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“No, Kray is a new stallion.” Austin pipes up, his hands fisted in his pocket.
“Don’t forget you owe me a night out,” I say softly to Harlow. We had to cancel our catch up because Harlow caught a stomach bug and between the mares and her work, the days have just slipped past.
“I know, I promise I’ll make it up to you.” She looks over at me and gives me a wink as she gloves up.
“Cool,” I nod, stepping back for a moment and removing myself out of view whilst she does her examinations.
“You okay?” Harlow calls out, her voice strained.
“Yup,” I shout back.
I hear my dad chuckle and Austin pops his head round the stable door.
“Sure you’re alright?” he asks, his brows furrowed as his eyes search my face.
“Yeah fine,” I wave him off and smile.
“Go and check Bonnie, I was in the middle of doing their hay when Harlow turned up.”
I nod, kicking the toe of my boot onto the concrete floor and sigh as I force myself down there. Walking to the back of the stall, I grab an empty net and start filling it with haylage. As the sweet smell fills my nose something deep inside of me sparks, a warmth coursing through me. It sparks a familiarity, an old love for something that nearly destroyed me. Tightening the now full hay net, I throw it over my shoulder and walk towards Bonnie’s stall. Bonnie is in foal, she was confirmed last week and Harlow thinks she should birth early March next year and I can’t wait to see the little colts and fillies prance round the fields.
Sliding the bolt of Bonnie’s stall, I pause for a moment before slowly opening her door. She grunts, her eyes on me and I watch as her ears turn and flatten.Don’t panic. Bonnie is a leopard Appaloosa. She really is beautiful. But she is stubborn and a bit of a bitch.
“Hey girl,” I try and say as confident as I can but I know she can sense my fear.
Shuffling my feet across the concrete, I try and move a little quicker but my heart is jackhammering in my chest, nausea rolling in my stomach.
Bonnie stamps her hoof to the floor and I try to stop the tremor that is threatening to seep out of me.
“I just want to put your hay in,” I say quietly, moving a little closer as I see the silver ring on the stable wall.
“You’ve got this Wildflower,” I hear Riggs’ voice float across me. I look over my shoulder at him and my heart slows, his beautiful green eyes land on mine and I feel the ground slip from beneath my feet for just a moment. “I’m so proud of how far you’ve come,” he praises me and I feel the tears prick behind my eyes, my throat bobbing as I try and swallow down the lump that begins to form. I ignore the burning in my throat, like someone has shoved a hot stake down and suddenly I can’t breathe.
He closes the gap in one long stride, his body pressed against mine but his hands stay off my body. I close my eyes for a moment, his breath on the back of my neck.
“You look so fucking beautiful in that dress, what I would do to hitch it up and have my wicked way with you,” he lowers his lips between my neck and shoulder, smiling against my hot skin.
“Stop that,” I giggle and I am grateful for the small distraction.
“Only trying to make you feel better Dinks.”
“And you have,” I breathe, taking half a step forward as I loop the string through the silver ring and freeze when Bonnie nudges at my shoulder with her nuzzle.
“Don’t panic,” Riggs’ eyes pin to mine and I suddenly forget how to breathe.
“Riggs,” I whisper, my eyes widening. Riggs steps a little closer, his lips lifting slowly before he breaks into a smile.
“She just wants to say hello,” he reassures me, now inside the stable as he steps towards Bonnie, standing next to her and rubbing behind her now pointed ears. I manage to tie the string and I rush out the stable so I finally feel as if I can breathe.
Riggs scratches Bonnie’s neck then gives her a pat before walking out of the stable and bolting it across.
His back is to me and I sweep my eyes over him, feeling the heat blossom between my thighs. When he turns to face me, he catches me staring.
“Like what you see darlin’?” he winks as he slowly walks towards me and I nod. “I’ll let you have a proper look later, but right now, we’re getting you on the back of a horse.”
My eyes widen and panic courses through me.
“Aspen, baby, I promise it’ll be okay. Do you trust me?” he cocks his head to the side, his eyes volleying between mine waiting for me to answer.
