Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Ashley

Time moved quickeron the ranch.

It felt like only days had passed when I looked up to realize it was more like weeks. The seasons would change soon, and I’d get to see another version of this place. I’d learn more about the men who worked here while also discovering who I was in this new era of my life.

Since the day Corey told everyone our story, the guys have all welcomed me even further into their fold. We’d spent lunch and dinner talking it over, then it was fine. They acted as if nothing was wrong.

It had confused the hell out of Corey. I was less surprised though. When he’d asked me why, I told him my point of view.

“These guys love you and trust you. They don’t see what you did as lying or even keeping secrets. It was your truth to protect. They each had their own along the way, right?” I paused to let him think it over. At his nod, I continued, “So then why is yours any different?”

I was rewarded with a lengthy blowjob and rimming session that night. It was my preferred method of praise if I were honest.

Being celibate for as long as I had been wasn’t really a chore. Sex was a thought, more fleeting than anything. You reach a certain point where it just doesn’t matter as much. I had no clue how much that would change once I gave myself over to someone so completely.

I was always horny for Corey. Fresh from the shower, soaked in sweat after a hard day of work, or middle of the night after a nightmare, it never mattered. So long as I could have him, I’d do anything he asked to get a taste.

“What are you thinking about, baby?” He murmured in my ear, drawing me back to the meal we were having with the guys. “Your cheeks are bright red, and you seem far off. I wonder what it could be.”

I ducked my head to avoid catching anyone’s gaze. “Nothing,” I whispered in reply.

Atticus cleared his throat as he addressed the table. “Today’s a little different. Bobby Allen is going to go pick up those horses he looked at a couple weeks ago. There are two mares that need the kind of help we can give. Griffin is going to help him along the way too. That means I’ll need someone to help Elton with the horses.”

My hand shot up quickly. I knew I looked silly by the way everyone laughed, but I didn’t care. Working with the horses had become something special for me. It was therapeutic to watch these big, beautiful animals who had lived through tough times find their way again.

Maybe it reminded me a little of myself. I wasn’t a big, beautiful animal, but I did live through tough times. In my mind, finding my way to the Coleman Ranch was no different from these rescue animals getting brought here. The requests were still the same: peace after pain.

“Since someone is enthusiastic about the work, I think we’ll go with letting Ashley help today. There isn’t any other news to discuss so I suggest we get going. Daylight will disappear before we know it.” Atticus clapped his hands together, then rubbed them as he smiled at everyone.

As the room dispersed, I slipped past everyone to follow Elton outside. I barely made it to the porch when I felt a tug on my arm. Daddy was there with a smirk in place.

“Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t get my goodbye kiss.”

His mouth covered mine in a kiss so heated, I heard a few whistles from the others as they passed us. It didn’t stop him in the slightest.

Once we pulled apart, Daddy’s all smiles. “Now I can spend the morning without you. I’ll need to refill the kiss bank at lunch, but for now, we’re good.”

“Ok, Daddy. See you at lunch.” I floated away from him, my body nothing but mush after such a thorough kissing.

At the stables, I found Elton already looking over the checklist Bobby Allen usually kept up with. He looked up at me as I walked in.

I was used to being the biggest guy in the room a lot of the time. It was kind of hard not to be when you were my size. It didn’t usually bother me, but with the quick, wide-eyed glance Elton tossed my way, I wondered if it would be a problem.

Pausing before I reached him, I held both hands up. “I could do something else if you want. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You don’t,” he said quickly as he stepped closer. “It just that you’re so… big. I’m sorry if that’s rude. I’ve never seen someone in real life who is as tall and wide as you. I imagine this is how people in movies feel when they meet superheroes.”

I laughed as I shook my head. “Not a superhero. Just a man who was bored a lot and only had the gym to fix things. Plus, the more in shape I was, the better I could do my job.”

“That makes sense. Well, today we’re going to put those muscles to use. I know that you pretty much already know what to do. The only new thing today is getting the stalls ready for the new horses first. We hadn’t made much progress before now since they said we’d have another week until pick up.”

“Any reason they called it in early?” I asked as I reviewed the list he handed over. I didn’t see anything on there I wasn’t familiar with.

Elton was on my good side, so even though I was looking away, I could hear him just fine. “There was abuse happening, and I think they finally had enough proof. Those poor babies will finally get some peace by coming here. Daddy will take great care of them.”

“He will. He treats all the animals with such tender care.” I paused as I looked over at him. “You too. I only know a small part of your story, but there’s enough for me to piece it together. Bobby Allen takes care of you and these animals like they’re his most treasured relationships.”

The man beside me laughed as he nodded quickly. “I think we might be. Before he found me on the side of the road that day, he’d learned what it was like to care for something broken and skittish. I like to think the animals prepared him for me.”

My heart hurt for the young man. He’d experienced more pain in his short life than he should have. I respected him greatly and felt empathy for his journey.

“You’re very wise, Elton,” I said as we began working on laying out the hay in the stall. We worked together in silence for several minutes before he replied.

“I don’t know if wise is the word. Besides, you’re not clueless or anything. You’ve journeyed far and wide protecting your country. That says a lot about you as a person, Ashley.”

I paused to lean on the pitchfork. “I’m not sure it does. I enlisted because there weren’t any other options at the time. From there, it was my job. I’d lost my parents since they were older when they had me, and with no family left, I just kept at it.”

“Until Corey.”

“Yes. Until him, I didn’t think there would be much waiting for me stateside. It doesn’t make me wise or brave or any of the things people call me,” I admitted.

It was something I didn’t tell others. I knew it made me sound ungrateful, but it wasn’t that at all. My life was a matter of circumstances rather than some noble adventure people liked to think of it as.

The morning continued on like that with us trading stories back and forth about our lives and struggles. Most of the conversation stayed bright. I avoided anything negative to keep both of our minds in a safe place. Even so, we couldn’t pretend the bad didn’t happen. Elton explained his abuse in a shortened version as did I with my service times that involved combat.

By the time lunch rolled around, I felt like he and I would become great friends. Despite the lengthy age gap, the kindred energy between us was undeniable. He’d be someone I could call on in a time of frustration in which Daddy just wouldn’t do. And I could be the same for him.

Not that either of us thought there’d be much our Daddies couldn’t fix.

“Is it weird calling him Daddy now?” Elton asked as we went up to the main house to eat.

I shrugged my shoulders as I stuffed my hands in my jeans. Was it weird calling him that out loud? No, not really. Did it still trip me up to think of him that way when he’d been more like an imaginary friend before? That was a definite yes.

The letters kept a level of distance in our relationship. It wasn’t like I didn’t believe there to be another person on the other side of the envelopes. More like I couldn’t see or touch him, so it was safe to live out all my wildest fantasies with him.

Even the ones where I called another man Daddy.

“It’s not weird at all. I don’t know how to explain it without sounding like I’m delusional.”

“It’s ok to be delusional sometimes. Daddy tells me to dream big all the time. If you were to dream big, what would that look like? What’s the big dream, Ashley?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “To have a family.”

Elton smiled at me as he gave an understanding nod. “I think you might find yourself living the dream sooner than you think. The others already consider you one of us. It’s only a matter of time until you catch up with our way of thinking.”

My mouth went dry as I tried to accept his words. I knew what this place felt like. And I knew what I wanted it to be. Problem was, I didn’t have the only say in things. If Corey and I were to ever split, then I’m sure they’d all pick his side.

Granted, I don’t ever want to think of a time when he wasn’t my Daddy. I would be miserable.

“What are you two doing just standing around? It’s time to eat.” Beau rubbed his hands together as he licked his lips. He rushed up the stairs to head inside.

“We should get in there. He’ll eat the place down. Him and Corey both.”

I followed him into the house where a bunch of the other guys had already made it in. I stood around watching them get their plates filled. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to be with these men, even though I hadn’t been here all that long.

When a set of arms wrapped around me from behind, I grinned. “You shouldn’t wait until they’ve plowed through there. You’ll miss all the best options.”

Turning to face him, I let my smile widen. “I didn’t want to start without you.”

I hadn’t realized it was true until that very moment. As welcome as I felt with the whole crew, there was a special feeling I got when Corey was around. It was like he fit perfectly into the puzzle piece shaped hole in my life.

“I’m here now. Let’s get some food in my baby’s belly.”

He led the path through the crowd of men until we were lined up next to the buffet style spread on the kitchen counter. Daddy grabbed two plates, then gave me the stink eye as I reached for my own.

“These aren’t both for me, silly. Is there anything here you won’t eat?” I shook my head. “Good boy.”

I watched him pile food on the plate patiently. After he finished to his liking, he handed me the stack of food and motioned to the table.

Following his silent instruction, I took off for a space where we could sit together. A lot of the guys had already torn through their food and were getting up to put their dishes away.

I slipped into a spot when Holt stood. As I sat, I felt someone approach the empty seat beside me. I looked up to find Daddy there with a knowing grin. He could tell I was about to ask the person to leave the seat empty for him.

“Busted,” I told him.

Once we were both seated, we dove into the meal. There wasn’t much to talk about with how busy we’d all been today, but it was nice to have him close.

It felt good.

It felt natural.

It felt like family.