Page 51 of Whispered Promises

Sliding the device out, I answer without looking, shoving it under my ear as I bring the hammer down again.

“Hello?” I say distractedly.

Almost there.

“Hey, Rosy!”

The hammer slips, and I just miss my finger. Concentrate.

“Bry?” Pulling the phone from my ear, I check the caller ID. “Everything okay?”

He sounds a little…breathless. Maybe he’s a runner, but why would he call me if he’s running? Wouldn’t he need to focus on breathing?

“Yeah…” Shuffling noises echo in the background. “I’m actually here, but I couldn’t see you in the office. So thought I’d try to find you. But there’s a cat, and it won't leave me alone.” He laughs nervously.

It takes effort to muffle my giggles. I stand and look to see if I can see where he is.

“That would be Daisy. She’s…too friendly, and nosy. I’m in the goats’ field. If you’re by the office, you need to turn left and walk straight along the path. At the end, you’ll see the pigs’ area, and I’m in the field just to the right of it. I’ll come over to the gate.”

Butterflies flit around in my chest, and a slight rush of giddiness rolls through me. I’m not usually one for surprises, I like to know ahead when things are happening, but having Bry turn up to see me is overwhelmingly good.

Bry arrives at the gate before I do and waves at me. Heart pounding, I wave back with a wide smile. A loud squeal comes from behind me, and quick sounding hooves echo as Jerry flies past me, heading straight at Bry.

Bry jumps back, eyes wide and hands lifted as he leaves a wide berth between him and the outraged pony. Jerry makes a ruckus, trying to shove his head over the too-high gate and making his displeasure known.

“Jerry,” I scold, stepping up beside him and nudging him back. A sharp nip on my backside has a small yelp bursting from my lips.

“Really?” Rounding on Jerry, my hands land on my hips, and I do my very best to frown at him. “We don’t greet guests like that, and we certainly don’t treat friends like that by nibbling on them, do we?”

Another raspberry sprays me.

“Really?” I squint, scowling back at him.

“It’s fine.” Bry laughs, stepping warily back up to the gate. “He surprised me, that’s all. I’m not that used to horses, or I’m assuming a pony, in his case.”

Leaning my arms on the gate, I take the time to appreciate him. It’s nice weather today. The sun decided to shine, and it glints reflecting off the strawberry blonde tones in his hair, giving it an almost spun-gold look. From here, I can even see the slight stubble coming through on his face, just as light and golden.

“He’s your typical Shitland pony, full of sass and attitude.” At his blank look, I add, “Yup, you did hear that right.”

His smile turns wide, mirroring the one spreading across my face.

“So what brings you here, Bry?”

TWENTY-ONE

BRYNN

What brings me here? If I tell her I missed her already and wanted to spend time together alone, will that scare her off?

Stepping in closer to the gate and into her, I place my arms on either side of hers. It brings us closer, and means I can see each individual lash framing her grey eyes. Her hair is looped back into a braid, but strands have come loose, and curl around her face and neck. The urge to run my fingers through them is an unrelenting itch beneath my skin.

“I brought you some lunch,” I reply, suddenly a little nervous. Did I make the right choice in surprising her? “I-I was hoping we could eat together? If you have time?”

Her hand grabs my biceps, squeezing softly, and the sensation shoots straight down my spine.

Her touch is electric.

“That sounds perfect. I’m starving. There’s a bench outside the barn, near the office. We can sit there as the weather’s so nice.”