by Toni Mari
“You look so pretty tonight. I didn’t know who you were before John told me. But I figured you’d be hot if you’re a friend of Megan’s. I can’t believe I never noticed you before. Did you just move here?”
This could be why he didn’t talk much. He lacked a brain. I smiled sweetly. “I’ve never noticed you before either. Are you a new kid?”
“I guess you don’t watch football,” he said, taken aback. “Me and John, we’re pretty much the whole team.” Then he leaned over, planted his lips on mine, and ran his hand up my thigh. “You’re out with the two most popular guys in school,” he murmured.
I froze. Eeww! He put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer, and pushed his tongue between my lips. When he reached up to squeeze my breast, I squealed and leapt off the couch. “Gotta hit the lady’s room,” I squeaked. “Then I better get home. Early day tomorrow.”
I ran into the little powder room and closed the door. I turned the cold water on and began sucking it out of my hand and spitting it back in the sink. I rubbed my lips. There was a soft knock on the door.
“It’s Megan. You okay?”
I opened the door, pulled her in, and slammed it shut. “He tried to kiss me,” I hissed.
“Yeah, that’s what boys do on dates.”
“Megan, he’s a football player.”
“So, you don’t like him?”
“Nope, no way. But is that gonna mess things up with you and John?”
“No, John’s not like that.” She grinned. “Do you wanna go home now?”
“Yeah, but I can call my mom. You stay. I can tell you’re having a good time.”
“John will take us home. Besides, if he wouldn’t, I wouldn’t stay without you.” She held out her pinkie. I wrapped mine around it and smiled. “Besties!” we said together.
We stepped out of the bathroom, arms linked. “Time to go,” Megan announced. John stared at her for a second and then nodded.
Bobby grabbed my hand. “Don’t go yet. We were just getting started. You don’t want to go, do you?” he asked, backing toward the couch sticking his tongue out and waving it back and forth.
My mouth was hanging open. I was speechless.
Megan snatched my hand back for me. “Behave!” she commanded.
“Come on, idiot,” John said with disgust to Bobby. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 7
The next morning I woke up early like I always do. I gazed at my reflection. The creature staring back at me urged me back to bed, but I couldn’t. Windsong was my responsibility, I had to go take care of him. My hair was lumpy and felt like pig’s hair, stiff and wiry. The mascara left black smudges under my eyes, and my lips were stained red by the lipstick. I washed up and brushed my teeth, but the smudges under my eyes remained. I scraped my hair into a ponytail and consoled myself that at least I had fresh breath.
Mom agreed to run me to the barn and we stopped for cappuccinos on the way. When we arrived, I waved goodbye to her and slunk into the barn. “Morning, Windsong.” I peered through the bars of his stall. He stopped chewing and lifted his head to stare at me.
“Hey,” Cory said as he lifted the cappuccino from my hand.
“Hey yourself.” I tried to grab it back.
He took a sip and then gave it up. “Whoa. Cinderella is back from the ball. Must have been some night.”
I touched my stiff ponytail and looked away. “Shut up.” I started walking down the aisle.
He grabbed my arm. “No, really. Tell me about it? Get a little action last night?” He made a rude gesture with his hand.
My mouth dropped open. “None of your business.”
Cory reached up and rubbed his thumb across my lips. I shook my head and glared at him, or at his hat brim that hid his face. When he tipped his head up, intense blue eyes bore into mine.
Remembering yesterday, I froze as electrifying current zoomed straight down to my stomach. Cory’s expression changed; his eyebrows went up.
My cheeks heated, and I felt the urge to lean toward him, may have actually swayed forward again. I pulled my head back, mentally kicking my own ass. “Get off. He was a fucking football player. That’s one notch above cowboy on the asshole scale.” I dodged around him and headed out to find Kate.
I was halfway to the indoor when Cory said, “Windsong’s fine, I’m turning him out.”
I whirled around. Cory still stood there, but he was looking down and his hat obscured his face, again.
“You can’t just throw him out! Don’t you touch him!” I screeched. “I’m getting Kate.” I glanced back to make sure Cory wasn’t going near Windsong. He still stood there, but he was shaking his head.
I rushed into the indoor where Kate was teaching a lesson. I stopped next to her, hopping from one foot to the other until she finally looked at me. “What’s up?”
“Cory’s trying to turn Windsong out! Can you come and look at him? See if he’s ready?” I asked really fast.
“Did Cory look at it? What does he say?” she asked without budging.
“Come on.” I grabbed her arm.
She wrenched it back, and then looked past me at the doorway. “Cory! What do you think about Windsong’s hoof?”
I practically stamped my foot. “Kate, I want you to look at it.” She continued to look at Cory, waiting for an answer.
“It looks great. The hole’s closed, he’s fine to go out.” Cory didn’t gloat. In fact, he answered Kate carefully, watching for my reaction.
Kate turned back to me. She said, “Good, go ahead and turn him out.”
“But, Kate.” My voice cracked. Outrageous! She was blowing me off?
“Cory, knows what he’s doing, Jane. Put the horse out. And make sure you ride Paddy and clean him up. We’re showing him tomorrow.” She firmly turned away, focusing again on her student.
Paddy! Already? I knew Kate had been telling people that Paddy was for sale. I just thought it would take a lot longer than a week to find an interested buyer. What if Windsong didn’t work out? My jaw trembled and I clenched it shut as I walked back to Windsong’s stall. Cory was already in Jet’s stall, letting him out into the pen he’d share with Windsong. The paddock stretched out about fifty feet from the barn and lengthwise along the driveway about a hundred feet. It was big enough for the two horses to share, but not so big that Windsong could work up too much speed if he got agitated. Jet walked out the back door of his stall with a gentle swish of his black tail and calmly approached a pile of hay.
Windsong’s foot bandage had already been removed. Although I appreciated Cory’s help all week—he helped me—last night was the only night he tended Windsong alone. But that didn’t give him permission to do whatever he wanted with my horse. Without looking at Cory or acknowledging him in any way, I swung Windsong’s door out. I stepped outside to open it wide and fastened it to the barn so that it wouldn’t swing shut.
Windsong stood against the side of the stall, making no move toward the open door. Cory stood in the other doorway. “Doesn’t even know he’s allowed out. Git!” Cory waved his arms and clucked, the universal sound that meant “go” to a horse.
Windsong jumped and spun around. I flattened myself against the wall to avoid getting smashed. He leapt out the door, took a few gimpy steps, got his bearings, and tore off down the field. He whizzed past Jet, slid and spun at the fence line, and then lunged back to Jet. Jet lifted his head, chewing hay, and just watched Windsong. Windsong reared straight up, pawing the air. Landed, shook his head a few times, then dropped it into the hay and started eating.
“Crazy ass horse.” The smile on Cory’s face looked affectionate.
That smile. I shook off the little tingly feeling it caused in my stomach.
He looked over at me. “Look I’m sorry about earlier. I just wanted to know if you had a nice time. It was a bad joke.”
Right. “Like you care,” I said and spun away back into the stall, intending to stomp right past him. I would not fall for his nice-then-m
ean act again.
“I do care, for some reason,” he said as he grabbed my arm and spun me back toward him.
I stumbled on a lump of horse poop, and he caught me with both arms. I looked up into his face, ready to say something sarcastic and wrench my arms away. But I froze when my eyes met his intense ones. There was no mockery in them now, only determination. He pushed his hat back and slid his arms around me. He lowered his head to kiss me and my mind said, “Kick him in the groin.” But a magnetic pull lifted my lips to his and immobilized my legs. He tightened his arms and I melted into him. Melted! My hands rested on his waist. His lips covered mine and I certainly didn’t need to breathe, ever. I mewed like a kitten. His tongue gently traced my lips and slipped in when I sighed. I pressed closer and softened my lips against his.
Cory stiffened and removed his lips from mine. I frowned and opened my eyes to see what was happening. Did I do something wrong? Cory looked … shocked? Did he just realize it was me he was kissing? “What?” I breathed.
He released me. “Cowboys kiss better than dumbass jocks,” he mumbled as he pushed past me and out the stall door.
I sucked in a big breath. I put my fingers on my lips; they were humming. That cowboy kissed much better than Bobby did. What. The. Hell. I whipped my head around. Where did he go? What was that supposed to prove? I ran out the door, and then remembered it was open. I turned back to slam it shut and jogged down the aisle, looking in the tack room, the indoor, and finally ran out the other end of the barn. The driveway passed our barn, rose up a small hill, and leveled out next to the western barn that sat at the top of the hill. I could just see a cowboy hat climbing into a brown pickup truck. The truck roared to life. He drove right past me without ever looking in my direction.
He left. What was the point? Except maybe to make me feel like a jerk again. Friggin’ cowboy. I picked up a driveway stone and threw it as hard as I could toward the other barn.
I walked out to Paddy’s pasture. He was in one of the big fields that stretched all the way along the driveway to the road. As usual, he lifted his head when he heard my voice but didn’t take one step toward me. At least he was acting like his normal self. Good old reliable Paddy. I would submerge myself in the pleasure of his sweet, gentle nature one more time. “Who needs horses that act like demons or jocks who act like boars or cowboys who act like see-saws,” I whispered as I rubbed Paddy’s velvety ears. He leaned his head on me, content to be caressed.
Chapter 8
Sunday dawned sunny and warm for January. My mood was more suited to a cloudy day, so I kept my sunglasses on, letting it be dark and dreary inside the indoor. I watched my chubby chestnut trot amiably around the perimeter. Paddy was such a goof. He was going at half the speed that I usually made him go. He head was up and he was looking out the windows, happy to do the simple work. The girl on him, Lauren, was a decent little rider, but she was only eleven. She was too big for her pony, and her parents wanted to buy her a horse that she could show in dressage. Over the next few years, Paddy could teach her first, second, and third levels effortlessly. She kicked Paddy into a canter. He lumbered slowly around, not worried about her bouncing around on his back with loose reins.
“Can I see Jane ride him? I’d like to see him really work,” Anna, Lauren’s trainer, asked. A thin, serious woman, she was a friend of Kate’s from their early days.
“No problem. He’s always quiet. You are going to love this one, Anna. He is exactly what this little girl should be riding.” Kate nodded at me to get on the horse. I never thought of Kate as short, but Anna towered over her by quite a few inches.
Lauren smiled from ear to ear as I helped her dismount from Paddy. She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. Paddy reached his head around and rolled her jacket in his lips. My throat was tight. I couldn’t say a word, so I just moved Lauren aside and climbed on. A big part of me didn’t want to give up Paddy. I could try to make him look bad. No, that would just make Kate mad. Lauren still smiled, watching me excitedly. I couldn’t do that to her, either. And I couldn’t do it to Paddy. He deserved this little girl. He had worked so hard for me these past few years. He deserved her treats, her love, and her need for him to be lazy while she learned.
When we had Paddy back in the crossties and I was helping Lauren untack him, Cory came in the other end of the barn. He crosstied Jet and removed his saddle and bridle and carried them to the tack room. Because I watched trying to look like I wasn’t, I saw him glance my way. I quickly turned my head away.
Lauren chattered away. Her parents were super nice and milled around the aisle in front of Paddy’s face, talking in low tones with the two trainers. Earlier Kate had whispered to me that Anna said these were her favorite clients and that I couldn’t wish for a better owner for Paddy. Oh crap! This was really happening. I wouldn’t be seeing my Paddy anymore.
“Be right back,” I mumbled. I grabbed the saddle and trudged to the tack room. I stalked past Cory, holding in the tears that burned my eyes and walking even faster. I threw the saddle onto the rack, and then crawled under it into the dark, semi hidden corner. I let it out, sniffling as quietly as I could.
“Jane,” Cory called softly. “Jane, where are you?”
I pulled my feet in and tucked them under me, but I had to breathe. I snuffled in as softly as I could.
“Jane, I see you. Come out.”
“Go away!”
“I want to talk to you. Come out.”
“Not now. Leave me alone.”
“Are you crying? I know I was an asshole yesterday. I want to tell you I’m sorry.” Cory bent down. His hands reached in.
“Fine. You said it. Now, go away.” I pushed as far back against the wall as I could get.
“Don’t cry. I really am sorry.” One hand found my knee.
I pushed it off. “Get over yourself. I’m not crying about you.”
His two hands came in. “Then what?”
I exploded out of there. “Paddy! They’re taking Paddy!” I tried to hit him, but he caught my arms and pulled me against him.
“That’s what usually happens when you sell a horse.” He cocked his head.
“I know,” I wailed. “But I’ll miss him so much. I don’t want him to go.”
“This is for your horse?” He wiped a tear from my cheek.
“You wouldn’t understand. I love him, he’s my best friend. I know this is the right thing, but I hate it.” I pressed my face into his shirt.
“Best friend, huh?” Cory squeezed me tighter. “I didn’t realize…” he murmured.
When I finally could breathe without huffing, I pushed away from Cory’s chest. God knows, I kind of wanted to hang out there all afternoon, but people were waiting for me. “I’m okay, now. I gotta go back out there.” I lifted my shirt and tried to wipe my face.
“You look a wreck. Wait here a sec.” He ran out of the tack room and was back a moment later with wet paper towels. He started wiping my face but almost poked me in the eye.
I smiled and took the paper towels out of his hand. Using a cloudy mirror hanging on someone’s trunk, I cleaned my face the best I could. I handed the used towels back to Cory. “Thanks.”
When I emerged, Lauren ran up to me and threw her arms around my waist. “I love him so much. Thank you for giving me your horse. I can’t wait to get him home.”
“You’ll be a star on him at all the shows, Lauren. You’ll be great together.” I looked over my shoulder at Cory. He nodded and gave me a thumbs-up. I put my arms around Lauren’s bony shoulders and guided her back to her parents.
Chapter 9
“Where are you?” Kate demanded. Her voice sounded tinny through my phone.
“Home.” Warm and comfy. It was Wednesday, and as far as I remembered we hadn’t scheduled a lesson. It was a dreary day, clouds with drizzly rain falling. I had gotten off the bus from school, totally unmotivated to go to the barn. I wrapped myself in a fleecy blanket, plunked down on the couch, and sipped hot chocolate whil
e I read a novel.
“I was going to ride your horse today.”
I was confused for a second because she was standing right next to me when they loaded him on the trailer and drove away. Then I remembered. “Go ahead.” I don’t care.
“You need to tack him up. I need him ready in forty-five minutes. Hurry up.” Click.
Shit. I groaned. I hauled myself off the couch and up to my room. I put on a thermal shirt, a turtleneck, a sweatshirt, and a fleece hoodie. My winter riding pants were insulated and puffy. I looked at myself in the mirror. Perfect, I looked like I felt: black and lumpy. I trudged down the stairs. “Mom, can you give me a ride to the barn? Right now?”
“I thought you weren’t going to the barn today.” Mom was peeling potatoes at the sink.
“Kate called. She’s going to ride Windsong today. So I have to go.”
“You can take the car. I don’t have plans to go anywhere. Keys are in the front pocket of my purse,” she said over her shoulder. I didn’t have my own car, so I only got to drive when my mom wasn’t working or running errands.
I crossed my fingers as I got out of the car, hoping I wouldn’t see Cory. I just didn’t feel up to dealing with him. Jet was in his stall next to Windsong and there was no sign of Cory anywhere.
I pulled Windsong out and gave him a quick dust off. Tossed my saddle on his back, put Paddy’s special boots on his legs, and bridled him. He wore a double bridle with two bits, so there were two sets of reins to pull over his head. I started down the aisle to the indoor. Windsong jigged and wiggled his way, shoes ringing on the cement floor, but I ignored him. When I tried to make the turn into the indoor, he reared. I leaped backward so hard to avoid his legs, I slammed myself into the wall. But I didn’t let go of the reins, so when Windsong landed and whirled around, he gave himself a pretty good yank. He stopped, giving a shrill whinny, and then stared back down the barn aisle. I guess two hard metal bits jerking against your jaw would make you think twice about taking another step. My knees felt as weak as they did after Cory kissed me.