Chapter Fourteen
Nora
Firebrook Valley
Brady was leaning against the fence outside the lower pasture when I found him. That wasn’t unusual—this was where he’d look for me first. I’d sent him a text asking when he’d be visiting again, and I wasn’t sure how to read his arrival the next morning.
He straightened when he saw me walking down the hill. “Hey,” I said tentatively.
“Hey.” He tipped his head toward the barn. “You ride today?”
“Sunny twice,” I said. “Untouchable once. She’s being very patient with me. I was a wreck the first time I rode her.”
“That horse has more emotional intelligence than most humans.”
“That’s not a high bar.”
He laughed softly. For a minute we just stood there looking out over the pasture. Sunny and Untouchable were grazing near the far tree line, their tails swishing lazily in the late afternoon sun. The quiet between Brady and me had never been uncomfortable, which was part of the problem.
“I hope you didn’t leave anything important to come back,” I said finally.
“Nothing that couldn’t wait.”
I nodded. “I want to talk to you about something I didn’t want to discuss in a text.”
He held my gaze. “That sounds serious.”
“Maybe a little.”
Brady pushed away from the fence and leaned his elbows on the top rail instead. “Alright,” he said easily. “Let’s hear it.”
I rested my forearms beside his, staring out toward the pasture while I tried to find the right place to start. I said slowly, “I’m really grateful for our friendship.”
He glanced at me. “That’s a strange way to open a conversation.”
“I know.” I smiled faintly. “But there was a time when being friends didn’t seem possible at all.”
Brady huffed a quiet laugh. “That’s true.” For a second, the memory hovered between us—sharp and uncomfortable even now.
“I’m glad we’re past that,” I said.
“So am I.” He looked back out at the field again, his voice thoughtful. “You did that. You changed everything.”
I turned toward him. “Me?”
“That night at the fraternity house.”
I felt my stomach tighten slightly. The video. The setup. The whole ugly mess that had nearly exploded into something far worse.
Brady shook his head, still watching the horses. “Those idiots thought they were being clever,” he said. “Get the Holliston kid drunk, get him into a compromising situation, then make it look like I’d done something terrible.”
“You didn’t deserve that.”
“No,” he said simply. “But I was the perfect target.”
I remembered the moment too clearly. Walking into that house. Seeing Brady barely able to stand. Hearing the laughter. Knowing from my roommates’ boyfriend what they intended to do.
“I hear none of them graduated,” I said quietly. “I’m glad.”
“Me too. And grateful. You risked everything doing that.”
I shook my head. “I did what any decent person would do.”
Brady turned fully toward me then. “No,” he said gently. “You didn’t.” His expression softened. “You stood up for me when it would’ve been easier to not get involved. Especially after how my family has treated yours.”
“Not your family—your father.” I felt heat creep up the back of my neck. “Mine isn’t exactly innocent.”
“That night changed everything for me,” he said. “You stood up for me. I’ll never forget that and I’ll always look out for you.”
I stepped forward and hugged him. Brady hugged me back easily, the way he always did—warm, uncomplicated. “I feel the same way,” I said quietly. When we stepped apart, I took a slow breath. “Brady . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I need to say something, and I want to make sure I say it the right way.” That got his attention.
I tried to keep my voice steady. “I care about you,” I said.
“A lot. That’s why it felt so natural to ask you to go skiing with me.
It’s why I liked meeting up in Boston. And New York. And everywhere else.”
His mouth curved in a small smile. “I liked that too.”
“And I still do.” I hesitated. “But . . .”
Brady nodded slowly. “But?”
I laughed nervously. “Am I doing this badly?”
“Letting me down gently?” He studied me for a second. Then something in his expression shifted. “Nora,” he said softly, “I’ll help you. You like me.”
I nodded.
“But you don’t like like me.”
I blinked. “That’s accurate.”
Brady’s grin widened, relief flashing openly across his face. “Thank God.”
I stared at him. “You’re relieved?”
“Very.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to say that without hurting you ever since I realized everyone thought we were dating.”
“Yeah, that’s been awkward,” he said. “I didn’t want to say anything in case you were pining for me.”
I smiled.
He leaned back against the fence again, shaking his head. “Didn’t want to break your heart.”
My jaw dropped. “Same.”
“This doesn’t have to be weird.” He gestured between us. “You’re amazing, Nora. Anyone with a pulse can see that. And I really do love spending time with you. But it never felt romantic.”
“That’s exactly how I feel!”
“I know.”
We both laughed then, the tension draining out of the moment so quickly it almost made me dizzy.
“Wow,” I said. “This was easier than I thought.”
“Right?”
“Honesty does help a situation.”
“It sure does.”
“Turns out we’re both just very polite idiots.”
“Hey, careful who you call an idiot. I’m brilliant but polite.”
“And a good friend.” The pasture fell quiet again. This time the quiet wasn’t oppressive.
Brady glanced sideways at me. “You seem pretty relieved.”
“I am.”
He tilted his head. “Because you’re interested in someone.”
I froze. Brady noticed immediately.
“I knew it.” He straightened slightly.
“There’s a possibility,” I said quickly.
He waited.
“It’s not . . . new,” I added.
“Meaning?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “It’s someone I’ve cared about for a long time.”
Brady’s eyebrows lifted. “Okay.”
“I just didn’t realize until recently that I might be the only thing stopping something from happening. So I’m going to change that and tell him how I feel.”
He studied my face for a moment. Then nodded slowly. “Well,” he said, “I’m proud of you.”
“You are?”
He nudged my shoulder lightly. “It takes guts to admit you have feelings for someone. And even more guts to do something about it.”
I let out a shaky breath. “That’s the part I’m still working on.”
Brady grinned. “Is it anyone I know?” My entire body went rigid. His eyes widened. “It is.”
I looked down at the ground.
Brady laughed under his breath. “Listen, I’ll like anyone you want to date,” he said. “Because if you care about them, then they must be worth knowing.” He paused. “But I’d like to know who I have to threaten to never hurt you.”
I smiled faintly. “That’s very brotherly of you.”
“I accept that role gladly.”
He waited.
I hesitated.
Then looked up.
“It’s Evan,” I said quietly. “Your brother, Evan.”