The Void Between Stars: Book 4 Of The Orion Series

Forming An Idea

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I say, causing Scott to laugh and Amy to grin.

We're riding horses. We're riding fucking horses!

"How's Beau treating you?" Amy asks on her towering black stead named Black Rose Thornbush Twinkling Light (Thorn for short).

I lean over, petting Beau's neck a few times. "Good, I think."

"You're doing great for your first ride," Scott encourages me from his favorite horse. It's a sable brown with white patches, and to my utter shock bright blue eyes.

I can't help myself; I grin. "Yeah?"

"It's why I gave you Beau," Scott says with a nod of his head, eyes squinting against the sun. "Sweetest horse I've ever met. Never once bit me, never once threw me, never once kicked me, or pretended like he was going to kick me. Every time I introduce him to people he's just so sweet and docile."

I grin down at the beast, stroking it's neck again. "You hear that? You're a good boy."

Beau lets out a happy snuff, and it makes me smile. Then I turn to my sister. "How do you know how to ride?"

"Girl Scouts, back in the day," Amy says.

"Must've been nice," I mutter under my breath before I can stop myself.

"Besides camping and riding horses and stuff, it was actually pretty abysmal."

I swing my head to her. "Yeah?"

"I didn't get along with any of the girls in my troop. Once I hit Brownie I quit."

Scott laughs. Amy looks at him, confused.

"I'm sorry," Scott says to her. "I don't mean to laugh at you. I just find it funny, knowing that Bauwens here was a bit of a misfit himself, and then you said you didn't get on with your Girl Scout troop. You guys really seem to have a lot in common."

I look at Amy with a grin. "Yeah, we do. It's great."

We continue our idle chit chat during the rest of our ride through the estate grounds. Amy was still largely shy around Scott, but given time, and the fact that Scott really was a pretty down to earth person, she was slowly starting to come out of her shell. By the time we made it back to the stalls, twilight was creeping in.

I couldn't help but yawn after I dismounted (rather ungracefully and with the help of Scott and Amy).

"Oh, you two must be knackered," Scott said. "I'm sorry, time zone difference."

"I am a bit sleepy," Amy confessed, trying to stifle her own yawn.

"I'll have someone bring you to your rooms."

"Hey Scott," I say, gently touching his elbow for a moment. "Actually, could we talk? Just me and you?"

He raises his eyebrows, looking surprised. He then turns to Amy. "Are you alright with that, darling?"

She explodes into a blush. "Yeah."

"Alright. Let me contact someone to show you to your room, and then Orion and I will be on our way."

Still blushing as Scott pulled out his cell, Amy muttered a thank you. It took just a few minutes for someone to arrive. They informed us that our luggage was already in our rooms. Amy bid us both goodnight, and with a wave she was gone.

Scott slipped his hands into his pants pockets and turned to me. I had started not crushing on him, but the small amount of time away from him made me forget just how flipping hot he was. It took everything within me not to blush as Scott raised both eyebrows to me.