Be There For Me

Chapter 19

Jessica's POV

Date: 12/5/15

Location: The Clinton Anderson Ranch

Time: 9:45 A.M.

I've been riding Moon for about an hour now. I've just been riding in the outdoor arena, working on Moon's lead changes.

"Hey!" I hear a man's voice. At first I think it's Clinton's, but I eliminate that option because the man's voice did not have an Australian accent.

I stop Moon, assuming that the man was talking to me. He closes the gate to the arena and walks up to me. He looks familiar but I still do not recognize him. He has loose fitting, faded blue jeans with several holes in them, old light brown leather boots, a nice blue plaid shirt, short brown hair, and a dark brown hat. The man is very handsome, and attractive looking.

"Hi." I say to him in a confused tone, still unaware of why he is here.

"Hi." He smiles revealing his bright, white teeth, that seem to shine and sparkle when he smiles.

"What can I help you with?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you, riding your beautiful horse." He says in a flirtatious way, putting his hand on Moon.

"Oh, thank you. His name's Moon." I smile looking down at Moon and pat him on the neck.

"Your very pretty, you know that?" He puts his hand on my leg. I lightly kick Moon with my left foot, making Moon move the right, away from the man.

"Okay, well, thank you." I say with a stutter, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Your very talented at riding that horse." He walks closer to me as I start to feel more, and more uncomfortable.

"Yeah, well. I guess I've had alot of practice." I end the sentence with a light chuckle hoping it would ease up the tension between us.

"Yeah." He pauses for several moments until continuing, "So, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Um, no, not-not really." I say stuttering. I regret not saying yes.

"Well, maybe we should get together." He says rubbing circles on my knee.

"Well, I-I don't know about that."

"We'd be a great couple, you know?" He says as I slowly back Moon up.

"Okay, well I'd better get back to working with Moon." I pause with a chuckle. "He's not gonna train himself."

"Nah, we got time, he looks fine out there." He says walking closer to me.

"Well, shouldn't you be going? Don't you have work to do?" I say in a higher voice than I usually talk in.

"No, I got all day. For you." He smiles looking at me as if we've known eachother our whole life, but to me, he is a stranger, that is trying to get something.

After the man says this I hear another person, in the backround, clear their throat. It sounded like a man. I look up and Clinton is to our left with a palomino horse he has been working with, Gater.

"Excuse me, Jake, but I believe you do have work to do mate." Clinton says leaning on foot putting both of thumbs through his belt loops.

"Oh, yes, sir." The man says clearing his throat. He starts to walk away until Clinton grabs his arm and whispers something in his ear that sounds somewhat vicious, but I couldn't hear what Clinton had told him.

After Clinton talked to the man, the man ran off. As if he was running away from a predator.

"Sorry 'bout that." Clinton says walking up to me.

"Did you see the whole thing?" I asked, somewhat hoping that he had heard it.

"Almost. To the point, I knew where it would've ended up."

"Okay, well, that was awkward." I say. "What did you tell him?"

"You don't need you worry about that. He's all taken care of. He's a new certified clinician." He says adjusting Gater's forlock.

"Okay." I say leaning on the horn of my saddle.

"You okay?" He asks walking a little closer to me.

"Yeah." I pause, "Yeah I'm fine."