Chapter 3 #2
‘Yes, I do.’ He stepped closer, brushing the colt’s flank as the foal made his first stumbling attempt to stand. ‘I’ve delivered a lot of foals, Brianna. But I’ve never …’ He paused briefly, cleared his throat. ‘I’ve never felt it like that before.’
She blinked.
Her heart thudded in her chest.
‘Neither have I.’ Her words were whispered.
And there it was. Spoken, but still not spoken. A line drawn in straw and professionalism and already blurred. Bella let out a soft nicker, drawing their attention back to her. The colt wobbled on uncertain legs alongside his mum, then he found his way to her, nuzzling into her side.
‘They’re going to be all right,’ Brianna murmured.
‘Yeah.’ Hayden didn’t look away from the heart-warming scene. ‘They sure are.’
They stood shoulder to shoulder, the air between them crackling with something neither was ready to name.
For now, it was enough to watch new life begin and pretend they hadn’t just crossed a line they couldn’t uncross.
And as the bright morning light spilled across Sweetwater Acres, gilding everything in gold, the world felt peacefully perfect.
* * *
The following morning, just after sunrise, Brianna tried to shake the lingering sense of longing left from her dreams – dreams that had wrapped her in the warmth of Hayden Pierce’s arms, his voice low and familiar, his touch far too vivid for someone she’d only met twice.
Once for a routine stock check. And once, admittedly, for something a little more dramatic.
Not exactly the stuff of sweeping love stories. Or at least it shouldn’t have been.
Sighing at her musings, she pulled into the gravel driveway of Sweetwater Acres, her Hilux bouncing over the cattle grid with a metallic clatter that snapped her back to reality.
She chastised herself, not for the first time, for failing miserably to remain completely detached from the handsome property owner.
She tried to distract her unruly thoughts as she looked to the golden light of dawn filtering through the paperbark trees and casting long shadows across the earth.
The light was delicate, gentle even, but it couldn’t soften the churn in her chest. She inhaled deeply, letting the fresh country air fill her lungs.
It was beautifully crisp, fragrant with earthy natives and damp hay, grounding her in a way she desperately needed.
It anchored her.
Reminded her of who she was.
This wasn’t a romance novel, she told herself, again. This was her job. She was a vet. Hayden Pierce was a client. A man with a farm full of work, a history he barely hinted at, and a smile that had no business being so disarming.
He was possibly a future friend.
And that was it.
That had to be it.
But no matter how many times she said it, the echoes of the previous night’s dream lingered in the quiet spaces of her mind – Hayden’s laugh, the way he’d looked at her like she was something rare and worth waiting for. She gripped the steering wheel tighter and exhaled slowly.
Quick smart, Brianna. You need to stay put. Feet on the ground, head out of the clouds, and most definitely out of his arms.
Even if he had the kind of jaw that looked carved by the gods, a physique that would often turn women’s heads, and fathomless eyes that had the power to unearth secrets she wasn’t ready to admit to herself. Oh, and those big strong arms …
Get it together, Brianna Steele.
Right now!
And so she did, with every single bit of her might.
Pulling to a quick stop beneath the shade of a cluster of trees, she gathered her veterinary kit, slammed the car door shut with a little more force than necessary, and marched towards the stables with purposeful steps.
She was here to work, she reminded herself, quelling the small, traitorous hope that had crept in during the drive.
The hope that he’d be here, still carrying yesterday’s intensity, in that quiet, compelling way that was all his own.
Her mind baulked at the thought, but her heart raced ahead, uncontainable.
She took a steadying breath and started across the yard with purposeful steps, shaky ground turning to resolve with each stride as the morning continued to unfold around her, peaceful and still.
A kookaburra’s raucous call broke the air, as if Mother Nature had heard her thoughts and was laughing at her foolishness.
And from one woman to another, she had to agree.
She couldn’t let this mess with her head.
She was a professional. She was composed.
Nothing more was going on here than a simple follow-up.
Nothing at all.
Stepping into the shade, and with no other person in sight, she quietly headed towards Bella’s stall.
The air in the stables was thick and warm, carrying with it a heady mix of hay and horse that permeated every corner.
Sunbeams streamed through the high wooden rafters, casting a radiant golden glow over the scene like drops of honey dripped upon the world.
Dust particles danced and swirled lazily, and the soft rustling of straw underfoot provided a gentle accompaniment to the sounds of equine life – the quiet whinnies, the rhythmic chewing, the occasional stamp of a hoof.
Bella whickered softly as she approached, her body stretched protectively around her new foal, who was attempting a wobbly stand, determined and unsteady, legs splayed wide as he fought for balance.
The colt’s coat had dried overnight to a rich, soft chestnut, with a star-shaped marking on his forehead that gleamed white in the morning light.
‘Well, look at you,’ Brianna murmured with a smile, crouching beside the foal. She reached out and stroked his neck gently, checking his heartbeat, joints and responsiveness. ‘Bright eyed, strong, suckling well. You’re a little miracle, aren’t you?’
‘Name’s Maverick.’
The deep voice behind her sent a jolt through her spine.
She turned, composed, even as her pulse picked up a now-somewhat-familiar rhythm.
Hayden stood a few feet away, one strapping arm resting casually on the stall door, the other holding a battered coffee thermos.
His sandy hair was still damp from a shower, curling at the edges of his collar.
A slightly crumpled navy King Gee work shirt clung to broad shoulders and revealed just enough of his tattooed forearms to be distracting.
Not helpful.
‘Maverick,’ she repeated, standing. ‘Bold choice.’
‘Yeah, he had a rough start and came through anyway.’ Hayden’s smile was slow, proud, intensely warm. ‘I figured he earned something strong.’
‘Fair enough.’ Their eyes held for a beat too long and filled with the shared memory. Her inhale sharp, she forced a smile then quickly focused on brushing straw off her jeans. ‘Well, he’s doing well. So is Bella. Textbook recovery so far.’
Hayden nodded, but didn’t move. ‘I wanted to thank you again, Bri, for yesterday.’
He’d already moved to shortening her name. So fast, so easily, so effortlessly. She equally liked and disliked it. ‘You already did thank me,’ she said lightly. ‘And really, you don’t have to; this is my job, and I love it.’
‘I can see you do.’ His voice dropped a note, quieter but more intense. ‘You were so calm, so capable … incredible, actually.’
Her throat tightened. She swallowed. She told her heart to defy all she was feeling right now and stop beating so ridiculously fast. ‘It’s what I’m trained to do.’
‘That’s not all it was.’ His eyes softened. ‘You cared. That, in itself, made all the difference.’
Brianna looked away, suddenly fascinated by a scratch on her leather bag. ‘I care about all my patients.’
When she dared a glance back at him he smiled slightly, but didn’t push. And she was grateful, because if he had she wasn’t sure how well her resolve would have held.
‘Well,’ she said briskly, turning back towards the mare and colt. ‘I’ll need to check their progress again tomorrow.’ She stole back the breath he seemed to be effortlessly taking. ‘If Bella continues improving at this rate, my guess is they’ll both be out in the paddock by the end of the week.’
‘Sounds good.’ His gaze clung to hers, but not in an invasive way – instead he seemed intrigued. ‘You’re welcome to pop in any time that suits, there’s always someone around, me or Gav, if you need to chat about anything.’
‘During business hours, you mean, right?’ she added, with a pointed glance – she had to put this weird energy between them to bed. And not his bed, or hers.
Oh far out, Brianna, stop it.
As if reading her thoughts, his mouth quirked. ‘Of course.’ Something flickered in his eyes, playful, maybe even teasing, but it disappeared quickly, burying itself beneath his composed exterior.
Still, the air between them shifted. That thing from the day before, that moment they’d both felt but hadn’t dared speak of, still hummed beneath the surface like electricity in a storm-charged sky.
The sound of boots crunching towards the stall echoed and sliced through the fragment of a moment. Brianna had to stifle a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Turning to face the approaching person, her eyes met those of the bloke she’d briefly met the day before. Hayden’s hired help, Gavin Morgan.
‘Hope I’m not interrupting,’ Gavin said with a weird grin as he strode in, each of his footsteps a relaxed saunter that spoke of years spent walking these grounds.
‘Brianna popped in to check on Bella and Maverick,’ Hayden replied with nonchalant ease.
‘We meet again,’ Gavin said, ‘and I hear we have you to thank for little Maverick making it into this world.’
‘Guilty as charged,’ Brianna responded with a warm smile.
‘I reckon you’ve already lived up to your last name.’ Gavin raised an eyebrow playfully. ‘From what Hayden told me, you’re as tough as your name suggests.’