Page 26 of Make Me Whole
"You're gonna have to relax." Bradley's breath blew over my skin right before his whispered words reached my ears. "Animals can detect anxiety and more often than not it makes them nervous too." Then he stole the rest of my sanity when he took my hand and lowered it to Max's neck.
Against my palm, the coarse hairs of the horse's coat registered, but it was the warmth of the hand on top of mine that had my pulse starting its fiery dance. Still holding on to me, Bradley slowly dragged my hand along Max's neck.
"How did you sleep?"
His question was so sudden and out of left field, all I managed to squeak out was, "What?"
"Bandit isn't the most considerate roommate…" he trailed off; his gaze fixed on our connected hands.
I couldn't help it; I screwed my eyes shut and dragged a deep breath to my lungs. For over a week I'd been greeted with nothing more than a scowl from this man. I wasn't prepared for anything else from him.
He was ripping the ground out from under my feet and I desperately needed to regain my composure.
After a slow count to five, I opened my eyes. Schooling my features as best I could, I said, "He wasn't so bad…once I got used to the snoring and farting."
Bradley threw his head back and laughed. A rich, robust sound that sounded like it came straight from the pit of his stomach. "Yeah. Sorry about that."
"I didn't mind. Really."
Even though I could feel his eyes on me, I couldn't bring myself to look. I was already so confused by the sudden change in his behavior, I wouldn't survive looking into those piercing blue eyes.
I jerked my head in Max's direction. "Why is he bigger than the others?"
I was finally offered a small reprieve when Bradley removed his hand. "Percheron's are a larger breed of horse." He then went on to explain to me that they're a breed of draft horse which originated in the Western part of France.
Watching Bradley talk about horses was something else entirely. His face lit up in the most amazing way with each new fact he presented to me. It was as clear as the cloudless sky above us that this man was passionate about these majestic animals.
The smile on my lips couldn't be helped one bit. I knew that kind of passion too well. I'd felt it for the kids I used to teach. The expression on their faces when they realized they could actually do something they thought they couldn't, fueled my days.
"I'm rambling, aren't I?"
Immediately I shook my head. "No. Not at all."
His lips curved slightly. "Move your hand over here." Without warning, he dragged my hand along the horse's neck toward where I presumed the shoulder blades were. "Like most horses, Max enjoys a good scratch to his withers."
"Is he okay with me touching him so much?" By this time, I'd been petting him for a while.
"Yeah, he'll take a step back when he's had enough." Bradley placed his hand next to mine, his fingers brushing along Max's coat. "He likes the attention, though."
"I bet."
The sound of excited chattering filled the air. I looked over my shoulder to find a few people had gathered around the pen. Since I knew there were guests on the ranch, their presence shouldn't have surprised me. It didn't stop the feeling of disappointment seeping into my pores.
Next to me, Bradley took a step back. "Duty calls."
My gaze drifted along Max's neck over his head and finally settled on his eye. Dark and crystal clear, he was watching me right back. That feeling of peace I felt the first time I saw him was back in full force.
Considering how nervous I'd been to touch him, I found it ironic that when I pulled my hand away, I did it with a lot of reluctance. After sending Max one last lingering look, I turned to face Bradley. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." He started walking backward. "6 AM tomorrow too early for you?"
Yes!"No."
"Good." He smiled then. And it wasn't one of those half-smiles either. My heart just about stopped. "Don't work too hard." With that, he walked around me and gripped Max's lead rope.
As he sauntered away, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell I was getting myself into.
