Riding On ~~:~~ A Free Rein Fanfiction || Completed

Chapter 9

Ann was stirred from her thoughts at the arrival of another human entering the tack room.

Her green eyes looked up and was met with the girl she saw with Pin on the beach earlier.

The stranger halted, having come into the tack room in a rush.

"Oh, I'm sorry, " she seemed a bit confused, her dark brown eyes drifting to the blondes wrapped leg that was hoisted up on the bench.

Anns eyes drifted down and she nodded, she felt embarrassed after witnessing their private moment earlier, more unknown feelings surfacing inside of her.

"Are you new here?" the girl asked curiously, moving towards some tack hanging up on the far side of the room.

Ann nodded, glancing away, fidgeting with her fingers uncomfortably.

"My name is Zoe," she said, receiving only a nod from the strange blonde girl.

There was some silence, but Zoe broke it,  "So, what's your name--"

"Zoe, don't forget--" Pin walked in suddenly and stalled his speech, looking between the two ladies before him.

"Oh, Ann," he spoke, "I see you've met Zoe," he said smiling warmly to Zoe, then looked to Ann, his smile losing some of that warmth that Ann unconsciously desired.

"Oh, you're Ann, " Zoe said, her face lighting up with a smile.

Ann nodded, feeling horrible. She wanted to dislike this girl, this girl was the cause of the confusion deep inside herself, the cause of the turmoil in her gut when she saw Pin, but she was too kind, too considerate.

Anns face flushed in embarrassment at her own jealous thoughts, not realizing her outward appearance had betrayed her normally calm and collected appearance.

Zoe and Pin looked between each other, and Ann couldn't stand to watch such a sappy scene.

She stood up, as best as she could, and nodded her head to the couple, then hobbled out of the tack room.

She could head Pin talking to her softly, and Zoe replying, but she blocked them out, and hobbled to Soleils stall.

The gelding jumped a bit when she threw open his heavy door, and let out a snort while he pawed at his bedding, almost like he was warning her not to do that again.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, frowning and hobbling to his side.

Her hands went to pet his cheeks but his head dropped to her bandage, and he scented it curiously.

His nostrils wiggled and shifted and she smiled down at him.

He caught those green eyes with his darker ones and lifted his head up, and moved his head into her caress.

She stood there, focusing her weight on her left leg, for some time, gently stroking his head and mane.

Soleil bobbed his head and Ann knew he was becoming stir crazy.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I'd made a good riding partner right now," she apologized, then continued, "But..."

She smiled to Soleil and grabbed ahold of his halter, gently, and she hobbled by his side as they headed to an empty paddock.

She let go of him when they were a short distance away and he trotted to the fence, and gracefully lept over it.

Ann laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Could you be any more extra?" She teased, receiving a whiny and a tail flick in return.

The sun was still high in the sky, and it'd been a long day already.