Page 59 of Barn Burner
I roll my eyes and smile. “And the fact I’ve missed him, too, goes without saying,” I reply but angle my head so I’m speaking over my shoulder.
He grins.
“How was practice?” I ask.
“Good.” He nods. “I’m gonna need to nap when we get home, though, because the team trainer put us through one hell of a workout.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” I mumble, nipping his bottom lip. “I’ll go say my goodbyes, then we’ll get on the road.”
I let him go, returning to Prince’s stable to feed him the last of the marshmallows. I glance over my shoulder when I hear Brayden speaking in a gentle tone. He’s talking to Dakota, smoothing his hands over her muzzle.
“You’re good with her,” I say.
He smiles over at me. “She’s a sweet girl. She makes it easy.”
“Would you ever want a horse of your own?”
“I’d love one. I wouldn’t know the first thing about taking care of one, but I’d learn.”
I make a mental note to find the right horse for him when he decides to hang up his skates. I know he mentioned having the conversation about whether or not to renew his contract at the end of his two years, and I will always support him in whatever he decides to do. But I hope he doesn’t act too hastily because Brayden is too talented to give up on his dreams so soon.
Over the next few days, we settle into a routine. Brayden helps me wash without getting my cast and stitches wet before he heads off to the practice facility. I spend the time watching TV, sleeping on the couch, and doing some admin for the ranch. It’s been a while since we updated the website, so I figured it was something I could do one-handed. Then he comes home, and we eat lunch before taking a nap together.
Waking up next to him again is the best medicine I could have.
The feel of his soft skin pressed against mine. The scent of his shampoo and the fruity shower gel they have at the arena. The warmth he radiates seeps into my bones, allowing me to be completely relaxed for the first time in weeks. Since the last time he was in my bed.
Staying with him also means I’ve been attending his games. I didn’t attend the first one because I was so tired, but I’ve been to the others. Watching him in action fills me with a sense of pride. He’s incredible. Magical, in fact. And every time I allow my gaze to scan the arena, it’s his name I see the most on the back of people’s jerseys.
He’s a superstar, and I’ll be damned if I allow him to end it all before he’s truly ready.
“How are you holding up?” Greta Petrov asks as she sits down beside me, a dainty champagne flute in her hand. She’s married to Dimitri Petrov, one of Brayden’s linemates, and seems to have made it her mission to welcome me into the fold. They were kind enough to let me join them in the family suite to avoid me getting caught up in the crowds down in the lower bowl.
“I’m good. I went to the hospital yesterday for another scan to make sure everything is healing as it should be, and they’re happy with the progress.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Dimitri has mentioned how happier Brayden has been these last couple of months. We were worried about him toward the end of last season. The media…” She shakes her head, disappointment lining her features. “They can be so callous. Brayden is young and incredibly talented, and they put so much pressure on him. They’re quick to put him on a pedestal, but even quicker to pull it out from underneath him.”
I squash down the frustration that rears its ugly head inside me at the mention of the media. They were quick to be critical of his out-of-character spectacle in Nashville, but aside from that, they have been singing his praises. But Brayden has told me not to read them as he didn’t want to allow them to get under his skin anymore. I know about how he worked on shifting his mindset while he was at the ranch in August, and I won’t be a contributing factor in allowing that to slip.
“But you’re good for him,” she adds when I haven’t said anything. She doesn’t seem to be offended by my quietness compared to some of the others.
I give her a small smile. “He’s the best thing to happen to me.”
Her eyes sparkle as the arena lights come back on, marking the start of the next period. “And I know for certain you are the best thing to ever happen to him. His love for you is palpable, and I couldn’t be happier for you both.”
25
Brayden
Jesse stands in front of the mirror in my en-suite bathroom, trying to tame his hair with one hand. He’s been staying with me for almost a month, and it’s been the best few weeks. Other than the weeks I spent with him at the ranch, of course.
He had his cast removed yesterday, and we’re waiting to get the all clear on his collarbone so he can start physiotherapy. I managed to find him a physiotherapist through the Bobcats, and I know he’s been itching to get back to the horses.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Jesse in these last few weeks, it’s that he does not like to be doing nothing. The number of times I came home from practice to find him wielding some kind of power tool and fixing random things around the house is more than I can count on both hands.
I didn’t realize I had so many things that needed fixing, but clearly, I’ve been obliviously floating through my days.
Propping my shoulder against the door frame, I catch his eye in the mirror, then trail my gaze down his back. He’s wearing a dark grey plaid shirt that’s so soft to touch I’ve already rubbed my face against it three times since he put it on. It accentuateshis broad shoulders, the material pulling taut every time he lifts his hand to fiddle with his hair. My gaze travels further down to where his shirt is tucked into a pair of black Wranglers, and my tongue immediately darts out to lick over my lips at the sight of his ass.
