Falling For Her

by Tory Baker

  It’s hard to find someone so caring and compassionate, yet Levi is.

  It seemed like most of the night one of us was searching for one another at one point or another. I know I’ll be sore today, but it was worth it.

  Rolling over to get out of bed, knowing Levi had to get up and get everything started, I make my way to the bathroom and turn on the bathtub. It’s a beautiful claw foot tub that’s been restored. It’s calling my name and I can’t wait to soak in it.

  Letting the water run, I look at myself in the mirror. I’m completely naked, Levi didn’t want anything between us. One of those compromises we talked about last night. We’re skin on skin when in bed. I was fine with it, mostly because I cling to him like an octopus seeking his warmth. The house is always so cold, even when the heater’s on. But Levi’s warmth makes up for it.

  There are whisker marks on my neck, my hair is a ratted nest, even the insides of my legs have some chaffing from when Levi got on his knees to make sure I was well taken care of. My center pulses just thinking about everything we did, and I have to say even with all the marks, my lips swollen, and hair a mess, I’ve never felt more loved or beautiful.

  Once the water is filled in the tub, I step in and sink down till I’m covered up to my chin. Tipping my head back, my eyes flutter close, and a small smile comes over my face.

  I’m really happy. This year has been so hard, but time really does heal, and falling in love with an amazing man helps ease the burden, too.

  22

  Levi

  Getting out of bed while Peyton was asleep wasn’t easy, but I wanted to get coffee started along with breakfast. When I hear the water going, I smirk to myself. What I wouldn’t give to be in there with her. I know she has to be hurting today. Last night filled an all-consuming need that was burning between the two of us.

  Returning to plating the French toast and bacon, I grab the two coffee mugs, and make my way upstairs.

  Peyton didn’t know I took the day off, so this will be one hell of a surprise, and if she isn’t too sore, I plan on taking her riding today. There’s an area she hasn’t seen yet and if I have my way, it’ll be where we say our vows to each other.

  I walk into the bathroom seeing how much longer she’ll be in there, when I see she’s in the bathtub. My plan comes together. I’ll feed her and then maybe have her feed me, too, fuck, I like the sound of that.

  “Good morning,” I’m making my way closer to the tub, setting our coffee down on the counter, while I pull up a chair that was put up here for the vanity Peyton brought over to use.

  Her eyes pop open and she sits straight up giving me the best view, her pert tits are floating up, and I can see her nipples hardening at the cool air or the sight of me. I’m praying it’s the later, “Good morning, I thought you’d be working today?”

  “Took today off.” I move the chair closer to the tub and grab a cup of coffee. I didn’t think this through really well. I guess I’ll have to suck it up and share Peyton’s sugar with coffee type of drink.

  “Did you make breakfast? You’re spoiling me Levi, I’ll never be able to pay you back,” she admonishes.

  “You don’t have to pay me back with anything. I like having you here and taking care of you,” I tell her, with honesty.

  I know she’s been on her own more than most women, with her being away in college and then when her mom was sick, I know she was more of a caregiver than a child. Jack did his best running the ranch and taking care of Sue, but shit, Peyton deserves to be taken care of.

  Cutting the French toast with a fork, I bring the bite to her mouth and she takes a bite of it. “This has to be the best breakfast ever and that’s up there with the breakfast tacos,” she moans.

  Her moan has me sitting back trying to adjust my cock that stays in a hard state when I’m around Peyton. Add in her being wet and knowing she’s naked, I’ll have the imprint of my zipper before too long.

  She takes sips of coffee while I feed myself bites of our meal. I tell her we’re going for a ride, and Peyton’s face lights up. This morning while she was asleep, I went over to her ranch and brought over Snickers and all of her tack. Giving her a permanent stall here, once the sale has gone through, I’ll start working on merging our horses together and breed them, continuing on Jack's legacy, while still keeping the steady flow of business going with both of our buyers.

  23

  Peyton

  Levi gives me one surprise after another. This one though, it takes the cake. We walked out to his barn. I thought I’d be riding one of the quarter horses he has here. Yet, when we got there, I heard the distinct sound of Snickers.

  “Levi,” I turn around to look at his handsome face, tears are sliding down my cheeks.

  “You didn’t have to do this, I would have brought her over.” He comes up to me, cupping my cheeks, as his thumbs wipe the tears that keep falling unchecked down my cheeks.

  “One day, you’re going to understand that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Especially, something as small as bringing your horse over. You live here now, it’s only fair she lives here with us.” I snake my hands around his neck, it’s my way of getting him to come closer to me. There’s only so much height standing on my toes will give me. I kiss him like my soul is on fire and he’s the thirst to put out the flame.

  “Thank you,” I tell him when we finish our kiss.

  “Baby, you don’t have to thank me for everything,” he grumbles, and he leads me to the tack room where we get everything we need to ride.

  Levi kisses me again as we both leave the room with our hands full. I’m giggling like a schoolgirl and he’s grinning the whole way to Rocky’s stall.

  We both tack up our horses and walk them out of the barn. I watch as Levi gets on Rocky with an ease he was born and bred to do. His muscles moving under his flannel shirt and worn-in jeans. The way he fills a pair of tight-fitting jeans, it makes me stumble as I grab the saddle horn and attempt to throw my leg over Snickers.

  I look like a fool and Snickers moves a little, and all I can do is laugh. I finally get seated, Levi looks at me, fair and square I’ve been caught ogling again, “What? It’s mine I can look all I want,” I reply with all the sass I have built up inside of me.

  “You sure can baby, I’d just rather not see you ass first in the dust,” he chuckles. I follow him until we hit the trail, only then do we both ride together.

  “So, where is this place you were talking about?” I ask Levi thirty minutes into our ride. The trail is no longer a trail that he usually uses. “We’re almost there, just a few more minutes,” he says. He has his signature white Stetson hat on. Levi is the total package, he’s sweet, funny, caring, handsome, and I’m the lucky girl he fell in love with.

  “Okay,” I tuck a piece of hair back behind my ear. I should have brought my own hat, but I was in a rush to go riding and it was forgotten in the mudroom.

  We continue trotting along, when we come down a valley and I’m shocked to see a hot spring.

  “Is that what I think it is?” I question Levi.

  “It depends what you want it to be,” he replies with a grin.

  “I do believe I know two people who will be getting lucky today,” I hop down off of Snickers and tether her to a fence post, making sure she has enough room to graze.

  Then, I slowly start stripping out of my boots and clothes as I walk to the hot spring.

  24

  Levi

  When we got on our horses this morning, I had it all planned out. I would show her where there’s an old church on our land. The stone is crumbling, but you could see what it used to be, the creek running in the distance. That would have been the icing on the cake. Instead of veering right, we went left.

  At the last minute, I knew where I was going to ask Peyton to marry me, and it would be the same place we say our “I do’s.”

  Now though, my eyes can’t get over the way she’s walking naked to the springs. Her confidence has grown in leaps
and bounds. Something I’d like to say I helped, but I know the truth is she had it before she fell apart. It just took her awhile to find herself again. I strip out of my own boots and clothes, following my woman. Her heart-shaped ass calling to me on every level.

  “Are you coming?” She asks over her shoulder, her hair is down and hanging loosely in soft curls down to the middle of her back. I know if she turned around the ends would tease me with a glimpse of her nipples.

  “You bet your sweet ass I am,” I grunt, as I run to get to her, stripping my clothes off along the way.

  I pick her up bridal style and take a tentative step into the spring. Her arms are wrapped around my neck and her smile calls to me like a siren’s song.

  Once we’re in, I find a rock that will allow me to sit down. She adjusts, so she’s straddling my lap and my cock is right where it wants to be.

  “Levi,” her voice taking on this breathless quality. One that I’m learning is when she’s hot and needy.

  “Yeah, baby,” my hands sneak up from where they were on her waist, holding her in place. I know she’s sore, add that in with riding up here, and it’s enough to make it worse. Her skin is smooth and silky to the touch against my hands. The difference between our skin is palpable. Peyton’s skin hasn’t been weathered from the weather, her hands aren’t worn with callouses from working outside.

  She responds, “I love you, Levi, I’m not sure how I could have made it through without your strength.”

  “Peyton, you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. I was there to pick you up when you fell apart, but baby, you gotta know you rose up on your own. I’m just the lucky one that was lucky enough to be by your side when you did it.” I slowly bring my hands up to her cheeks, framing her face.

  Both of us lean into each other. Needing my mouth on hers, I take her lips in a slow and soft kiss.

  “Love you, Peyton.” I tell her, in between breaths. She’s rocking her center against my cock and as much as I want her, I know that we’ll have to wait. Not coming inside her will be hard as hell. Yet I know it’ll be worth the wait.

  25

  Peyton

  Yesterday was like a fairytale, Levi having the whole day off. His phone not going off and nothing ranch related was bothering him. Something like that never happens. When you run a ranch, there are no days off. It doesn’t matter if it’s ten degrees below zero or two o’clock in the morning. So, when Levi took the whole day off, I knew how much it took away from the ranch. It was beyond special to me and something we both clearly needed.

  But today, today is going to be a long and grueling day for him. Playing catch up, I’m sure. That’s why I decided to make a big dinner. I haven’t cooked much since I’ve been home and it’s high time I pull my weight around here. Sure, I throw things together quick and easy, like sheet pan dinners or food I can throw in the crock pot to set and forget.

  I go to the fridge and pull out all the ingredients I need to make homemade mushroom soup for my mom’s recipe, beef stroganoff.

  She used to tell me all the time, if you have to use the canned stuff, you’re doing it wrong. We’d laugh, before she was sick our days were filled with laughter and joy. Most times you could find her in the kitchen if she wasn’t out helping Dad on the ranch.

  The refrigerator door is still open as I finish pulling out the ingredients I need, cream, butter, mushrooms, and a slew of other ingredients.

  It takes a full hour just to make the soup that goes over the beef, but it will be worth it.

  While the soup is simmering on the stove, I get to work on the rest of the meal, searing the cube steak on each side until it has a golden-brown crispness on the outside.

  Once that’s done, I set it aside, and finish putting the rest of the ingredients in the soup to make it less of a soup and thicker for the stroganoff. Then, I add the meat to that, letting it simmer for the rest of the afternoon.

  I tidy up the house while I have the day off and dinner is simmering. First on my agenda is laundry. Both Levi and have let it get a little out of control, us finding the way in our relationship was seamlessly effortless. The day to day domestic part, yeah, I know I’m lacking in my part. So, it’s one of those days that I get my shit together and get things taken care of.

  I cue up Alexa to play country music, tie up my hair in a messy knot, and put a bandana in it to hold my hair from falling in my face.

  What seems like hours later, I still haven’t made a dent in what needs to be done. I blow out a breath of air and soldier on.

  26

  Levi

  I open the back door that leads into the mudroom slash laundry room and see the piles of clothes that were in the baskets are empty and the house smells amazing.

  Taking my boots off quickly to see what Peyton had been up to today is my first task. I was so busy today I didn’t even get a chance to come home for lunch. It was worth it, though. In fact, it may be something I do at least once or twice a month.

  Ed handled everything and all went smoothly, but taking a day off always leads to more damn paperwork than ever before.

  “Peyton,” I holler out loud.

  Walking further into the house, I see everything is cleaned. Top to bottom, it was never messy before she moved in. I had a service come in once a month to do the basics, but for the most part it was picked up.

  But what I’m looking at is nothing short of amazing. I don’t think this house has ever smelt or looked like a home. It has Peyton’s stamp on it, and it makes my heart swell with joy.

  I walk through the house and into the kitchen and see what smells so damn good. When I open the lid, my mouth salivates. Peyton takes that time to come down the stairs, she’s in a pair of shorts that have rips, a shirt that’s falling off her shoulder, and her hair is in all kinds of disarray.

  Fuck, does she look gorgeous. It doesn’t matter if she’s in scrubs, jeans, shorts, or naked. I love her every which way I can have her.

  “Hey, you. How was work?” She asks while walking towards me, a laundry basket on the side of her hip.

  “It was busy, but good. Seems like you were busy yourself, is this your mom’s recipe?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, the house was dirty, and I wanted to cook a real meal. That’s okay, right?” she responds.

  “This is your home, Peyton, you do whatever you want to it. I did forget to tell you, I have a cleaning service that comes in once a month. We can make it so the service comes in more frequently and add anything you think we need help with,” I tell her, not wanting her to think she has to clean all the time.

  “Nah, I really enjoyed cleaning today, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to take it over,” she tells me with a big smile on her face.

  “Whatever you want, baby,” I tell her, as I take the basket out of her hands and drop it on the floor. My hand hooks around the back of her neck and I take her mouth with a yearning I’ve needed all day.

  I was secretly hoping she’d come down to the stables but knew it would be a catch twenty-two. Her hands go to my waist and she pulls my shirt out of my jeans, her hands finding my skin. Something she does when she wants to get closer to me. Fuck, I love this woman.

  27

  Peyton

  My weekend was done and over before I knew it. It was one of the best ones yet. Though it went way too fast, the way Levi devoured our dinner and even went for seconds, it made me realize I needed to cook dinner more often, so after work today, I’m hitting the grocery store.

  I have so many of my mother’s recipes, there are almost two books full. One is just desserts, too.

  Work has been amazing. It’s tiring at moments, but so worth it to help out so many members of our community.

  “Hey, Peyton, Mrs. Smith and her daughter Emily, are ready for you,” Sue tells me, as I finish dictating my notes on the last patient I saw.

  “Okay, I’ll be there in just a minute. Thank you,” I respond and finish what I was doing then head into Emily’s room.

&n
bsp; Working with children is my all-time favorite part of working here. It makes me think of what I’ll end up doing when Levi and I get married and have children. If I’m going to want to be home more with them, I know for sure the clinic won’t be able to work around my schedule.

  That means I’ll have to see if the pediatrician’s office is looking for a P.A.

  I am walking into see what’s going on with Emily and come to an abrupt halt. She’s wheezing so bad, her chest is practically shaking.

  “Hi, Mrs. Smith and Emily, I’m Peyton. Let’s see if we can get you back to breathing normally. How long has she been like this?” I ask, as I take my stethoscope off and immediately listen to her breathing. I can hear the raspiness, she definitely has all of the signs of an asthma attack.

  “It got really bad around three o’clock this morning. We would have gone to the hospital, but our insurance doesn’t cover all that much,” she says, as she wrings her hands together. This is what makes my heart ache, knowing her parents had to wait to get affordable help.

  “Alright, here’s what I’m going to do. We’ll get her on a nebulizer now, get you all set up with one to take home, start her on some antibiotics, steroids, and also an inhaler to keep and take home. Hopefully this is just induced by the upper respiratory infection she has going on. But if you notice it doesn’t get better, we’ll have to set you up with a specialist,” I can see the concern in her eyes at the word specialist.

  “Thank you, I hope it’s induced. Our insurance, gosh. It’s really not the greatest, I’m just thankful you’re able to help her,” she says.