Page 118 of Strung Along
“That could never make me think poorly of you. There is no rule written that says we all have to want the same things in life. It’s all about finding the person whose dreams align with yours, whatever they might be,” Eliza declares, her tone fierce.
I blink past a wave of emotion and ask, “Brody’s your only grandchild. Don’t you want him to get married someday?”
“I want plenty of things for him, my sweet. Marriage pales in comparison to simply seeing him happy.”
Her confident words settle me a part of me that I didn’t know had been fretting at the idea of stumbling upon this potential roadblock.
A beat later, she unhooks the metal gate and ushers me into the pasture, conversation already forgotten, no awkward thank you needed. Banana comes skipping over instantly, as if she were watching for us all morning. The other cows watch her with interest, a few lingering close by. My heart swells at their protectiveness. Banana has found a herd here the way I have, and that makes me feel both relieved and at peace.
Eliza is the first to reach down and scratch the fluffy girl on the top of her head. “Good morning, sweetie. You’ve been keeping these heifers in line, yeah?”
“If anyone could, it would be this sassy girl.” Banana jumps forward, and I drop to a crouch to give her some pets. “Yeah, I missed you too.”
“She’s spoiled rotten, this one,” Eliza says.
“Yeah, she is. We can blame Brody for that, though.”
“I hope you believe me when I say I’ve never seen him do anything like this for anyone before. You’ve turned him all inside out with your love, Anna. It’s been surreal to watch the change in him these past couple of months.”
“He’s done the same to me. I’ve never been this happy. Not once,” I admit.
Eliza grins so brightly. “You’re in for a blessed life, my girl. You better buckle in tight.”
I don’t bother telling her that I have been from the moment I met Brody at Peakside.
BRODY
My body screams at me to get back in my truck and drive to Anna’s house. God, I miss her enough to nearly give in. If it wasn’t for my fear of not being able to get myself back to this place of determination after sinking back into the feel of her at my side, I would have.
I’ve been running on the same thrill since that conversation with Killian in Nashville. The same desire to get to work andfigure my shit out before returning to my woman. It took a few days to get it all together with Wanda, but there’s one more thing I have to do now that I’m back on the ranch.
I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get here. To walk this path to the stables with my heart galloping in my throat and my fingers shaking. But now that I’m here, there’s no backing out. This is my next step. The move I need to make to press forward in my life. No more hiding from the pain in my chest. I can’t focus on the future while holding a chunk of myself in the past.
It’s dark when I reach the stable, the motion-sensor lights above the door beaming when I grip the handle and slide it open. Silence fills the stable before hooves on hay cuts through. I flick on the lights above the right side of the stable. Sky’s already watching me when I head down the walkway between the stalls, her head hanging over her gate once again.
“Sorry for wakin’ you,” I whisper, pausing a few feet from her.
Emotion builds in my throat, a pound of rocks dropping in my stomach. The love in those brown eyes of hers nearly rocks me back on my heels. It’s too much. More than I deserve.
“I figured you and me could go for a ride tonight.”
It’s as if she can understand me. She shuffles behind the gate, a low whinny escaping her. My fingers twitch, wanting to touch her again, but I hold myself back. Not yet.
“I take it that’s good with you, then. You’ll have to be patient with me here. I’m goin’ to be a bit rusty,” I tell her.
Her saddle is hung off to the side, and I grab it in surprisingly steady hands, the weight of it just right. She waits patiently for me to open her gate and step inside her stall. It takes me longer than I’d like to admit to get her saddled up, but I’m pleased to know I haven’t forgotten how to do it. Maybe it was stupid to consider that I could have.
I smooth my palm down her neck, exhaling shakily at the familiar tickle of her soft hair against my skin. The world fades around us, and I fall into the utter rightness that comes with being beside my horse—my best friend through some of the biggest moments in my life. It was wrong of me to stay away from her, but today marks the start of a new beginning for the both of us.
“One step done. Gonna let me hop on now, girl?”
She blows out a long breath and sidesteps closer to me. I chuckle, patting her neck.
“Alright, now, no sudden movements, please.”
Her reins are a welcome weight in my sweaty fist as I step into the stirrup and hoist myself onto her back in one smooth motion. She doesn’t move a muscle as I sit in the saddle, my thighs tight against her sides. Too tight.
My eyes are squeezed shut, a swell of emotion rocking through me. I’m tense, my head pulsing with memories and a heavy grief that I haven’t allowed myself to feel in a decade. A wet trickle moves down my cheek, and I laugh, opening my eyes to find them blurry.