Page 5 of Barn Burner (Love The Game #2)

Brayden

The next day, I sleep in until noon, and I’m mentally kicking myself as I roll out of bed and pad barefoot into the small kitchen area.

I can’t believe I slept in so late. I’ve missed out on hours to explore this incredible place.

But at the same time, I’m not surprised.

It’s the first time I’ve felt relaxed in weeks.

Sleep and I haven’t been friends since that fateful night.

I’d get a couple of hours here and there, but I often found myself doomscrolling on my phone.

Reading the articles. Watching the video clips on social media. Reading the comments.

Hearing how much you suck from journalists is one thing, but reading it coming from the fans? It’s brutal. Zero stars. Do not recommend.

I ended up getting sucked into a vortex of negativity, and I kept dragging myself deeper and deeper, torturing myself because I didn’t know how else to deal with the disappointment that came with the biggest loss of my career.

I’ve never had my heart broken by a lover, but I’ve had my heart broken twice by the sport I’ve loved more than life since I was a kid.

My mum tried to console me and tried to get me to see the positives, but unless you’re living and breathing it, nobody really understands.

It’s not just a game. It’s the reason I eat the diet I do. The reason I train the way I do. It’s on my mind from the moment I wake up to my last thought at night.

It’s my purpose, and no matter how thick your skin is, nothing can prepare you for having others tear you apart over it.

But today is the day I’m going to put it behind me. There’s nothing I can do now. I can’t change the result, and I can’t change the way I played. The only thing I can do is draw a line in the sand and make sure I put in the work to prepare for the upcoming season.

Train hard. Work on my mental game. Be the best version of myself for my team and the people of Calgary.

I make a coffee and a slice of toast with the loaf of bread Sara, Jesse’s mum, brought over yesterday, then head into the bathroom.

Flicking on the shower, I strip out of my boxers and step under the spray.

There’s a small square window that looks out onto the rolling foothills.

I’ve been at Huxley Creek Ranch for over twenty-four hours now, and I’m still not over how fucking stunning this place is.

Imagine waking up to this every day? It’s surreal.

I end up standing there, letting the water cascade over me as I stare out of the window until the water starts to turn cool.

“Ah, shit,” I curse, shuddering as it turns cooler by the second. I quickly clean myself up and wash my hair before getting out and brushing my teeth.

Back in the bedroom, I pull on a loose-fit T-shirt and step into some running shorts. I try to make my hair look less unruly, then slip on some white socks and my well-loved Converse.

Picking up my phone from where I left it on charge, I head outside onto the small decking area.

A few more texts came in from Jude yesterday and this morning, but aside from a quick text letting him know I’m alright, I haven’t responded.

I need to try and take a break from my phone.

A digital detox, if you will. If I’m going to get myself out of this funk, then I need to cut off from the rest of the world and just be in the…

outside. But I know he’ll worry if I don’t check in at least every few days.

So, with the view of the mountains behind me, I hold my phone up to take a picture in selfie mode. I can barely see the screen due to the bright sun, so I don’t know whether the shot is in focus, but I throw up the peace sign with my other hand and grin so wide my cheeks begin to ache.

Because how can I be sad when I can see this with my eyes? In real life?

Checking the photo isn’t a heap of shit, I send it to Jude, along with the message:

Proof of life. This place is like heaven. Is it weird to get hard over a landscape?

Despite the patchy signal, his text comes through almost instantly.

Jude

You’re fucking strange but I’m glad you’re okay. Have fun. Stay safe.

Heading back inside the wood-panelled lodge, I toss my phone on the countertop, then grab my sunglasses and a bottle of water from the fridge before making the walk down toward the barn and main house.

It’s about a half a mile down an unmarked gravel road, flanked by two fields and an endless stretch of green grass, but I don’t mind it.

When I reach the barn, I find Jesse roughly chopping up some carrots and apples, tossing them into two buckets.

“Hey,” I say with a smile.

He spares me a glance from beneath his brown hat, then grumbles, “How nice of you to join us.”

I laugh, scrunching my nose up slightly as I cringe. “I know. That bed was so comfortable. I probably could’ve spent all day in there if I had the company.”

He makes a choked noise, and the carrots land in the bucket with a loud thunk .

I’m unable to tear my eyes away from him as he finishes up with the carrots and apples, then starts peeling bananas and snapping them in half.

His worn work shirt is stretched across his wide shoulders, showing the ripple of his muscles as he moves.

The sleeves are rolled up to show off his strong forearms. Denim hugs his ass like a dream, but it’s the dusty black chaps that have my cock swelling.

Fuck me.

I twist the bottle of water in my hands, the urge to touch him becoming all too much. I clear my throat, my tongue suddenly feeling too big for my mouth.

“What have you been doing this morning?” I ask.

“Not long got back from a trail ride. We’re out again at two,” he tells me.

“Do you do them every day?”

“Not every day, but we offer them year-round, weather dependent.”

“So, is that, like, what you do here?”

“Mhm.”

I chew on my lip. The need to know everything about this guy isn’t something I’ve experienced before. It’s not only throwing me for a loop, but I’m also conscious that the guy I want to know everything about isn’t exactly the most talkative type.

When I haven’t said a word, he glances over at me again and asks, “How did you find the lodge?”

“Good, yeah. The views are insane. The window in the shower looking out? Holy shit, I could’ve stood there all day.” I chuckle. “I bet they’re popular.”

“We only offer the lodges during the summer months, as that’s when we do the longer trail rides.

My mom looks after the petting farm now, as that’s her baby.

She used to do the riding school, but that’s been passed over to Cooper.

Rhett is usually out in the fields with my dad, unless I need him to cover me, like I did yesterday.

Then my sister works as a vet in the city, but she comes by whenever we need her. ”

“It must be nice, being all together.”

He hums. “Most of the time, but sometimes we butt heads.”

“Like yesterday with Cooper,” I reply teasingly, and when the corner of Jesse’s lips twitches in a small smile, I can’t help but grin triumphantly.

Jesse is gorgeous in a rugged, masculine way, and damn , when this man smiles, it’s like the first glimpse of sun after a cold, gloomy winter.

Warm. Bright.

I lean against the door frame to the barn, watching him finish chopping up the fruit, and then he turns to me, holding out one of the buckets.

“Wanna help feed the horses?”

I nod eagerly. “I’d love to.”

Taking the outstretched bucket, I follow him as he leads me into the barn. I take note of the engraved name plaques on each of the stalls as I walk by, laughing under my breath as horses tilt their head in curiosity as I pass, nostrils twitching.

“Which one is yours?” I find myself asking.

Jesse jerks his chin to a stall further down, where a beautiful black horse with a black-and-white mane is flapping his lips. When I get closer, I notice he has white patches across his body, almost like the cows I see at home.

“This is Prince. He’s a paint horse.”

I let out a snort of laughter. “Prince! Like the Prince of Darkness.”

Jesse shakes his head, smoothing his palm up the horse’s nose. “He was actually named after Prince, as in Prince and the Revolution. We already had an Ozzy at the time. We’ve also got Blondie, Jett, and Bowie.”

“Are they all named after musicians?”

“It started out that way, but now we don’t really have a theme.” His hand moves around to rub down the horse’s neck, and my eyes fix on the way his arms flex beneath his shirt.

He looks so strong. Not in a way that his strength has come from hours in the gym, but muscles built from years of manual labor. I want to know what he looks like wearing nothing but those fucking chaps.

The sound of his deep rumble pulls me out of my reverent thoughts, and I snap my gaze up to see those icy blue eyes are watching me.

And there’s no missing the flash of heat that passes through them. Like he knows exactly where my mind had gone.

“Can I feed him?” I ask, needing something else other than the growing desire for this man to distract me.

“Sure.”

Reaching into the bucket, I grab a carrot and hold my palm out flat in front of Prince. He snuffles his lips against my fingers, then takes the carrot, the loud crunch making me grin. “That good, huh?”

“The banana is his favourite,” Jesse says from where he’s feeding the horse in the next stall.

I find the biggest piece of banana, and Prince bobs his head as I hold it up, clearly excited. He does the funny lip shuffle against my hand again before eating the banana. I feed him a few more pieces, my face beginning to ache from my smile, when Jesse steps in closer.

“Okay, that’s enough now,” Jesse grumbles, causing Prince to let out a disgruntled noise. “Nu-huh, none of that. Brayden doesn’t know that you’ll keep eatin’ ’til the bucket is empty because you’re too damn greedy.”

Prince lets out a loud huff from his nostrils, flicking his mane in a frustrated jerk. Jesse rolls his eyes, but it’s not in annoyance. There’s a look of adoration in his expression. It does nothing but throw fuel on the lustful fire I have for this guy.

After a quick stroke to the horse’s muzzle, Jesse shows me around the rest of the barn, introducing me to the different horses and handing me his bucket when mine is empty.

“This is their treat. A reward, if you will, for workin’ hard this morning. They have an enriched diet, but like us, they have a sweet tooth, so it’s something I like to do for them.”

I brush my hand against the neck of a brown-and-white horse called Dakota but tilt my head to face Jesse. He’s busying himself with something on the outside of another stall, but when he must feel my eyes on him, he pauses and glances over at me.

“You’re a nice guy beneath all that gruff exterior, aren’t you?”

He huffs, and I can see why Prince is his horse. He’s clearly picked up his owner’s traits.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed about. I think it’s bloody attractive, to be honest.”

“What is?” he murmurs.

“A guy who has a good heart. Who cares for animals. For his family.” I turn to look at him, ignoring when Dakota snuffles her lips against the back of my neck. “Helps a complete stranger on the side of the road and brings him back to his family home so he’s not completely stranded.”

Jesse doesn’t say anything, just simply stares at me.

Like he can’t believe the words just came from my mouth.

The silence that falls between us is palpable, and if I hadn’t seen the heated look in his eye earlier, I’d be kicking myself for putting my foot in it.

I can only assume Jesse’s been burned in the past, and he now wears a thick layer of armour to protect himself.

And I am, if not determined, always up for a challenge.

I go back to feeding the rest of the horses, and once my second bucket is empty, I make my way back toward the back of the barn, where Jesse is cleaning up.

“So, what do you do?” he asks when I place the bucket down on the counter.

I hesitate. I’m guessing by the question, he doesn’t know who I am, and there’s something in me that feels compelled to not tell him everything.

I’ve found people treat me differently when they know I play in the NHL, and while I’ve only known him for a day, I don’t want that to happen with Jesse.

Having him be unaware might be for the best. It’ll let me deal with my shit in my own way, in my own time.

“I work in athletics,” I answer.

“Mhm.” He nods. “Makes sense.”

Leaning back against the counter, my lips hike up in a smirk. “You been checking me out, Jesse?”

His eyes dip, and I feel the heat of his gaze travel from my bare legs up to my face, like he’s touching me with warm, roughened hands.

“Kinda hard not to,” he mumbles so low I would have missed it if I wasn’t so hyperfocused on him.

Well, damn.

Knowing he feels whatever lust-filled attraction is going on between us, I take a step forward, closing the distance between us until the toes of my shoes touch his boots.

I place a hand on his hip, fingers digging into the firm flesh just above the waistband of his chaps, then drop my voice as I say, “If you ever want a treat for working hard, Jesse, just say the word. Because I’ll reward you real good. ”

The answering rumble in Jesse’s chest causes my cock to throb, and it takes everything in me not to graze my teeth over the thick column of his neck that’s only inches away from my mouth.

Instead, I grab onto the only ounce of restraint I have and turn to head toward the door, but before I step outside, I look over my shoulder.

He’s standing in the same place, fists clenched at his sides, nostrils flaring, but it’s not anger in his eyes.

It’s pure want, and I’m fucking here for it.

Darting my tongue out to lick across my bottom lip, I throw him a wink, then disappear out the door before I can do something that might get me into trouble.