“Okay,” I said. “Okay, I got it.”
“You don’t got it,” he replied immediately. “Use your legs. Not your hands. Guide him.”
“Do this, do that, do this, do that, make up your mind before he throws me off and kills me!”
Spades moved when I got loud.
“Oh! Hell no?—”
“Relax,” Marlon shushed the both of us. “He ain’t going nowhere. And didn’t you say you know how to ride?”
“I am an equestrienne, yes. But the conditions in which I ride are way different than this. No saddle? No boots? No helmet? You do this every day?”
“I’m starting to think you just scary.”
“That’s not the point,” I said, gripping tighter.
“That’s the problem though,” he replied. “You’re scared so the horse is scared. Relax and listen and you’ll get it.”
I shot him a look but he didn’t care. He just continued with his drill sergeant ass instructions.
“Too tight.”
“Loosen up.”
“Stop fighting him.”
“I’m not fighting him,” I snapped.
“You are,” he said. “Use your legs and the reins together. Lean into him.”
I did that and adjusted again then Spades settled.
“…oh,” I said quietly.
“Yeah,” Marlon replied. “See what happens when you follow instructions?”
I was tempted to flip him off but it didn’t end good for me last time and I’m still sore from that. So, he could have it.
We moved through the vineyard after that.
The rows stretched out on both sides, vines full and heavy with grapes, leaves brushing lightly as we passed. The ground was dry but firm under his boots as he walked beside me.
He reached out at one point, plucking a grape from a cluster without breaking stride.
“Open,” he said, holding it up to me.
“Can you wash it first?”
“Open your mouth, Aurora.”
“Fine.” I leaned down slightly and took it from his fingers while looking him in the eye.
It was sweet, but not overly and surprisingly clean already.
“That’s good,” I said.
He nodded. “This row always does well. It’s the row me and Wyatt were working on.”
