Kristen Ashley - Play It Safe

“Ivey –”

“No,” I shook my head, leaning in, now definitely mad, “no, Gray no. All my life I wanted two things, just two, a home and a family. They were fortunate to be born in a good one of both and they’ve shit on both and that is not right. That shit does not play. And I’m going to The Alibi and explaining these things.”

His ticked off vibe disintegrated and his face was near to tender when he said softly, “I get you, dollface, but you aren’t gonna get anywhere and I don’t want you to get anywhere. We’re solid. Fuck them.”

“No, they aren’t going to get away with that shit.”

“You’re not going there, Ivey.”

“I am, Gray.”

“You aren’t, Ivey.”

“I am, Gray!” I snapped. “They sat back and watched you drown. That is not cool in and of itself, family legacy or not, you’re just plain family and they should look out for you. But the fact is, you were drowning because you were taking care of their mother and that is absolutely, one hundred percent not right. They owe you ninety grand each and I’m gonna get it.”

“You won’t go to The Alibi because it’s a waste of time. I won’t take their money,” he returned.

“That’s okay because I will.”

His ticked off vibe came back before he said, “You won’t, Ivey. Shit’s fine now. I’m taken care of and so is Gran, you’ve seen to that. You’ve done enough. I don’t need them.”

“It’ll be a lot more fine when you have two hundred and seventy K in the bank. So fine, I bet you can use that money to pay off the note in full and get out from under that weight. And, by the way,” I added, “if, God willing, Mrs. Cody lives past her tenure that I paid for at that home, they’re doing their part then too.”

“They’re out of it.”

“It’s impossible to be out of it!” I cried. “They’re family.”

“Ivey, you are not goin’ to The Alibi.”

“I most certainly am.”

“You definitely are not.”

“Gray –”

“Ivey.”

“Gray!”

“Ivey.”

And there we were.

It must be said, I was Lash’s fake girlfriend for years and I never fought with him.

And I thought at that juncture Gray should know that.

“You know, I was Lash’s fake girlfriend for years and I never fought with him. Three days into living with you, we’re at it.”

Gray snapped his mouth shut, his jaw flexed, his eyes flashed then a muscle jumped in his cheek. Watching it I realized what I just said and that, even though Lash was gay, he’d had me for nearly the entire seven years Gray did not including four years of that in his bed.

And I knew Gray felt that, deeply.

Therefore, I was a total idiot.

Shit.

My mind was working through ways to make things right and/or apologize when Gray surged out of his seat, rounded the corner of the table and pulled me out of mine into his arms.

I was bracing, considering I thought this odd and had no clue where it was going when I felt his body shaking and I was tipping my head back to look up at him when he burst out laughing.

I blinked.

Still laughing, he dipped his chin and looked at me.

“Glad to hear you got on so well with your fake boyfriend.”

He wasn’t mad.

Still.

“That was a shit thing to say, Gray, and I shouldn’t have said it,” I said quietly.

“It true?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” I answered.

“Were you pissed?”

“Well, uh… yeah.”

“Ivey, honey, I could let myself go down the path of envy about the time that guy had with you and let that shit fester in my gut until it becomes bitter and leaks out to you. Instead, I’ve decided to be pleased as fuck you found a decent man to look out for you when I wasn’t around to do it. You guys got along, way I see it, it’s like gettin’ along with your best girlfriend. I know he’s a guy and, lookin’ at him, first instinct is to stake my claim. But he’s not about that and I gotta learn that because with you comes him.”

Now I remembered why I loved Gray.

He wasn’t done.

“Furthermore, if you actually were fuckin’ him, you’d argue. No doubt about it. Since you’re fuckin’ me, dollface, get ready because we can’t have what we have in bed without some of that passion leaking out into life. You have opinions, I will too, they clash, we’ll battle our corners. Just as long as we go to bed in the same bed every night and eventually find a way to sort our shit, we’ll be good.”

“But, we didn’t fight before, Gray,” I whispered.

His face softened with understanding before his equally soft voice replied, “First, seven years ago, you were findin’ your way to you. Now you’ve found you. The badass showgirl is out.” He grinned and gave me a squeeze. “And second, we lucked out. You had so much other shit goin’ on, that took focus so we didn’t have anything to fight about. My uncles were assholes back then and if we didn’t see eye-to-eye about how to deal with them, I hope you were or eventually would be in a place to tell me what was on your mind even if I didn’t agree with it and it ended with us having words.”

Yeah, I remembered why I loved Gray.

“Okay,” I said softly and his face dipped closer, turning serious.

“You’re home, Ivey. You’re safe here to do what you want, eat what you want to eat, be who you wanna be and you’re safe with me. Always. To do all that, you gotta just be you and feel free to speak your mind.”

Yep, totally remembered why I loved Gray.

“So, are you cool with me going to The Alibi?” I asked.

He grinned and I got another squeeze.

But he answered, “No.”

I was relaxing into him but at his word, I tensed.

He kept talking.

“But I can’t tie you to the fencepost so you do what you gotta do. Now, I say that knowin’ that they are no way in hell gonna give you ninety K, not a one of them. So it’s a waste of your time but you don’t mind wastin’ it, it’s your time, not for me to say.”

“What if I get them to give me the money?” I asked.

“They won’t.”

“Do they have it?”

“Those miserly bastards?” he asked.

“Uh… yeah,” I answered uncertainly because I didn’t know if they were miserly or not.

“They have it.”

“So…?” I trailed off.

“They won’t give you the money.”

“And if they do?”

Gray studied me.

Then he muttered, “We’ll see.”

Truly, I didn’t know if that was a win, loss or stalemate in the fight stakes. I was going to do what I wanted to do and Gray was convinced it was a fruitless effort.

So, I guessed we would see.

And thus endeth our first fight.

It wasn’t that bad and the best part about it, just like when he had an out-and-out with Grandma Miriam years ago, after it was done, it was done. We stretched out, cuddling on the couch in front of the TV. Then we stretched out not cuddling but doing other things in bed. Then after we were done with those things, we lay in bed cuddling and whispering about our days and what the next day would bring.

Then we slept and we did that cuddling too.

One and a half weeks later…

Like the last time I hit Mustang, it happened and it happened quickly.

I found my place easily.

Slotted right in.

And that place was with Gray on his land and it was being the me I’d come to be.

So there I was, in the grocery store in Mustang in my classy, high-heeled sandals, my designer jeans and a sophisticated but casual top. I’d dumped my big, designer bag in the child seat in the cart. I had makeup on, had spritzed with expensive perfume and my hair was long and wild like Gray liked it.

And I was in this getup perusing the grocery shelves in a small town on the plains of Colorado because this was me.

And there was a new part of me coming out seeing as all things to do with the ranch didn’t involve horseshit.

First, I took over feeding the horses. This wasn’t tough. I was getting to know the horses so I knew which to feed what but it did take time. Time Gray was glad he could use doing something else.

Second, once Gray taught me how, I took over releasing them from their stalls and leading them into the big paddocks Gray had so they could get some sunshine, walk around and be free.

Third, Gray restarted my horseback riding lessons and did it by taking me riding with him when he rode the ranch, further helping him keep the horses exercised but also helping me learn the lay of the land.

Fourth, he’d called Macy and released her from cleaning duties and I took over that, grocery buying and cooking.

Fifth, I took over the phones. Gray got a lot of calls about his peaches, his horses and his stallions who he loaned out and charged stud fees. He started telling folks who called his cell to call the house, gave me a crash course in breeding and peaches. I took to it easy as I took to everything easy and I dealt with them.

Sixth, I took over paying the bills and doing the ranch accounts. I had a head for figures and I had the time and Gray didn’t so he had no problem relinquishing this to me so he did.

And last, Gray taught me how to drive the small riding mower he had so I also took over mowing the front lawn and the areas around the house.

I’d also taken the time to clean out Gray’s truck and I was right. He hadn’t tidied since I left, or if he did, he did a half-assed job, and I had the date on an old receipt as proof.