Reuniting with the Rancher (Silver Creek Ranch)

10. Anchor Me

10

ANCHOR ME

GREYSON

Lily and Greyson entered the dimly lit Hen House, the sounds of laughter, a DJ, clinking glasses, and hoots over the various sports on the TV screens greeting them.

“I haven’t played darts in ages,” Lily said, her eyes lighting up at the dartboard on the far wall.

“Let’s see if you still suck at it,” Grey replied, a playful smirk on his face. He grabbed a set of darts from the wall, handing three to her.

Lily stepped up to the line and focused intently on the board, taking a deep breath before throwing. The dart landed with a satisfying thud, just nowhere near the board.

“Duck!” Greyson shouted with a laugh. There was no one close enough to hit, but he enjoyed messing with her, anyway. He tossed his dart with flair, landing it closer to the center.

Several rounds of darts and a couple of beers later, they were laughing more than they were playing.

“Shit. Why did I ever think this was fun?” she asked, breathless.

“Because you always bet your ass, I would win and fuck you in the bathroom.” His gaze turned serious, and the air between them grew heavy with desire.

Before she could respond, Greyson took her hand, leading her through the crowd towards the restroom. “But I didn’t bet anything,” she protested, while her feet in her long boots had no problem keeping up. She’d already started moving better since working with the Silver Creek physical therapist. Turns out she didn’t have to be a hundred and sixteen pounds to walk better. She just needed someone who paid attention to her actual body, not the weight in her chart.

His heart felt light, giddy even, at the progress they made - individually and together - as people and for the ranch. Caleb was talking about Mari more and coming further out of his shell.

He caught a smirk and hat tip from Draven as they passed his designated Friday night spot at the bar.

The small bathroom was empty, the sound of their laughter echoing off the walls. As soon as they stepped inside, Greyson shut the door behind them, leaning against it. Her gaze turned hungry, and he pulled her to him by her waist.

“This is a bad idea,” Lily said, half-laughing, half-nervous.

“You say that every time,” he replied and pulled up her long, flowing skirt until he had access to her panties and slid them down. “Yet, you’re already wet.”

With that, he tipped her head back and claimed her mouth with a deep, passionate kiss. She opened to him and he dove in, their tongues search and tasting. Greyson pulled the scoop neck of her shirt lower, biting little love nips along her breasts as she pressed in closer, desperate to feel more of him. He dropped to his knees and forced his shoulders between her legs, spreading her wide for him.

“Grey, baby,” she murmured, rocking her pelvis against his lips, the rest of her words lost to moans as he sucked her clit. Mindful of time, he turned, pulled her to the sink, and pressed her forward, dipping just low enough to catch his dick at her entrance. He lifted her chin and spoke to her through the mirror.

“Let me see that pretty face as you take all of me, darlin.’”

The smile on her face, the way she bit her bottom lip as he slid in to the hilt, the bead of sweat dripped down between her breasts… she was stunning.

“Such a bad idea,” he whispered to her in the mirror.

“Mmm, the worst.”

“Be even worse if you creamed all over me and I had to walk around smelling like you.”

That turned her on even more and she fucked him back, the sound of their explosive coupling echoing off the walls. Sliding his hand up the back of her head and burying it in her free ‘fro of curls, he used the leverage to stroker even deeper, using his free hand to give her the stimulation she needed to explode and when she lit up, it was stu-fucking-pendous.

His name on her lips, her mouth open in desire, and being buried inside her? He could have died right then and in fact he thought he did, coming so hard his heartbeat roared in his ears.

Afterward, he helped her with her clothes as she peppered him with kisses. “Well, that was…”

“A terrible idea,” Greyson finished, a grin playing on his lips.

“Awful,” she agreed, trying to regain her composure. “…you’re coming by tonight, right?”

“Doubling down,” he said, his expression softening.

“Right,” she replied, biting her lip as they both shared a knowing look.

With a final shared smile, they left the restroom, stepping back into the noise of the bar, the thrill of the moment lingering in the air.

LILY

Cashea and her cover band were awesome. Her voice was clear and sweet when it needed to be, sinful and dark when the emotions took her there… It had been a long time since Lily just enjoyed live music. If she wasn’t scouting for background singers, she was scoping out writing talent.

This was plain fun. Cashea and the crowd were having a good time and the heat between her and her man Draven was palpable as she sang for everyone, but only to him.

“Do you miss it?”

She pretended she didn’t hear him.

“I know you heard me.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes at him. Glancing around, she leaned into him to be sure he could hear her and no one overheard. “Sometimes. I miss singing. I miss the crowd grooving along with you, connecting. I don’t miss the alter ego or the constant touring. I sure as fuck don’t miss the tour bus.”

“Would you go back?”

“Of course, it’s what I do.”

She felt him stiffen beside her and she met his stare head on. “You said it yourself, traveling the world is a great education for kids. Lily and Caleb will hopefully get along well together and while it’s not going to be the same without…without Mari; I can hire the best teachers for them as they experience history, languages, and science.”

Grey sat back, staring at her. “Sounds like you got it all figured out. What about me?”

She sighed, shaking her head. “I have nothing figured out, and you’d always be welcome to join us.”

“Welcome to… I’m not some fucking stagehand–”

“Grey, calm down.” She looked around, making sure everyone’s attention was elsewhere. “You’re getting upset about hypotheticals–”

“I’m pissed about possibilities, Bird. You can’t just take my daughter–”

“ Our daughter. And what? You expect me to only drop by when a tour moves through after I’ve lost ten years with her? She goes to boarding school for chrissakes. It’s not like you see her for breakfast every morning.”

“ I was deployed,” he growled.

“ And I don’t judge you for YOUR job.”

“Now let’s slow things down with a little love song,” Cashea raised voice crooned from the stage as she looked in their direction.

Shit, they were being rude as hell. She adjusted in her seat, the ache in her movement reminding her of their moments not too long before. The opening notes to LaLa Fair’s first number one song “Anchor Me,” started and how the fuck was this her life?

All the letters I never wrote,

Tattooed in my heart for you

All the heartbeats I ever felt

Anchored me to you

Lily sat through Cashea’s beautiful version of her song, loving the key changes and harmony while also hating the absolutely worse fucking timing. Grey stewed next to her and the song she wrote at the height of her postpartum depression about the loves she lost - Greyson and Ivy - played for what felt like the entire world. As LaLa Fair, she had armor. She was another person. As Lily she was politely bleeding out note after note.

“I hate this fucking song,” Greyson grumbled.

And ..she was out. She normally didn’t leave during someone’s set, but it was that or shank a fucker with a beer bottle.

Standing, she blew Cashea a kiss, turned to Grey, and leaned in to make sure he heard every fucking word she said.

“I wrote this when I had PPD so deep my family wanted to put me on suicide watch. Music, of course, helped heal me. Helped me scratch out the thoughts itching my head about the two heartbeats outside of me, gone forever - you and Ivy. Helped me carve out how I was forever anchored to you. Helped me wish that someday, somewhere, you’d hear it and hear my heart calling to you.”

Did that say three hours until a rideshare? Lily backed out of the app and back opened it again.

Fucking South Dakota.

“Hey beautiful, glad to see you ditch that jacked up asshole. I can give you a ride.”

Not bothering to look up, Lily shook her head. “I’m good, honey, thanks.”

“I know you have to be,” the voice said, too fucking close all of a sudden.

Shit. How did that happen?

Lily looked over her shoulder in time to see the man attached to the voice yanked up and back by some invisible force.

Fucking Grey.

Sure enough, Greyson quickly threw a booted foot on the man’s chest while leaning in, saying something that was surely illegal in most countries.

“Get in the truck Lily.”

“Grey.”

“You’re outside a bar, by yourself at night, staring at your goddamn phone, not using the sense that God gave you because you’re pissed off at me. And now I gotta kill a fucker unless you. GET. IN. THE. TRUCK.”

“What?!” she said with an attitude.

“What?!” the man on the ground yelped in shock.

He was a pain in the ass. “Grrr…” Turning, she limp stomped to his truck and waited at the back door.

“I’m not your goddamn chauffeur.”

“I’m getting in the fucking car. You either take the win or kill a fucker.”

“Ma’am, get in the front please,” the man, still on the ground, still with a boot over his heart, said.

“You better confess your sins, homie, because either I sit back here or he and I are both going to jail tonight.”

Greyson hit his remote, and she climbed into the backseat. Whoo hoo extended cabs. When he finally got in the truck, she stopped him before he started.

“Don’t say a fucking word.”