, clipboard in hand, face serious. His eyes skimmed over me without lingering—professional, distant. Only I knew how those same eyes had looked down at me last night, warm and tender as he'd unbuttoned my shirt, one slow button at a time, whispering praise against my skin.

"Southeast pasture needs mending," Grant was saying, voice firm. "Rodriguez, Morgan—you'll handle the fence line inspection today."

"Yes, sir," Maya and I said in unison.

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