5. Kennedy
CHAPTER 5
KENNEDY
M orning comes far quicker than I would’ve liked, but as soon as my alarm goes off at four forty-five, I’m up and prepping a cup of hot coffee to drink out on the porch. As I step out, fully dressed and ready for the day, mug in hand, I breathe in the cold morning air and scan the horizon.
There are no lights on in the other cabins, though that’s not unusual given I’m always the first one out of bed. A strategic move since I’ve always needed at least thirty minutes of alone time in the morning in order to be fully awake.
Heaviness weighs on my thoughts as I recall the person I shared that particular need with is no longer breathing. I swallow hard. No time for those thoughts , I remind myself. One day, maybe. But not now. Not today.
A light flicks on in the barn, and I jump, trying to peer into the darkness.
A horse whinnies.
No one should be in the barn. Even the Hunts aren’t up and moving around the ranch for at least another hour. My heart begins to pound. Is it possible someone’s trying to steal the horses? Do people still do that?
I rush into the cabin and set my coffee down on the counter; then I grab my keys, lock up, and head up toward the barn. It’s more than likely someone is just getting an early start, right? Surely, no one would be foolish enough to try to steal anything belonging to the Hunt family…
But if I see something off and don’t go check it out, I won’t be able to forgive myself. So, still not quite awake, I try to quietly approach the barn, stepping carefully so I don’t alert whoever is inside to my presence.
If someone is just getting an early start, I’ll slip away and finish my coffee. And if it’s not—the gun at my back is cool against my skin, and while I hope to never use it, if someone is hurting these horses?—
A dog barks. A single alarm that has me stepping back in response.
A low growl emits, and a German shepherd walks out of the barn door, his gaze trained on me.
A Hunt brother. It has to be a Hunt brother. They all have working dogs. And given that I’ve never seen this particular dog, that must mean—before I can fully register it, Bradyn Hunt steps from the barn, a flashlight in his hand. He aims it at me, and the expression on his face relaxes. “ Halt ,” he orders.
The dog immediately quiets.
“You’re up early,” I blurt. “No one else is ever up this early.”
A shadow of a smile graces his handsome face. “I’ve always gotten up before everyone else. It’s when the world is at its quietest. Come on in; it’s warmer in here.” Without waiting for me to follow, he turns and heads inside. “ Hier ,” he orders his dog.
Just like his other brothers, he uses German commands when speaking to his dog. I’d asked Elliot about it after I first arrived, and he’d told me that it’s easier to keep the dog focused when very few people know the same commands.
I stand where I am, lingering just outside the barn, unsure whether I should go in or not. It’s none of my business that he’s up early, and the more time passes, the more foolish I feel that I came up here in the first place.
This ranch is locked down tight at night and run by brothers who served in the Army as Special Forces. The likelihood of anyone getting onto the property without them knowing is basically zero.
It’s one of the reasons I’ve felt safe settling here for a time.
I shouldn’t go in.
So why do I want to go in?
Because I need this job, and the last thing I should be is rude to the guy that basically runs the place. While their father is still a part of the ranch, I was told that Bradyn is the lead for it. Maybe I would have thought twice about working here if I’d known that my boss would be an absolutely gorgeous, strong, seemingly kind man with eyes that make me want to spill all of my secrets.
Buck up, Kennedy. You’ve faced down worse than a handsome cowboy.
With that in mind, I walk into the illuminated barn. His dog looks up briefly from where he lies beside the door but stays put and drops his head back down.
Bradyn Hunt stands with his back to me as he runs a brush over Rev’s massive back. I’m monetarily stunned to see Rev standing so still for him; then I remember Elliot telling me that Rev is Bradyn’s horse, and the only one—besides me apparently—who can handle him is the eldest brother.
And with that knowledge, I pause a moment so I can fully take in the sight of Bradyn Hunt in all his glory. I’d been too stunned on the street to do so yesterday, and it’s not until this very moment that I realize how much I was missing.
Standing at least six foot four, he’s the kind of strong built by a life of physical labor and hard training. He turns his head to mutter something to Rev, granting me the sight of a strong jaw coated in stubble even though he’d been clean-shaven just yesterday.
His brows are sharp, his dark hair a bit longer than his other brothers’ but shorter than it was yesterday when we ran into each other on the street.
Dark jeans hug broad hips, and since his Carhartt jacket is hanging on a hook by the door, the black thermal shirt he’s wearing hugs his torso like a second skin.
He’s gorgeous.
Stunning.
Too beautiful to be real.
Something nuzzles me, nearly making me jump. I reach up and run my hand over Midnight’s forelock, a black Appaloosa mare with a white blanket over her back. “Morning, girl,” I greet, smiling a bit to myself in embarrassment. I’m only glad it was the horse who caught me and not Bradyn.
At least, she can’t tell everyone I was gawking at him.
“So, are you an early riser too?”
“Huh?” I shift my gaze to Bradyn as the question registers in my un-caffeinated mind. “Yeah. Sorry, didn’t finish my coffee.”
“Why not?”
“I thought someone was stealing the horses.”
He stops brushing Rev and turns to fully face me. “You thought someone was in here stealing horses, and you ran up here, unarmed, ready to stop them?” He doesn’t ask in a mocking tone as some men would have, but rather one of genuine curiosity.
“I’m tougher than I look.” Besides, he doesn’t have to know that there’s a firearm tucked at my back and I’d been more than prepared to use it. Not that I think he’d care—especially given the firearm currently holstered at his waist.
But that will lead to questions about where I learned to shoot and why I started carrying, and both of those questions will only have me spouting off more lies. I really don’t want to lie to Bradyn.
I can’t exactly tell him I learned the weight behind pulling a trigger in a moment when my life was on the line. That I’d never held a gun before it was me or him walking away.
And I certainly can’t tell him how an elderly war veteran—who pulled me out of an alley, bloody, battered, and nearly dead—took me to a range every weekend for a year.
“I definitely get that feeling,” he replies with a smile my way then returns to brushing Rev, the gorgeous gelding I’d grown rather fond of over the past few months.
Warning bells ring in my mind, the urge for me to turn and run getting stronger. What is it about this man that calls to me? Never, in my entire life, have I felt so drawn to someone I just met. Even though I know I should turn and walk away, I don’t want to.
And that equals danger in my world. I clear my throat. “Elliot warned me you’d be wanting your horse back.” Way to go, Kennedy. You’re bringing him back into another conversation instead of just leaving.
Bradyn turns toward me and smiles. My stomach twists into knots in response. I’m in big trouble here. “Yeah, I’d say Rev and I are old friends.”
“He’s a great horse,” I reply.
“I’m actually surprised he took to you,” he says as he sets the brush aside and heads into the tack room, appearing a moment later with a saddle already fit with a pad. “He barely tolerates anyone else.”
“We hit it off,” I say. “Bonded over pasts we’d both rather forget, I suppose.” Even as the words leave my mouth, I regret saying them. The last thing I need is this man—or any of the Hunts—looking too deeply into my past.
The secrets I’ve built around me like walls will collapse beneath the weight of even the slightest pressure.
He sets the saddle onto the gelding’s back, and although I know he heard me, he doesn’t comment. So he’s not one to pry. That’s good.
“What do you usually do when you’re up this early? Work around here doesn’t typically start until right at sunrise,” he asks.
“I usually get started on chores. Cleaning stalls and prepping feed buckets. Helps the day go by smoother.”
“Leave anything for anyone else?” he asks with an arched brow. When I don’t immediately answer, he adds, “If you’re up this early, I imagine there’s not much left for the rest of us.”
I shrug. “I like to be busy.”
He tightens the cinch. “Something I relate to all too well. It’s Sammy, right?”
“That’s right,” I reply, even as I wish I could hear my actual name leave his lips. What is wrong with me? Get it together, Kennedy. “Why are you up this early? And why are you saddling Rev? It won’t be light for another half hour or so.” Woo-hoo, brain is finally working. Except then I realize I just questioned the boss.
It’s his ranch. His horse. He can do whatever he wants.
If the inquisition bothers him, he doesn’t show it. “I don’t mind the dark. I like to catch the sunrise at the top of the hill; then head out to do a quick ride through the pastures closest before coming back here and officially getting the day started.”
“Sounds peaceful.”
“It is,” he replies then steps around Rev so we’re both on the same side of the horse. “Why don’t you join me this morning?”
“What? Why? It doesn’t sound like a two-person job.”
He grins. An adorable crooked grin that sends my heart racing. “No, but the company might be nice. And the view is breathtaking.”
I’ll say. This man should come with a warning label.
WARNING: His smile can lead to heart palpitations.
I start to accept, but something in his expression has me pumping the brakes on this runaway train of attraction. There’s pain hidden in there. And I know myself well enough to know that, even though I carry my own demons, as soon as we started getting close, I’d start longing to slay his.
But the connection I feel is only going to put both of us at risk. Either we’ll hit it off, things will be beautiful, then I’ll have to break both our hearts when I inevitably have to leave, or things go sour and Bradyn decides to do a deeper dive into my past, forcing me out anyway.
It’s a lose-lose all the way around.
As he waits for my response, he slips the bridle onto Rev and removes his halter then turns to face me. “Interested?”
Now that’s a weighted question.
I clear my throat. “No thanks. Maybe some other time. I need to go finish my coffee and grab some breakfast before the sun comes up.”
His grin falls just slightly, and my stomach sinks right along with it. Even as I tell myself it’s for the best, the disappointment on his face drags my mood right down to the ground.
“Sounds good, Sammy. I’ll see you around.” With a smile lacking the brightness it had earlier, he leads Rev out into the dark, Bravo trailing right beside him.
Ever since my first day here at the ranch, I’ve felt mildly intimidated by the Hunt brothers. They’ve always been kind, sure, but there’s no mistaking the lethality lurking just beneath the surface.
These men are built and trained for war.
Soldiers masquerading as cowboys.
Like they’re one breath away from marching into battle. I know that they’d defend this ranch to the very last breath in their chests, and that’s something I can appreciate.
Bradyn is leaning back against the wall of the barn as Elliot gives us our task list for the day.
Tree limbs need to be trimmed.
Stalls cleaned out and filled with extra bedding.
Cattle moved to the pastures closest to the house.
Honestly, it’s a relatively lean day compared to the last few.
We just had a particularly nasty storm two days ago and had quite a few downed trees.
I’m glad it’s over, but now the news is predicting the one hitting us at the end of the week will be worse. Lots of sleeting rain. Which, thanks to the cold January weather, will then lead to ice and impassable roads. Hence the need to move the cattle even closer.
Riley, Tucker, and Dylan are all relatively quiet this morning. While that’s normal for Dylan, Riley and Tucker are typically a lot chattier. I can’t tell if that’s because something is on their minds or they’re merely mentally prepping for the day.
“Those of you who have been here a while should remember Bradyn,” Elliot says, gesturing to his older brother.
“Who?” Another ranch hand, Leon, calls out with a grin.
Bradyn offers a half smile and stands.
“He’s rejoining us after being out for just over three months. Bradyn runs the show most days, but since he’s been gone awhile, we have to make sure he remembers how to do this.”
Everyone laughs, and Bradyn’s gaze briefly rests on me.
I swallow hard.
He looks away. “I’m glad to be back,” he says. “I’m looking forward to getting to know those of you who are new here, and I’m ready to work alongside the rest of you again. Thanks for not letting the place fall into shambles while I was gone.” He steps back again.
“It’s going to be a great day,” Elliot says as he sticks his notebook into his back pocket and removes his baseball cap. “So let’s pray and get this day going.”
Everyone stands—including Bradyn—and bows their heads. I’m not entirely sure where I stand in the faith department. With everything I’ve seen, I’m just not so sure there’s more to this life than what’s in front of us. But I bow my head anyway.
“Lord, we thank You for this day. For bringing Bradyn and Bravo home safely as well as granting us the strength we needed to keep this place running without them. Please guide us today so that the work we do is solid, productive, and is for the betterment of this ranch and those who rely on us. Watch over us as we head out, Lord, and please bring us all back safely. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
A chorus of “Amen” fills the barn, and the six other ranch hands currently employed by Hunt Ranch all head over to the stall of their horse of choice so they can start prepping the animal for the day.
Bradyn is talking to Elliot, both of them huddled in the corner. After a brief conversation, they separate. Unlike the other Hunt brothers, Bradyn doesn’t hang out in the barn with the rest of us, likely because Rev is already saddled and tethered outside the barn.
And since I also prepped Midnight prior to this meeting, I have the perfect opportunity to head outside where she’s tethered, too. Maybe if I can catch him before—Arthur steps in my way. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“It’s going to be a short day today, huh?”
“Looks that way.” I offer a friendly smile then try to step around him.
“Yeah, should get a decent amount of downtime today.”
“Definitely. I already saddled Midnight, so I’m heading out. See you later.” Without giving him the chance to block me again, I rush out of the barn, moving as quickly as I can without being too obvious.
But by the time I get out there, Bradyn is already riding away on Rev.
“I told you he was going to take his horse back.”
I glance over at Elliot and smile. “Yeah, he was quick to stake claim to him first thing this morning.”
Elliot laughs. “He said you were up here thinking someone was trying to steal the horses.”
“When I gave it any actual thought, I realized what a foolish idea it was.” Elliot has always been easy to talk to. He’s clearly the most social of the brothers, and conversation has always flowed between us.
“Still thoughtful though. But maybe next time, you give one of us a call so we can meet you up here just in case.”
I smile and pat his dog, Echo, on top of the head. “Fair enough.”
“See you out there,” he says then heads back into the barn.
“See you out there,” I reply quietly then climb on Midnight and glance in the direction Bradyn rode off in. I could follow now, catch him before anyone else gets out to the pasture, but is that really such a good idea?
I turned down his friendly offer this morning, setting what I was hoping would be very clear boundaries in the process. Which is what I wanted, right? Boundaries? Distance?
Then why does my stomach feel like a pit as I stare off after him?