16. Bradyn
CHAPTER 16
brADYN
A s soon as I’ve set Sammy down, I head back into the kitchen to make her a plate. I can hear her out there chatting with Elliot, and it makes me a bit jealous. Which, of course, is ridiculous. But there it is.
Jealous because my brother seems to have an easier time finding words around her than I do.
“She looks tired,” my mother comments as she comes into the kitchen. “I hope that bed was comfortable enough.”
“I’m sure it’s just her leg bothering her,” I reply as I pile some eggs onto her plate.
“Maybe.”
I finish putting a few strips of bacon onto her plate then turn. My mother is watching me curiously, a smile on her face. “What?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head but continues smiling.
“What is it?”
“You two just make a nice pair, that’s all.”
“What?” My cheeks heat. “I barely know her.”
“I knew the moment I met your father that I wanted to marry him.”
“We’re not all you and Dad,” I reply with a snort. “Besides, Sammy works for us.”
“As far as I know, there are no Hunt laws about falling in love with a coworker.”
“ Love ? Again, I’m forced to repeat myself, I barely know her.”
“Uh-huh.” She continues smiling though, and because I know that continuing to press will only make me look even more guilty, I head out into the dining room to deliver Sammy’s plate.
Just as I’m entering the room, she starts laughing at something Elliot said, and I can’t keep my own smile from spreading. She looks right sitting here at my family’s table. Like this is where she belongs.
God, please help me here. I need to know what to do. How do I make this woman open up to me?
“Here you go,” I say as I set her plate in front of her.
“Thank you. This looks delicious, Mrs. Hunt.”
My mom beams at her as she sets a tray of fresh biscuits down in the center of the table. “I’m so glad. Here’s hoping it tastes just as good.” She takes a seat.
“Morning, everyone,” my father announces as he takes his seat at the head of the table. “Good morning, Sammy.”
“Good morning, Mr. Hunt. Thank you for letting me join you all this morning. And for allowing me to stay.”
“Anytime,” he replies with a smile. “Shall we?” He holds out his hands, taking Mom’s and Elliot’s. Elliot reaches for Sammy, who hesitates just a moment before slipping her hands into his and Riley’s.
I hold Riley’s hand while Dylan and Tucker finish off the loop with Tucker taking my mother’s hand.
We all bow our heads.
He clears his throat. “Heavenly Father, we thank You for this meal before us, for the roof over our heads, for our health, and for every moment You grant us here together. Please bless this food we put into our bodies and guide us through today so that we may do Your will. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
We all unlink hands the moment the “amens” have been spoken, and everyone begins eating. My gaze continually finds Sammy across the table. I just can’t help it. I’m drawn to her in a way I’ve never been drawn to anyone.
As though she’s the light that will drive out the darkness in my soul.
“Busy day today, Ruth?” my father asks.
“Not too busy. We’d postponed the bake sale until Sunday morning before service, so I’ll be re-baking some of the goodies that wouldn’t keep those few days. Then I promised Sally Henderson that I’d swing by and help her with the quilt she’s been working on. There’s a stitch that’s giving her a fit.”
“Wonderful. Give Sally our love. And, if those goodies won’t keep?—”
“I already set them out on the counter for all of you to enjoy,” she interrupts.
“You know us so well, Momma,” Tucker says with a smile.
“So, so well,” Dylan adds.
“How about you, Bradyn? Anything with the business yet?”
I shake my head. “We’ve got a couple files to sort through, but nothing that’s catching our attention just yet.”
“And ranch business?” he asks. Since he’s been what he likes to call ‘retired lite’ for the last three years—ever since he broke his hip in three places getting thrown from the back of a young gelding—I handle the bulk of ranch business. He puts his opinion in and offers help when I need it, but otherwise, he stays out of it.
Instead, he helps my mom around the house or volunteers his time in town, doing odd jobs for those who can’t.
“I’m headed to the lumber mill this afternoon to grab supplies to start rebuilding the barn. Elliot is meeting with the vet so she can take a look at Rev and check his progress. Riley, Tucker, and Dylan are taking the ranch hands out into the pastures to check all the fencing; then they’re headed over to Piney Drive Ranch to help with some damage they took from the storm.”
“Good, good. I’m glad you’re helping Dan. He’s had it rough these last couple of years.” The tone turns somber as we all recall the accident that took his wife and left him to manage the ranch alone.
“We’ll get him taken care of,” Riley says.
“What can I do?” Sammy takes us all by surprise by speaking up.
We all shift our attention to her. Wide crystal-blue eyes shift around the table nervously.
“Honey, don’t you worry about that. You need to rest up,” my mom tells her.
Sammy’s lips flatten in frustration. “There has to be something I can help with. Please. I promise to take it easy, but I’ll go crazy just sitting around staring at the same four walls.”
“There’s nothing wrong with taking it easy while you heal,” she retorts.
Riley snorts.
“And just what is that supposed to mean, Riley Jude?”
“Nothing, Mom. I was just remembering that emergency appendectomy you had when you were supposed to be taking it easy but decided the laundry couldn’t wait.”
My dad throws his head back and laughs. “Yes! And then the woman pulled three stitches loose and got angry that we made her leave to go get them closed back up!” Everyone around the table joins in his laughter.
Even Sammy looks delighted to have the attention off of her for a moment.
My mom shakes her head, though her expression is amused. “Yeah, well, I don’t see you complaining that you always have clean socks.”
He leans over and presses a kiss to the side of her head. “Never, my love. We appreciate everything that you do.”
“It’s true, Mom. You’re the best,” Riley quips.
“Yeah, yeah.” She beams at him.
“Why don’t you go with Bradyn to the lumber yard?” Elliot offers, returning the conversation to Sammy. “It’s about an hour one-way, so having the company wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
I swallow hard, my amusement from the conversation mere seconds ago vanishing. In its place is something far more dangerous…hope. Why didn’t I think to invite her?
She turns to me. “Would that be okay? I can help with directions or make a list while we’re driving.”
Beyond amazing. “Sounds good. I’d love the company.” Somehow, despite my excitement at the idea of sharing the trip with Sammy, I keep my tone level.
My earlier prayer about my desire to have her open up to me pops back into my head, and I can’t help but wonder if this is His way of answering it. Thank you, God.
She smiles. “Great. I’ll need to head over to my cabin and change first, but then I’ll be ready to go.”
“I still think you should rest. Keep your foot up,” my mother says.
“I promise to be careful,” Sammy promises. “I’ll elevate as soon as we get back.”
“Okay, I’ll hold you to that.”
An hour later, I’m parking my truck in front of Sammy’s cabin. The other ranch hands have already left for the day, out handling chores before heading to Piney Hill Ranch, so it’s completely quiet as I step out of my truck.
Feeling as nervous as a teenager picking up a girl for his first date, I make my way up to the front door. It’s ridiculous, really. It’s not even a date. And it’s hardly the first time we’ve spent time together.
Yet here I am, stomach a pit of nerves, mind swimming with thoughts about the good that could come from this trip.
I’m just raising my fist to knock when she opens the door. She’s wearing a pair of baggy black pants and a cream-colored sweatshirt that highlights the golden tone of her skin. Her hair’s braided over her shoulder, and she’s wearing a Hunt Ranch baseball cap. The same one that she was wearing that first day we met on the street.
She looks beautiful.
“Ready?” I ask.
“I am.” Using the crutches, she makes her way out onto the porch. I note the chain around her neck, tucked into the front of her sweatshirt. I hadn’t noticed it before, but since she tends to wear thermal shirts most days, that’s not a surprise.
Dog tags? The chain certainly looks like the ones they issued to us. Is that her secret? Did she lose someone overseas? Or is she the soldier who served? It would certainly fit her.
“Here, let me help you.” I rush forward and offer her help getting down the steps then move around the truck to open the passenger side door.
As soon as she’s settled into the truck, I take her crutches and slip them into the backseat then head around to the driver’s side. Once I’m behind the wheel, I offer her a quick grin. “Ready?”
“Let’s do this.” She reaches into her pocket and takes out a slip of paper. “I looked up directions, and I think if we take—what?” she asks when she glances up and catches me grinning at her like an idiot.
“You looked the place up?”
“Well, yeah, I said I would help with—” She trails off, closes her eyes, and lets out a laugh. “You’ve probably been going to this place since you were old enough to walk. You don’t need directions, do you?”
“No,” I reply. “But I think it’s great that you printed them out. Your attention to detail is something I admire.”
“Admire?” She snorts. “You barely know me.”
“I’m a good judge of character.” I put the truck into drive and head down the road that will take us off of the ranch.
Sammy’s fallen completely silent, her gaze fixed on the landscape out the window. I get the sense that the mood has shifted between us, though I can’t quite figure out why.
“I hope you don’t think I was mocking you or anything. I really do appreciate you taking the time to look it up.”
“What? Oh, no, I know you weren’t. Sorry, my mind is just elsewhere.”
“Everything okay?”
“I’m glad to be out,” she replies, completely avoiding the question. Interesting.
Is it her past that has captured her attention now? Whatever it is that brought her to our doorstep?
Pain?
Memories?
A bad relationship?
“Glad I could be of service.” I clear my throat, trying to decide how to start more than a surface-level conversation. I really want to get to know her, but so far, she’s thrown up roadblocks every chance I get. “So what brought you to Texas?”
She looks over at me curiously. “What makes you think I wasn’t born here?”
“Your accent,” I reply. “Certain words you say have a different inflection.”
“Then exactly where do you think I’m from, cowboy?”
I grin at her before returning my gaze to the road. “I’d say the West Coast. Maybe California? Oregon?”
“You’re good, Bradyn, I’ll give you that.” She smiles. “I was born in Oregon, though I spent a good portion of my life in California.”
“Then I have to ask again; what brought you to Texas?”
“A friend of mine told me about this town. He said he’d stop here whenever he was driving into Dallas. I was looking for a change in scenery, so I came here.”
“And loved it so much you decided to stay?”
“For now,” she replies with a smile then shifts her attention back out the window.
Those two words hang in the air between us. Truth be told, most of our help doesn’t move on unless they’re relocating for family, looking to settle down, or they retire. So even though the idea that she’s just here as a temporary stay had absolutely crossed my mind, I’d just dismissed it. Now it seems my fears are confirmed.
“You move around a lot?”
“I like to travel.”
It’s a lie. I can tell in her tone that she’s not being honest, but I drop it because it’s her business, not mine. I’m desperate to know, though. Desperate to get to know the woman beneath the walls she so carefully hides behind.