| |
Bailey
Finn held back the small herd of cattle while letting one young bull through. I maneuvered Iesha side-to-side to keep the lonely bull from returning to his herd. Though I sensed Hunter observing our training session, I convinced myself to stay on point and not make eye contact with him.
After letting Iesha do her job, I signaled for her to let the bull go then I waited for Finn to reorganize the herd and send a heifer our way.
As though I had no control over my own body, my eyeballs cut straight to Hunter. He flipped his thumb up and grinned. “Looking good, Thayer!”
And now I had to answer in some way or I’d be plain rude. I returned the thumbs-up and let Iesha do her job with the heifer.
I’d successfully avoided Hunter for a full week, giving him only a casual nod as we passed each other. He now knew what to do on the ranch and didn’t need me directing him. Even if he hit a snag, he could ask Blake. When a task came up I was unable to handle, a note taped to his bedroom door always solved my problem.
Part of me felt bad for giving him the icy shoulder. But this was survival and my sanity was at stake. If that meant Hunter’s feelings would get hurt, then so be it. He’d get over it soon enough, like he always did. I mean, seriously, was there any woman out there who could make a lasting difference in his life? Doubtful.
I just had to get through the next few weeks. The Tulsa competition was two weeks away and Iesha needed to nail it.
She held the heifer off until Finn gave the signal. “Fantastic,” he called out.
I patted Iesha’s neck. “Good girl. Let’s go clean up.” I steered her to the edge of the corral. Hunter was already waiting for us and opened the gate. I twitched, hoping he didn’t try to talk to me. The withdrawals had been fierce these past few days, but I was sure the misery would be ending soon. I didn’t need him messing with my head and throwing away all my progress. If you could call it progress.
Giving him a slight wave, I directed Iesha to the tack room, threw a leg over her back and slid to the ground. I loosened the cinch but as I reached for the horn to drag the saddle off, Hunter got there first and effortlessly lifted it.
I rounded on him, coaching my tone to show maximum irritation. “What’s up, Hunter?”
My annoyance wasn’t genuine. But I needed him convinced it was. In truth, I ached to reenact the kitchen kiss, desperately, and would’ve done almost anything to sniff his hand like Iesha was currently doing.
“Well...” He stared at the dirt around his feet and Iesha mouthed his shoulder. “At some point, we’re going to have to prioritize upgrades. I’d like to get started as soon as possible on whatever’s most important.”
My gaze shot to the tack room ceiling and I shook my head. I switched out Iesha’s bridle for a nylon halter that could get wet, then pivoted and led her outside to the washing station. “Why talk to me? We both know you can go through the list with Blake. Or my mom. I won’t be here in a couple months anyway.”
“So what I’m hearing is that you don’t care what happens to the ranch or your family, even the animals.”
Whether Hunter intended to or not, he always managed to push the right buttons. Ignoring him, I parked Iesha at the washing station. I silently thanked my dad for building the structure with no walls. I’d have felt too hemmed in with Hunter so near. The problem, though, was stepping off the rubber mat. My boots always got muddy. Maybe Hunter could figure a solution and add it to his list of ranch upgrades.
“Fine. What did you have in mind?” I tied Iesha’s lead rope to the railing, thankful I could concentrate on her the next few minutes and not Hunter’s gorgeous brown eyes. I checked the washing supplies in the bin, then yanked on the overhead hose and turned on the water.
He reached into his pocket and his hand came up empty. “I forgot my notes. I’ll be back in a minute.”
I loathed the tightening of my chest as he got farther way.
After a slight adjustment to the water temperature, I sprayed Iesha’s legs, then worked the water up and over her back. When I’d finished hosing her down, I ran the sweat scraper over her body. As I was patting her dry with a towel, Hunter reappeared.
I wondered if he’d waited on purpose so he’d have more of my attention. I inwardly growled at the prospect of not having a distraction and being required to look at him when he spoke. We were behind the stables and I couldn’t see any of the ranch hands, but it was broad daylight. What was the worst that could happen?
“Couldn’t find my list so I made a new one.” He brandished a small piece of paper.
“What’s on it?” I refocused on Iesha’s legs, wiping them with the towel, then tossed the wet thing in the bin. I twisted around to face Hunter, but both my feet slid in the mud and I flailed in a desperate attempt to get a grip on anything other than Hunter.
Hunter reached out to catch me but I came at him too fast, the momentum of my fall propelling him backward. I landed on top of him, my breasts coming into contact with his chest. Electricity ping-ponged through my body. In horror, I flattened my muddy palms against his shoulders to shove off of him as he shifted his hands to my waist. My hands slipped and I slammed into him again, my breasts fused against his chest. Tingles shot from my stomach to my toes and I froze.
I may have even whimpered.
“Bails,” he whispered, his gaze locked onto my mouth. His fingertips pressed into my hip bone and I became aware of his thigh brushing mine.
I had to disentangle myself and get out of there.
“Breathtaking.” He reached out to touch my hair, lingered a moment before cupping the nape of my neck. He pulled me down, slowly, closer and closer toward his full sexy mouth. And I let him. Now we were a hair away. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said.
I didn’t want to move. I wanted those words, this moment, to last forever. I wanted to believe he desired me, that I really was that beautiful to him. I wanted to give in to the need, the ache. My lips parted and I held my breath. His mouth met mine but barely touched, just teasing me into inviting him in. I angled my head and edged closer, savoring the sweet taste of him, and the subtle scratch of his stubble on my chin.
I wanted to stay like this with him forever.
His one hand gripped my hip while his other secured my body against him. Then he ravaged my lips a little more.
“Hunter, what the hell?” Blake shouted.
I vaulted into the air and Hunter scrambled to his feet. If only I’d been paying attention to my surroundings and had heard Blake approach. Mashing my lips together, I avoided his gaze, like a guilty school girl caught smoking in the bathroom. A vein pulsed at Blake’s neck and his hands balled into fists as he glared at Hunter. “I need a private word with Hunter.”
“Don’t be mad at him, Blake. It’s not his fault. I could’ve moved any time but I didn’t. If anything, he was kinda trapped.” I’d been angry with Hunter for months, but that didn’t mean my brother needed to defend my honor when Hunter wasn’t to blame.
Blake ignored me, his shoulder aimed at Hunter. “This is between Hunter and me. Go.”
“Absolutely not. You’re not going to fight with your best friend over something I did. I’m not going to let my mistake come between you two.” I dug in my heels, bracing myself for a battle as I focused on my brother. “Besides, what I do with Hunter is none of your business.”
“Blake is right, Bailey. His reason for being furious with me has nothing to do with you. Only Blake and I can fix this.”
I’d expected Hunter to return fire at Blake, but his tone was resigned, like he’d expected this and knew he deserved it. I wasn’t sure I agreed in this particular instance. But since they both clearly wanted me gone, I’d let them have at each other and pray it didn’t come to fists.
“Whatever.” I spun and led Iesha to the stables.
I wished this latest kissing incident had made me more hostile toward Hunter. Instead, my sadness had grown more profound. Hunter’s capacity for warmth and tenderness blew me away.
But it wasn’t enough for me. I’d never loved him more than I did today, but he would never give all of himself to me. Rather than have part of his heart, I’d choose none.
The only man I’d ever truly loved could never give me what I needed.