The Summer Of My Life

Chapter 18

"Now you're the only one left." Therry rubbled my hair, making me look at her. "Tough luck." She grinned and Inge sighed with a smile. "I'm glad it's you who came our way with Levi and not someone of the barbies." I stared at her with my mouth open. "Is that a compliment or a hidden insult?" "Both." Inge sported a small smile. "Welcome to the family, Elli." She jerked me at her, making me tumble against her with a laugh as she closed her arms around me. I grinned and she released me again, nodding over to the camp house. "Put your things into the winter garden, the things you won't use, I guess I don't need to tell you where to sleep. But we'll see each other at lunch and dinner anyway. Therr, up with you." She stabilized Therry and they went back into the house, making me go over to my things and put them where Inge told me to. Then, I helped Inge with cutting tomatoes and onions for lunch, even tough we were "only" eight people anymore, Hannes' assistants also counted, there was still quite a lot to do.

Short before lunch was ready, Levi came back from riding, quickly helping me with laying the table. We ate outside on the big wooden table, everyone arriving at 1pm sharp. Over lunch, Therry retold my signature-adventure, adding a few things that made it sound even funnier, and made Levi turn around to me with big eyes, asking me: "you did what?" I just lifted my shoulders up like a caught puppy, pulling a face. "New territory, Lee, I had no clue how to react." He turned back to his noodles, his eyes still big. Everyone laughed, and the grin I was trying to suppress started to slip. "But I can sign yours too, if you want." Now it was really hard to keep it down, especially with the next glance he threw me and all the laughers around. "Oh come on, laugh already." I didn't laugh although, I just grinned full-blown.

I also got to speak to Anna, the middle child. She didn't ride, and I didn't got to know if she ever did, but what I got to know is that she didn't plan on riding. She had a boyfriend whith whom she had been on holidays until last week and just came back from the capital, where he was living, during our last week. She was also studying there, biochemistry, and her hobbies were running and gymnastics. I promised her to go running with her through the city park once she was back in the capital.

After lunch, we helped to put everything away, Levi dragging me away from the others after we had done our part. "Saddle Ida, I'll join you with Storms in a minute." I nodded and went to fetch my helmet and boots, getting me and my horse ready in 7 minutes, due to only needing a saddle and bridle. Storm was standing outside of Ida's bay, making me head over to her as Levi wasn't quite finished up to then. "Hey Stormie, how are you?" I rubbed her forehead, looking at Levi irritated as he suddenly stood beside me, next to Storm, looking into the exact same direction as she did. "Huh?" "I also want an affectionate forehead-rub like this." I had to laugh, slinging my arms around him and giving him a kiss. "Is it really the forehead you want rubbed?" I grinned, sticking my tongue out at him. "No, not really."

We mounted and I followed him over the stud to a small path where I haven't ridden before. We rode the first few minutes in silence where I just admired the scenery. "Do you want to trot? Over there, it gets a bit broader, we could canter there." "Fine with me." We started to trot and Ida took it very serious to overtake Storm, which was a hard thing to do but we managed eventually, making him shout 'we can canter now' from the back. We cantered off, Levi soon on same height, choosing over which direction we would go. Falling back to walk again, we let them rest a bit and went into a deeper part of the forrest, up to then only having ridden beside the forrest. He then took two turns left and right, making me find me back again at the small lake. I grinned at him and he just smiled back mischievously, getting off Katida. "Same thing as last time, take her saddle off and put her there." He waited for me to finish and once again led me over to the secluded part, making me go down to the lake and take off my shoes. "Hey Nor, you might use this." I turned around and found one of my bikini tangling from his hands. "Where did you get those from?" To my surprised face he laughed. "That was Kiki's last assignment." I grinned. "You're incredible." I walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss before snatching my bikini.