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.While I ran every scenario over in my head, I worked like a demon with my brothers at the ranch.Jilly had been older but he’d more than carried the weight of a man three times younger.We had a lot to catch up on, and I didn’t slow down for a second.It helped, really.To deal with Jilly’s death.And with my ever-growing ridiculous dilemma over what to do with Brax.Dammit.I knew what to do.I was just scared.Scared to take that dive.I was starting to get on my own nerves, with all that scariness, waffling behavior.Beaumonts fight for what’s theirs.For what’s right.And for what they want.Enough was enough.That night I laid in bed, cell phone in my hand.I’d had enough.I was tired of fighting it.Tired of wondering what to do.I knew what I had to do.I flipped open my phone and with my stomach in knots, called Brax.It rang, and I smiled at his ringback tone.Take Me Out to the Ballgame.It played out, and Brax’s voicemail took over as quickly as my disappointment at him not answering the phone.My self-righteousness had finally bitten me in the ass.Double-jawed, as Jilly would say.I left a message.“Hey, Brax, I, uh, missed you in class.” I blew out a breath.“No, I mean, yeah, I did, but what I mean is.” I sighed.“I’m an idiot.I miss you.Please call me back?”He didn’t, and I fell asleep with my phone in my hand.The sound of an ax connecting with wood pulled me out of a deep sleep the next morning as I blinked open my eyes.A shadowy, hazy light fell over my room, and I knew it was super early.The realization that Brax had never returned my call socked me in the gut.Was he finished with me? Had I pushed him away? I patted my covers and found my phone.No missed calls.No texts.I continued to hear the chop-chop of the ax outside, and it started grating my nerves.What had gotten into Seth? I’d told him I’d chop wood with him at first light.I grumbled to myself as I climbed out of bed, jerked my feet into my boots and over the cuffs of my Winston sweat pants.Brushed my teeth, stuffed a knitted hat over my head and pulled on my down coat.I pushed out into the frigid December morning where the sun hadn’t even cracked the horizon yet, yanking the zipper of my coat up to my throat.“Jesus, Seth Beaumont,” I grumbled as I hurried down the steps.“Why didn’t you wake me up—”At the bottom of the porch steps, my words fell away.My heart raced, my eyes widened and I stood there, gap-mouthed, gaze fixed on the wood pile.Not Seth Beaumont.Brax swung the ax, embedding it into the chopping block.He leaned on the handle, his Boston Red Sox cap on backwards; his thick leather Winston Silverbacks baseball jacket zipped to the neck.In the haze of early morning, his pale skin stood stark against dark brows and dark scruffy jaw.Even from where I stood, his eyes held a radiance that made them almost glow.Gloves covered his inked knuckles.Winter clothes covered the rest of him.Yet I could do nothing but stare in silence.He literally stole my breath.The smile on his face started slowly, tipping the corners of that beautiful mouth upward, and he took a step in my direction.My heart nearly shut down at the predatory expression.“Your mom called.Asked if I wanted to come for Christmas.” He kept walking, that sexy, baseball player’s swagger, his eyes fixed on mine, and I stayed frozen to the porch step.Finally, he stopped, barely a foot away.His frosty breath billowed out in front of him on each exhale.I don’t know why I thought that sexy, too, but I did.“Mind if I stay?”Brax was so close I could smell the sharp soapy scent on his skin.I forced myself to breathe.Then, to speak.My mom called him? How did she get his number, anyway? “Why didn’t you call me back?”His gaze moved over me, from my boots to my hat.Then fastened on my eyes and his smile only widened.“I almost did.I played that message over a dozen times, just to hear you say you missed me.” He moved closer, took my hands.“I’d already talked to your mom, but I don’t know.I guess I was scared you’d change your mind if you knew I was coming.Thought it would be easier, face-to-face.So?”I cocked my head, wondering what he meant.He tucked my hands into his coat pockets.Pulled me close, and gave me the most arrogant, beautiful smile.One dark brow lifted.“Do you want me to stay?”I couldn’t tear my gaze from him.“I saw the video.Tessa called and told me what you did.” I closed my eyes for a brief second, then looked at him.“Please tell me you haven’t lost your scholarship, Brax.”“I haven’t, Sunshine.It’s all squared,” he promised.“I came clean with the coach.All I have to do is keep my 4.0, stay out of the bars.” Bahs.“But it would’ve been worth it.” A smile touched his mouth.“Well worth it, though, to have that prick Evans’ balls on a pike.He won’t bother you again.”“You have a 4.0?” I asked.Brax covered his heart with one hand.“You wound me, sweetheart.Of course I do.”“So that’s why you missed the last day of class? Squaring things up with your coach? And you’re not in any trouble?”Brax’s eyes lit up in a silent laugh.“Yes to all of that, Sunshine.”Hope seized my heart; I couldn’t help but smile back.This could really work.Brax.Me.It felt real now.“I suddenly feel inclined to use my safe word.”Brax looked away, then back.“What is that thing, anyway?”“Nutcracker.”“Is that so?” He removed first his left glove, then the right.He dropped them on the porch step.“Yeah, it is.” My breath caught, just before he lowered his head, held mine still with both hands, and swept my lips with his.Fire sparked between us, and my hands left his pockets and slipped around his neck, tangled in his hair.With a groan, Brax deepened the kiss, his tongue grazing mine and setting my insides on fire.We kissed that way, in the twenty eight degree air on that December morning, for a long, long time.Until someone cleared their throat.“You call this chopping wood?”I took my time ending the kiss, saw the heat in Brax’s eyes as he stared down at me, then slowly we turned and faced my baby brother.“Get a room, why don’t ya?” he said with a grin.“Mom said coffee’s on.” He stepped back inside, the door cracking shut.“Gracie,” Brax said.He gently grasped my head, forcing me to hold his stare.“Yes?”“I’m sorry.For everything.” He inhaled, exhaled.“Except for one thing.”I tilted my head.“And what’s that?”“Knockin’ into you.” Brax’s smile transformed his harsh features into something heart-stopping, beautiful, and I nearly lost my breath.“That was Fate, Sunshine.A day I’ll thank God for, every single day of my life [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.While I ran every scenario over in my head, I worked like a demon with my brothers at the ranch.Jilly had been older but he’d more than carried the weight of a man three times younger.We had a lot to catch up on, and I didn’t slow down for a second.It helped, really.To deal with Jilly’s death.And with my ever-growing ridiculous dilemma over what to do with Brax.Dammit.I knew what to do.I was just scared.Scared to take that dive.I was starting to get on my own nerves, with all that scariness, waffling behavior.Beaumonts fight for what’s theirs.For what’s right.And for what they want.Enough was enough.That night I laid in bed, cell phone in my hand.I’d had enough.I was tired of fighting it.Tired of wondering what to do.I knew what I had to do.I flipped open my phone and with my stomach in knots, called Brax.It rang, and I smiled at his ringback tone.Take Me Out to the Ballgame.It played out, and Brax’s voicemail took over as quickly as my disappointment at him not answering the phone.My self-righteousness had finally bitten me in the ass.Double-jawed, as Jilly would say.I left a message.“Hey, Brax, I, uh, missed you in class.” I blew out a breath.“No, I mean, yeah, I did, but what I mean is.” I sighed.“I’m an idiot.I miss you.Please call me back?”He didn’t, and I fell asleep with my phone in my hand.The sound of an ax connecting with wood pulled me out of a deep sleep the next morning as I blinked open my eyes.A shadowy, hazy light fell over my room, and I knew it was super early.The realization that Brax had never returned my call socked me in the gut.Was he finished with me? Had I pushed him away? I patted my covers and found my phone.No missed calls.No texts.I continued to hear the chop-chop of the ax outside, and it started grating my nerves.What had gotten into Seth? I’d told him I’d chop wood with him at first light.I grumbled to myself as I climbed out of bed, jerked my feet into my boots and over the cuffs of my Winston sweat pants.Brushed my teeth, stuffed a knitted hat over my head and pulled on my down coat.I pushed out into the frigid December morning where the sun hadn’t even cracked the horizon yet, yanking the zipper of my coat up to my throat.“Jesus, Seth Beaumont,” I grumbled as I hurried down the steps.“Why didn’t you wake me up—”At the bottom of the porch steps, my words fell away.My heart raced, my eyes widened and I stood there, gap-mouthed, gaze fixed on the wood pile.Not Seth Beaumont.Brax swung the ax, embedding it into the chopping block.He leaned on the handle, his Boston Red Sox cap on backwards; his thick leather Winston Silverbacks baseball jacket zipped to the neck.In the haze of early morning, his pale skin stood stark against dark brows and dark scruffy jaw.Even from where I stood, his eyes held a radiance that made them almost glow.Gloves covered his inked knuckles.Winter clothes covered the rest of him.Yet I could do nothing but stare in silence.He literally stole my breath.The smile on his face started slowly, tipping the corners of that beautiful mouth upward, and he took a step in my direction.My heart nearly shut down at the predatory expression.“Your mom called.Asked if I wanted to come for Christmas.” He kept walking, that sexy, baseball player’s swagger, his eyes fixed on mine, and I stayed frozen to the porch step.Finally, he stopped, barely a foot away.His frosty breath billowed out in front of him on each exhale.I don’t know why I thought that sexy, too, but I did.“Mind if I stay?”Brax was so close I could smell the sharp soapy scent on his skin.I forced myself to breathe.Then, to speak.My mom called him? How did she get his number, anyway? “Why didn’t you call me back?”His gaze moved over me, from my boots to my hat.Then fastened on my eyes and his smile only widened.“I almost did.I played that message over a dozen times, just to hear you say you missed me.” He moved closer, took my hands.“I’d already talked to your mom, but I don’t know.I guess I was scared you’d change your mind if you knew I was coming.Thought it would be easier, face-to-face.So?”I cocked my head, wondering what he meant.He tucked my hands into his coat pockets.Pulled me close, and gave me the most arrogant, beautiful smile.One dark brow lifted.“Do you want me to stay?”I couldn’t tear my gaze from him.“I saw the video.Tessa called and told me what you did.” I closed my eyes for a brief second, then looked at him.“Please tell me you haven’t lost your scholarship, Brax.”“I haven’t, Sunshine.It’s all squared,” he promised.“I came clean with the coach.All I have to do is keep my 4.0, stay out of the bars.” Bahs.“But it would’ve been worth it.” A smile touched his mouth.“Well worth it, though, to have that prick Evans’ balls on a pike.He won’t bother you again.”“You have a 4.0?” I asked.Brax covered his heart with one hand.“You wound me, sweetheart.Of course I do.”“So that’s why you missed the last day of class? Squaring things up with your coach? And you’re not in any trouble?”Brax’s eyes lit up in a silent laugh.“Yes to all of that, Sunshine.”Hope seized my heart; I couldn’t help but smile back.This could really work.Brax.Me.It felt real now.“I suddenly feel inclined to use my safe word.”Brax looked away, then back.“What is that thing, anyway?”“Nutcracker.”“Is that so?” He removed first his left glove, then the right.He dropped them on the porch step.“Yeah, it is.” My breath caught, just before he lowered his head, held mine still with both hands, and swept my lips with his.Fire sparked between us, and my hands left his pockets and slipped around his neck, tangled in his hair.With a groan, Brax deepened the kiss, his tongue grazing mine and setting my insides on fire.We kissed that way, in the twenty eight degree air on that December morning, for a long, long time.Until someone cleared their throat.“You call this chopping wood?”I took my time ending the kiss, saw the heat in Brax’s eyes as he stared down at me, then slowly we turned and faced my baby brother.“Get a room, why don’t ya?” he said with a grin.“Mom said coffee’s on.” He stepped back inside, the door cracking shut.“Gracie,” Brax said.He gently grasped my head, forcing me to hold his stare.“Yes?”“I’m sorry.For everything.” He inhaled, exhaled.“Except for one thing.”I tilted my head.“And what’s that?”“Knockin’ into you.” Brax’s smile transformed his harsh features into something heart-stopping, beautiful, and I nearly lost my breath.“That was Fate, Sunshine.A day I’ll thank God for, every single day of my life [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]