Page 32 of There's Pumpkin About You
“What?” he asks.
“Ishein there?” I glare at the doors, hoping that the little rascal can feel it.
Gus looks understandably confused. “Is who in there?”
“Your little biter.”
“Emilio?” Gus’s tiny smirk doesn’t escape my notice. “Maybe.”
“He still hasn’t apologized, so I’m not going into an enclosed space where he can sneak up behind me again.”
“Oh? Is that how he did it last time? He snuck up behind you and just decided that your ass looked delicious.”
My hand moves protectively to my behind. “It is delicious, I’ll have you know.”
Gus tilts his head in amusement, eyes glinting mischievously in the moonlight.
“Okay, screw you. That’s not what I meant.”
He says nothing as he turns and heads into the barn, knowing that I’m not going to stay outside in the cold with a new puppy dozing off in the crook of my neck. With an exasperated sigh, I reluctantly follow.
The inside of the barn is far warmer than outside. With only a skylight in the roof, only the sunlight that passes over during the day would be making its way in, trapping in the warmth. On the other side of the barn are some pens with various animals. It shocks me to see different animals all sharing three pens, but they all seem perfectly content with each other, some even sitting together and falling asleep side by side.
There are a few chickens, some sheep, one pig and two goats, one of whose teeth I recognize. He looks over at me and tilts his head before bleating loudly.
“He remembers you,” Gus jokes, his tone surprisingly light.
“Yeah, he’ll be happy to know that the bruise on my behind means that I can’t currently forget him either.”
“He’s in his pen, Wren. You’re fine.”
“Hmm.”
“Oh, come on.” Gus’s hand lands on my lower back as he tries to lightly push me over towards the horses. Even through my coat, I can feel the warmth that emanates from him. It’s hard to focus on much of anything when the tingles start.
“This is Mori.” Gus pats the neck of a black and white cob horse. “She’s the one who helps us pull the sled from one end of the row to the other and bring the harvest to the main building.”
Mori nuzzles the side of Gus’s head with so much affection that you can tell Gus takes good care of her. Even when she brings her head back and lets Gus absentmindedly stroke between her eyes, her gaze remains on him.
“She really loves you,” I observe.
Gus looks at her and a genuine smile stretches his lips. “The only woman in my life.” Mori touches her snout to Gus’s cheek. He looks back to me. “You want to say hi?”
I’ve never really been around horses and so I’ve never had any reason to fear them, but the closer I get to Mori and the other horse, the more my heart races. It’s because it’s now very noticeable how much bigger she is than me, how rock solid those hooves look and how sturdy she is. She could crush me in a second without even trying.
Gus must see my trepidation because he holds out his hand and says, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Trust me.”
Do I trust him? Surprisingly… yes.
I slowly place my hand in his and the warmth of it sends a zip up my arm. For someone who has just spent hours outdoors, only the tips of his fingers show any evidence of being in the cold.
When his hand closes itself around mine and softly guides me towards Mori, my apprehension slowly starts to melt away. I can’t seem to look away from him, and he the same. Today I’ve seen a new side of August that really has confused me more than it’s helped to explain anything, because why is it that this side of him seems to fit him so much better? Why is it that trusting him feels right, and joking with him feels… warm.
I don’t even notice how close I am to Mori until she starts to sniff my hair.
“She’s sussing you out. Trying to see if she likes you or not. To help her you can give her this.” He slips a carrot into my hand. “Hold it so that she can eat as she goes and when it gets too short just hold it on your palm and keep your hand flat.”
I do as he says, holding the end of the carrot and extending the other end towards Mori who snickers before chomping on it happily.
