Horses, Horses, and more.. Boys?

Chapter 40

Toby's POV

My eyes fluttered open to a soft humming from the barn. I stretched, put my boots on and waked down the stares to find Jess feeding the horses.

"Summer arrived on the back of a mockingbird.
It sang a sweet melody, but couldn't seem to find the right words.
I don't know if you've heard, but it's all over town,
Yeah they're buzzing about it now.

I was singing alone when the mockingbird came to me,
Perched on my windowsill, and hummed along quietly.
But before long she was singing along, and she said, yeah she said:

"I've been waiting so long for these words to come out,
It's practically all I've been thinking about.
So thank you for finding the words I couldn't find on my own,
Now I'm not alone.""

Her voice was soft as she moved on to groom Jazz. Her hair fell in elegant waves down her back and her mouth was in a small smile. Jazz bumped her gently with his nose and she laughed quietly.

"Hey boy, how are you today, huh?" She asks, planting a kiss on his head.

He simply nickers back before she slips a halter over his head. "Come on buddy, let's go for a ride."

Grabbing his bridle, she slipped the halter off his head and put the hackmore in its place. She led him over to a tack box and stood on top before getting onto his back. Her heels tapped his sides and he walked slowly toward me.

"Morning, sleepy head. Wanna join me?" She asked, halting Jazz by my side.

"Sure. But I'm riding Comet."

"Then hustle up, cowboy 'cause I'm going." She laughed.

Laughing, I walk to Comet's stall and slip his bridle over his head before getting onto his back and urging him into a trot after Jess.

Jessie's POV

The cold December air flowed through my mass of wavy hair, tossing it out behind me as I cantered Jazz around the empty field. His hooves made a beautiful rhythm that matched my heartbeat and a smile lot up my face. When he started to get slower, I knew he had had enough for the day. At close to twenty seven, he was not as young and spry as he was in his younger days.

Deciding I was done for the day, I walked home with Toby following on Comet.

"You okay, beautiful?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just cold," I reply, a shiver enveloping my body. "I need hot chocolate and a candy cane."

He laughed and agreed. Christmas was in just around 2 weeks and I wasn't sure what to get him...

"What do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't know.. I haven't really thought about it." He answered.

"We can figure something out later. Let's just relax and enjoy the ride because we have a long way to go."

Toby's POV

Those words couldn't be more true. All I could think about was a future with this crazy, amazing, beautiful and talented woman. When I first saw her I couldn't help but smile because she wasn't the typical girl that fell at my feet and she stood out to me. Her modesty and shy nature was attractive and as I got to know her, I found myself becoming more and more happy. My parents never understood me and when she did, it was like coming up for air after almost drowning.

"Hey, Jess?" I call softly.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Toby."

Jessie's POV

The ride was calming and Jazz was perfect. Toby rode silently beside me and held my hand while keeping a loose contact on Comet's mouth. The 40℉ air was chilly but not too cold. The trees were bare and eventually the snow would fall on the land, giving it a white blanket. To know that Toby and I would be together for Christmas was exciting and Haily and Ali were still excited about the whole thing.

My dad and my mom were working on the barn so that by the summer it could be a recovery place for kids with issues at home and I found it exciting to be able to teach kids to ride, even if they didn't want to at first.

Life was good and with Toby by my side, it was even better. I could see a future with him and I hoped he could too.

Just shy of the barn, he halted Comet and leaned over to kiss me.

Toby's POV

This kiss was different than the rest, it was soft and gentle, like a newborn foal. It was amazing to know that she was mine and I was hers.

I pulled back with a smile and looked into her eyes, my soft gaze locking with hers before a silly grin broke out on her face and a small laugh slipped out of her mouth.

"What?"

"I just remembered he time I said hello in class and you jumped like I had smacked a book down." She giggled.

"I love your laugh."

"And I love you." She answered.

"Well, you can keep loving me because like you said, we still have a long way to go."

It's over! :,( I don't think I am going to post a sequel because I have about twelve books in my drafts area and I seriously want to post them ASAP so, as much as you are going to hate me, there will be no sequel. However, I do love you and promise to have more books out soon. I am going to finish A thing of Faith (which will probably only have ten to twenty chapters) and Nobility's strength for those who are wondering.

Without this note the last chapter was 869 words long. Short in comparison to other chapters but I didn't have much else to write... I am going to miss Toby, Jess, and Whisper but it was time to say goodbye to them. I actually will have a collection of short stories about Jess and Toby up but I will not update every day or regularly because it is not an actual book... Love you all.

~Kassie.