Saddle up

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Brant's POV

It had been two full weeks since Jess broke things off. I was trying to act like I was okay with it for her, but in reality, I was miserable. This summer had been such a whirlwind. She changed everything. Before this summer, I was sure I'd never feel something for another person again. When she showed up here for her first day of work I knew that would change. But I hadn't realized just how quickly. There was an unexplainable connection between us that I was certain she felt too judging by her reaction the moment our hands touched. Of course everyone has always heard of love at first sight, how there was a spark or some corny shit like that but after meeting Jess, I knew it to be true, and I fell hard and fast for this girl, and now she was slipping away.

No—she was running, and I didn't blame her. It's not like I had made it a hard decision for her between beating the hell out of her ex and dumping my emotional trauma from last year on her. I was surprised she's even considered giving me a chance at all, let alone admitting that she was falling for me, too. But somewhere along the line I'd lost her. Now she needed space, and I was going to give it to her, if it meant that I might have even the slightest chance with her in the future.

I watched her from the screen door as she offered Izzy the apple from her lunch, as she did every day since that horse warmed up to her. She couldn't see me from her spot by the fence, the large oak tree in the front helped. I wanted so badly to find an excuse to talk to her, but that's not what she wanted. Chase peeled into the drive scaring Izzy off. Man, that kid could piss me off sometimes, but he was a good worker and a good friend, too. My best friend, in fact. So he got away with a lot of shit around here. I watched as he hopped out of his pickup, slamming the door loudly, and stormed off towards the barn. Jess was watching, too—concern written all over her face. She followed soon after, I'm assuming she'd see what was eating at Chase. I was secretly envious of their relationship. It seemed so effortless. But that was Chase. He had a very easy going personality, and he could talk to anyone as if he's known them his whole life. Jess was no different. They'd hit it off from day one. There were moments when I'd thought I'd have to compete with Chase for Jess's attention, but she didn't look at him the way she looked at me.

I let my mind drift to the moment she'd told me how she felt about me. Her body pinned beneath mine as I buried myself deep inside her...I could feel her tightening around me, quickly approaching her release when she'd told me. I shook the memory from my head. I felt like I could use a cold shower right about now after that memory. God, that girl did things to me. She just had to look at me with those sexy hazel eyes and I was doomed.

I had done my best to ignore her, even when she came barreling out of the barn practically in tears. She said she was fine, but she obviously wasn't. I wanted to comfort her but she made her wishes to me very clear two weeks prior. Nothing but a professional relationship.

That didn't stop me from sneaking glances at her at every opportunity, making sure she never caught me.

Just then Cameron and her little girl pulled in for lessons. Back to work and back to shitty reality. I sighed as I finished what was left of my coffee, slapped the cup down on the table, and headed for the barn.

Cameron was a nice girl, but boy—could she talk. Through conversation I learned that she was recently widowed when her husband was killed over seas in Afghanistan. I understood the pain she was going through. Losing the person you love was next to unbearable. Cameron thought that riding lessons was the perfect distraction for her daughter Sarah. I explained the use of horses as therapy and agreed that it was a great hobby for Sarah to be involved in. I'd help them out in any way that I could. Including allowing them to come up any day of the week for lessons free of charge. Cameron was beyond grateful, thanking me multiple times but I explained that it was the least I could do.