Saddle up

Chapter Thirty : Questionable Choices

I rolled my eyes at Chase's words.

"Let me guess," I said sarcastically, crossing my arms. "He's manipulating me into sleeping with him?"

"Well, to put it simply, yes," Chase replied with a sigh, looking frustrated.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Chase, I hate to break it to both you and Brant, but I've known Cole for years. I KNOW him. Yeah, he's made mistakes—who hasn't? But he's working on himself, trying to find the person he used to be. And I think he's getting closer every day."

"Jess, there are things you don't know about him," Chase pressed, his voice full of concern.

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Jesus, you two just need to give it a rest! He just lost someone close to him, for crying out loud. The least you could do is put the conspiracy theories on hold for a while!"

Chase sighed in defeat. "You're right. I'm sorry. Just... be careful, okay?"

I rolled my eyes again but nodded, hoping it would end the conversation. I really didn't want to argue any further.

We talked for a while longer, but eventually, Chase had to head back to the ranch.

Once I was inside, I applied some light makeup and made a quick list of what I needed from the store. But, of course, when I got there, I realized I had forgotten the list at home. *Figures*, I sighed to myself.

I grabbed a cart and tried to take a mental inventory of what I had written. As I turned a corner, my cart collided with another, and I immediately froze.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, I..." I trailed off, realizing the person I had crashed into was none other than Brant. His surprised expression mirrored mine, and we both stood there for a moment, caught off guard.

"Jess..." Brant's voice was soft, his gaze shifting from my face to the cart. I watched his throat work as he swallowed. That familiar magnetic pull between us flared up again, like it always did. The sensation was almost electric.

I shook myself out of the moment. "Hey, Brant," I said, forcing a smile as I glanced at his cart, which was packed with nothing but TV dinners. "More TV dinners, huh?"

He looked down, clearly embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. I guess we both know how terrible I am at cooking..."

I couldn't help but smile. Brant always wore his flaws so openly, it made him... endearing, in a way.

Brant hesitated for a second, clearly battling with something in his mind. He didn't say anything for a long moment, just stared at me with those piercing blue-grey eyes of his that always seemed to read me better than anyone else. I could smell his cologne from here, and it pulled me in, igniting thoughts and feelings I had been trying to suppress for weeks.

"So... uh... did you get my text?" he asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, I did. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to respond yet."

He sighed, looking almost defeated. "I see. Well, I really hope you think about it. I'd love to sit down and talk to you about everything. I know you have a lot going on this week, but maybe we could grab coffee sometime? I want to explain everything."

I took a deep breath, unsure of how to navigate this conversation. "Brant, you don't have to explain anything to me. I ended things, and you've moved on. There's nothing for me to be upset about, really. I guess I was just caught off guard by how it all happened." I paused, my voice softening. "I shouldn't have run away like I did."

Brant's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "I didn't move on, Jess," he said a little louder than intended, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. "I haven't moved on. There's only you."