“Slow down!”
Marcus pushed his horse faster. He forced himself to be angry, he wanted to be furious, yet as they rode, as he heard her laughter, as he felt the wind in his hair and the power of his horse between his thighs, something else took hold of him.
Marcus laughed. Dammit, he cried out with joy and whooped. He could not remember the last time he let loose like this, an age it felt like, and he had forgotten what it felt like to stop caring and to be free for a damn change. To have fun.
“I’m gaining on you!” he called after Lucy.
“You are not!” He heard her but could hardly see her in the dark.
“Getting close!”
“No, you – oh!” She screamed, the horse whinnied, and Marcus saw the feint outline of Beauty kicking back, rearing up, and throwing Lucy from the saddle.
“Lucy!”
Marcus reached Beauty and leapt from the saddle. He swept across the dark road, able to just make Lucy out by the side of the road. She lay still, on her back, and Marcus’ stomach knotted and dropped out beneath him….
“Lucy!” He fell to his knees, his hands scooping underneath her. “Lucy! Can you hear me? Can you…” He trailed off when he felt her stir.
“Did I win?” she asked softly. “Did I beat you?”
He should have been furious. He should have shouted and chastised her and reprimanded her for being so foolish. But in that moment, anger did not suit, and it certainly was not what Marcus felt.
Not caring how it might look or what she might think, Marcus pulled Lucy into his body and held her tight. He ran a hand through her hair. He whispered at her that she would be fine.
Her hands wrapped his body and held him closely. Her head buried into his chest as if he was the only person in the world who she trusted to protect her. And for a few moments, they said nothing, simply holding one another, relief enveloping them and wrapping them both like a warm blanket on a cool night.
I thought I had lost her… I thought that she… that she had… it does not matter what I thought. What matters is that she is fine.
And there they remained, on the side of the road, holding one another.
It had been a night of torrid emotions for Marcus, truths confronted, admitted to, and finally accepted because there was no point in denying them.
For how hard he had tried to resist, he found now that he cared for his wife. She was a part of his world, his life, and he was glad for the fact. What was more, he knew too that he needed to make it known to her.
He was no longer alone, and that felt better than he had ever dreamed.
