A Love Not Forgotten

When she entered the stables, she saw that Brandt was vigorously brushing Hephaestus' coat.  His back was to her, so she took advantage of her unnoticed arrival and watched his fluid movements with appreciation.  She watched in fascination as his shirt stretched taut over the muscles of his back and shoulders.

But when she greeted him, she was caught off guard by his response.  "What are you doing here?” he demanded in disbelief, as he turned at the sound of her voice.

"I came to ride," she told him, her brows drawn in affront.

"Oh, no you are not," he said as he dropped the brush onto a nearby table and came to stand in front of her.

She crossed her arms and demanded, "And why not?” she tapped the toe of her boot in mock agitation.  She was too pleased by his concern to be truly angry.

"Perhaps you've forgotten your accident," he reminded her.

"Hardly," she smiled, "but, I fail to see..." she had started to walk past him, but stopped as his arm shot out, blocking her path.

"Brandt, really," she said after she'd tried once again to pass, but met the solid, immovable strength of his arm.

She squealed in surprise as he suddenly swept her into his arms, lifting her from the floor.  She heard him mumble, "Stubborn woman," as he carried her from the stables.

"Put me down," she squirmed in his embrace, making her every nerve come alive in awareness of the firm, broad chest against which she found herself held.  She stilled immediately, frowning up at him, and groaned when he smiled in return.

"Brandt," she tried to reason with him, "I am only going to walk Arabella, nothing more."

"No, you aren't," he repeated.

"Fine," she huffed.

"That's more like it," he responded.

"You can put me down now," she tried again, all too aware of the warmth that spread through her if she let herself notice the way her body pressed against his, "Please, before someone sees us."

"You'll go inside?” he asked, taking in her mutinous expression.

She refused to say yes, because that would be an outright lie, but she raised an eyebrow in exasperation.

"Alright," he relented.  He stopped and lowered her feet to the ground.

With a warning frown, he turned and walked back to the stables.  She waited until he disappeared inside the building, and then hurried in that direction.  She stayed hidden from view until she saw Brandt ride out on Hephaestus.  She strolled into the stables and asked Jasper to saddle Arabella for her.

She'd ridden for nearly an hour, when she heard the thunder of hoof-beats.  With a sinking feeling, she turned and saw Brandt rapidly closing the distance between them.  Knowing it was useless to try to out run him, she stopped her slow trod and waited for him to reach her.  It didn't take long.

Brandt would later find her guilty expression amusing, but at the moment, he was furious with her.  Had she no concern for her own well-being?

"Damn it, Kelsey.  What do you think you are doing?” he fairly shouted at her.

"Don't you swear at me, Brandt Alexander," she warned, "I think it is obvious what I am doing."

"It's obvious that you are putting yourself at risk."

"I'm hardly in any danger," she reasoned.

"What if something else had spooked Arabella, what if you were thrown again?  Even if you weren't thrown, you would most likely reopen your wound trying to stay on her back."