Page 16 of Bravo

“I definitely get that feeling,” he replies with a smile my way then returns to brushing Rev, the gorgeous gelding I’d grown rather fond of over the past few months.

Warning bells ring in my mind, the urge for me to turn and run getting stronger. What is it about this man that calls to me? Never, in my entire life, have I felt so drawn to someone I just met. Even though I know I should turn and walk away, I don’t want to.

And that equals danger in my world. I clear my throat. “Elliot warned me you’d be wanting your horse back.”Way to go, Kennedy. You’re bringing him back into another conversation instead of just leaving.

Bradyn turns toward me and smiles. My stomach twists into knots in response.I’m in big trouble here.“Yeah, I’d say Rev and I are old friends.”

“He’s a great horse,” I reply.

“I’m actually surprised he took to you,” he says as he sets the brush aside and heads into the tack room, appearing a moment later with a saddle already fit with a pad. “He barely tolerates anyone else.”

“We hit it off,” I say. “Bonded over pasts we’d both rather forget, I suppose.” Even as the words leave my mouth, I regret saying them. The last thing I need is this man—or any of the Hunts—looking too deeply into my past.

The secrets I’ve built around me like walls will collapse beneath the weight of even the slightest pressure.

He sets the saddle onto the gelding’s back, and although I know he heard me, he doesn’t comment.So he’s not one to pry. That’s good.

“What do you usually do when you’re up this early? Work around here doesn’t typically start until right at sunrise,” he asks.

“I usually get started on chores. Cleaning stalls and prepping feed buckets. Helps the day go by smoother.”

“Leave anything for anyone else?” he asks with an arched brow. When I don’t immediately answer, he adds, “If you’re up this early, I imagine there’s not much left for the rest of us.”

I shrug. “I like to be busy.”

He tightens the cinch. “Something I relate to all too well. It’s Sammy, right?”

“That’s right,” I reply, even as I wish I could hear my actual name leave his lips.What is wrong with me? Get it together, Kennedy.“Why are you up this early? And why are you saddling Rev? It won’t be light for another half hour or so.”Woo-hoo, brain is finally working.Except then I realize I just questioned the boss.

It’s his ranch. His horse. He can do whatever he wants.

If the inquisition bothers him, he doesn’t show it. “I don’t mind the dark. I like to catch the sunrise at the top of the hill; then head out to do a quick ride through the pastures closest before coming back here and officially getting the day started.”

“Sounds peaceful.”

“It is,” he replies then steps around Rev so we’re both on the same side of the horse. “Why don’t you join me this morning?”

“What? Why? It doesn’t sound like a two-person job.”

He grins. An adorable crooked grin that sends my heart racing. “No, but the company might be nice. And the view is breathtaking.”

I’ll say.This man should come with a warning label.

WARNING: His smile can lead to heart palpitations.

I start to accept, but something in his expression has me pumping the brakes on this runaway train of attraction. There’s pain hidden in there. And I know myself well enough to know that, even though I carry my own demons, as soon as we started getting close, I’d start longing to slay his.

But the connection I feel is only going to put both of us at risk. Either we’ll hit it off, things will be beautiful, then I’ll have to break both our hearts when I inevitably have to leave, or things go sour and Bradyn decides to do a deeper dive into my past, forcing me out anyway.

It’s a lose-lose all the way around.

As he waits for my response, he slips the bridle onto Rev and removes his halter then turns to face me. “Interested?”

Now that’s a weighted question.

I clear my throat. “No thanks. Maybe some other time. I need to go finish my coffee and grab some breakfast before the sun comes up.”

His grin falls just slightly, and my stomach sinks right along with it. Even as I tell myself it’s for the best, the disappointment on his face drags my mood right down to the ground.

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