Breaking Fences
(The Breaking Series, #2)
by Juliana HaygertGenre: NA contemporary romance
Word Count: ~80,000
Release date: June/2014
Cover by: Okay Creations
Summary from Goodreads:
All Beatriz “Bia” Fernandes wants is to prove herself—to her family and friends—though it’s hard to prove anything with an overbearing father and three famous polo-playing older brothers. After her acceptance into college results in a heated family argument, the Brazilian girl leaves everything behind to find her own American dream.
College life away from home is perfect until the people she believes to be her friends turn on her. With lies and rumors threatening to suffocate her, Bia turns to her only freedom. Riding.
But one thing gets in the way of her escape. Garrett Blackwell and his bad cowboy attitude. Working at the ranch is his obligation, bugging Bia is his newfound hobby. His thick skin and easy grin don’t hide what Bia already knows—this misunderstood and lonely cowboy fights his own demons. Brushing horses’ coats and mucking out stalls shouldn’t be this sexy, and it isn’t long before he becomes a part of her distraction.
However, escaping won’t solve her problems, and it’s up to Bia to break down the fences around her and prove her strength—not to her family and friends, but to herself … and for Garrett. Because standing on her own doesn’t have to mean standing alone.
** Companion novel of Breaking the Reins. Can be read out of order.**
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Breaking Fences – Excerpt 01:
Tom was working on untacking the horses, while Carl hosed them down, and another man brought the tack inside the stables. Eyeing Midnight Dream, I dismounted close to them, and started unbuckling Pepper’s saddle. If they let me, I would do it all myself. Midnight saw me and slowly approached me. He poked my back with his muzzle while I unstrapped Pepper’s saddle.
“You want to play, big boy?” He poked me again, nickering. I laughed.
The trainer came out of the stables, and I froze with the saddle in my arms. Midnight Dream shot away from me, and not having seen or recognized me, the trainer chased after the horse for a couple of minutes until he finally caught his reins.
The trainer turned to bring the horse to the stables and halted, his eyes on me.
“What are you doing here?” Garrett asked. His brows knotted in a deep frown.
I forced myself to move and set the saddle on the fence rail. “Riding.” I kicked my foot in the air, showing off my black and white cowboy boots. “Did you think these were just for show?” I picked up a hose. “And you’re a trainer here?”
Without acknowledging my question, he led the horse inside.
Whatever.
I hosed Pepper off and she nickered in delight.
A moment later, Garrett was by my side. He took the hose from me. “I’m an instructor, a trail guide, a trainer, caretaker, handyman, and everything else in between.” He washed Pepper’s hot coat. “I work here full time.”
“Of all the places I could have chosen to ride,” I whispered, taking a step back. Which wasn’t true. There weren’t that many places around.
He finished hosing Pepper, and then pulled her inside the stable. I followed, but only because I had to go through it to reach the parking lot on the other side. However, with Garrett walking right in front of me, it was hard to focus on anything else. He wore fitted blue jeans, a gray T-shirt that showed a hint of the muscles under it, his brown boots, and hat. There was a small stain of sweat right between his shoulder blades, and I wondered if I could get close enough to sniff him. Not that I liked sweat per se, but a hot guy sweating from hard work? Add that to a great natural scent and I was done for.
I wasn’t a slut like the girls from the sorority made me look like, but I wasn’t a saint either. I liked boys. I liked staring at boys. I liked kissing boys. I liked … I sighed.
Garrett opened a stall and put Pepper in. He closed the door and picked up a bucket of water for her. I leaned over the door and caressed her long neck.
“Thanks for the ride, girl. I needed it.”
I turned and found Garrett right behind me. He stared at me with those hazel eyes, and I wondered what was going on in his mind. He probably had heard about the lies Audrey and Sarah were spreading about me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he believed them. Everyone on campus, except for Phoebe, believed them. What could I do? I seemed to have “Brazilian Slut” stamped on my forehead.
“I … I should go.” I turned to the door as the girl sauntered out of the tack room.
She flipped her long, blond hair back and looked me up and down with disinterest before shifting her gaze to Garrett. “Am I dismissed?”
“Yes, Delilah,” Garrett said, walking around me to meet her.
The girl, who couldn’t be older than eighteen, stopped by Midnight Dream’s stall. “Goodbye, M.D.” She reached her hand inside, but the horse retreated.
I frowned.
“Hey, if it isn’t the Brazilian girl,” Jonah’s voice filled the air, and I turned toward it. He was entering the stable. “What a nice surprise.”
Breaking Fences – Excerpt 02:
I fed the horses, made sure they had plenty of water, asked Tom which horses to get ready, and after he spat out the names of eight of them, I got them tacked and into the arena.
The guide, Larry, a man of about forty with sand-blond hair and a mustache, arrived five minutes before the first customer did and he didn’t even say thanks for all I did.
By the time the group left, I was exhausted. I went inside, grabbed some water from the fountain inside Tom’s office, and sat on the second to last step of a flight of stairs directly across from Midnight’s stall. I could hear hammering and cursing coming from the tack room, but honestly, I was too tired to move a muscle, let alone stand to go see if they were all right.
Midnight stuck his head out of the stall and nickered at me. He had tried catching my attention all morning, but the most I did was pet him while I checked on his food and water.
“Hey, big boy. How is it going?” He moved his head up and down, and I smiled. “Sorry. Can’t move. Give me a few minutes and I promise I’ll pet you, okay?”
He nickered again and I watched him. He was so beautiful, so strong, so alive. If I were in any condition, I would be tacking him right now and taking him for a ride.
Tom came out of the tack room cursing.
“How is it going in there?” I asked.
He cursed some more and walked past me. He went into his office and came back a minute later, carrying a box of nails and a hammer. He branded it in the air. “Broke the other one.”
“What?” I laughed.
He glared at me. “It’s not funny.” He disappeared into the tack room.
I stayed seated on the stairs for over fifteen minutes, while hammering and cursing echoed on the background. Finally, I was able to move again. Midnight nickered as soon as I stood. Smiling, I approached him and embraced him. He nipped at my hair and muzzled my neck.
“Are you gonna make out with the horse?” Garrett asked.
I turned my face to his voice. He was under the doorframe of the tack room. “He’s not my type.”
Garrett raised an eyebrow. “What type is your type?”
Boldness filled me. “I like tall guys, with strong arms, who usually wear cowboy boots and hats. Oh, my kind of guy also rocks dirty jeans and a sweaty T-shirt.”
The corner of his lip curled up, and he shook his head. “Too much bark, not too much bite.”
I let go of Midnight, turned around, and leaned against the horse stall, staring at him while Midnight poked my back with his muzzle.
“Come closer and we’ll see about that.”
His eyes darkened and his jaw popped. He took a step toward me.
New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.Companion Book:
About the Author:
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
***GIVEAWAY***
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