Unbridled Hearts

5. Trail Ride

Harley stared out across the field towards the round pen. Ruby had been up since the sun teaching Willow how to ride. She was getting pretty good at it, still needed to get the hang of mounting though. He hated to admit that he had been watching them for longer than he had been working, he just liked the sight of his sister and Willow working together.

"Hey Harley! What are you staring at?" Cal asked walking up to him from the house. A glass of lemonade in his hand.

Harley turned his gaze quickly off the pair of giggling cowgirls in front of him and resumed digging with the shovel he had been leaning on. "Nothing, just taking a break." He replied to his brother.

Cal scoffed. "You? a break? No way in hell you were taking a break. I've seen you out here from dusk till dawn in caffin' season, no breaks, no sleep, what were you really doing?"

"I wasn't watching anything," Harley said, trying to sound convincing.

"Never said you were, now I'm totally interested in what has caught your eye," Cal replied, grinning mischievously.

Harley reached over and took the glass of still-cold lemonade from Cal, gulping half it down before giving it back.

"Hey! Get your own!" Cal exclaimed.

"Why don't you get your nose out of my business." Harley retorted.

Cal held his hands up in surrender and laughed. "Alright, alright, I see. You don't want to talk about how you were totally drooling over Gibbins over there."

"I was not. Now would you leave me alone? I got work to do."

"Sure, sure. I know it's real hard trying to pretend you ain't watchin'- Hey!" Cal leaped away just in time to avoid a shovel full of cow manure aimed directly towards his boots.

"Not cool, not cool Harley." He said walking off.

Harley chuckled and resumed his work, maybe if he put all his effort into working he wouldn't have the energy to think about Willow. He already spent half the night thinking about her, trying to come up with nicknames, thinking about what he'd say to her in the morning, he couldn't do that again tonight.

Maybe I should go for a ride, that'll get me thinking straight.

He leaned his shovel against a nearby tree and headed for the barn. Once inside he led his horse, Cypress, out and tacked him up. Running his hand down his forehead he walked him outside and mounted up.

Just then he heard his name called by Ruby.

"Hey," she called again. "Can we come with you?"

He looked over at her and saw Willow standing beside her, each of them holding their horses reigns in their hands.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Willow only just started riding." He said quickly, making what he thought was a reasonable excuse.

"She'll be great, don't worry." Ruby replied.

"I don't know Rub's. Maybe she should-"

"Oh come on, It'll be fine! Don't worry so much."

He thought about it for a minute, then reluctantly agreed.

So much for clearing my head.

* * *

Ruby sang praises to Willow across the round pen, correcting a mistake she made every now and then. They had been at it for hours practicing everything from proper seating positions to what she should wear. It all was useful stuff, but Willow didn't know how much more of Ruby's drill sergeant-like training she could take.