Page 65 of Beat of Love
The filly’s ears flicked at the whir of the approaching drone. It buzzed low overhead, circled once, then released its supply basket into a patch of open ground. With the delivery made, the drone settled a short distance away, rotors slowing to a hum as it powered down — waiting for the return trip.
While she stashed the picnic leftovers, he got to work unloading the supply basket, running through how best to tackle the tangle of overgrown brush ahead.
Battery powered chainsaw in hand, Rafferty approached the sagebrush, thick and stubborn, where it pushed through the wire in tangle after tangle, swallowing the fence. The steady hum of the machine filled the air as he set to work.
Brandy-Lyn was right beside him, tugging the severed limbs out of the way. The scent of crushed sage — earthy, wild, with a bite of something bitter and green — filled the air. They quickly settled into a steady rhythm, each cut sending a small spray of dust into the air, but he didn’t slow down, just continued in a methodical, quick, and efficient manner.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the last of the tangle around the fence was gone. A quick glance at his watch showed that less than sixty minutes had passed. He lifted his hat and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “Good work, partner.”
Face red from exertion, her gaze moved from him to the brush pile, and back at him.
Would she flush like that during the throes of an orgasm?
She flashed a grin. “Guess two pairs of hands make lighter work,” she said, swiping that infernal loose strand of hair from her cheek. “Let’s get the wire done.”
He was grateful she hadn’t read his mind.
Turning away — his jeans suddenly uncomfortably snug — he fetched the coil of wire.“You grab the line once I thread it through the tensioner.”
They moved in sync; Brandy-Lyn kneeling to hold the wire steady while Rafferty hooked it through the jaws of the tool.
His gaze kept slipping from the task on hand, and he berated himself.
He shouldn’t watch her the way he was, shouldn’t notice the way a strand of hair kept slipping loose, clinging to a cheek dusted with flakes of gold. Or how the sun found a way below the brim of her hat and lit up the bottom of her face. He resisted the impulse —again— to reach over and brush away the stubborn lock of red.
She looked up, and their eyes locked.
He masked his longing as best he could, fighting the urge thrumming through his veins to throw caution aside and claimher as his. “Thanks for helping,” he said, his voice lower than he intended.
“Anytime. I’m glad I could help.”
Her words landed deeper than she probably knew. Simple, matter of fact — but they curled into something warm in his chest. Something in him loosened. Some old, weathered piece that had been braced against the world for too long.
And it scared the shit out of him.
16
Wrecked
He was unusually quiet on the ride back, and Brandy-Lyn stole a few glances his way. The trail stretched ahead, Sparrow moving steadily beneath her, and her mind wandered from focusing on the horse. She had enjoyed their time together. Working beside Rafferty had felt … right.
And the feelings beginning to stir in her chest had a chance to grow.
To take root. To bloom into something real.
Everything around her felt a little sharper now. The grass looked greener, the sky a shade bluer, and the birds chattered with cheerful abandon as they dipped and wove among the trees and brush. Even the wind against her skin carried something new — hope, maybe. Or the start of it.
Hope for what exactly, Brandy?
You really want to start something with a recoveringaddict? No matter how intoxicating his kisses are, he’s still a man fighting his way out of the darkness.
By unspoken agreement, they paused at the stream, and the horses drank their fill. She leaned forward and stroked the filly’s neck. “Smart Sparrow. So very proud of you, girl.”
Rafferty made a strangled sound, and she swung her head his way. “What?”
There was a flash of something …hunger?… in his eyes before his look turned inscrutable. “You up for a slight detour?”
No!Straight home. Get on top of this madness he’s stirring up in you.
