Page 17 of Make Me Whole
Chapter Nine
HAILEY
Nothing like afew hours of manual labor to ensure a good night's rest. I ached in places that weren't even supposed to ache. It's not that I was a stranger to hard work. Being a teacher wasn't the easiest job on the planet, but it wasn't as physical as ranch work.
Sadness seeped its way into my pores as my thoughts drifted to my previous job. Or more to the point, the reason why I wasn't teaching anymore. My mistakes had cost me everything and everyone I loved.
No. I couldn't allow myself to think of the past. I wouldn't let it sneak in and steal the little bit of peace I'd found.
Throwing my feet off the side of the bed, I extended my arms above my head in a stretch. I moaned as I tilted my body from side to side.
I stretched my back a few more times before hopping off the bed and padding to the wardrobe. After yesterday's bathroom incident, I'd decided to take my shower before bed last night. As I pulled on my jeans and another tank top, I was amazed at how fast I'd taken to this place.
Maybe it was because this truly was the fresh start I'd been looking for. The only person who knew everything about me didn't look at me with judgement in her eyes. There were no hushed whispers when I walked into a room. Or, people pointing and staring.
It was refreshing and incredibly freeing.
My muscles might have ached, but as I headed to the door it felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I was more than ready to face anything and anyone.
Except Bandit.
The instant I opened my door, a loud yelp left my lips. Two massive paws barely missed me, hitting the door instead. His breaths came fast while he stared at me, tail wagging, tongue lolling to the side.
"Oh…h-hi there." As slowly as I could, I reached forward and lowered my hand. My fingers sank into his thick fur to scratch his head. The more I scratched, the more his eyes drooped. Eventually, I found myself crouched in front of him, both hands buried in his black and white coat.
By this time, his eyes were fully closed, small sounds of pleasure filling the air. As I continued to scratch Bandit, the hair at the back of my neck stood on end. Tiny pinpricks of electricity started to zip down my spine.
Someone was watching me.
My gaze skittered to my right, and sure enough, there he was. Bradley had his shoulder propped against the wall, feet crossed at the ankles and his arms folded in front of his impossibly broad chest.
Steadily, I rose to my feet. All the while cursing my heart for its wild thundering. It shouldn't be reacting to this man at all. As subtly as I could, I drew in a deep breath before squaring my shoulders and facing him.
He would never know how he affected me.
"Do you need something?" I jutted out my hip and tucked my arms beneath my breasts.
He pushed off the wall and ambled closer. I tried, and failed, to keep my eyes from darting to his legs as his muscles strained against the fabric of his jeans with each step he took. Keeping my stance, I resisted the urge to fiddle with the braid hanging down my back.
Bandit, who was sitting next to me, let out an excited bark when Bradley came to a halt in front of us. He must've just showered because the same woodsy smell that had lingered in the bathroom yesterday, filled my senses with each breath I took.
"You looked a bit tired at dinner last night." His lips twitched, almost as if he were holding back a smile. "I hope mucking the stalls wasn't too big of a job."
Was he mocking me? I narrowed my eyes. "As you could probably tell when you let the horses in for the night, I did a pretty good job."
A humming sound blew over his lips, his head nodding slowly. "If you say so." He patted his leg twice. "Come on, boy." Again, the dog barked excitedly, his thumping tail hitting my leg continuously. I dropped my hand and gave him one last scratch behind the ear before he trotted off with his master.
Amidst all the uncertainty in my life, one thing was clear as day: Bradley Walker did not like me at all.
For reasons I didn't understand, that thought didn't go down too well.
As I watched man and dog disappear down the stairs, I opted to spend a few extra minutes in my room. Avoiding Bradley for the rest of the day, would be great too.
Thank goodness the kitchen was sans Bradley when I entered thirty minutes later. I greeted Mr. Walker, Talia, Mavis, and Sawyer with a huge smile while I grabbed my coffee. The four of them were huddled around the breakfast nook, a stack of golden-brown pancakes sitting in the center of the counter.
"Mmm, Mavis, these look divine," I said, slipping onto a stool. "I smelled them all the way to my room." Mr. Walker set a plate in front of me, and I eagerly forked two pancakes onto it. My mouth watered while I smothered them with butter and syrup. "So good."
The only sound filling the air was our forks and knifes scraping along our plates as we ate our breakfast in a comfortable silence. Or maybe, we were simply enjoying our food too much to bother with talking.
