Page 41 of A Curse On Black Lake
She glances down at Lucky and Moonbeam, attached at the tail.
“They’re smart.”
I hum, and we stop at the entrance of the barn. Chester is happy as a clam because he’s been out and about, and I know Daisy is done with my ass for the day.
“I still need to exercise your other horse like you asked,” Eliana says.
The sun is going down, and I’m dog-tired. I don’t know how she’s still walking, but based on that garden, she’s used to backbreaking work.
“I’ll get the stalls mucked out.”
“I’ll help you. I really don’t mind,” she says.
“Suit yourself,” I grumble.
Eliana finds the pitchforks, and I drag the wheelbarrow over to the first stall. Going back to the other side of the barn where hay is stored, I grab an empty wheelbarrow and toss a bale of hay into it.
When I come to the first stall, Eliana is sliding her chaps off, and I can’t take my eyes off the action. Nothing about it is sexy but … the way those chaps cover her thighs makes it hard to look away.
“Got what you need?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say, setting the wheelbarrow down. She grabs a pitchfork and starts mucking out the stall, and I follow behind.Our shoulders brush, and I swear my heart tumbles in my chest every time. It’s irritating because I won’t act on the attraction — I can’t.
After the first stall, we do it again, and when we bump into each other, I catch her staring, but don't acknowledge it.
When we finish mucking out the stalls, I saddle Sunny for her. “I want you to know, Sunny is broke. He’s a good horse, but he’s also an asshole.”
Eliana giggles and reaches for him, petting his black face. I watch him carefully because I wouldn’t put it past him to bite her. He bit me last week.
“I think he’s picky about his person.”
“Or he’s just an asshole,” I mutter.
She leads Sunny out towards the training circle. He’s taller than Chester and a little beefier than a typical American Quarter Horse.
“He’s so tall. What breed is he?” she asks.
“He’s a Friesian. Normally they’re way easier going, but Sunny isn’t, and I think he does it only to piss me off.”
Eliana lifts her foot to his stirrup and misses. Sunny is a solid two hands taller than Chester. She tries again and grunts in frustration.
“Here,” I tell her, grabbing her hips, and she jumps again. With my help, she gets a few extra inches to get her foot in the stirrup and swing her leg over.
“Thanks,” she breathes.
I nod and step back, my hands still tingling from touching her.
“Can you get the gate?” she asks.
Pushing it open, I let her through, then step out of the circle, closing it behind me. Somewhere along the line, she took off her baseball hat and undid her ponytail. She bounces along with Sunny, and her white hair flies behind her. Ignoring my chores, I lean against the fence and watch her ride in circles, then changeit up, going back and forth, and sideways, enthralled with her connection to this horse. He doesn’t fight her or threaten to buck. He follows her promptings as if they’ve been working together for years. Eliana leans over and whispers something to him, and he dips his head as if he understood her.
She continues for another twenty minutes, and I watch her lips move, speaking to herself.
When she finishes another circle, she comes up to me, pulling Sunny to a stop. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s an angel,” she says.
Sunny shifts on his feet, and I shake my head. “Or maybe you just have a way with men.” I didn’t mean to say it like that, but I’m starting to think she does. This woman is dangerous for me. As for Sunny, he must know something I don’t because he loves her.
“You can put him out with the others after I unsaddle him,” I say, throwing open the gate.
