Just a Little Bit of Love, Barrels, and Horses

Chapter 17

"Are you serious," he groans.

"Yep and you're gonna ride Dakotah," I say.

He groan. "Fine," he mutters.

"Jake can you please go set up the barrels?" I ask.

"What will I get in return?" He asks.

"A good smack if you don't hurry up," I say.

"Violent much?" I heard jake say under his breath. I laugh. Alec gets back on Dakotah and I get on magic.

"Don't kill me boy," Alec tells Dakotah.

"Quit being a baby," I tell him.

"Hey this horse is crazy. Trigger never acts like that when he gets in the chute," Alec brags.

"Oh but he will. All horses do eventually," I tell him making that smirk go away. "Besides Dakotah is a pole bending horse. Not a barrel horse so you will be fine. He knows the pattern though, but he's not as fast as magic," I say.

"Not as fast?! Jeez and I didn't think that any horse was faster than Dakotah," he says scratching his head. My heart flutters. No stop it mckenna stop it.

"Nope magic is as fast as the devil himself," I say. When jake comes back he gestures toward me to go into the chute. I trot circles to stretch out magics legs then go in the chute. Magics crow-hopping and wants to GO. After I line him up with the third barrel and i make sure me and him can see the first barrel I cluck my tongue. And he's off. When we are at the first barrel I yell "easy!" And he immediately slows down. I crank him around and look at the second barrel. I crank him around and kick him. I crank him around the third barrel. I kick him and he flies. I pull in the reins when he passes the time line and he slows down.

"Damn. That was a 14.129," jake says clearly impressed.

"You're right he is a lot more fast than Dakotah," Alec says stunned.

"Well what are ya waiting for?" I ask him.

"Fine," Alec says.

"Once he steps into the chute Dakotahs crow-hopping like crazy. I know him when he's like that. He's extremely hard to control.

"Alec do you want me to ride him first? He's kinda jumpy and he wants to go!" I shout.

"No I'm okay," he yells back. I start to chew my nails when he lets Dakotah go.

"What?" Jake asks.

"When he gets that excited he's hard to control. I don't know if he can handle him," I say nervously. He turns cleanly around the first and second. Then Dakotah turns around the third and Alec falls off.

"Shit!" I yell. Dakotah is stopped and looking down at Alec like "why is he on he ground?" I hop on magic and run the chute and stop and grab Dakotah. "Are you okay," I ask him.

"Yeah I'm fine," he says.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" I ask him.

"Three," he says standing up.

"Can you squeeze my hand?" I ask him. He squeezed my hand and an electric jolt goes through me. I jump and so does he. We look at each other and I'm the one to break the silence. "Get back on that horse and make him walk the pattern," I say. He groans. But he gets back on him anyways. He walks the pattern and comes out of the chute.

"You okay bro?" Jake asks.

"Yeah I'm fine," Alec mumbles.

"Wanna tie the horses up?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I have something planned and no jake you are not coming along," Alec says.

"Fine. I don't like hanging out with you losers anyways," jake huffs walking away. We both laugh. We walk the horses around out them in stalls and give them water and hay. Alec pulls put a picnic basket and puts them in the truck.

"We are going for a picnic," he says putting keys in my hand. "But if you hurt my baby I will three you in a ditch," he says half joking half serious. I roll my eyes. I hop into the drivers seat. It's a ford my favorite. I put the key into the ignition and press the gas pedal. Alec tells me to go right and I drive right into a field. He tells me to go up a hill and tells me to stop. He hops out of the truck and opens the door. I hop out and he Lifts me onto the tailgate.

"Easy there tiger," I say as he roughly sets me down. "I coulda got up here by myself ya know," I say.

"I know. I was just trying to be a gentleman," he says. He opens the picnic basket and there is fried chicken and potato salad. I nearly die right then and there. "Dig in!" He says. I immediately get 2 legs and a big old scoop of potato salad. After that one plate I'm stuffed. I look over and see Alec chuckling.

"What?" I ask him confused.

"Nothing. It's just all the girls I've met have always been self-conscious about eating around me, but you just dig right in. And I like that," he says smiling.

"Damn right. How else do you think I get this perfect body," I say laughing. He laughs too. He gets off the tailgate and turns on some country music, "I Don't Dance by Lee Brice is on. Alec jumps back up and grabs my hand. Already knowing what he was planning I shake my head.

"What? He asks puzzled.

"I can't dance," I say.

"Oh it's easy. I'll teach you it's easy, he says pulling me up and putting my hands on his shoulder and his on my waist.

"I'll never settle down. That what I always thought. I was that kind of man. Just ask anyone. I don't dance, but here I am, spinning you round and round in circles. It ain't my style but I don't care. If do anything with ya anywhere. Yes you got me in the palm of your hand, cause I dance!" The lyrics came out of the truck and we were jay swaying to the music. When the song ended we sat down at the end of the tailgate.

"Well you're not that bad of a dancer," Alec smirks. I smack him on the arm playfully.

"You're not half bad either," I say back.

"I really like you McKenna," Alec says looking at me.

"I like you too Alec," I say breathless. And then he leans in. I lean in too. Then when our lips touch it was like fireworks. His hands were going through my hair and mine were on his chest. He bites my lip asking for entrance and I deny it. He frowns and I smile into the kiss. We were making out for what seemed like forever when he finally pulled back. But I just pulled him right back in. Finally after 3 songs we pull away. We were both breathless and look at each other.

"Wow," we both say.

"Damn you have lungs the size of a hot air balloon," he says.

"Shut up," I say. He laughs. He kisses my lips for a second and then pulls back.

"We should probably get back before jake thinks we are hooking up on a tailgate in a field," Alec laughs.

"Yeah I guess," I say. So I get in the drivers side and he gets in the passenger side and he kisses me one more time and we head back. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time.