I couldn't look away from his arms. Damn, that was cowboy porn right there. I didn't even offer to help, just watched as Luke carried it all over to Butch and threw it up on the horse's back, proving he knew exactly what he was doing. With a click, he made the gelding swing over, and then he began tightening the girth.
Why was that so sexy? It shouldn't be. There was nothing special about what he was doing - except the way he lifted with his ass to cinch the horse up, or how his back muscles flexed as he worked the whole thing into a proper knot. I just stood there, out of the way, and enjoyed the view.
"Cy?" Luke asked. "I think you got a little something..." And he pointed to the corner of his own mouth. "Little drool, maybe?"
Busted. "Fuck off. I don't know shit about horses."
"You weren't looking at the horse," Luke pointed out as he went back for Storm's saddle.
"No, I wasn't," I breathed, watching this man do it all over again. Fuck, he was killing me. "So, how bad is it to get on one of these with a semi?"
"It'll go down fast," Luke promised. "Trust me, horseback sex only happens in porn and smut books. Ash said you liked the horses, though."
I just ducked my head, reaching up to scratch at the back of my neck. "Yeah..." Of course Ash had said that. "I do. I also have only ridden a handful of times in my life, and all of them with Bea babysitting my ass. Kinda got caught sneaking out too much, you know?"
"With Ash?"
"Vi," I corrected. "Usually to talk about Ash, but still. I never told her I was crushing on her. Shit, I didn't know how. I was gay, remember? She thought I was the safest person at Southwind, and the whole time I was looking at how her tank turned see-through when wet."
He snorted a laugh. "When did she figure it out?"
"After Ash and I broke up." I moved to grab the pair of bridles he'd laid out, carrying them closer. "I turned into a bit of a slut in college. Girls, boys, didn't matter. Any available hole would do, because I was trying to figure it out. Got my ass kicked, kicked a few in return, and damned near got thrown out of school. Gran found out and called Violet. She came for a visit without Ash."
"Ah," he breathed. "Give you a little hit of what you'd been missing and cleaned you right up, huh?"
"Yep," I agreed. "And trust me, having her on my arm made me suddenly very cool. Made a few friends - who asked if I was hitting that - and decided I'd figure my shit out. Vi came back again the next year, said she was just passing through, but it helped. And somewhere in there, I fell off the map for a bit. Well, 'cept for Teal."
"How'd you both end up in Colorado?" Luke asked.
I chuckled. "He got a scholarship to the same university where I went to med school. We were roommates for a bit. He got a girlfriend, I got a boyfriend, and we kept in touch. Bastard also told Gran when I got lost, so I owe him."
Luke stole the bridles and draped them over his arm, moving to Butch first. "So, the whole rainbow looks out for each other?"
"Yep." I nodded to make the point. "Pick up a phone and say Cyan, Emerald? I'll drop everything and make sure you have what you need. A room, a beer, a willing ear. Doesn't matter. There's no limit on what counts as an emergency. If you're sitting there thinking about cutting your wrist, a beer could be a lifesaver. We don't make each other explain it. We just know that when the colors are invoked, it means something, and we all respect that."
He finished putting on Butch's bridle and led the horse over to me. "Well, hold him because I'm invoking my color. I need an ear, Cy."
"Then I'll figure out how to get my ass on this horse," I assured him.
Luke flashed me a smile, then went over to get Storm finished. It didn't take long, and then he was leading his gelding out, with me following behind. The pair of us made it all the way to the other side of the drive before stopping. There, Luke dropped his horse's reins, told Storm to stand, and then moved over for Butch.
"All right, I got him," he promised, grasping the reins just behind the bit. Then he braced a hand on the saddle. "Stirrups should be close."
"What about Storm?" I asked.
"He's gonna mow for a minute," Luke promised.
So I reached my leg up and got it into the stirrup. Damned horse wasn't short, but I made it work. Heaving myself up, however, wasn't nearly as easy. I pulled, the saddle tried to twist, but Luke just pushed the opposite way. Butch lifted his head and squared up, making me decide he was a good horse. Sadly, I didn't make it the first time, but the second, I managed to get my leg over.
Luke immediately moved to the other side to help me get my boot in the stirrup. "You know the commands? He neck reins, just like Bea's horses did."
"Then I'm good," I assured him. "Just promise me that if he takes off, you'll pick my ass up."
"Swear," Luke said before heading over and swinging onto his horse like a pro.
Thankfully, Butch was more than happy to follow his pasture buddy, so when Luke aimed his gelding toward the cabins, mine followed. The hill was a little exciting, even though it wasn't that steep. But by the time we were down in the pasture, I was starting to feel like I had some idea of what to do on this bad boy.
"You're good with the horses," I said, guiding mine up to walk beside his.
