Ballad of Love (Utah Lovin’ Book 1)

19. Madison

What the heck am I doing? Iris is curled up in my arms on Braydon’s couch. He is sitting on the other side of Iris. The Little Mermaid is still playing on the TV, even though Iris fell asleep fifteen minutes in. Braydon clears his throat as he stands.

“Would you mind if I ran some errands while she is sleeping? As you saw, my fridge is in desperate need of some groceries. I will obviously pay you.”

“No need to pay me. I am happy to help Braydon.”

Braydon hesitates, before he leaves me alone in his living room with Iris. I hear the jingle of his keys and the door shut behind him. I hear the crunch of gravel as his truck pulls out of the driveway. What am I getting myself into? Am I really going to let myself play house with Braydon like I didn’t break his heart six years ago? I can’t let myself do this. I can’t let Braydon get attached to the idea of something that I don’t intend on being permanent. Maybe I should just take a nap. I close my eyes with The Little Mermaid still playing in the background. Iris turns over in my arms, and I blink my eyes open. I don’t know how long I have been asleep; all I know is that it is now dark outside. A pair of headlights shine through the big front window. I blink my eyes against the sudden light. The front door creaks open, just as I am untangling Iris from my arms.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” Braydon asks, trying to balance the bags of groceries he is carrying.

“No. Well, actually yes, but it’s ok.” I take some of the bags from him and set them on the island.

“Hey, thanks again for staying with Iris. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know.”

“It’s no problem at all, Braydon. If you ever need a last-minute babysitter, I am happy to take her for you.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Braydon and I fall into a groove of putting away groceries. This feels so normal, and the thought kind of scares me at the same time.

“There is actually one thing you can do for me,” I say with my head in the fridge.

“Oh really? What’s that?” Braydon cocks an eyebrow at me from across the kitchen.

“My front door at my cottage doesn’t hang straight and it squeaks a little.”

“Oh? Are you assuming that since I am a ranch hand that I am also a handyman.”

A blush creeps up my face.

“Umm... I..”

“I am just messing with you, Mads. I can fix your door. Is there a certain day you want me to come over to fix it?”

“Well, if Iris is feeling up to it, y”all can over Saturday. I will pick up some pizza for lunch.”

“That sounds perfect.”

I smile at the thought of the three of us in my little cottage eating pizza together. It feels like such a normal thing to do. And it is definitely something I could get used to. Braydon walks towards me with a bag of Goldfish in his hand. He reaches his hand above my head and opens the cabinet. My breath hitches, and I am silently praying he didn’t notice.

“Do I make you nervous?” Braydon says in a husky voice. He definitely noticed.

I shake my head silently, not able to form any actual words. Braydon lingers for a moment only a breath away before he walks back over to the island. Putting some much-needed distance between us. I silently watch him, as he finishes putting up the rest of the groceries. Was he flirting? No, that was just my imagination.

“Do you have plans for dinner?” Braydon’s question pulls me out of my state of shock.

“Ha. No. I have been living on takeout since I moved back. Why? Are you asking me to dinner?”

“Well, I am currently kind of tied to my house with a sick toddler, but I was going to ask you if you would like to stay for dinner.”

“Well, that depends. What are you making for dinner?”

Braydon laughs. I always loved Braydon’s cooking, and he knows that I will never say no to free food.

“I was thinking of making tacos.”

“Chicken or beef?”

“Chicken.”

“Then, yes, I will stay and have dinner with you.”

“Good.”

“Do you want me to help you with anything?” I ask, as Braydon starts to pull stuff out the cabinets and the fridge.

“Sweetheart, you just sit there, and look pretty.”

My breath catches in my throat, but I quickly cover it up with a cough. So, maybe he is flirting, and funny enough I don’t think I mind. I kind of like it, actually. I like that we were able to fall back into a comfortable routine fairly easily, even though we aren’t dating. I pony up on the stool at the island and watch Braydon as he starts to prep all of the ingredients for tacos.

“So, you work on the ranch, right?”

“Yep.”

“When did you start doing that?”

“Well, Bryce bought the ranch the same year Iris was born, and he asked me if I would help him run it. So, I started working on the ranch shortly before Iris was born.”

“The boys still have the construction company, right?”

“Yeah. Brooks and Beau mostly run it now. Bryce stepped back a lot when he bought the ranch, but he still helps them.”

“Do you like working on the ranch?”

“I do.”

“Is it easier or harder than construction?”

“It’s easier for the most part, but it has its moments. Especially if one of the calves” escapes.”

“You have calves?” I say in an excited squeal.

“Did you not see the cows in the pasture on the way here?”

“Well, I did, but I didn’t see any calves.”

“They are out there.”

“How many do you have?”

“Technically I don’t have any. Bryce, has 20-30 of them though.”

“Does he have any other animals?”

“There is a chicken coop and a pen with goats in it. He has a few pigs, and there are barn cats that wander around the ranch too.”

“No horses?”

“Not yet. Bryce has been talking about getting some though.”

I nod thoughtful. Braydon goes about prepping and cooking our food like it is second nature to him. I like watching him. It is definitely a scene that I could stare at for the rest of my life. When he isn’t looking, I snap a quick picture and send it to Adalynn against my better judgment.

“I will have to take you out and show you around sometime.” Braydon says dropping the chicken into a sizzling pan.

“I would really like that.”

“It’s a date then.”

Date? Are Braydon and I really going to go on a date? Is this a bad idea? Probably, but at this point I don’t think I really care. Any idea that involves Braydon is a good idea.