by Rhavensfyre
“Tuck your butt,” Dani instructed, keeping one calming hand on Dylan while trying to maintain eye contact with her.
Allyse gasped and practically jumped out of the saddle when Dani ran a gentle hand down her low back, trying to guide her to tuck her butt under her. Dylan snorted and side stepped a bit and Allyse squeaked like a mouse.
“I’ll tell you what, we’ll just stay in the arena today while you get used to him. I will ride right beside you, okay?”
“Okay.” She still sounded like a mouse, high pitched and too small for a woman used to being in command of an entire company.
Dani mounted up and clicked at her mare to walk forward. In addition to her reins, she kept a loose lead line in hand connecting her to Dylan. It wasn’t necessary, but it seemed to help Allyse to know she had some control over the horse she was sitting on. After twenty minutes of walking in circles, Dani could tell that she was not going to loosen up.
“Whoa,” she called out. Both horses stopped immediately at Dani's command. The two horses looked at each other and snorted. Allyse’s interpretation of this little bit of horsey language involved the two horses rolling their eyes at her and laughing.
I can’t believe I am going to do this, Dani thought. Dylan could take both their weights easily, but this was not something she would normally recommend. She twisted sideways in her saddle until both legs dangled over one side.
“Allyse, you really need to relax,” Dani said, trying to get the terrified woman’s attention. Allyse continued to stare straight ahead, her face pale and strained, her jaw tight enough to make the muscles in her jaw jump. Dani tried again, this time more forcefully. “Allyse, look at me.”
Allyse slowly swiveled her head towards Dani’s voice, then blanched when she caught site of her sitting sidesaddle and out of her stirrups, looking as pleased as a raven perching insolently on a scarecrow with her cowboy hat slanted back on her forehead.
“Sit in your saddle the right way, that doesn’t look safe!” Allyse’s squeak went up a couple of octaves until it was high enough to make Callie whine. Her grip tightened down on the saddle horn even more and her thighs screamed from squeezing the saddle. If she could hang on for the both of them, she would. It didn’t help that Dani looked so damn comfortable on her perch. She didn’t seem to care that she was sitting on top of a thousand pounds of horse with no way to control the beast. What if it decided to move out from underneath her?
“Allyse, take your left foot out of the stirrup for a sec.” Instead of following her directions, she just looked at her like she was crazy. Dani sighed and knotted her split reins so she could loop them on her saddle horn. “Trust me, just do it.”
As soon as she did, Dani quickly slid her foot into the empty stirrup, stood and slipped off of her saddle. Twisting, she neatly settled into the saddle behind Allyse and wrapped her left arm around her waist. Her long legs dangled behind the stirrups, and while the fit was a bit tight, the saddle was able to hold them both.
“Now, relax into me.” Dani spoke softly into her ear. She was surprised when she felt the other woman melt against her, the steel spring holding her back as straight as a ramrod disappearing as soon as she spoke. After the last half hour of failure and the level of fear she was showing, Dani worried that Allyse had fainted in her arms until she felt a hand reach up and gratefully grip her forearm. The reassuring squeeze was enough to let her know she was still conscious.
“I wouldn’t normally recommend doing this, but you need to see how safe Dylan is.” Dani held Dylan’s reins in her right hand and Allyse in her left.
“Put your foot back in the stirrup. Good, now just move with me. We’re going to take a walk outside together.” She lifted the reins and clucked to Dylan. He moved out slowly and Bella obediently fell in behind them. Dani stopped at the barn and pulled one of the farmhands from his chores and instructed him to take Bella from her and untack her. That done, she turned Dylan towards the dirt road heading into the woods.
“You good?” she asked, checking one last time before they went any farther.
“Yes.”
“Okay. Let’s go then.”
Chapter Eleven
Allyse felt safe and secure in Dani's arms. With one arm wrapped tightly around her stomach and the other holding the reins in front of her, Allyse was finally able to relax enough to enjoy the ride.
Allyse felt the boneless way that Dani relaxed into the saddle behind her and she tried to mimic that, finding the ride more comfortable when she loosened up. Slouching wasn’t her natural posture and years of training to stand tall and sit up straight screamed at her in a silent war between comfort and ingrained reflexes.
It was a bit of a tight squeeze in the saddle for the both of them. She found that the less attention she paid to the fact that she was on a horse the more aware she became of just how much of Dani’s body was pressed into her backside and the more fun she was having. After a few minutes where nothing life threatening happened, Allyse relaxed her death grip enough to do a little careful exploring of her own. She let her fingers wander, sliding along Dani’s forearm where she held her tight around the middle. The strength hidden in those whipcord like muscles was part of the reason she felt so safe.
Then she made the mistake of glancing down.
The ground was farther away than she expected and she swayed dizzily. Her hands clenched reflexively, digging her nails into Dani’s arm hard enough to make her grunt in pain. Okay, maybe it isn’t a horse thing, maybe it’s a height thing? The distance seemed immense. The only thing in focus was a narrow tunnel between her and the ground that made it feel like gravity was pulling at her. The entire situation inspired a fresh bout of vertigo and made her heart pound.
She was broadcasting her fear again, her body stiff against the other woman's casual slouch. She was sure the soft caress along her abdomen was meant to reassure her, but it had other consequences too, taking her mind off her fear and sending another sort of thrill rushing to fill that area deep in the pit of her belly where it had been sitting.
“Hey, take it easy. I’ve got you.”
“Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Allyse forced her fingers to relax one by one. Her manicured nails were blessedly blunt, but they had left their mark, leaving small half-moon shapes imbedded in Dani’s forearm that had to hurt. She was shaking, but for the life of her she couldn’t tell if it was Dani’s touch or fear that was making her tremble. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually afraid of anything. That sounded conceited, didn’t it?”
“A little, but don’t worry. You’re not going to fall. Dylan won’t let you,” Dani murmured behind her. “Neither will I.”
“Okay,” Allyse responded weakly. The one word response was shaky enough that it didn’t inspire any confidence, and she was the one saying it. She half expected Dani to laugh at her, but instead she did something entirely different.
“Here.” Dani took Allyse’s hand and gently urged her fingers around the thick leather reins, guiding her movements. The rough texture of the bandage scratched against her skin and carried a clinical, slightly bitter odor that made Allyse’s nose crinkle.
“Take the reins in your hand, right under mine.” After she had a proper hold on the reins, Dani let go and lightly rested her hand on hers, giving Allyse control of the reins.
Allyse’s heart thundered in her chest and she would have probably fainted if she hadn’t known that her control was an illusion. Dani’s hand felt sure and strong wrapped around hers, but her fingertips still rested alongside the leather straps just above Allyse’s grip, ready to take over in an instant.
Dylan was kept at a slow walk for a good while, just taking in and enjoying the scenery as they meandered along one of the many trails that wove through the farm. The quiet was interspersed with casual conversation, but even that was done in a hushed tone that matched the pastoral setting. Allyse talked to Dani about her girls and explained why they wanted to meet her so much. In return, Dani spoke fondly ab
out the various aspects of her farm, showing her the deep pond where the horse’s came to drink and she used to fish from in the summer. Allyse was starting to realize just how big Dani’s farm was when Dani piped up with a question.
“Hey, would you like to see what else Dylan can do?” she asked playfully enough to set butterfly alarms off in Allyse’s stomach.
“Um, sure?” Bracing herself for the necessary lesson, she nodded her head once. She would do this for her, for Dani, and for the girls. If they came down to visit she didn’t want to be the odd woman out who was too afraid to go out on trail rides with everyone else…and she was sure that was exactly what her intrepid little explorers would want to do the first day they arrived.
“Alrighty then.” Dani made a clicking sound with her tongue and the bay horse responded to the command instantly. Allyse grabbed for the saddle horn a half second later.
“What are we doing? We’re going faster!” Allyse exclaimed. They were moving past the trees at an unexpected speed, enough to feel a breeze brushing across her face on an otherwise still day.
“Dylan’s pacing.”
“It seems so fast.” Allyse was amazed. It was exhilarating to feel the strength of the horse moving easily beneath them without the bone jarring bounce she had anticipated. “I was expecting it to feel more jolting.”
“Not when he’s pacing. It’s also called a running walk,” Dani explained, falling into training mode. The latter term was probably easier for a layperson to understand, since it really just described what the horse was doing.
“You’ll need to explain that to me.” Allyse was trying to take in all the new things that Dani was teaching her, a running walk made more sense to her than pacing. “I seem to remember something about race horses that paced?”
“Yes. Something like that. If we were, say, trotting right now you would probably be bouncing all over. But pacing is smoother because it has no moment of suspension.” The technical horse knowledge rolled off Dani’s tongue without a second thought.
“Moment of suspension?” The unfamiliar term piqued her interest. For the first time in a very long time, Allyse found herself the student in a very unfamiliar subject matter. It was odd, but she found it stimulating to move outside her comfort zone and learn something new.
“Moment of suspension is when all four feet are off the ground. When a horse is pacing one foot is on the ground at all times, so there is no moment of suspension.”
“So no bounce.” Allyse was pretty impressed she had deciphered Dani speak. All of that explanation and ultimately what she got out of it was that Dylan always had one foot firmly on the ground at all times. That was good advice for anyone.
“Nope, no bounce,” Dani said. She slowed Dylan back down and then stopped. They had come to a fork in the trail. One dirt track headed farther up along a mountainside and the other intersection headed back in the general direction they had just come from. “Are you ready to head back now?”
Allyse nodded. She had been enjoying her time with the other woman immensely, but she was ready to follow Dylan’s lead and get her own two feet back on solid ground. She would never be an avid rider but the morning’s conversation and Dani’s reassuring embrace during the ride had definitely been worth braving such a large animal.
“Do all of your horses pace like Dylan?” Allyse asked, trying to remember if she had seen anyone else riding like this before.
“No, Dylan’s special. He isn’t a Quarter Horse like the rest of them.”
A touch of melancholy in Dani’s voice made Allyse want to ask more. She sensed a story there but Dani’s response made her hold her tongue. She didn’t want to bring up any sad memories, not on such a glorious day. She had something else she wanted to talk about.
“Dani?”
Dani leaned her head down over Allyse's shoulder so she could hear better, her lips close to the other woman’s ear. “Yes?”
“Can I take you out tomorrow?” Allyse asked, her ability to speak severely impaired by the feel of Dani’s warm breath on her cheek, tickling her ear and sending goose bumps down her spine. All of a sudden, her skin felt too exposed by the cool air touching her and she ached from the sudden desire to feel the heat from those full lips pressing against her cheek.
“Like on a date?”
“Yes, like on a date.” Allyse’s lips twitched. She had to remember that Dani could be quite literal when it came to wordplay. Unless she was the one doing the teasing, Allyse thought—a certain embarrassing conversation about a drawers contents coming to mind.
“Yes,” Dani agreed, then asked her own question. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. Dress appropriately.” This time the twitch turned into a full blown smile. Her plans were becoming a reality.
“How can I dress appropriately if I don’t know where we are going?” True to form, Dani’s question was succinct and perfectly reasonable.
“Dress how you normally would for a date.” Allyse had been too caught up in her excitement that she didn’t realize her mistake until she felt Dani stiffen up behind her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” Dani mumbled. That was the best she could do. She was a terrible liar, but what else could she say? She hadn’t been on a date in many years and even then it was just going to the local gay bar. That wasn’t dating, that was dancing and drinking…and maybe picking up someone for the night. That seemed like a lifetime ago. She had no idea how to dress for a real date, not with someone like Allyse.
Once back at the barn, Dani dismounted easily despite her injured hand then held her arms out for Allyse to join her. Dylan stood stock still. He knew what Dani expected from him.
“Okay, I need you to take your feet out of the stirrups then swing your right leg over so you are sitting side ways in the saddle and I’ll catch you. Next time I’ll show you how to dismount properly. Don’t worry, Dylan won’t move and I won’t let you fall.”
Allyse froze, then managed to move into position with stiff, jerky movements that could have been dangerous on a poorly trained horse. Even Dani could tell that after everything, this part of the ride was fast becoming her least favorite. White lipped and stiff faced, Allyse looked decidedly green sitting up there, and that color had nothing to do with her status.
Dani reached up and lifted Allyse down by her waist, then clenched her teeth when the sutures stretched and pulled against her wound. She had actually forgotten about the damn thing until then. “After my hand heals some more, I’ll show you how to untack and take care of him after riding.”
Dani waved another woman over to them. She strode up, confident and competent looking in a neat flannel shirt and cowboy hat, obviously curious about Allyse but keeping her attention on Dani.
“Hey Chris, can you take care of Dylan for me today?” Dani asked, handing the reins to her.
“Sure, boss,” Chris said. “Do you have any special instructions for today?”
“Yeah.” Dani excused herself, then spent a few minutes outlining what needed to be done and which horses needed to be lunged and worked with for the day. She sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to do it. “And Chris? Just plan on running this schedule through the week until I get these damn stitches out, okay? Run it by Ellie first so she knows. If she has any questions, have her come see me.”
Chris tapped the brim of her hat smartly before moving out towards the tack room with Dylan in tow.
“Since you brought it up, how is your hand doing?” Allyse waited until Chris was out of earshot to ask.
“It’s fine.”
“Let me see.” Allyse tried to take her hand but Dani pulled away.
“I said it was fine, Allyse,” Dani said, trying very hard not to come off sounding angry. She turned away before Allyse noticed that the wound was bleeding again, sure that the woman wouldn’t just give in and give up. She really did not want to get the fourth degree for being careless. She could feel the hot, wet, stickiness seeping throu
gh the dressing but until she got back to the house she wouldn’t know if she had popped a stitch or not.
“Why do I not believe you?” Allyse asked, finding more patience inside her than she knew she possessed. Any other person in any other situation and she would have been livid at being denied, well, anything she wanted. Today, she chose to be amused rather than irritated because she had a pretty good idea what was really going on. From the way Dani was hiding her hand, that little She-Ra move she performed—while it had been adorably chivalrous—probably strained her stitches. Something she didn’t want her guest to find out.
“I haven’t got a clue,” Dani said, managing to keep a completely straight face. Her eyes widened in feigned innocence before asking “Would this face lie?”
“In a heartbeat,” Allyse answered emphatically. “I have children, remember? That face might have worked on your uncles, but not on me.”
“Hmph.” Dani crossed her arms and stared down at Allyse. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to compare me to one of your children.”
Under that direct stare, Allyse withered and bloomed at the same time. This time she was the one to turn away, her cheeks aflame and her thoughts even hotter. “Um. Maybe we should go in now?”
“Good idea,” Dani agreed. She was ready to move. Now that training was out of the picture, other tasks she had been putting off couldn’t be ignored anymore, tasks she didn’t care for but had to be done. You would think that walking towards an unpleasant task would slow Dani’s feet, but it didn’t. She strode towards her next task with the same single minded determinedness she applied to everything else. They had barely gone ten feet before she realized Allyse wasn’t keeping up with her.
“Are you okay?”
“Sore,” Allyse groaned.
“Yeah, that will go away after a while.” The poor woman had never been on a horse before and was now hobbling around on legs that weren’t used to grasping a thousand pound animal for over an hour. Dani remembered feeling that way when she had first started riding and had seen the same bow legged walk from many of her students over the years. “You should probably take it easy tomorrow, maybe go for a walk or something so you don’t get overly stiff.”