Page 12 of Buck Me

This has been your bitch with boots on the ground, signing off. But remember: secrets don’t stay buried long in this soil.

CHAPTER 9

BECCA

Things at homehave been even more tense than usual with my father. But something about having mind-blowing sex with Danner makes it hard to care. Today we’re walking side by side at theSow Much Farmers Market.

The air smells like honey and hot cinnamon, and the whole place is buzzing with life. There are people in boots, couples walking hand in hand, and toddlers in overalls clutching dripping popsicles. There are patchwork quilts hung like tapestries behind tables, old timers carving wooden spoons in the shade, teenagers passing out lemonade from a washtub cooler. It’s noisy and chaotic andso alive. The whole place feels like a scene out of a storybook. It feels like home.

This is everything I love about life in Sagebrush Creek.

Everyone here knows where their food comes from. We pass booths stacked with heirloom tomatoes, towers of handmade soap, and baskets of fresh eggs with the feathers still clinging to the sides. Every vendor calls out like a friend. Everyone waves. The people here are real.

They are the exact opposite of my father's world of appearances and abstractions. This is why I could never have stayed in California after college. I have to carve out a life formyself in this place that has always had my heart, even if it means playing by my father’s rules for a little while longer.

I don’t know what that will look like, but being here with Danner makes freedom feel closer than ever. The gravel crunches under our boots. The sun is warm on my shoulders, and every time I glance up, he’s already looking at me. He’s nothing short of magic.

It's more than just our physical connection, though that leaves me breathless every time. It's the way he sees me for who I am and leans into it. When I told him about my secret sketchbooks, he didn't tell me to be practical.

When I admitted I'd never had an orgasm before him, he didn't make me feel broken. He just smiled that slow, devastating smile and told me he had all night. And he did. He worshiped my body from head to toe. I’ve never felt more beautiful.

For the first time in my life, I understand why people get so lost in love. Being loved by Danner Kingridge, if that’s what it is, feels like seeing the world for the first time. With him, I don’t have to perform or posture or calculate how I’ll be perceived. With him, I justam.

We turn a corner near the honey stand, and I spot a familiar figure. He’s old, kind, and wrinkled. The sight of Pa Kingridge pulls a smile from me as it always has. It’s strange to think that I’ve known Danner’s father longer than he has.

He’s leaning on a cane and in his other hand, he’s holding a leash. I expect to see Hunkleberry, Kingridge Ranch’s farm dog and official mascot. But as we get closer, I realize there’s a sheep on the other end of the leash. Pa’s standing back and watching the chaos of the market with a bemused expression that says he’s seen worse and probably caused it.

“Hey, Pa,” Danner says, reaching out to shake his hand, and there’s something so simple and sweet in the gesture that it squeezes at my chest. “What are you doing up here?”

“My boy,” Pa lifts one eyebrow. “Had to bring this damned sheep up here to square my bet.”

My eyes go wide. “You bet a sheep?”

“Not willingly. But they don’t let me have control of my own cash anymore. Hell, they hardly let me drive. Say I can’t see none after I took that tractor off the road a few weeks back. I taught them how to drive in the first place. Becca I tell you these damn boys will be the death of me.”

“Don’t let them win,” I wink at him, and Danner lets out a laugh.

“How’d you get down here today?” Danner asks.

“Holden and Geoffrey brought me. Now they’re tied up over there.” Pa waves vaguely in the direction of the main field. There’s a livestock gate with a rickety-looking sign at the entrance. It reads,WHEELBARROW OBSTACLE RACE–One Rides. One Pushes. Winner Gets Pie.

“Of course.” Locals train for this event like an Olympic sport. “At least they’ve got a good chance at winning. Did Patty June make the pies?” I ask.

“You know she did. Y’all two give it a try,” Pa says, as casual as if he’s offering us a lemonade.

I cough on a laugh, nearly tripping over my own boots as the image flashes through my head:Becca Bellcourt, mayor’s daughter, face-first in the mud with her knees in the air. Danner Kingridge tries to haul her upright while the whole town watches.

“Oh no,” I say between giggles. “I think I’m going to have to pass on that one.”

Pa nods at the grown men in full costume, stretching and sizing each other up. Danner turns to follow our line of sightto the event space. I watch as his face morphs into something akin to the mask from SCREAM. It’s halfway between dread and disbelief.

“What the Texas is happening over there?” Danner’s eyes bulged.

I can’t help but burst out laughing. Loud, unfiltered, full-body joy. “Every now and then, I forget that you aren’t from Sagebrush Creek.”

“We’re gonna pass on… Whatever that is. We’ve got some plants to find. Good luck with the sheep, Pa.” Danner chuckles as we walk away. He’s still eyeing the obstacle course like it might come to life and chase him.

I tuck my sketches carefully into my folder as we walk past a display of bee boxes and down a shaded path lined with hanging flower pots. It’s crazy how fast my life has changed.

---