Broken

Broken Chapter 13

I smiled as I watched him feed his herd of goats the following afternoon. His ritual of laying out fresh hay for them every morning and afternoon had become such a part of my life. It was when he seemed most at peace; when he took care of the ones who needed him. I cherished watching him because it reminded me of just how gentle he was. And why I loved him so much.

I made my way over to the cart and leaned against it. Lost in his work, he didn't notice me until I cleared my throat and said, "Hi."

He looked over at me and smiled. "Hi yourself, doll."

I swallowed the lump I'd had since our argument the day before and asked, "Can we talk?"

"Of course." He stuck the pitchfork in the ground, reminding me of the first time I'd approached him. It felt like lifetimes ago. "I wanted to come over this morning, but I figured..."

"Yeah. I know." I stared at the ground in front of me, kicking at it. "I'm sorry, Bucky. I didn't mean to pick a fight."

"Hey. It's okay."

I shook my head. "No. It was wrong of me to threaten to leave. I promise not to do it again. I just..." I sighed. "I just want to help you and... I do care about you. I really do, but it's hard for me. I got a lot of baggage."

"I get that." I felt his hand rest over mine. "You've been through a lot too."

"Yeah, but nothing compared to you." I chuckled. "Most of my mess is my own doing, you know."

"Doesn't make it any easier to get through." He squeezed my hand. "If you need to talk about it or just want a shoulder to lean on, I'm here for you."

"I really appreciate that." I slid over and laid my head on his shoulder. Staring at his profile, I added, "There's just one other thing I need to say."

"What's that, doll?"

"I think I'm in love with you, James Buchanan Barnes."

He looked over at me with a tender smile. "Told you so."

I giggled as I pushed off the cart and stood in front of him. Placing my hands on my hips, I rolled my eyes. "Geez. I was hoping for something a little more romantic than an 'I told you so.' And you never told me anything."

"I was waiting for you to figure it out." He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. "I love you too, Destiny Hunt."

I inhaled his scent, a scent I'd come to cherish, before wrinkling my nose. "It'd be a hell of a lot sexier coming from a man that didn't smell like a goat."

He smirked as he raised an eyebrow. "We can fix that."

Aw hell, I thought, realizing exactly what he had in mind. "Don't you dare, Bucky."

His smile widened as he tightened his grip around my waist. "C'mon, doll. Just a quick dip."

"No," I protested as he began pulling me toward the lake. "I'm serious."

He stopped at the edge, his smile never fading. "All right. I got a better idea."

"Thank God," I gushed, leaning on him dramatically. "I'm glad you came to your senses finally."

"I was going to suggest we make use of that big bathtub you got." He drew me close, his lips within kissing distance. "But just for that."

We were already in the underwater before I register what was happening. Plunging into the chilly lake, I clung to him for dear life once again and hoped he didn't lose his grip. When he surfaced, he let out a thundering laugh I'd never heard before.