A Rancher’s Song

by Vivian Arend

  He lifted his hands in self-defense, laughter ringing as he steadily moved toward her in spite of being soaked. “Someone is asking for it,” he teased.

  She pointed the water lower, hitting him in the groin and soaking his jeans.

  Walker stooped and grabbed the nearest section of hose, twisting it until the water cut off. Then before she could escape, he tangled an arm around her waist, holding her tightly against him as he lifted her arm in the air until the tip of the hose was suspended over her head.

  “You wouldn’t,” she begged.

  “You did,” he pointed out, loosening his grip on the kink he’d formed in the hose and sliding his hand up to help hold the hose as icy-cold water poured down and drenched them both.

  Ivy let out a shriek, pressing her face tightly against him as water streamed down the back of her neck. They were both soaked head to toe, the sun beating down like a tropical oasis. By the time Walker tossed the hose away, his chest was glistening, drops of water clinging to the ends of his hair.

  She took a peek and discovered why he was staring—her bra was transparent, as was her pale-yellow tank top. All the fabric did was give something for her nipples to cling to.

  It was a good thing her house was on the edge of town and that it wasn’t the right time of day for anyone to visit the cemetery, because Walker’s next move was to drop to his knees and pull her forward to put his mouth over her breast, fabric and all. When he sucked she felt it all the way down to her toes, moisture turning hot as he wiggled his tongue against her.

  He teased her a little before tugging her down with him and pressing their bodies together, kissing her hungrily. Ivy gave back as good as she got, no longer shocked her hunger for him kept growing stronger and stronger.

  “You know the only thing wrong with my day?” Walker muttered against her neck before stripping the tank top over her head and reaching behind her so that a second later she was naked from the waist up. His gaze fixed on her body as he touched her with a worshipful caress. “The only thing wrong is that it’s taken until now to touch you.”

  Ivy gasped as he brought her close and played with her breasts. Nipping at the tips, kissing the underside as his hands made quick work of undoing her shorts.

  She had to help him wiggle the fabric over her hips as the shorts clung to her like wet glue. His hands kept getting in the way, and she giggled as their fingers bumped when she went to open the button on his jeans.

  He caught her by the hips and pulled her backward as he lowered himself to lie flat on the ground, shifting her until she knelt directly over his face.

  “Oh my God.”

  He devastated her with his single-minded attention to her clit. Licking and sucking, his fingers digging into her butt cheeks until she was squirming, begging for release.

  With one move he slid upright, shoving aside his jeans. He pulled a condom out of somewhere, covered himself, and a second later he was back on the ground, kneeling as he brought her over him.

  He used one hand to direct the thick head of his cock between her folds, rubbing back and forth a half-dozen times until she was ready to scream.

  The next time he was vertical she pushed herself down and trapped him, his length sliding easily into her ready body. Her sex pulsed around him, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he sighed, a sound of complete and utter satisfaction.

  Walker held her hips and moved her over him. She clung to his shoulders, nails digging in.

  “Use your fingers,” he ordered. “Rub that pretty clit of yours. I want to see you come. I want to feel you come all over my cock.”

  A shiver raced over her skin at his words, and she reached down to follow orders. The first touch was enough to send her racing toward the finish line. And when he increased tempo, driving into her deep and hard, Ivy let her head fall back and gave in to pleasure.

  Her body rocked around him. Squeezing tight as he shouted, his cock jerking within her.

  The hose was still running in the distance, and there were birds singing as they visited the feeders Ivy had set up around the yard. Somewhere in the distance a tractor motor buzzed, but right there all she heard was the pounding of his heart as she leaned her head against his chest and held on tight.

  She didn’t ever want to let go.

  18

  The excitement around the Stone family ranch house had been thick enough to cut. Caleb and Tamara had finally wrangled the girls into the truck and headed north to attend their sister Dare’s wedding.

  Walker stopped at Ivy’s place to tell her goodbye. It was a terrible excuse considering he’d been sleeping at her house almost every other night.

  Ivy paused in the middle of painting the shutters on the outside windows. Tansy waved from the top of the ladder while Rose peeked her head around the side of the house.

  Ginny, who had decided she absolutely had to ride with Walker, rolled down her window and hung halfway out. “So, that’s what work looks like. Fascinating, I could watch it for hours.”

  Rose stuck out her tongue then waved before disappearing from sight. Tansy scratched her forehead with her middle finger causing Ginny to laugh out loud.

  Ivy met him on the front walk. “Didn’t you have to leave an hour ago?”

  “Not the way he drives,” Ginny snarked.

  Walker turned and gave his sister a dirty look. “If you plan on walking, you’d better start now.”

  “Oh, you lurves me, you know you do.” But Ginny wisely shut up and sat back in her seat after giving Ivy a farewell wave.

  “We’ve got lots of time. I don’t know why Ginny came back, though. She’s been up in Rocky Mountain House for most of the week helping get things ready.”

  Ivy gave his sister a sharp glance then stepped closer to Walker so Ginny couldn’t overhear. “She plans to interrogate you.”

  Probably. “I don’t mind. She’s been gone for nearly a year, and she leaves again a few days after the wedding. It’s kind of nice to have extra time to chat by ourselves.”

  Ivy laid a hand on his chest and patted him gently. “Have a good time, wish Dare and Jesse all the best, and I’ll see you when you get back.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her, ignoring the wolf whistles that rose from both sides as their sisters added colour-commentary. And when laughter rang out, he pulled back from the kiss to discover both he and Ivy had lifted a hand in the air, middle fingers raised in salute.

  “Ivy Fields, you’d better make sure none of your students catch you doing that,” he teased her.

  Her cheeks were flushed but she gave back as good as she got. “Walker Stone, you’d better not let my grandma catch you doing that.”

  He left her after one final squeeze and got in the truck where Ginny proceeded to talk his ear off for the first two hours of the trip. It was fascinating to hear about all of the things she’d seen and the new things she’d learned.

  “Once I get back I plan to completely overhaul the CSA garden program. I’m so excited.” Ginny leaned back in her seat and guzzled down a bunch of water. She had to be parched after talking nonstop for so long.

  There was another reason why they had to keep Silver Stone. Right now Ginny was exploring the world and learning new things, but Silver Stone was home. That’s where her gardens were, and the last thing he wanted was for her to come home and have nowhere to put all this enthusiasm.

  Ginny reached over and squeezed his hand. “It’s good to see you and Ivy together.”

  Her tone alone said she was gloating. “It’s amazing how you make it sound as if you said I told you so when those words didn’t come out of your mouth.”

  His sister twisted in her seat so she could face him. “You guys were so cute together before, and now you’re even cuter.”

  “Here’s a clue, ‘cute’ is not usually a description most guys like attached to them.”

  “Awesome, then. Regal, inspiring. Pick your adjective. But I’m glad you’re together. Only, if you can hold off on your weddin
g until—”

  “Whoa. Back up your horses.” He glanced at her briefly before focusing on the highway. “We’re not getting married.”

  “Not yet, but since I’m leaving in a few days, there’s not really enough time to organize anything. So if you can, wait until next summer. And no going off and getting married with nobody around like Tamara and Caleb did.”

  Time to change the subject. “It made sense for them to get married on the down-low.”

  “Of course it did, but when you and Ivy get married—”

  “Ginny, you never told me about the men in your life. Is there anyone I need to go over to Europe to beat up?” Not something he’d usually ask her. It was more a ploy to stop her current line of conversation in its tracks.

  Only when he expected her to make a snarky joke in reply, she went quiet.

  Oh, shit. “What the hell? There is. What’s his name? What’d he do?”

  “Nothing,” Ginny insisted, but her face had flushed bright red. “It’s nothing serious, and I’m not about to talk to you about my European flings.”

  Good grief. “Flings, as in plural?”

  Ginny rolled her eyes and gave him one of her patented duh faces. “Yes, Walker. I’ve been cavorting all over the European countryside leaving broken hearts in my wake.”

  Well, that he could approve of. “Broken hearts are fine. But if anybody’s disrespectful or needs to be beat on, I don’t mind taking a trip.”

  Ginny’s laughter filled the cab as she punched him lightly in the shoulder. “My defender. Don’t worry, I’m taking care of myself and being careful. I really am so appreciative of this time to go away. Thanks for helping to make it happen.”

  He hadn’t done anything. “Caleb and Luke are the ones you should thank.”

  “I have. Caleb at least. Luke has been awfully quiet these days. Is something wrong, other than he’s still engaged to the wicked witch of the west?”

  “Penny’s not that bad.”

  Ginny sat in silence until he glanced at her so that he could see her face. She’d arched one brow all the way up to her hairline. “Not that bad? Ha.”

  “Luke wants her, and until he doesn’t, I’ll do what I can to support him.”

  Ginny sat back and put her feet up on the dash. “Well, I just hope things turn out all right, whatever that looks like. Just like I want the best for you and Ivy. You deserve it.”

  He wasn’t going to argue with her, so they passed the rest of the trip with friendly, generic conversation.

  They arrived at the Six Pack ranch and got swept into the horde that was the Coleman clan. It looked as if almost everyone else was already there, and he got more hugs and handshakes in thirty minutes than in a week back home.

  Tamara pushed his nephew Joey into his arms. “He wants to see his mom, and Dare was asking for you. She’s out back by the garden.”

  Walker worked his way through the crowds, thinking how good it was Ivy hadn’t come. It would’ve been far too many people.

  He looked his nephew in the eye. “You don’t have a problem being around big groups, do you, kid?”

  Joey smiled then snapped a hand up, catching the brim of Walker’s hat and tipping it off in a well-practiced move for a nine-month-old.

  Walker laughed as he swooped down, recovering his hat, then lifted Joey high in the air to hear the kid squeal with delight. “Nope. You don’t have problems with a lot of people being around at all, which is a good thing.”

  He found Dare in the garden, where to his amazement, she was picking beans and dropping them into an ice cream pail. “Is this some wedding ritual I’m not aware of?”

  She glanced up from her work, delight streaking across her face. “Hey, Walker. Glad you made it.” She gave him a hug, kissing Joey on the cheek before going back to her task. “I wanted something mindless to distract me for a while. The beans need to be picked, so I may as well do it.”

  Walker shifted his nephew Joey from one arm to the other, pulling the tyke’s hands off the brim of his cowboy hat before the kid had it on the ground for the third time in three minutes. “Works for me.”

  “So. If you’re seeing Ivy again, how come she didn’t come?” his foster sister demanded.

  “It was going to be too much,” Walker admitted. “Ivy said you’d remember her being uncomfortable around a lot of strangers. I think the Coleman clan qualifies as a lot, even though they’re not strangers to you anymore.”

  Dare nodded slowly. “Only she’s a teacher now. I thought being shy was something people outgrew.”

  Just like Ivy had mentioned the other day. It was something everybody assumed. “She can cope, but I didn’t want her to suffer through something that should be a celebration.”

  His sister stopped what she was doing, staring at him before wrapping her arms around him in a giant hug. “Oh, Walker.”

  He hugged her back, capturing her in a Joey sandwich, not quite sure what was going on. “Oh, Dare.”

  She laughed, patting him on the arm. “You always have been like this.”

  “Clueless?”

  A snort escaped her. “That, plus you’re just so sweet.”

  Walker made a gagging noise because he knew it would make her laugh.

  Dare took Joey from him and settled him expertly on one hip as she examined Walker more closely. “I’m serious. You’re a pretty special guy. When I think back to those years of chaos after my family died, I get different feelings when I think about all of you. Ginny was already like a sister to me, and that connection got richer. Caleb stepped in and did all the dad things. He made sure everything that had to get done on the list did. And he was stern enough in a good way to make us mind our manners.”

  “And Luke was mother? He can cook, but he’s not really the cuddly type.”

  She snorted. “But you’re right. Luke was mother, because he made sure to add fun things to the list Caleb got accomplished. Just like my Mom used to do with my Dad.”

  A wave of regret that was never going to go away struck again. “I’m so sorry your folks can’t be here for this, for you, today.”

  Her eyes got a little teary, but she nodded. “Don’t make me cry on my wedding day,” she warned. “And that’s exactly what I mean. You are special. You might have been a daydreamer, but you notice things in different ways. You’ve always understood. Caleb offered to walk me down the aisle. As sweet as that would be, it’s not what I want. It doesn’t change the fact that they’re gone.”

  Walker nodded slowly. “You’ve done an awful lot of standing on your own two feet since then. It makes sense for you to do this one under your own power as well. But you know all of us standing out there watching, we’re all supporting you one hundred percent.”

  Dare’s lips twisted, and her face screwed up into a rather terrifying scowl. “Damn you. I told you not to make me cry.”

  Walker opened his arms so she could step into them as he gave her and her son another hug. “I’m proud of you.”

  She gave a kind of chortling snort with an added sniffle as she gently pounded her fist against his chest. “Walker, stop talking.”

  “Stopping.” He squeezed extra tight before reaching into his pocket and grabbing a tissue. They played pass the toddler, Walker holding Joey briefly as he made concerned noises, reaching back to his crying mom.

  Dare wiped her face quickly before taking Joey from him and offering the kid soothing kisses. “Don’t worry, Buckaroo. Mommy’s okay. Her big brother is being all goopy sweet and making Mommy cry, but they’re good tears.”

  Walker watched his foster sister with her son, and truth rang loudly. He was proud of her. Proud of Caleb, and Luke, and Ginny for the ways they’d supported each other over the years. Heck, he was proud of Dustin’s enthusiasm that continued to grow by leaps and bounds.

  But as she put Joey back in his arms, Walker had to admit that he felt something else he wasn’t as comfortable with.

  Dare had gone through a lot, and she deserved every minut
e of the happiness she had right now. But she’d left Silver Stone to find her future, and he was a little sad he didn’t get to be a part of her life in the same way anymore.

  Maybe he even felt a touch jealous that she’d already worked through a lot of the difficult times and now was getting to enjoy the good parts of finding a partner and raising a family.

  Dare took off to do the next thing. One of his siblings took Joey from him, and Walker spent time wandering amongst the Coleman clan.

  So much joy surrounded him. Oh, there were a few tears at times, and a few squabbles. It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely was family as he watched Tamara hug her sisters tight. And when all of them gathered together to witness the newlyweds’ vows, Walker was so close to feeling the solution to his problem.

  It was like having a word on the tip of his tongue that he couldn’t remember. There was a way for him to help his family and be with Ivy. But until he could commit to that one hundred percent, it wasn’t fair to say the words.

  He loved Ivy, he always had. That wasn’t the issue. Love wasn’t enough, not to help his entire family and be there for them.

  Although, as laughter broke out during the wedding ceremony, he had to admit it seemed as if love could accomplish amazing things.

  What was the solution? What was the answer?

  19

  The summer was passing with shocking speed.

  Ivy headed back to school the third week of August. She was still on part-time hours for another week, but between getting started there and trying to get as much done on the house as possible, she found she was getting tired.

  Which meant something had to go, but it wasn’t going to be her time with Walker. That was the main thing giving her joy.

  He was busy as well as he continued to train and work long hours at the ranch. Through it all, he kept trying new activities to see if he could trigger a panic attack.