Grayson Falls Read online

  Grayson Falls

  Copyright © 2019 Fiery Vision Publishing,

  Fiery Vision Graphics & Vision Anthologies

  Alexandra Reed

  Cover Design: Francessca Wingfield of Francessca’s PR & Design

  Photo: Nathan Hailine

  Editor: Kitka Buchanan

  Formatting: Sam Clingenpeel

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Grayson Falls

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One Darcy

  Chapter Two Grayson

  Chapter Three Darcy

  Chapter Four Grayson

  Chapter Five Darcy

  Chapter Six Grayson

  Chapter Seven Darcy

  Chapter Eight Grayson

  Chapter Nine Darcy

  Chapter Ten Grayson

  Chapter Eleven Darcy

  Chapter Twelve Grayson

  Chapter Thirteen Darcy

  About the Author

  Connect with the Author

  Grayson Falls

  By Alexandra Reed

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated in its entirety to Agata – my best friend, my rock, my inspiration. You are the light to my darkness. You motivate me to be a better person, push me to new limits and give me the strength to live each day to its fullest. I don’t know what I would do without you.

  Acknowledgements

  A huge thank you to Nathan Hainline for being such an amazing muse. I’m grateful and honored to have a true gentleman on the cover of my book.

  Thank you to Francessca Wingfield of Francessca’s PR & Design for the incredible cover image. I am extremely honored to have your design on my book baby.

  Last but by no means least, a huge thank you to all at Fiery Vision Publishing for their hard work and help in getting my baby out into the world. It is an honor to be publishing with you. You guys rock big time.

  Chapter One

  Darcy

  Darcy Quinn was stuck. Literally. Glancing down at the steep incline below her, she began to feel dizzy.

  “Bright idea, Darcy,” she muttered as she once again attempted to dislodge her foot from the hole it was wedged in. “You could have just kept walking. But no. You had to try to climb Mount Freaking Everest just to see a stupid waterfall.” Okay, so it wasn’t exactly Mount Everest, but for someone who had as much coordination as a newborn foal, it may not have been the best idea she’d ever had. Darcy began to laugh to herself. It was the story of her life. One bad judgement call after another. She really should have learnt her lesson by now...

  “Need some help?”

  Darcy glanced up, and, given her precarious position, had to brace herself from falling over. Standing a few feet above her was quite possibly the sexiest man she had ever laid eyes on. Finding herself suddenly mute, she could only stand there like an absolute fool while the chiseled hunk made his way down to her. Very agilely too, she noticed.

  “You really should have taken the main path. It’s a lot easier to maneuver, especially for those not used to hiking,” he said, squatting down to assess the situation.

  “Um,” Darcy stuttered. “I didn’t realize that there was another path.”

  The man looked up at her briefly, a lopsided grin on his devilishly handsome face. “I’ll do my best to be gentle,” he said, with a subtle wink.

  Darcy may have felt dizzy before, but now she felt positively faint. What the hell was wrong with her? It wasn’t like her to react this way to a guy. Although, this wasn’t your average run of the mill kind of guy. No. He was much more than that. He was the spitting image of a mix of Captain America and Thor, all rolled into one delicious specimen of a man.

  Darcy flushed. This would not do, she chastised herself.

  “I’m just going to give it a tug, so hold on to me,” The man said, gently gripping her ankle.

  Darcy snorted. Dissolving into a fit of giggles as her imagination ran rampant, she lost her balance as he popped her foot free from the hole. She flailed her arms and attempted to regain her footing only to find herself toppling backwards.

  He reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her towards him. Before she knew what was happening, she was lying on top of him, her supple body molded perfectly to his muscular one.

  “You okay?” he asked, his dark grey eyes staring intensely into hers.

  Finding herself lost in the depths of his gaze, she could only focus on the pressure of his hand against her back, the firmness of his chest against hers and the fact that her heart appeared to be skipping beats with every second that passed.

  “Yes, thank you,” she squeaked, attempting to wriggle away from him.

  “Stay still,” he barked, holding her tighter.

  She froze, uncertain and suddenly afraid. She didn’t know this man. Who knew what his intentions were? She of all people should know that people weren’t always who they portrayed themselves to be.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just that your wriggling is causing a slight problem. You know,” he explained, looking embarrassed.

  She felt herself go red as she realized a certain part of his anatomy was more prominent than it had been a few moments earlier.

  He reached up and brushed her long blonde hair away from her eyes. Her desire and confusion seemingly reflected in his eyes as their breathing synchronized. Before she could say anything, he maneuvered them both into a sitting position, lifting her off his lap and setting her down beside him. She could hear him taking deep breaths – or maybe that was her. Darcy shook her head. What the hell was happening?

  “I’m Grayson. Grayson Ashford,” he said, turning to look at her, his hand extended.

  She instinctively put her hand out to take his. “Darcy Quinn,” she replied, smiling shyly as he squeezed her hand. “Thank you for helping me out of my...umm...predicament.”

  Grayson laughed. A warm, rich, throaty laugh that sent shivers of fire coursing through her very being.

  “Any time,” he said, standing up. “Just stick to the easier paths from now on, though.”

  Darcy moved to stand, falling back down when the world began to spin around her. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let this ‘God’ of a male specimen see her cry.

  “You can’t stand, can you?” he observed. Without waiting for a response, he helped Darcy to her feet and scooped her up into his arms. Within minutes, they were at the top of the incline. He made his way towards the opposite side of the hill where he placed her down, taking a breather.

  “I’m sure I can manage if you just get me back to my car,” Darcy said, flustered.

  “You can’t walk, let alone drive,” Grayson shot back. “I’ll drive you into town to the docs and get someone to collect your car,” he said, lifting her up and continuing towards his vehicle.

  Considering how determined he sounded, Darcy realized that there was no point arguing with him. Besides, she was tired. Tired of running from her life. Tired of going it alone and being independent all the time. Damn. She was just plain tired. An
d yet she still had her pride, pride that was being sorely wounded right now.

  She allowed him to place her in his pickup truck, which he did effortlessly and with a sexy smile. Darcy wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or annoyed that he had taken control of the situation and just expected her to go along with him.

  “I don’t even know who the hell you are,” Darcy protested. “You could be an axe-murderer for all I know.”

  Grayson took a step back, seemingly perplexed that his character was in question, before he threw his head back and burst out laughing.

  “I’m glad I amuse you,” Darcy grumbled, moving to get out of the truck.

  Still chuckling, he stopped her. “I’m sorry, I’ve just never considered myself to be potential axe-murderer material.”

  Darcy crossed her arms over her chest, silently seething at being made fun of, actively resisting the urge to join in his contagious mirth.

  Gathering himself, Grayson leaned towards her. “Miss Quinn, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m the town Sheriff. It’s my job to ensure you are taken care of and not harmed in any way. Okay?”

  Darcy flushed. Regardless of how many other people he had probably said the same words to, for some reason they made her feel special. There seemed to be an undertone to everything he said to her. Or maybe she was imagining it. More than likely, she was just making it up in her head. Damn, she couldn’t be that starved for love. Could she? Feeling the familiar pangs of self-doubt and loneliness beginning to creep in, she forced a smile and nodded at him.

  He observed her for a moment, as if he were attempting to figure her out. Giving up, he shrugged his shoulders, closed her door and made his way round to the driver’s side.

  Silently he put the truck into gear and drove off towards town. Darcy stared out the window, watching as the forest area became thicker and darker.

  “Where exactly are you taking me?” she asked, tentatively.

  “My town,” he replied, indicating a sign up ahead.

  Darcy glanced at it as they drove past, “Grayson Falls? You were named after the town?”

  “In a way,” he said.

  She turned her attention to him. Observing him from the corner of her eye as they drove, the forest thinning and blending with civilization the closer they got to the actual town. Grayson Ashford certainly was a mysterious man. He seemed to be someone who kept things close to the chest. His looks may have disarmed her, but there was something deeper, something darker that drew her to him. Something that frightened her at the same time. Darcy couldn’t put her finger on it, but she’d always had a sixth sense about people and situations. For a long time, she had done her best to ignore her gut. Going with her heart and turning a blind eye to the red flags that were warning her to run from danger. It took nearly dying for her to wake up and realize the only person her ignorance was hurting was herself. Once she allowed her gut to take the lead, she became more aware of herself, others around her and the situation she had found herself in.

  That was all it took for her to run. What she was running to, she hadn’t quite figured out just yet. But she knew what she was running from, and that was motivation enough to keep going and not to look back.

  “Where are you from?” Grayson asked, slowing as they approached an old red brick building.

  “Georgia,” she replied without thinking. Damn. Why had she told him the truth? What was the point of running from her past when she blurted things out without thinking?

  Darcy breathed a sigh of relief when he parked the truck and got out. Hoping he wouldn’t pursue the subject any further, she opened her door. Before she could move, she found herself once again, in his arms, being carried towards an open door.

  “Coop!” Grayson yelled, maneuvering through the doorway.

  “Yo, what’s up?” a man replied from another room.

  “Got a patient for you.”

  “So, I see.”

  Darcy looked up towards the sound of the voice and felt faint again. What was with this town? Was there something in the water? Standing a few feet away was another drop-dead handsome specimen of a man. He was as blonde as Grayson was dark, with piercing blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. His presence oozed sex and sin and made parts of her tingle. The man indicated that Grayson should bring her through and, as he followed who she could only assume was the town doctor, she closed her eyes and imagined a scenario where the three of them took turns ‘examining’ each other.

  “What happened?”

  “Found Miss Quinn here in a sticky predicament up at the Falls. Her foot was wedged in a gopher hole. Managed to get her free, but she almost fainted when she stood up.”

  “Put her on the table and let me have a look.”

  “Sure thing, Coop,” Grayson said, gently placing her on the examination table. “Miss Quinn, this is our doctor. Cooper Ashford.”

  “Ashford?” she replied, her gaze flicking between them as she compared the two men.

  Grayson laughed, “Yeah, for all his sins, he’s my younger brother.”

  Brothers? Shit, this was bad. Her gut was raging a war with her heart big time. Two of the sexiest men to have ever crossed paths with and they just happened to be brothers. What were the chances?

  “I’ll get your car sorted while Coop here checks you over. If you give me the keys, that is?” Grayson smiled, holding out his hand.

  “Um, yeah, sure.” She fumbled in her jeans pocket for the keys, handing them over to him, completely disarmed by the two God-like men standing in front of her.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Grayson said, pocketing the keys. “Take good care of her, bro.”

  “Oh, I will. Don’t you worry about a thing. Miss Quinn and I will be right here waiting for you, getting all acquainted like,” Cooper replied, grinning cockily.

  Grayson just shook his head and turned to leave.

  “So, let’s look at that pretty ankle of yours, Miss Quinn. Make sure my brother didn’t do any damage when he rescued you,” Coop said, pulling a chair round to sit in front of her.

  “Darcy.”

  “Pardon?”

  “My name. It’s Darcy. Miss Quinn makes me sound like an old schoolmarm.”

  Cooper burst out laughing. “Well, if it’s any consolation, you definitely don’t look like one.”

  Darcy blushed, watching as he proceeded to examine her ankle.

  “Right, well it doesn’t appear to be broken. There’s some bruising, but I don’t see that any serious damage has been done.”

  “So, when will I be able to drive?”

  “Not for a while. There’s a chance of some swelling and discomfort. We need to keep an eye on it and make sure it’s iced and elevated.”

  “Damn.” Darcy sighed. Since leaving Atlanta, she hadn’t stayed in one place for longer than a couple days at the most. She couldn’t.

  “You okay, Darcy?” Cooper asked, his voice filled with concern.

  “Yeah, I just kind of need to be somewhere.”

  “Can you get someone to come and pick you up?”

  “No,” Darcy said quickly. “Can you just do what you need to, so I can figure out how to get out of here, please?”

  Cooper gave her a similar look to the one Grayson had given her earlier. She was causing far too much suspicion for her liking. This would not do. The sooner she got out of this town the better.

  “Sure, I just need to check your blood pressure and vitals,” he said, eyeing her warily as he got up to get his blood pressure monitor.

  “Okay. Thank you,” Darcy said, leaning back against the wall, weariness weighing her body down.

  It wasn’t long before Cooper had finished the examination and sat back down in his chair. She watched him as he wrote on a pad fervently.

  “So, will I live?” she joked half-heartedly.

  “Your blood pressure is considerably higher than I’d like it to be. Do you have any medical issues I should be aware of?” Cooper asked, absently placing his pen behind his ear.

>   Darcy smiled, it was endearing. His boyish charm oddly contradicted his professional demeanor, and yet she couldn’t imagine him without either. Which was odd, considering she didn’t even know the man. “No, nothing that I know off,” she replied, averting her eyes. She wasn’t ready to let anyone see. Or know.

  Cooper stood and approached her, his brow furrowed. “In that case, I’m going to need to run some tests and do a proper examination.”

  “No!” Darcy replied forcefully. She awkwardly stood, only to find herself in Cooper’s arms as her ankle gave out on her.

  “Hold up, Darcy. You’re not going anywhere on that ankle without crutches.”

  “Damn it,” she hissed, furious at her inability to escape his prying eyes.

  “Where’s the fire anyhow?” Cooper asked, helping her back onto the table.

  “No fire. I just need to get going is all.”

  “Well, as I said before, you aren’t going anywhere for a while, not until you can drive,” Cooper stated matter-of-factly, walking across the room to open a door. He reached in and retrieved a pair of crutches, which he brought back to her.

  She reluctantly took the crutches and allowed him to help her to stand. Being uncoordinated by nature, Darcy found it extremely difficult to use them. Cooper had to steady her a few times when she’d tripped over her own feet.

  “You’ll get the hang of it soon enough,” he said, biting back laughter as he watched her stumbling around the room.

  Darcy glared at him, hobbling back to the examination table to sit down.

  They sat there, both observing the other with trepidation, Darcy more so than Cooper.

  “Do you have anywhere to stay?” he asked, finally breaking the deathly silence.

  “No, I wasn’t planning on even coming to this town, let alone ending up being stuck in it,” Darcy grumbled.

  “Our town’s not that bad, Darcy.”

  “Sorry, I get a bit grumpy when I’m tired, hungry and in pain.”

  Wordlessly, Cooper jumped to his feet, walked over to open a cabinet and returned to her with a glass of water and painkillers.