"Be sure to come on in for a piece of pie when you're through." Piper insists. "I want a lesson in photography, too. It's a secret passion of mine."
"Definitely. I'd love to talk shop with you." Lennie says. "I don't get to do that with anyone."
"You two have fun." Billy says, coming out from the ranch house.
"We will. Thanks." Lennie says.
"Digger's all set." Cassidy informs.
"Sprout been out earlier?" I ask. "I haven't ridden him in a while."
"Sure, if that's what you prefer." Billy nods. "Whatever you like."
"Come on. How about I let you pick your horse." I tell Lennie.
"Any of them is fine, really."
She follows me to the stable. Not a word is uttered about how abruptly I left her store earlier. It surprises me, even though I don't have an explanation prepared. Without asking her, I just grab Sprout from his pen and bring the mounting block over to her. "I assume y'all want to actually ride alone this time, not with me." I say as I show her how to get on the horse without my help. She was a natural before, so I don't see why she wouldn't be still. Once she's up, I give her the most basic skills on how to stop andstart, how to steer, and we bring Sprout outside of the stable. I help her ride him to the gated pasture, where they can practice together, and the only words that are exchanged are from the lesson.
"How y'all feeling up there?" I ask, being careful to look up as I speak, so that she can see my mouth.
"Good."
"Are you comfortable? You want to take him for a few laps around the gate here?"
She nods. "Sure. I'd love to." She speaks to Sprout, patting his neck. "Wouldn't you love to go for a little walk, boy?"
I grin as she talks to the horse, just like I do. "They love it when you talk to them. It calms them. Helps them get to know your voice."
"They're smart creatures. I'm just ashamed to have lived here all my life and never learned to ride."
"Lots of people are like that. Nothing to be ashamed of. I was raised around horses, and then I had my share of ranch work off and on, and now I'm working here."
"What made you decide to get into architecture?"
I lick my lips and keep my head towards her, following her in the pasture, as they make rounds along the fencing. "Well, that was sort of a spontaneous thing, see. I never knew that I was into that until I saw the advertisement pop up on my phone about five years ago. It got stuck in my head, and then I put it off for a bit, but then I just woke up one morning a couple of years ago and said that's it. I want to have more than just menial labor as a livelihood. I want something to show for it. I've been putting money away all my life and I figured it's time to invest in something more than a house or the stock market. I figure once I'm finished school, I can get a job either in town or in Dallas, and start somewhere, and then maybe I'll start up my own business down the line some time. I'll be working for therest of my life. I can't see stopping, so I figure I might as well do something that keeps my mind active, since I'll always ride or work for Billy."
"I'm the same. I can't see me ever not working. I love what I do too much. It's not even like work. I might have someone come and work some shifts for me here and there, like I do now. But ultimately, my face in that store makes all the difference. And I love being there."
We come to the entrance of the pasture. "How do you feel about riding on your own? I'll go grab Digger and we can ride slowly, outside the pasture?"
She nods. "Sure. That sounds like fun."
And the next hour is the most fun I've had in years.
Even though I know that it won't be this way for long.
Chapter 11
Lennie
Levi is careful to turn the horse around slightly when he speaks to me from on top of it. I watch his profile in the sunlight, as the sun starts to go down. What makes Levi even more beautiful is the fact that he doesn't know just how beautiful he really is. The way he smiles, the way his eyes smile with the rest of his face. Tufts of his soft-looking sandy brown curls stick out of the back and sides of his Stetson, while his Adam's Apple bobs up and down as he talks. Muscles that are lean but prominent enough to get my attention from under his flannelshirt. Don't even get me started on his perfect ass. The way he wears those jeans, goddamn.
He rides by my side, talking me through how to ride Sprout a little harder, and then I lose myself. We take off at a soft trot, and I notice that the horses follow each other, almost like they're on auto drive. Like I don't have to do anything other than hang on. I can feel my hair blowing in the breeze, bobbing up and down with each step. The vibrations from the horse's hooves I can feel in my chest. Adrenaline rises in my body, bubbling up into small giggles as we ride even harder, and I find myself in another dimension. In a place where there is no hurt, no stress, no work, nothing but nature and peace. It's an incredible feeling. Nothing will ever match it.
Levi directs us to the wooded area, close to where I took that picture the first night I met him. He looks at me, recognizing it, and it's like I read his mind. I watch him pull Digger to one tree, hop off, and help me down off Sprout, even though he and I both know that he doesn't have to. "Show me how you took that amazing photograph."
"I don't have my camera with me. Just my phone. But I suppose that'll do."
