Page 12 of Infatuated
“What’s his name?” I nod to his horse and keep petting Clementine’s mane. She keeps pushing her head close to me, and I can’t help but smile.
“Duke.” He smirks after he says it.
I reach out and pet Duke in the same fashion as Clementine. When he jerks away from my touch, I yank my hand away and take a step back.
“He won’t hurt you. Just not used to other people touching him. Come on, let’s get you in the saddle, and I’ll give you a quick lesson.”
I’m short, and the saddle is up high, so he gives me a small step stool to stand on and swing my leg over. He adjusts the leg stirrups, and when I’m as comfortable as I can be, he goes over how to handle the reins and how to get her to speed up or slow down. When I’m comfortable enough, he unties her and hops on Duke.
Holden leads us on to some trails, and I admire the views around us. It’s a clear blue day, and the sun is warm on my shoulders and back. The tall grass blows in the wind as the animals meander to their destinations.
“Why’d you have to get permission to ride with me?” I blurt out, still annoyed.
He turns to look at me and pushes his hat up out of his face so I can see his brown eyes. “Who said I needed permission?”
“I saw you look back at Tristan. What if he said no? What then?” I bite out.
“Nothing.” He shrugs. “We’d go riding.”
Not the response I thought I’d get. I take in the landscape around us for another minute before I blurt out, “Will you tell me about him?”
He smirks and looks straight ahead. “Damn. That was fast.”
“What was fast?”
“You like him.” He looks at me and raises his eyebrow, daring me to challenge him.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! I donotlike him. He tossed me in the pond, remember?”
He shrugs, and his smile grows into a full grin. “Foreplay.”
This is the moment in a movie that, if I was drinking something, I would do a spit take.Foreplay.That’snotwhat that was. He did it because I annoyed him. He thought it would be funny to toss me in. That’s not foreplay. Foreplay is light touches, soft words whispered, and kisses.
Not being tossed in the water.
Although, when he saw I was struggling, he came over and helped me. It felt nice to wrap my legs around his waist and arms around his neck. Then, he touched my lips. It was feather-light but sent a wave of warmth through my body. I didn’t want to let go.
Yeah, because you like him.No. I like Joe. It was a misunderstanding. I’m sure, when I can talk to Joe, he’ll sort it out. Tristan is just some guy that’s cute. He lives here, and I live in Connecticut. Our lives are too far apart and t0o different.
Holden is still talking, and I’ve missed half of what he’s said, but I definitely heard the word ‘girlfriend’.
“Wait a minute. He has a girlfriend?”
He shakes his head. “I saidhada girlfriend. He and Kasey were together all through high school and recently broke up.”
Oh, great! If he is flirting—not saying he is—he’s using me as a rebound girl. I’m afraid to even ask how long ago the break-up was. “How recent?”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s better off without her. Don’t get me wrong, I like the girl, but she was weighing him down. Too needy. He needs to live a little. Ya know?”
Do I know? Yeah, I think I do. My whole life has been centered around school until recently. I’m supposed to get normal experiences out of the way now, so I can go to college and try the hard stuff. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?
I shrug as he slows Duke down. We’re in a large, open field. Straight in front of us are the northernmost Rocky Mountains with their snow-capped peaks. They span for miles to the right and left of us until they disappear on the horizon.
“Wow,” I whisper in amazement. Now,thisis seriously cool. I could spend the rest of the vacation out here in the open field with my books and be happy.
“Bet you don’t get this back east.”
I swing my leg over and slide off Clementine to the plush ground below. Multicolored wildflowers grow in spurts around the field, adding pops of color. Holden climbs down and takes the reins of both horses as I walk to a nearby tree and stand in the shade.