Maisie
. . .
TWENTY-FIVE
I decided to wake up early this morning to get some writing in before starting my day.
I’ve finally been inspired, and the words are flowing out of me.
I’m not exactly sure how the love story will play out, but I’m having fun getting there.
I connect to these characters deeply, in a way none of my other stories have so far.
It’s been a week since I found Grayson beaten and drunk, a week since I spent the night wrapped in his arms like it was a normal occurrence.
It should have been weird to be spending the night with him.
Usually, adult sleepovers involve hooking up and getting hell out of high water before the sun rises the next morning.
This was the opposite of that. There was no explicit touching of any kind.
There may have been a morning kiss and a few steamy glances when I was changing, but that was it.
I was there for one reason, and that was to make sure Grayson was okay.
I can’t continue to lie to myself and say it wasn’t nice.
It was like we were playing pretend house without the awkwardness.
That’s not normal, especially for me. I may cling to attention, but I don’t gel easily with others. I don’t mold myself to them so I feel complete relaxation without a hint of anxiety in the mix. Never, not even a single time.
So tell me why I jumped into Grayson's arms and melted against him like butter? He held me the entire night like I was sacred. It felt too easy to fall into that role with him.
I know I should be more mad at him for all the secrets he’s been keeping and the ones I know he’s still hiding from me. I could tell he was picking and choosing which pieces he wanted to share. I was just happy he was opening up to me at all.
I’m not an idiot, though. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been taking things very slow with him this past week.
Sure, we’ve shared stolen glances while working and exchanged flirty banter, but Grayson is confused and fragile right now, and I’m not ready to hop on that train just yet.
Not with me leaving soon and the secrets between us.
It was nice living in that little bubble for the night, but we both have a long way to go before anything serious could happen between us.
I still want to jump his bones every time I see him in a pair of tight Wranglers and tee, though.
I want to help him so badly. He keeps saying he’s in deep and there’s no simple way out.
If only we could raise the funds to cover the debt.
That’s another thing I’m curious about. Does he have some secret gambling addiction or something I don’t know about?
How much money are we talking about? Surely it can’t be that bad, right?
“Hey, daydreamer, are you going to finish what you’re doing or just keep staring off into space?” Chesney jokes, knocking his shoulder into mine.
“Shit, sorry,” I mutter, getting back to chopping up the melon.
I’m helping Roxy today in The Den for lunch.
She makes lunch every weekday for the ranch hands as part of their room and board.
Opening day is only one week away, and the men are hard at work getting everything ready.
Roxy has a lady who helps her out with lunches, but she’s out sick today, so I volunteered.
Apparently, Chesney volunteered his mouth to be the taste tester, because every two slices of melon I put into the bowl, only one of them survives.
I smack his hand away, aiming the pointed tip of my knife at him. “Take another, and see what happens,” I threaten him.
He backs away slowly. “Jeez, sorry. I’m just a starving, overworked man,” he cries, swiping a berry from Roxy’s bowl.
“Son,” she scolds, “you are not too big for me to still bend you over my knee and teach you a lesson.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got the hint. I’m not welcome here.”
Roxy swats her towel at him when he swipes a second berry before planting a kiss on her cheek and then sprinting out the door. “That boy is going to put me into an early grave.”
“Don’t I know it,” I laugh, slicing the last melon.
Speaking of men who are going to put me into an early grave, I want to feel Roxy out to see if she knows anything about Grayson.
He’s pretty secretive, but he does consider the Foxes family.
Maybe he’s said something to them about this?
I don’t want to betray his trust if he hasn’t, so I need to be careful.
I clear my throat, reaching for the giant watermelon. “So, uh, Grayson,” I mumble, chastising myself at how not-so-subtle I am.
“What about him?” Roxy chuckles.
This is going horribly already. I wish I could just come out and say it, but Grayson would hate me if I dragged his family into the mix.
“He’s lived here for a while,” I start with.
“He has…”
“And, ummm, Laine and Nova, of course.”
“Them too,” she replies, trying to hold back a laugh.
I wish a spaceship would abduct me to one of those fun planets like in the erotic romance books so I could leave this embarrassment.
I hesitate, and Roxy notices. She rests a hand on my shoulder. “What are you getting at, dear?”
I blow out a breath. “I’ve noticed things about Grayson, and I was curious if maybe you’ve noticed them too?”
“Things like what?”
“Well, he disappears a lot, and sometimes, he just seems off.” I throw my hands up. “I don’t know. I guess I was just wondering if you knew something I didn’t, or if that’s just how he is.”
Roxy wipes her hands down her apron and takes mine in hers.
“That man has been through more than most men twice his age will ever face. He’s a good, hardworking, loyal man, but he has his baggage too.
He’s used to taking care of everyone around him.
He’s been doing it his whole life; he doesn’t know any different.
Sometimes, he just needs his space to deal with it, and he won’t accept help no matter how hard we try.
He has some skeletons in his closet, same as you, and he needs time to work through them. ”
She hesitates before continuing. “I see the way you two look at each other. I wasn’t born yesterday.
It’s the same way me and Uncle Walter used to look at each other.
You two harbor the same pain, but you both sort through it differently.
Grayson has always disappeared on and off over the years.
He knows we are always here for him if he needs anything.
You just need to give him time, Maisie girl. ”
She has no idea what Grayson has gotten himself into, and my heart pinches at that. I can see how Roxy cares for Grayson as if he was her own. I know she would lose it if she saw and knew the things I have. They aren’t mine to share, though.
So, instead of dropping a bomb on her, I slap on a soft smile and drop it. “Yeah, I get it, Rox. I just worry about him is all.”
Roxy’s eyes crinkle at the corners, and she pulls me in for a hug.
“You are such a good girl, you know that? I’m so proud of how far you’ve come.
I prayed for you to return to us for so many years.
It feels right to have you back, even if just for a short time.
I’m not exactly sure what brought you here, but I’m thankful it did. ”
“Stupid boys,” I laugh into her chest.
“Oh, pray tell,” she says eagerly.
We go back to chopping up the rest of the fruit while I fill her in on my mess of a life, the silly boy I fell for and the boss from hell.
She laughs along, helping ease the pain of it all.
It feels good to be surrounded by family again.
It makes me realize how much I was missing from my life before.
I want a life as big as the sky and a love so strong, it rivals the classics.
I want more.
Research notes: always have snacks on hand when cowboys are involved.