Unexpected Love

Chapter 5: Horses

  I wake up, shower, and get dressed quickly. I'm wearing blue jeans and and a blue flannel. I want to look nice without giving anything away to my family.
  I rush downstairs to see my mom made me a plate of toast and with orange slices on the side. I quickly eat breakfast and scramble back upstairs. I grab my backpack and stuff it with a full water bottle, band-aids, and alcohol wipes. Here in Axlit, this is these are the good basics for horseback riding. It's 10 and I have time to kill until my family leaves and Mason get a here. I promised myself that I was going to give my horse some attention today, so that's exactly what I decided to do.
  I rush outside and make my way to the stables. There, I find my horse. He's a beautiful stallion, dark brown with a white diamond on his face and half of his legs white as well. His name is Prince because he's very stubborn and thinks he's better than the other horses. I walk up to him and he looks right at me.
  "Nice to see you again buddy." I whisper to him.
  I let him out of the stable and saddle him up. I climb on top of him and we go for a stroll. I've been riding horses since I was 7. It's been awhile since I've ridden one, but because I've been doing this for so long, I just need a couple of minutes to refresh my mind and get used to it. We stroll around the ranch, as I talk to him and tell him everything as if he understands and will reply. He's good to talk to when you can't talk to anyone else.
  We gallop back to the stables and I take off his saddle. I give him fresh water and good before closing him and walking to the front of the house to greet Mason, and I can't stop smiling at the thought of him.
  It's 3 and we've already done a lot. We caught up even more than we did yesterday and then decided to make lunch and eat on a hill under a couple of trees. The usual clouds have rolled in, making it feel cool outside. Mason is lying on his back, watching the clouds roll by, running his fingers through my hair as I lay on his stomach.
  "That one looks like a horse." I say, pointing out a cloud.
  "I've never ridden a horse." Mason replies.
  I sit up, raising a brow and looking at him like he's crazy. "You live in Axlit, you have to be joking."
  "It's sad but true." He says as he sits up.
  "I'm going to change that." I smile as I stand up.
  I help him up and and we walk to the stables. The rules of my family is that everyone has their own horse. No one is allowed to ride anyone else's horse without their permission. I'm glad this rule doesn't affect this situation, as my older sister and another horse we have are used as horses for visitors and tourists. These two share a stable which is the very first stable. I open it and saddle up the extra stallion we have. He's a sweet horse and I have no issue saddling him up. His name is Luke, and he's a tan horse with white splotches. He's pretty, but not as pretty as Prince. I lead him out of his stable and run over the basics of riding with him.
  "Luke is a sweet horse, but over the years, we learned that he needs to trust you first. Now, listen to me carefully." I begin.
  I can see Mason is slightly nervous. I don't blame him. Horses can be intimidating sometimes and it's scary the first time you ride a horse. Luke won't hurt him though. Even if he tries, I'm here to protect Mason and calm Luke.
  I hold Luke's reins and pet him gentlym "Slowly lift you're hand." I say.
  Mason hesitates at first, but follows my instructions. Luke starts to panic, scaring Mason a little, but he doesn't back down. I'm able to calm Luke and let Mason continue.
  "Open your hand slowly, and place it on his muzzle." I instruct.
  Mason slowly walks closer to Luke, and gets close to placing his hand on him. Luke takes a small step back and I let go of his reins while shushing him. I gesture Mason to stay still, and I place his hand on Luke's muzzle. I then place my hand on Mason's hand, reassuring the both of them that everything is okay. Now that Luke is calm, I help Mason on his horse and saddle up Prince.
  We trot around the ranch a bit so Mason can get the hang of riding a horse. We pick up speed and then gallop around the ranch, until we decide to go through the woods to the then up the hills to overlook the river behind the ranch.
  "It's amazing back here." Mason says taking in the scenery.
  I look over at him and smile. He turns and we're both caught looking each other in the eye.
  "Not as amazing as you." I smile.
  "No, you're better." He chuckles.
  "I'll race you back." I say as I turn Prince around and begin trotting.
  "Oh, it's on!" He laughs as he follows.
  Prince and I start galloping and I can hear Mason and Luke starting behind us. Mason and I laugh as we race each other. I haven't felt so alive in forver and the moment is nice.
  I beat Mason back to the stables and playfully rub in my victory and tease him and I put the horses back. We walk out and Mason playfully pushes me to the ground, and I pull him down with me. I fall on my back and Mason is on top of me, grinning as he stares into my eyes. I grab his shirt collar and pull him in for a kiss. Eyes closed, we're both smiling as we melt into the kiss.