RIVAL: An Enemies to Lovers Why Choose Country Romance

Chapter 18

I’m standing next to Jaxon as another crack of thunder booms through the field, the two of us staring at the sky, along with a handful of other volunteers.

“Looks like we’re gonna have to call it a day.” Ruth’s husband, Pastor Josiah, steps up to my side and pushes the brim of his hat up.

“Seems like a good idea,” I say, agreeing.

Jaxon bumps my shoulder to gain my attention. “Might be a good afternoon to get some horse-riding lessons in since we got the time. Feel up to it?”

Excitement bubbles up, and I can’t stop from bouncing on my toes. My father believes I won’t be home until just before it’s time for me to prepare dinner and my work at Mason’s got out a bit earlier since he had some errands to run, so I arrived here a whole hour earlier than planned.

“Really? Even with it raining like this? How are we supposed to ride if it’s pouring?”

He laughs instead of answering. Grabbing my hand after waving goodbye to the pastor, we sprint to his truck. As soon as we’re inside, I keep up with my rambling questions.

“How many horses do you have? Are there any that are short? Or smaller? Will we ride together or if there’s a small one, I could probably try that first.”

He places his hand on my thigh and tightens his hold to grab my attention. “You’re getting all worked up for nothing. Since it’s raining, it’s a good time to learn how to saddle and prep your horse for a ride. We can work on mounting and dismounting, proper posture, and names of things. All the not so fun stuff, but it’ll take a few hours and why not now?”

I smile brightly at him, thrilled to learn, and a touch relieved he’s not just going to shove me on the back on a horse and tell me to go. Ever since mine and Mason’s almost fall the other week, Mason hasn’t taken me out riding with him again, choosing to use the truck instead.

It’s probably because I made the whole ordeal more difficult for him and he wouldn’t want to go through it again. The few times he has gone out on Austin, I was left behind, but it gave me time to sit and play with the kittens once I was done with my chores.

Little Bonnie can’t get enough attention right now. It’s like she’s got a built-in engine that never runs out of gas with her continuous purrs. I think even Mason is thankful to have her, though, since she seems to keep Buck out of trouble. That guy has gotten into more things and made more messes than I can count on both hands. I was beginning to worry Mason was going to toss them out if Buck kept it up.

“You just got lost in thought,” Jaxon calls to me, pulling me out of my musings as we bump our way down the country road.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. I told you I’ve been working in the mornings. There are two baby kittens there now, the ones I rescued, and I started thinking about them. Did I tell you I named them?”

Chuckling, he shakes his head. “You did not. What are you calling them?”

“Buck and Bonnie.”

He raises a brow in question and his shoulders start to bounce as he laughs silently.

“What? I thought those were great names for them.” Crossing my arms, I glare, but there isn’t an ounce of heat behind it. I like when Jaxon laughs. Sometimes I think he’s got so much on his plate that he doesn’t ever take the time to just be.

He flicks his eyes at me and grins when he sees my face. “You gotta admit, those are pretty ridiculous names for cats. Why not something like Sox or Mittens or Paws? You gave people names to animals.”

“They’re dignified and if you met them, you’d agree they fit.” I lift my chin and close my eyes as I turn away.

“Bring them by sometime. I’d love to meet them.”

That surprises me and I drop my arms, not realizing I’ve crossed over my chest. “Honestly? That’d be a far way to carry them, though. And there are two of them.”

“Well,” he says, dragging it out. “I could pick you up so you wouldn’t have to walk all that way.”

My heart kicks up faster and my gut is telling me to say yes, that it would be lovely for him to drive over so I could show him. But my father’s words slam into my memory, and I just know that it’d be impossible if he were to see me getting into Jaxon’s truck.

Gulping nervously, I suppress the fear that imagery causes to flare up. “Oh, that’s okay. Maybe I could just bring them one at a time. But Buck might be difficult, so we’ll have to see. He’s a curious boy and I don’t think the whole cat’s sleep for twenty hours a day applies to him. I’m sure he doesn’t get more than a little cat nap in now and then.”

I pause, realizing what I said and how stupid it sounds at the same time Jaxon eyes me before snorting out a laugh. “No pun intended, huh?”

“Hush.” I giggle.

As soon as we turn onto his family farm, I sit up and lean forward to see the barn through the now pounding rain. He carefully steers the truck, focusing hard as he stares out the windshield.

“I didn’t even know we had a storm coming. This morning, the skies were completely clear,” I tell him, peering at the ground quickly forming puddles.

Parking right in front of the barn doors, my side closest to them, he turns off the engine and fists his keys. Lowering his head to look up at the sky, he looks thoughtful.

“It’s supposed to be on and off all week. Don’t know how much work we’ll be able to do at the barn. Wood will need to dry out for a few days to prevent rot. Ready to go in?”

“Yes,” I breathe out, then bite my lip as soon as the rain slams against my face the moment I swing open my door. Hopping down, I land in a puddle and the water goes flying out in a wave, but I don’t care. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since he mentioned teaching me and it’s finally time to start.

We make it to the barn door at the same time, and I wait for him to shove it open, holding it so I can slip under his arm as he attempts to keep the rain out of his eyes.

I come up short when I see about a dozen horses all staring at me. Jaxon must not have noticed I stopped because his body bumps into me hard enough that I stumble forward.

“Shit, sorry Edith.” He grabs me by my shoulders to steady me, before coming around to my side and looks proudly at all of them. They’re a noisy group; huffing and clanging around in their stalls. The first one to my right is a beautiful black beauty with just a touch of white on the left side of its face. I clasp my hands together in happiness when it throws its head back and shakes out its mane.

I inch forward, then check with Jaxon to get permission. He lifts his chin toward the horse and follows me as I walk up to it. “What’s its name?” I ask, reaching out slowly and holding my palm open.

“He’s Noir. Well, technically, his name is Noble Noir, but we just call him Noir.”

“Noir?” I can’t take my eyes off him. His fur is so sleek and shiny and I’m sure he should be on the cover of a magazine. “He’s certainly noble. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more gorgeous horse in my life.”

Jaxon’s hand touches Noir’s head next to where my fingers are stroking his fur. Our fingers brush together and I shiver at the contact. He’s held my hand a few times now, but this feels more intimate with him standing so close behind me. The heat of his body is warming me from within after the chill of the rain soaked into my clothing.

“My mom has always had a flair for naming horses. She says a great horse deserves a great name. Would you like to learn on him, or do you want to check out the rest of them?”

My mouth parts in shock. “Oh, I couldn’t do that to him. He deserves a much better rider than I’ll ever be.”

“Edith.” His mouth is closer to my ear when he murmurs my name. Closing my eyes, I do my best to remind myself that he’s just my friend, but I can’t stop the thoughts from swirling, especially after I know how good kissing can feel. It’s like Griffin unlocked something in me and it’s all I can think about now. “He’s probably the best one to start with. Noir’s temperament is incredibly calm, and he’s well trained.”

“Are you sure?” I’m feeling a bit out of my comfort zone. It’s clear the Thortons have quite the set up here and with the number of horses they have along with the size of the farm, I feel out of place.

He pulls his hand back from petting Noir and gives my shoulders a squeeze. “Positive. There’s a pole barn attached to this building where it’s completely open. We’ll take him in there and I’ll show you the ropes.”

Nodding my head, I step back and watch as he opens the stall, then slides a lead over Noir’s head to guide him out. As we head toward the back, my eyes are flying everywhere, taking in each horse, and I realize that every single one of them seems to be just as majestic as the last.

Finally, I can’t keep my questions to myself. “Why do you all have so many horses? Do you show them? They all seem like they’re above and beyond the normal working horse you’d find on a farm or ranch. Is one of them yours, specifically, or do they all belong to your family?”

Jaxon laughs, then reaches for me where I’m trailing behind to pull me up next to him. “We have the horses because my mom and sister used to show them at fairs and events. A few of them are for farm work, but most we just get out to exercise and ride just for pleasure. There are a few that are still shown, but we’ve got people who do that for us now. And Noir is mine, so you made an excellent choice to learn on him. I’ve had him for a little over five years.”

I’m in awe and want to tell him, but I’m not sure how to say it without sounding immature and silly.

Once we’re in the open floored barn, I listen intently as Jaxon talks me through all the equipment and steps to saddle a horse. I didn’t see this part when I rode double with Mason, so I’m absorbing everything I can and committing it all to memory.

Once he’s finished, he plants his hands on his hips to look over his work. “There’s going to be a quiz next time we do this, so be ready for it.”

My eyes fly open, and I jerk my head to face him, worried I won’t remember everything. He sounds so serious too, and I’m kicking myself for not writing this all down. “S-Seriously? What if I forget?” I exclaim, only for Jaxon to burst out laughing.

“Oh man, your face. I’m teasing you, but I will try to help you remember as much as you can. It’ll get easier with practice. You ready to hop on?”

“No!” I practically shout, then wince.

Moving closer, he bends down so we’re face to face and cups my chin. “I’m going to help you up, Edith. You can’t mess up. I won’t let you. You won’t fall and you won’t hurt him. You’re going to feel amazing sitting up there. What are you afraid of?”

I tangle my fingers together, then blurt out, “I was riding with my boss the other day and when we were running, the horse stumbled, and I think I made it worse. The horse didn’t get hurt, but he almost did. I don’t want to do that to Noir.”

Jaxon’s brows turn down for a brief moment before it falls away as he smiles. “Well, first, we aren’t running anywhere. Second, he won’t trip because the ground is perfectly flat in here. Third, there’s nothing you can do to help or hurt a horse if they fall. It just happens. I’ll be right by your side. We’ll practice you getting into the saddle a few times, then take a walk around the space. Sound good?”

“Yeah, if you’re sure.”

“I absolutely am. Think you can get your foot up into this stirrup? I know he’s pretty tall and you’re awfully short,” he teases, patting my head and I laugh, batting his hand away.

Then, with a deep breath, I nod and step next to him. Jaxon instructs me on how I should place my hands after I get my foot in the stirrup, then with his hands around my waist, he helps ease my body up as I swing my leg over. I wobble a bit and start to slide the other way, but his grip is firm on my thigh, and he stops me from falling.

“Good. That was fantastic. Get yourself comfortable for a moment. Shift until you feel like you’re in a good position.” I do as he says and with some small corrections, he adjusts my posture until it feels more natural. “Perfect. You’re doing awesome. Let’s get you down now.”

Again, he talks me through it before having me repeat the same actions for the next twenty minutes. By the time I’m hauling myself up the last time, my arms are sore and trembling from the exertion and I start to fall back, not quite making it over. Jaxon’s hand lands on my butt as shoves me up with a laugh.

“I think that’s enough. Don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

My cheeks are heated, and I can barely look at him knowing he just touched me there without a second thought. Did he realize where he just touched me? I shouldn’t say anything. I’m not going to say anything.

Grabbing Noir’s reins, he holds him still for me and steps closer, this time looking up since I’m so far above him. “You did good. Ready to go for a walk?”

“You’ll hold on to him?” I ask nervously. My hands are clenching the pommel and I feel like I’ve got a good balance as long as I don’t let go. I don’t have anyone like Mason sitting behind me to ensure I don’t slip off either side, so I’m feeling a lot more exposed like this.

“I will.” Then he winks and adds, “For now. I’ll keep a hand on you just in case. Just an easy walk around until you feel comfortable letting go of the pommel. Keep your legs braced against him, but not too tightly or you’ll wear out quickly. Just enough so if you shift, you can catch yourself. It’ll take some getting used to when you’re finding that balance, but you’ll know it when you’ve got it.”

I nod and swallow convulsively when we start to move. After a few minutes, I realize he was right, and I begin to relax. Noir’s gait is so smooth and easy that I settle back, letting go with one hand first, then eventually the second until they’re resting on my thighs.

“He’s wonderful,” I whisper, smiling when Jaxon grins up at me. “Just perfect.”

Without looking away from me, Jaxon says slowly, “Yes… he is.” I’m not sure why he says it the way he does, but my stomach flutters as his eyes stay locked on me for a few moments longer before dragging them away.

I lick my lips and enjoy my very first riding lesson and I absolutely cannot wait until for the next one.