Page 11 of Buck Me (Kingridge Ranch #5)

DANNER

We’re out digging in the clay, the sun beating down on our backs. But the air is thick with satisfaction today. The news of the grant approval changes everything.

Around the ranch, the mood’s lighter. My brothers have eased up, too, and not just on me. It seems they’re ready to get along with each other, too. There’s laughter between the rows of wildflowers. They’ve been out here all morning putting in the work with real teamwork.

It feels like actual peace, and it’s all thanks to Becca. She’s helped me find my place on the ranch. When we got the news of the grant approval, we’d been working around the clock for days. Except for the hours we’d spent tangled up in each other.

I read the email and ran across the field to her.

I scooped her in my arms and lifted her off the ground.

We kissed, covered in dirt. She laughed as the wind whipped her hair.

I carried her straight to the shower, both of us still half-dressed, water streaming over her curves as I pressed her against the tile wall.

She was hungry for me. I felt her desperation in a way that made my chest tight with possession. Her nails raked down my back as I lifted her. Becca’s legs wrapped around my waist as I buried myself deep inside of her.

"Mine," I'd growled against her throat.

In response, she’d gasped, "Yours." I moved inside her and claimed her all over again.

The guys have made their way to other tasks for the day. But Becca’s still here with me now. The truth is, I like having her all to myself. I’m drawn to her like a magnet, and I can’t get enough. She’s slipped her shoes off and her hair is a mess just the way I like it.

The memory of her falling apart in my arms is still fresh in my mind this morning. The way she cried my name as she came undone is burned into my brain. I can still taste her on my lips. I can still feel the way she tightened around me when I followed her over the edge.

She smiles up at me, standing in the center of our dream coming to life. “Look what we did, Danner. This is going to be amazing.” There’s dirt smudged across her cheek. She’s got her folder tucked under one arm and a smile that knocks me sideways every time she looks at me.

I close the distance between us. “You did. Look what you did.” I brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

The sound of footsteps interrupts my would-be kiss with her, and I roll my eyes in anticipation of a Kingridge brother crisis. “Let me guess, the damn goat is out again?”

But when I turn, it isn’t my brothers.

He stands just past the last row of raised beds, arms crossed, eyes fixed on Becca with razor-sharp scrutiny.

“Shit.” Becca freezes beside me, color draining from her face.

Randolph barrels towards us like he owns the place. His face is turned down into a scowl, and I can all but feel the heat coming off of him.

I step forward to intercept him. “Randolph.”

He moves around me and rips the folder from Becca’s hands. “What’s this?” The voice hits like a cold gust.

“We are—” she starts, but her voice falters. She swallows hard.

Randolph steps toward her, jaw tight. Becca looks away, and I don’t like that look on her face. I don’t like what it says about how many times she’s had to back down just to keep the peace.

My heart rate ticks up, and I see red. Without thinking, I move between them. My hand goes flat against his chest. “Let’s calm down.” It takes everything in me to keep my tone level even as tension vibrates in my bones. “I don’t remember inviting you to come here.”

“Danner,” Becca turns to me and shakes her head. Her voice is tight with panic. She flashes me a desperate look that punches straight through my ribs.

“No, he’s not going to talk to you like that. Not here.” My heart thuds in my chest. Anger seethes through me. I consider what it would take to lay him flat on his back. Not much, maybe I’m a Kingridge after all.

“Danner, stop.” This time her words are strong and sharp.

But why are they directed at me?

“Dad,” she says, stepping forward. “I want to be a part of this. I am a part of this. I think if you got out of your own way, even just a little, you’d see that they aren’t the problem here.”

Randolph doesn’t answer.

Instead, he yanks the folder from her arms and flips it open. His eyes scan the pages like they’ve betrayed him.

“You're helping them,” he sneers. “You’re helping them with your… drawings ?” He lets out a bitter, mocking laugh that makes my fists clench. “Well, art saves the day after all."

“It has, Randolph,” I blurt. “Her drawing has?—”

“Danner!” Becca snaps at me.

Randolph raises his voice. “Rebecca, I don’t know what you’re doing with this grown man, but you look like trash . Unpolished. Unkempt. Gallivanting with one of them . Is this really the person you want to be? Is this a good look? I’ll let you decide.”

His voice drips with venom. Like she’s an embarrassment. Like she’s disposable. Becca exhales, long and slow. Her chin lifts, but I can see the glassiness in her eyes.

“Enough,” I roar. “Enough. I’m not going to stand by and watch this. You’re done here, Randolph.”

Randolph's voice drops to that tone that makes my skin crawl. It’s quiet, controlled, and lethal.

"You think you’re clever with this little grant stunt, but you’re playing a game you aren’t going to win.

Rebecca, you’re going to come home with me right now, or I'm calling the county inspector about those water permits. I noticed they weren’t pulled before the application process got underway.

One phone call, and this whole project gets shut down pending a six-month environmental review.

" His smile is razor-sharp. "Their grant, their garden, their precious little family legacy… gone. But if you come home now, we’ll walk away. We’ll make our peace with this little farm and forget it ever happened. Your choice, sweetheart."

“There’s no way, Randolph. You’re full of shit and we know it. The grant is done.”

But Becca steps away from me. She puts a hand around her throat like a noose. “This isn’t about me anymore. It’s so much bigger and we’re so close. It isn’t worth it. I have to go.”

“Are you joking?” I ask the words out before I can stop them. My eyes widen. “What? Becca, no, we’ll be okay. I’ve got you.”

She pulls her shoulders back, and the real her fades into a polished veneer that looks anything but authentic. “That’s fine, I’ll go home. We’ll move forward.”

“Becca…”

But she doesn’t answer.

Instead, she turns and walks away. After everything we’ve done. After last night. After us .

I stand there, rooted in the red clay. I feel the earth shift under my boots, and I think I might be sick. I gave her my whole heart. I let myself believe in love all over again. I let my guard down… But this time, I refuse to believe that I’m not enough.

I know that I can love Becca like no one else can. I know that she belongs with me, and I’m not going to stop until I have her in my arms forever.