Page 37 of Pictures in Blue
She scoffs. “I’m sure I can tame him if I need to.”
“I’m sure you can, Princess.”
She throws me a glare and I am pretty sure once she gets settled on Mick, she is going to turn the reins and trample me to the ground.
“Don’tcall me Princess,” is all she says before she puts a foot in the stirrup and swings her leg over, settling herself in the saddle. Mick lets out a huff and I swear he gives me a look that says, “You’re an idiot.” I glare at him until he looks away and then feel ridiculous trying to have a stand off with a horse.
I copy Avery’s movements and mount Cletus. He stills as I get settled and grab the reins, patting the side of his neck. He answers with a huff and I swear these two are out to get me today. They’ve automatically taken her side like she’s the one who houses them and feeds them, providing a loving home for them.
“Do you need me to teach you the basics, Sunshine? Or can you handle it on your own?”
That glare again. I think I enjoy coaxing that look out of her. There’s a slight wrinkle that appears right above her left brow. I wonder if it wrinkles the same when she comes.
Fucking hell, this is going to be a long ride.
“I’ve seen enough westerns. I think I can figure it out.” To prove it, she gathers the reins in one hand, grabs the saddle horn with the other and gently nudges her heels into Mick, urging him into a walk.
As much as I’d like to deny it, I’m impressed. She must see it on my face, because her voice rings through the air. “I’m not clueless, Waters.”
I roll my eyes and nudge Cletus to follow her. Once I catch up, I match her pace and we ride in silence for a few minutes. Ahead, there is a clear trail, wide enough for us to fit side-by-side, our legs almost touching. I cut this path when Elias and Ethan moved back so they could ride when they wanted. Really, it was for me to keep distracted. The movements of cutting through the brush and clearing a trail helped me think of anything other than Sarah.
We fall into a quiet rhythm as we enter the woods, the soft padding of hooves, the squeaking of the saddles, and the wind rustling the leaves are the only sounds around us.
“So, dancing, huh?” Avery asks.
“What?”
“Dancing? Not something you do often?”
I let out a small laugh. “No, I can’t say I ever dance, really.” Honestly, I don’t even remember the last time I danced with anyone. Maybe my mom at a friend’s wedding when I was a kid. But other than that, I stay firmly on the sidelines. The comfortable sidelines.
“Then why?”
I shrug my shoulders as if I could possibly downplay the way I felt when we were making that deal last night. It felt like if I didn’t have her near me right that second, my body was going to explode and the only excuse I had to get her close was to dance. I know everyone had eyes on us, enough to know that she noticed.
“You seemed like you needed the fun,” is all I say before coaxing Cletus into a trot that he quickly decided was a sign to gallop.
“Try to keep up, Princess!” I call behind me and laugh when I am once again met with her glare. Luckily this trail remains basically flat the whole way or I wouldn’t let Cletus run like this. After a few moments I can hear quickened hooves and when I look back, Avery is smiling as wide as I have ever seen and it’s so genuine I can’t help but smile back. She looks free and happy, and I know that feeling. There’s something different about being on the back of a horse, galloping on an open trail, wind on your skin, through your hair, nature around, there’s no better feeling. Other than sharing it with the person you love.
After about a mile or so the trail opens up to a clearing and we both slow down, our heavy breaths permeating the air.
“That…was…exhilarating,” she says in between breaths.
“It’s the best part of riding.”
“Do you ride every day?”
“Not all the time, but I do when I need to clear my head,” I answer.
“So every day?” She jokes. I laugh, but she’s also not far off from the truth. “You seem like a man who thinks far too much.”
“And you seem like a woman who reads people far too well,” I admit.
“Sometimes, but not always.”
We both dismount and let the horses graze. I find a flat spot on the ground and lay back in the sun, warmth seeping into my skin. Avery follows and she lies next to me, her arm touching mine. I don’t make any effort to move it, enjoying the feeling of her skin.
“What do you mean, not always?”
