Fierce (Wolf Ranch 5)

Rand, Clint’s younger brother, showed up along with Nash, his best friend. Maybe a couple others. I still hadn’t put them all together. Who was with whom and all that. As for names, I’d have to make name tags to get them all right.

When the men obeyed Marina and traipsed outside, I was left in the large kitchen with her, Audrey, Willow and Becky, Clint’s wife. Audrey and Becky both sat in chairs at the table with newborns in their arms. Becky’s baby, Lily, nursed noisily. Marina and Willow were busy preparing food at the central island.

Feeling awkward, I made faces at Lizzie, Audrey’s baby. “Do you want to hold her?” she asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.

I was a hard core introvert, not much of a people person, but I was a baby person. They were so soft, so tiny. So snuggly.

“Yes, please,” I admitted, scooting out a chair to sit beside her. Babies were like animals—totally innocent. Always themselves. No agenda. I took the chubby infant and cradled her in the crook of my arm where I could continue raising my eyebrows and smiling big.

“How old is she?” I wondered.

“Five months,” Audrey replied. “She’ll be sitting up on her own soon.”

“So how’s the breeding going?” Willow asked, looking up from slicing tomatoes.

I knew she meant Seraphina, and yet my thoughts instantly went to Levi. Yeah, if women paid a stud for breeding, he would fetch top dollar.

“It’s good. According to her hormone levels, implantation has already taken place. I’m just going to watch and make sure the levels keep doubling every day.”

“That’s great! But you still better stick around a while to be sure, right?” Marina asked with an impish expression on her face. “In case she needs a little more time with her stud?” She turned and waggled her brows.

My cheeks got hot, and I looked down at Lizzie who had her hand stuffed in her mouth.

Audrey’s gaze sharpened. “Ooh, is there something going on I should know about?”

All the women in the room turned to stare at me. I flushed. “Um…”

“Yay! There is, isn’t there?” Marina sounded triumphant.

“Wait—with whom?” Becky demanded. She lifted Lily up onto her shoulder to burp her.

“Levi!” Willow crooned, her eyes alight with something akin to glee.

Becky gasped. “Levi! Oh my God. And Clint was worried he was going to be bent out of shape about sharing the bunk house.”

“He wasn’t too bent out of shape,” I admitted, my body still relaxed and languid from the orgasm he gave me in the shower before we walked over.

“Aw, that makes me so happy,” Becky said. “Levi’s such a great guy. He’s quiet but completely reliable and trustworthy. Hard worker.”

“And loyal,” Willow added. “Rob said from the moment Levi arrived on Wolf Ranch, he’s been one hundred percent attached to it. Even now with his new duties as sheriff.”

“I’m only here for another week,” I said quickly, suddenly feeling like I was on one of those matchmaker shows. Not that I watched reality shows. I didn’t have time for TV.

Besides, knowing Levi would never leave Wolf Ranch didn’t do much to make me believe we had a chance beyond these two weeks. I had Pops at home in Colorado. I couldn’t leave him.

“Right, of course,” Becky said, but they all kept watching me with avid curiosity. I hated being the focus of attention, even as nice and welcoming as they all were.

“So does he talk more in private?” Becky asked.

“Yeah, does he? He’s usually the guy sitting quietly in the corner around here,” Willow said.

“Um, he talks some.” He used his tongue more for other things when we were together, though. But he’d divulged some of his secrets to me—his parents’ death and the lack of justice for it. Being raised by stifling grandparents who blamed his dad. It was no wonder he felt attached to this ranch, the first home he had after all that trauma. I felt welcome, and I’d only been here a few days.

And these people… they were kind. I could feel it.

Like the sweet baby staring up at me and smiling, they were unpretentious. Solid. Good people.

The vibe was one hundred percent different from Mr. Claymore’s ranch. The people here were more themselves than anyone I knew in Colorado. Even I felt almost comfortable here. Like I didn’t have anything to prove. Not as a woman, a person of color or a professional.

My opinions and boundaries were respected. Not that there were epic issues—besides Dax—at Claymore’s. But it was a working ranch. Literally that. Everyone was there because they received a paycheck. Everyone at this ranch, while receiving a living wage, lived here. This wasn’t just a workplace, but a home.

“Well, any chance you’ll have to come back? Bring another horse here to breed with our studs?” Marina asked.