Chapter 10
Brett
They both share a glance, one I can’t quite read because Zane is sorta hard to gauge and Jed always looks like he finds something amusing. And I’m about to ask if they know her, or anything about her, when Jed pipes up:
“She sounds interesting. What else do you know?”
Fuck. I’m not about to tell them I’m very familiar with that gorgeous body of hers, every crevice as it happens. Instead, I pop a shoulder with a regretful shrug. “Not much, unfortunately. Just she loves her animals and lives across the way at Cedar Hollow. You must know her?”
Jed sighs. “Hmm. Well, knowing this town, Miss Horse Lover might show up somewhere unexpected. It’s like that here.”
Zane agrees with a single nod. “It’s true, bro. She could be around the next corner for all you know.”
Oh, I plan on knowing everything about her. Where she works. What she does. Who she does it with—hopefully I’m the only one—and more importantly, when I can see her again.
Jed chuckles and I swallow my last bite of burger, saving a little piece of the meat for Maisie. “So, she’s new in town? She said she grew up in Colorado.” People come and go all the time during the season, but it seemed like she was pretty established.
“Heard of her,” Jed says. “But don’t know much.”
Zane pops a shoulder as I feed Maisie the leftover piece I saved, she chomps it down happily.
I probably need to get off this subject if I’m going to even have any chance of getting on with my day at Lawless Farm and not be consumed by this captivating woman.
It’s pretty hard going, but I need to distract myself.
“You know, if you’re staying in town a while, I could do with an extra pair of hands around here,” Zane says from nowhere.
“Dad has had the flu and Buck, one of our part-timers, has an old shoulder injury from his football days coming back to haunt him. He’s due to have surgery next week. We’re really short staffed.”
My eyes widen. Well, shit. I never thought about what I was going to do here exactly. Maybe play my guitar a little, come up with some new tunes. Chill out. Hit the gym, if they have one. Maybe even try a few new recipes.
Jed stares at me, startled, shoving the last of his food in his mouth. “You have had a shit ton of experience with horses and general lugging,” he says thoughtfully. “I guess you gotta think about what you’re gonna do for cash.”
I try not to laugh because I know he’s giving me shit, and we both know I don’t need the money, not by a long shot. But my folks would say it’s humbling work, and close to my roots. And heck, I probably need something to do while I’m lying low.
“No obligation,” Zane adds. “But there’s some work there if you want it.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. I grew up on a horse ranch, so it’s second nature to me to be around the animals and trees and shit. Though nothing quite like his, and I haven’t ridden in a long time.” Ouch. Why the fuck do I keep bringing that up?
It forms a lump in my throat again thinking about Clyde. He’s been in my thoughts a lot lately.
“Riding ain’t a necessary part of it, but a bonus if you can because horse trails are popular.
It could just be a mixture from cleaning out the horse stables, taking the horses out in the field, saddling them up kinda thing.
And there’s always shit to do around the farm with cutting and packing orders. ”
I feel a jolt of excitement in my chest from nowhere, it’s suddenly bigger than I know what to do with, and I’ve no idea why it feels that way.
There’s no way I need to work for the rest of my life, much less to shovel horse shit and become a farmhand, but something about it sparks me at the same time.
Maybe this is why I came here. Maybe it’s exactly what I need.
“We can check out the grounds on the UTVs,” Jed says.
“Sounds good.”
“And there’s a spare staff cabin coming up too, if you decide it’s for you.”
“That would be amazing,” I say, quickly explaining where I’m temporarily residing. Though I know they have upcoming bookings soon, so I can’t stay where I am forever.
“Let’s do it.” Jed jumps up. “I think the stables should be the first port of call.”
He and Zane share I look I’m not privy to.
“What’s hiding there?” I muse. “A killer horse who’s going to stampede over the top of me?”
“Nope. Just Zeus,” Zane says. “My pride and joy thoroughbred. He may look a little scary, but he’s really a softie. Gave me a big scare over the holidays last year with the horse flu. He recovered perfectly.”
“Glad to hear he’s okay,” I say, that knowing lump forming in my throat whenever I talk about horses because it always brings up Clyde. I’m happy that he got to live to old age, I’m not taking away from that. But the pain from losing him will never fade.
People think in time things get better with loss and grief, but for me, all I did was learn to live with it. That was all I could do. “How many horses do you have?”
“Seven and counting,” Zane says. “Come meet them all, then you can see if it looks like something you might wanna do while you’re in town. No obligation, but you’d be helping us out.”
“Sounds good.” I glance at Jed and he smiles, but his eyes are guarded because he knows my history and how I felt about Clyde.
The people closest to me are the only ones who know my personal stuff.
Bailey being the exception, of course. And Lord only knows why I felt the need to open up like a flower on a spring day to her.
I guess she put me at ease about it all.
And I could see under the tough exterior of hers, she cares about people. “Lead the way.”
Bailey
“Oh, Butterscotch, baby. Don’t look so sad, your papa will be better soon and be able to ride you again.
” I rustle the beautiful girl’s mane as she looks at me with big, sad brown eyes.
She lets out a little huff and her nostrils flare slightly.
“Are you saying I’m not good enough?” I place a hand on my hip and tilt my head.
She’s such a sweetie, proving it in a second by pressing her nose into my hand, and I stroke her gently back and forth.
“That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?” I glance at Pepper in the stable next to her and tell her I’ll get to her next because her sister is hogging all my time.
“I need to top up this hay first, girls and boys. You know how Zeus loves his fresh hay.”
“Are you talking to yourself again, woman?” I hear a voice call from nowhere. I spin around to see Jed at the barn entry. The usual cheeky grin he wears spreads across his face as he strolls in casually, one arm crossing over the other. “You know, they say it’s the first sign of madness.”
I flip him the bird, but that only makes him laugh. Typical of Jed to not be affected by a rude hand gesture. I’ve never really seen him get mad at anything, even when things are hectic at work during peak periods.
“Don’t be so hostile. I want you to meet someone, he might be working around here to help out, so it’s important that y’all get along. Happy faces only.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I know Buck is out with his shoulder, but I’ve told Zane a million times I’m happy to pick up any slack.
It’s not that I think any of the Lawless family would hire someone unsuitable, I mean, I helped Sadie get the administration job here when she came out from New York.
But I’m much better with horses than with new people.
That being said, I can’t say the same for last night’s shenanigans.
I obviously didn’t seem to have a problem with one person—Cowboy Brett.
And I can still feel where he’s been. I’ve had to walk around quite gingerly most of the day because of our escapades, and even though I’ve been busy and have a ton of work to keep me occupied, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him.
“Whatever. You know I have work to do,” I sigh. “Hurry up.”
“Is that what you call talking to the horses and claiming it as work? Some sort of horse psychology?”
I smile sweetly. “Bite me.”
I give him the middle finger again, just as Zane walks in with someone next to him and—oh my god, is that—Brett, appearing before me?
I drop my hand gesture immediately. Zane’s frown is what I’m used to, but for a second I think I’m seeing things.
I stare harder, like a complete gazelle that needs a pair of spectacles. But the only spectacle is me.
“Brett?” I murmur, my eyebrows knotting together, trying to figure out if what I’m seeing isn’t some strange figment of my imagination. Maybe I have been in here shoveling and chatting to the horses too long and need some fresh air.
“Bailey?” His tone is just as surprised as mine, and he looks just as confused.
We’d never gotten around to discussing what we both did for work.
We stare-off across the barn in front of Jed and Zane.
Not that I’m thinking about them right now.
I’m trying to work out what the fuck Brett is doing standing here on the Lawless property and now he’s… my new stablehand?
My quick assessment of him is just as I remember it before we stripped down to nothing, literally.
Tall in stature, brown wavy hair under the cowboy hat, Levi’s and hefty boots, and muscles that I know are ripe and ready under that short sleeve black Henley of his.
His face has the same tanned complexion I saw from all angles yesterday, and that body—kill me now. Yep, that’s him.
“Oh, do you two…” Jed trails off as my eyes reluctantly leave Brett’s pools of wonder for a moment to make sense of this. “Um, know each other?”
Brett stares at Jed for a long moment and I see Jed’s lips twitch. I open my mouth to speak, but only a feeble squeak comes out, and here I was thinking I was built for any situation, big or small.
It’s Brett who is first to pipe up, which is good because I need a minute. “I’m pretty sure I mentioned Bailey’s name back in the shed—” he shakes his head and narrows his eyes at Jed. Then lifts his cowboy hat for a beat and runs his hand through his hair.
Zane puts a fist in front of his mouth to hide his laugh, and Brett elbows Jed in the ribs. “Fucker,” Brett mutters.
“Oh, your face.” Jed doubles over, half laughing, half coughing from the blow. “You shoulda heard him, Bails. I think he’s in lov—”
This time Jed dodges another blow as he ducks backward, out of the line of fire.
“Well, this is fun and games, but I’ve got work to do. Bails, show Brett around. Jed, you’re with me.” Zane pats Brett on the back hard, and I know it’s a warning. My boss may be a grump, but he’s a protective grump. I don’t hear what he whispers, but Brett nods.
Uh oh. Show Brett around? Last night we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, and now he’s… he’s working here?
Zane shakes his head, and Jed finger waves with a double wiggle of his eyebrows. I’ll get him back later, I always have the last laugh. And from the looks on Brett’s face, he will probably have words with Jed too.
“So,” Brett says, recovering quicker than me. “Where would you like me?”