Chance of the Heart (10 page)

Bradley fell back against the couch cushions and stretched, letting out a grunt of satisfaction as the muscles relieved themselves of the tension from being hunched over his laptop and printouts for the last several hours. Beside him, Chance let out a loud yawn before gathering up their coffee cups to take back to the kitchen.

He checked his cell phone to see it was well past one in the afternoon. Time had flown. They’d had a decent time for having been poring over bank accounts, interest rates, investment opportunities, and stock options.

“Like I said, I can mostly give you figures and such. If you really want investment help I have friends I can call who are better at futures, etcetera. These were just some of the options that, if I were your accountant, I’d say were wise places to put your money.”

Chance wandered back from the kitchen. “Lord, I don’t think I could handle more options.”

Bradley chuckled. “I’ve really done all we can do here until you figure out where you want to start moving the money, which options you like. And if you decide on the restaurant then we’d have to pull in a few more things, specifically a business model.”

Chance blanched. At first he’d looked more solemn than he had all morning, uncertain and defeated about the restaurant. Bradley had assumed that’d be the one thing they’d for sure be discussing, so he’d gathered a whole separate folder for that. But the two times he’d steered their planning in that direction, Chance had gone in another.

“More planning?” Chance almost whined.

Bradley reached in his messenger bag and pulled out the other folder. “For you to think on it, I got examples of investor proposals, business models for other restaurants. Look over those. You don’t have to let me know now, or you can call in someone else to help with final decisions. This is just the direction I would lead you.”

Chance nodded and gathered up the papers they’d stacked up and the folders Bradley had put together. “Thanks for all this. I’ll definitely let you know.” He took them and placed them on a desk he had under the stairs that lead to his loft-style bedroom. The area underneath had been fashioned into a small, open office with three bookshelves, stacked to the rims and a filing cabinet. The only clutter in the entire loft was the desk, which was obviously where Chance’s neatness reached its limit.

Bradley tried not to let his mind wander back up those stairs to the bedroom. He wondered if the bed was made, if there were books lying about and socks on the floor. He wondered if the sheets smelled like the cool, aqua smelling cologne that Chance often wore.

He stood and started gathering his things. Horses moving in the pasture caught his attention and he smiled faintly as he watched the majestic creatures running, most with their colts beside them.

“Damn, it’s been too long since I was on a horse,” he said more to himself than anything. And it had been. Probably the better part of seven years. He’d not had time that first year of college, before he’d come out. His own horse, Shelly, who he’d won quite a few shiny belt-buckles with, had died three years earlier. He’d always felt horrible he’d not been there in the end but he didn’t even know it was happening. Not until his sister called to tell him the old girl was gone.

“Why don’t we go out? We got more than enough trail horses.”

Bradley turned to Chance, surprised. He’d been packing his things to go before things got awkward. Chance hadn’t even sounded sincere when he’d first offered, but when he walked over to look out the window he said with more conviction, “Shouldn’t no cowboy go too long without riding. It’s bad for their soul.”

Blinking back the burning in his eyes, Bradley nodded before he realized Chance couldn’t see him. “I… I’d like that. But you don’t have to.”

“No,” Chance turned, smiling. “It’d be great. After spending all this time in here we should get some fresh air.”

“That sounds great.”

“It’s settled then.” Chance glanced at his own cell phone. “No wonder I’m so hungry. It’s well past lunch time. How bout I put together some sandwiches and we ride out to the river? I know Rocket needs the exercise.”

Sounds like a date.
But Bradley sure didn’t say that out loud.

It took less than thirty minutes for Chance to throw together some lunch and put it in saddle bags. They were both old hands at saddling up horses so that took even less time.

As he placed his foot in the stirrup, Chance called out to him. He mounted up and Chance walked over to hand him a Stetson. “It’s too sunny out there not to wear a hat. I’m gonna start thinkin’ you been in the city too long, boy.”

Bradley quirked a brow at him. “Boy? I bet I can still run circles around you.”

Chance patted the mare Bradley was riding. “Not on old Sunny here. She’d probably put up a fight if you tried to gallop. I didn’t want you to have too fast a horse, y’know, seeing as you ain’t ridden in so long.” He winked at Bradley who gave him a middle finger in response.

“You’re too kind,” he said drily. He placed the Stetson on his head while Chance saddled up on his own horse. Rocket still looked as good as Bradley remembered. The sleek black stud with a white star on his forehead was a beautiful Quarter Horse. His strongly muscled body showed that even if Chance joked about him getting fat, Chance had kept his old friend in excellent shape. Like rider, like horse, Bradley thought. He remembered all too well the body Chance had hiding under those worn jeans and AQHA T-shirt.

Chance placed his own hat on his head and they both looked at each other. For a moment Bradley was back in time. They’d not been the closest of friends but they’d practiced enough together, shuttling back and forth between their two ranches to say they had been good friends considering the fact that Chance was two years younger than him. They’d been in different age groups so they never had officially competed against one another.

And damn if Chance didn’t always look good in the saddle. His form was good, he and Rocket looked completely comfortable together. Chance threw a devilish smile Bradley’s way. Oh hell, he’d been ogling the guy. Chance tilted the brim of his hat down just enough to hood his eyes, put his head down and he and Rocket were off. 

Despite what Chance had said, Sunny held her own when he gave her her head. When they caught up with Chance and Rocket, Chance gave another playful wink. They slowed it to a canter for a moment before finally winding back down to an easy gait. They’d crossed over two of the larger pastures where Bradley remembered having practiced back in high school. He didn’t see any of evidence of them having been used for that recently though.

The land was gorgeous. The trees lush and green, hills rolling. Even in Abernathy, which was considered a smallish big town, the air couldn’t come close to smelling as clean as it did out here. The breeze was just enough to keep the eighty degree heat from stifling.

He rode up beside Chance. “Do you ever do the barrels anymore?”

Chance shrugged. “Not really. Gave it up my senior year. Still practice in a new paddock by the breeding paddock, but for the most part I stick to riding for pleasure these days.”

“Didn’t want to be a big rodeo star?”

Chance gave a huff. “My dad believes that stuff’s for kids. We decided to cut down on some things to keep my head in the ranching game, barrel racing was one of them.”

Bradley wondered at that but he didn’t say much. For all his father had been strict on his church, he hadn’t ruled his home with the same iron fist the Beckets’ father had.

“I haven’t seen your old man around,” he said.

“Oh,” Chance said, looking over. “He had a stroke about three years ago. He’s not so bad off he can’t talk or walk, but he can’t work the physical stuff like he used to. Keeps to himself a lot, which don’t bother me, if I’m honest.”

Chance pulled ahead a bit, obviously not wanting to discuss the topic further. Which was okay with Bradley because after another bend, they came up to the river that was the ranch’s namesake. It was strange to see a river with such a red riverbed among all the green. The water almost looked like blood next to all the emerald surrounding it.

“Let’s stop here for lunch. Let them get some water.”

“Sounds great,” Bradley said. They each dismounted and led the horses to the water before tying them to nearby trees.

Surprised was one word for how Bradley felt when Chance unpacked their lunch. Yes there were sandwiches, but he’d also brought fruit and beer.
Looks like a date
,
he thought again. He wondered if Chance realized how this set-up appeared, but he sure wouldn’t point it out. And he sure was gonna try not to entertain the idea.

When he took the first bite of his overstuffed sandwich he moaned. “Oh my God. This is so good.”

Chance quirked a brow. “It’s just a turkey sandwich.” On a buttery croissant with Swiss cheese, some sort of spice, and Dijon mustard. Holy shit.

“A sandwich of the gods! Hot damn,” Bradley hooted and took another large bite. Chance’s bemused expression was adorable, eyes dancing with good humor. It was nice to see him so relaxed. He was always so damned tense.

“Glad you like it,” Chance said, quietly, before tucking into his own food. They sat quietly as the wind rustled the leaves in the trees and the water trickled in the river. It was so peaceful, Bradley could stay there forever.

“I missed this.”

“Mis’t wah?” Chance responded, mouth full. Bradley chuckled.

“This. It’s nice living in a town like Abernathy, with more than a couple thousand people, but I forget how calming it is to be out here.”

“Yeah.” Chance’s voice was almost reverent as his eyes looked out over the land. “It is nice ain’t it?”

“I guess you get so wrapped up in making money and going out, you forget how nice a simple day on the trails can be.”

“Did you enjoy college?” Chance asked, offering the bowl of blueberries and sliced strawberries.

Bradley took a strawberry and popped it in his mouth before answering. How did he answer without seeming like he was making a veiled statement about Chance’s own situation? But all he could say was the truth. “Yes. I loved it. It was hard after the falling out with my dad, but there was nothing like standing on my own two feet, figuring out who I was and what I wanted from life without the pressure of people looking over my shoulders. At school, no one knew I was heir apparent to The Good Reverend.

“Most of the people I graduated with from Hope Springs have kids and a mortgagehad one well before me. But I just… wanted more. I was never going to take over my dad’s church and the ranch was never a functioning ranch, mostly just to show off Dad’s wealth.”

He glanced at Chance who was gazing somberly into the distance. “Must be nice not to have had it all planned out for you.”

Bradley huffed. “Oh, they all assumed I’d come back to Blessed Union. But I think my sister and I were behind the scenes as it was built, saw the hot air that went into being The Reverend Gerald Heart, Captain and Commander of Heart of the Heartland Ministries. It was all so much more bluster and profiteering than it was actual faith.”