"Is it okay out here like this?I mean, don't you—?"
"I thought you were done talking."
She slapped his shoulder."I am!So, kiss me."
He brushed his lips over hers, once, twice, three times.Her lips were plump and soft when they met his.It was only a brief kiss, but as he straightened up, he knew it was one that he would always remember.
Her fingers came up to touch her lips.Her eyes shone as they looked into his.
She was quiet for so long that he asked, "Are you okay?"
She nodded rapidly."More than okay.I'm glad we waited; that was so worth waiting for."
He touched her cheek again."It was.Harper, I'll no doubt make a mess of this along the way, but no matter what else happens, I want you to know that was special."
He made a face.He probably sounded like a dumb kid.
She caught his hand and gave it a squeeze as she said, "You didn't need to tell me.Itwasspecial."
He held her gaze for a long few moments, until the sound of voices around back broke the moment.
"Anyway."She held up the bag."Cookies?"
"I thought they were for Janey—from Rocket."
"They are.But the chocolate chip ones are for you—from me."
Chapter Eleven
"You did great," said Frankie, as Harper slid down from the horse's back.She patted his neck, feeling a little unsteady now that she was back on the ground.
"Thanks.I feel like I should be learning faster.Do you think I'll ever get the hang of it?"
"'Course you will," said Frankie."Like I said, you're doing great."
Harper made a face."I feel like you're just being nice to me."
Frankie rolled her eyes, and Harper turned to look when she called, "Hey, Lib, get this.Harper thinks I'm bullshitting her, saying that she's doing better than she is, learning to ride."
Libby threw her head back and laughed."I thought you'd been here long enough to know better than that.Frankie’s only ever going to tell you the truth.If she thought you weren't doing well, she'd say so and tell you what you were doing wrong and how to fix it—and if you couldn’t take it, that’d be your problem, not hers."Libby gave her a puzzled look as she approached."What's really going on?Are you the one who feels that you're not doing well enough?"
Harper blew out a sigh."I guess I am, yeah.I mean, it's hard not to when you see everyone around here just leap up on the horse's back and ride away, as if they were born in the saddle."
"You have to remember that most of us pretty much were," said Frankie."I was riding before I could walk."
"Me too," said Libby.
"And you're not even starting until you're almost sixty," said Frankie."So, give yourself a break, would ya?You're doing great."
Harper let out a short laugh."What, great for a senior?Is that what you're trying to say?"
Frankie slapped her arm."No, I'm not, but if you keep up with this shit, I'll start saying stuff like that."
Harper held her hands up."Okay, okay.I'll take your word for it; I'm doing all right."
"You are.Although, if you want to get better faster, you should start coming over more often."
Harper pursed her lips.
