Chapter 8 GENTRY
Chapter eight
GENTRY
Being around Joe made me all kinds of happy.
There was an energy about him that I wanted to surround myself with like a blanket.
Whatever it was, every time I was near him, I could feel my mood lift, which was completely new to me.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was smoking hot—a body I wanted to get to know better, bright, happy eyes, and a warmth that radiated from his soul.
I guess Martin Wilson knew how to match people, because he was certainly on point this time.
I already felt all kinds of things for him.
When we pulled into the Wilsons yard, I parked near the barn, and we both climbed out and met behind the horse trailer.
Unable to stop myself, I reached out and rubbed his arm.
“This might be weird,” I hung my head a little, knowing that I sounded like a child. “I’ve wondered if I could kiss you again because if I don’t get it out of my system soon, I might combust.”
Joe let out a huge sigh. “Thank god. I’m glad it’s not just me.” He stepped into my space, and our lips met. Surprisingly, he made it tongue-heavy, and I happily reciprocated. He tasted of mint and coffee, a mixture I wouldn’t forget any time soon.
The kiss was passionate but not dirty; we took our time enjoying the moment. There was only ever one person that I had kissed where there were feelings involved, and Joe made the second.
“Thank you,” slipped from me when we pulled apart.
He looked up at me from his long lashes. “I think I need to thank you. You make me feel all swoopy.”
“Swoopy?” He pushed my arm.
“You know what I mean.”
I did know what he meant because I had felt swoopy, too.
I wanted to stand here and kiss Joe’s sweet lips all day long, but there was a reason we were meeting.
In a few weeks, he had to be able to ride and photograph for the dude ranch.
We needed to mount up before I melted into him—hopefully, there would be time for that later.
I kissed him again deeply. “Yeah. I am feeling the ‘swoopy’ myself. Let’s get you on Amber. You are going to need to be a good horseman to be able to take pictures while riding.” Doing the right thing was sometimes very difficult.
He gave me one more kiss and then stepped away.
“I’ll just,” As he took a few steps backward, he pointed toward the barn, “be over there getting Amber.” He continued a few steps, smiled, looked me over, then spun around and jogged toward the barn.
I opened the trailer door. “Let’s go, Dusty.” He backed out and spun around. “Buddy, I am in a whole lot of trouble.” He snorted as he followed me.
I saw Joe as he led Amber out of her stall, which showed he was comfortable with her.
Before long, were in the arena, and I explained how to easily guide Amber with the reins and how pressure with his legs could get her to move as well.
“Are you ready to go down to the river? It will probably be an hour each way, but it’s a beautiful day, and Martin Wilson insisted I spend the day with you.” I gave him a smile.
“I feel like Martin might be trying some matchmaking.”
I chuckled. “You are probably right.”
Once we had navigated our way out of the immediate barn area, we headed through one of the back pastures toward a pretty little area I knew about.
“So what do you think about riding now that you have done it a little more?”
“I still feel like I’m really high in the air, but I completely see how people fall in love with it. I’m a little afraid of falling off still.”
“You need to relax. Amber will be your legs while you take pictures. We’ll work more with balance and riding hands-free in our next lesson. I’d like to do this three times a week at least.”
He made a long sigh. “Do you think I’ll be ready?”
I moved Dusty close to him and leaned over into his space. He turned toward me, and I stole a kiss. “I’ll make sure of it.”
He laughed and smiled at me. That happy look on his face was one of the greatest things I’d ever seen—I planned do what I could to see it more often.
We rode along, enjoyed nature, and the quietness of the land. Every so often, we would see a rabbit, and when we got up to the river, we saw a fox scoot away. Amber was a solid mare, never spooked at the sudden movements. It was obvious why Montgomery offered her.
“Let’s dismount, give the horses a break, and let them drink.” Both horses were using bitless bridles, so it was easy for them to lean into the water and slurp. Dusty was particularly noisy, which made Joe laugh.
Dusty didn’t need to be tied up. He was allowed to wander around, but would stay close to me. I wasn’t sure about Amber’s training, so I looped her reins on a tree branch.
Joe and I sat on a log side by side. I could feel him relax next to me. “It’s incredible here. I could probably sit here all day listening to the water. I’d love living near the water, a river, the ocean, it’s such a peaceful sound.”
I had to agree with him. I was distracted because our thighs and hips touched. Creating the urge—need—to kiss him, which swelled up in me. I knew after the kiss earlier that I was probably pushing too hard, but I really couldn’t help it.
There was a hair in his face which I pushed back.
When I pulled my fingers back, Joe leaned in for a kiss, which I willingly accepted.
My heart beat hard, while I ran my hand to the back of his neck, then pulled him closer to me.
Our tongues tangled together, and my body shivered as his hand ran under the edge of my shirt.
The warmth of his hand on my skin felt good.
“Gentry?”
“Mmmhmmm?” I loved his mouth on me.
He pulled back. “Kissing you is amazing. I want so much more. Maybe we should head back and put the horses up so we can resume this in a more appropriate location.”
Even though I agreed with him, I had to kiss him a little more.
Finally, I responded, “Yes. Let’s head back.”
As we looked toward the sunset, I could see two small dragons heading toward the main farmhouse.
“Looks like my brother and brother-in-law are home, the dragons are heading over to their grandmothers.” I laughed.
I had seen these two fly to Mrs. Wilson many times. She treated the two small dragons like her grandchildren. Even though they were both emotional support animals for their companions, when they were home, they often got to go out and play, which meant snacks from Grandma.
“It’s pretty cool they have dragons.”
“Yeah. Those dragons have helped them so very much.” I watched as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was getting more comfortable as he rode. I wouldn’t mention it, though, because I was sure he would get nervous again.
“So. Uh. Were you still interested in dinner tonight?” He said quietly.
His being bashful was adorable. “I would very much like that, but I have to get Dusty home first.”
He pulled out his phone—another sign he was comfortable in the saddle. A few minutes later, he turned and grinned at me. “How does Dusty feel about sleepovers?”
“Dusty?” I patted the side of his neck. “How do you feel about sleepovers?” He snorted and continued walking. “I feel like he is okay with them.”
He smiled, then blushed. “How do you feel about them?”
“I’ve been known to enjoy spending the night away from home.” I was pretty sure he was about to ask me to stay with him overnight, but I wasn’t positive.
“Well, my brother said Dusty can sleep in the barn tonight, and you can leave the trailer, too. Then I thought you could come over to my place and shower. I have a guest room where you could stay. It would be like a slumber party.”
“What if I don’t want to slumber?”
“All the better.”
“Then I think that will be a great way to spend the evening.”
“Yeah?”
“I would love to, Joe.” We walked back into the barn to cool the horses and continue with our date.