Page 32 of Make Me Whole
"Is it weird that I feel at peace whenever I'm in their presence?" We'd stopped at Max's stall. My eyes were glued to the horse lazily grazing on his hay, but I felt the heat of Bradley's stare on me.
"No," his answer was soft. "I feel it too."
I turned around and fell back against the stall door. My head lolled to the side in time to see Bradley prop his shoulder against the wood next to me. The soft light in the barn coated him with a warm glow. With us standing so close, his scent mixed with the air I took to my lungs with every inhalation. "Growing up here must've been nice?"
The wide expanse of his chest expanded with the deep breath he took. My brain chose that exact moment to remind me I knew exactly what that flannel shirt barely managed to hide. That I knew his bulging pecs were covered with a smattering of dark hair. That the ridges of his abs were so well-defined my finger could trace every single hard line.
It started at my neck and I was helpless to keep the heat from staining my cheeks. These kinds of thoughts were sure to land me in trouble. The sort of trouble I definitely didn't need right now.
Luckily for me, Bradley was oblivious to the images playing on a loop in my mind's eye as he answered my question. "Yeah. I'd always been more at home outside. School was one of the hardest things for me. The classrooms were small and stifling." He shook his head and since he was sans cowboy hat, a few of his dark strands flopped over his forehead.
My fingers itched to reach up and brush them away. To stop myself from doing exactly that, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my shorts.
"No normal nine to five for you then?"
"Hell no," his answer was immediate. "Just thinking about sitting in an office and going through the same motions day in and day out makes me feel claustrophobic." My gaze snapped to his long fingers as he dragged them through his hair, pulling the wayward strands over his forehead along for the ride. "I can't imagine being anywhere else." His eyes locked onto mine. "I would very much like my own place, though."
I laughed at the desperation in his voice. "Not a fan of sharing the bathroom with so many women, huh?"
"I didn't say that. Sharing has had its perks." I swear, I watched his eyes grow a few shades darker. Could almost feel the heat in them burn my skin. He stared at my mouth for a long, hot second before he turned his attention to Max. "Don't get me wrong, as maddening as they are, I love my family. It's just…sometimes I crave silence and solitude."
"And that's not always possible when you live with a house full of people."
His lips curved into a lop-sided grin. "You've heard firsthand how loud breakfast and dinner can get."
"Speaking of family," I paused, thinking how best to phrase the question I'd been wondering about. "No one really talks about your mom. Is she—"
"She left." In an instant, his features turned to granite. Those luscious lips pulled taut into a thin line. His gaze aimlessly swept over the barn floor as he pushed his hands into his pockets. "Right. We should probably head inside."
Note to self: Don't ask about his mother. Ever. "Yeah." This time when we walked side- by-side, there was enough room for a bus between us, not to mention the deafening silence. As we ascended the porch steps, Bandit, who'd been asleep in front of the screen door, perked up. His tail happily thumping against the wood.
Without thinking it over, I dropped down in front of him and nuzzled into his fur while paying special attention to the spot behind his ears. When I pushed to my feet, I found Bradley studying me. The heaviness that'd settled over him in the barn, still visible in his eyes.
"You have a way with him." He jerked his chin in the dog's direction. "He doesn't allow many people into his space the way he does when you are around."
"Oh." I didn't think I'd managed to keep the surprise out of my tone. I held my cupped hand against the side of my mouth and lowered my voice. "Don't tell him, but I've grown quite fond of him. Even if his favorite pastime is plowing me down."
There was a slight twitch before Bradley's lips lifted into a smile. It never did make it into his eyes, though.
"Thank you for walking with me." I maneuvered around him and pulled on the screen door.
"Hailey." With my fingers still curled around the handle, I glanced over my shoulder. He opened his mouth and then immediately shut it again, his gaze roaming over my face. It felt like forever before he finally said, "Sleep well."
I gave him a quick nod then slipped into the house. With every step I took to my room, the little seed of happiness that'd sprouted earlier grew even more.
