Brayden notices, and he goes over to close the partially-open windows. “This will make it warmer, and I can start the fire, too.”
I glance over at the wood-burning stove in the corner. “That’s awesome.”
“It’s all filled and ready to burn,” he says over his shoulder as he finishes closing the windows and then starts the stove.
I stare at his ass the entire time, wondering if staring is as bad as touching. Everyone’s allowed to fantasize, even married people, right? But I’m not married yet. I remember Mom telling me she had two suitors besides Dad for a time, and they were all courting her at once. Of course, Mom wasn’t living with one of them.
Brayden turns around, but I’m still focused on his pants area, so I find myself staring at the buttons on his jeans. I go hot and bring my eyes up to his face.
The corner of his mouth lifts. “You want to throw your clothes in the dryer? You shouldn’t stay soaking wet.”
I stare at him awkwardly, not sure what he expects me to do while my clothes are nicely drying—sit around naked perhaps?
“I’ll grab a pair of my sweatpants and a sweatshirt and you can change in the bathroom,” he explains.
I think about this for a minute before finally deciding it’s the most practical thing to do. I usually pride myself on being practical, but I don’t feel very good at it right now.
“Sure.” I shake my head to clear the cobwebs as I stand up to follow him out of the room. “That’s a good idea.”
* * *
I stand in front of Brayden’s front-loading dryer and watch my clothes spin round and round inside. Wearing his clothes like this, I can feel him on me as if we’d just slept together even though, of course, we didn’t. His sweatshirt smells so good, manly and with a hint of detergent. Brayden sits with his legs hanging off the edge of his folding table and helps break the awkwardness by telling me more about himself.
He says he’s always loved football, but he loves ranch life even more. His four cousins are his best friends.
“Plus Jenson,” he adds. “He’s Colt’s best friend since they were kids and all of ours as well. The six of us are pretty inseparable even though we aren’t living in the same place. And now, four of them are either married or will be getting married; they’re not all officially engaged, but they might as well be.”
“Wow. That must have changed things,” I say.
“It did. But only in good ways.”
The longer Brayden talks, the more he fascinates me, from his relaxed attitude to the way he doesn’t seem to overthink anything.
He spent his whole life up in Wilcox, the tiny town a few miles to the north, and he played wide receiver all four years on the high school football team.
“You said you played with Dylan and Colton?” I ask him.
“Yep. After we graduated, I stayed in Wilcox and got my teaching degree. I taught physical education at the high school for a while, and then I got an assistant coaching job for the football team.”
“That’s amazing,” I say. “Wilcox has one of the top teams in the state.”
He nods. “I love working with the kids.”
“What do you like most?”
His blue eyes soften. “I like how each kid is different. Not a one is the same, and you can’t coach them the same, or use the same techniques, because what will work for one of the boys will absolutely fail with another one. I just want them to succeed after high school, and not just on the football field. I want them to follow their passion. It may not be football, and my goal is for them to trust their gut. Nothing worse than getting stuck on a career path that’s not right for you. It doesn’t work, and it’s bound to make you miserable.”
I suck in my breath. His words are hitting a little too close to home.
“So you stock groceries on the side in order to be able to buy a ranch?”
He chuckles. “Sounds crazy when you put it like that.”
I cringe. “Shit. I didn’t mean for it to. I think it’s amazing, actually, that you’re working so hard to pursue a dream.”
Brayden reaches out and gently tugs on a strand of my hair. “I’m still at the beginning of the journey, but that’s okay. I’m not in a hurry as long as I’m headed in the right direction. I’m trying to follow my heart, you know?”
I nod, my eyes locked with his, and I can’t tear my gaze away. “Following my heart has never been my strong suit,” I murmur.
