like I need some peace or just to sit. When I’m here, I feel like everything is OK.”
She moved her eyes back to his. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
They were so close, almost touching. If he leaned forward just a tiny bit, he could...
Forcing himself to look away, he swung his leg over Stride’s neck and dropped to the ground then turned and held his arms up to Amy.
She looked down at Stride’s back. “Um...”
“Hold onto my shoulders and do what I did. I won’t let you fall, I promise.”
She swallowed and nodded, reaching out to place her hands onto his shoulders. He took hold of her waist, lifting her towards him as she pulled her left leg across Stride’s back. It was all going so well, until her foot caught on the edge of the saddle.
She fell forward with a yelp, throwing Adam off balance. He stumbled backwards with a cry of surprise and fell into the thick grass, Amy landing on top of him.
For a few seconds he lay still, catching the breath that had been knocked from his body. Amy was sprawled across him, her head face down on his chest and her hands still clutching his shoulders.
“Are you all right?” he gasped, trying to see her face which was covered with a tangle of blonde.
She nodded against his chest and lifted her head. Raising one hand, she pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Are you?”
He did a quick mental check of his body. It seemed to be in one piece. “Yep.”
A shaky smile stole across her face. “That actually went better than I thought it would.”
They stared at each other for a few moments and then erupted into laughter.
Amy lowered her head to his chest, her whole body shaking as she laughed into his shirt. Adam dropped his head back onto the grass, closing his eyes and laughing at the sky until he ran out of breath. Something nudged at the side of his face and he opened his eyes to see Stride staring down at him as if he’d gone mad. He moved one hand from Amy’s back and patted the horse’s muzzle.
“It’s OK, boy. We’re OK.”
Reassured, Stride walked away to the edge of the clearing and started work on a patch of greenery.
Amy rolled from on top of Adam and sat up, raising her hands to her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m a natural when it comes to horses.”
He sat up, his gaze inexorably drawn to her fingers combing through her hair. “Don’t worry, it just takes a bit of practice. We’ll work on getting on and off first.”
The sound of her laughter buzzed blissfully through his chest. He could have listened to her laugh all day. Reaching out, she plucked a leaf from his hair, her fingers brushing his skin as she did so. It was the lightest of touches but Adam froze, his face tingling from the contact. Amy looked down with a shy smile.
She’s not staying , he told himself. She doesn’t want to be with you. You will only ever be friends, that’s all. Don’t get attached. One broken heart is enough for a lifetime, don’t risk another. Even as he thought them, he knew the words were empty. He was already attached. He had been from the moment he first saw her.
He brushed at his hair, dislodging a few pieces of grass, and climbed to his feet.
Amy took the hand he offered her and stood. “I could spend the rest of my life looking at this,” she said, gazing out at the lake.
Watching her face, he said, “So could I.” He quickly moved his eyes to the lake when she glanced at him. “Well, now we’re on solid ground and still in one piece, I’m hungry.”
He laid out the blanket he’d brought on the grass close to the shoreline then removed Stride’s saddle and bridle while Amy unpacked the food.
“He won’t wander off?” she said when Adam joined her on the blanket, leaving Stride to his tasty undergrowth.
“No, he always stays close to me. And we come here a lot so he knows the area. I could have left the saddle on, but he always seems happier without
She moved her eyes back to his. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
They were so close, almost touching. If he leaned forward just a tiny bit, he could...
Forcing himself to look away, he swung his leg over Stride’s neck and dropped to the ground then turned and held his arms up to Amy.
She looked down at Stride’s back. “Um...”
“Hold onto my shoulders and do what I did. I won’t let you fall, I promise.”
She swallowed and nodded, reaching out to place her hands onto his shoulders. He took hold of her waist, lifting her towards him as she pulled her left leg across Stride’s back. It was all going so well, until her foot caught on the edge of the saddle.
She fell forward with a yelp, throwing Adam off balance. He stumbled backwards with a cry of surprise and fell into the thick grass, Amy landing on top of him.
For a few seconds he lay still, catching the breath that had been knocked from his body. Amy was sprawled across him, her head face down on his chest and her hands still clutching his shoulders.
“Are you all right?” he gasped, trying to see her face which was covered with a tangle of blonde.
She nodded against his chest and lifted her head. Raising one hand, she pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Are you?”
He did a quick mental check of his body. It seemed to be in one piece. “Yep.”
A shaky smile stole across her face. “That actually went better than I thought it would.”
They stared at each other for a few moments and then erupted into laughter.
Amy lowered her head to his chest, her whole body shaking as she laughed into his shirt. Adam dropped his head back onto the grass, closing his eyes and laughing at the sky until he ran out of breath. Something nudged at the side of his face and he opened his eyes to see Stride staring down at him as if he’d gone mad. He moved one hand from Amy’s back and patted the horse’s muzzle.
“It’s OK, boy. We’re OK.”
Reassured, Stride walked away to the edge of the clearing and started work on a patch of greenery.
Amy rolled from on top of Adam and sat up, raising her hands to her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m a natural when it comes to horses.”
He sat up, his gaze inexorably drawn to her fingers combing through her hair. “Don’t worry, it just takes a bit of practice. We’ll work on getting on and off first.”
The sound of her laughter buzzed blissfully through his chest. He could have listened to her laugh all day. Reaching out, she plucked a leaf from his hair, her fingers brushing his skin as she did so. It was the lightest of touches but Adam froze, his face tingling from the contact. Amy looked down with a shy smile.
She’s not staying , he told himself. She doesn’t want to be with you. You will only ever be friends, that’s all. Don’t get attached. One broken heart is enough for a lifetime, don’t risk another. Even as he thought them, he knew the words were empty. He was already attached. He had been from the moment he first saw her.
He brushed at his hair, dislodging a few pieces of grass, and climbed to his feet.
Amy took the hand he offered her and stood. “I could spend the rest of my life looking at this,” she said, gazing out at the lake.
Watching her face, he said, “So could I.” He quickly moved his eyes to the lake when she glanced at him. “Well, now we’re on solid ground and still in one piece, I’m hungry.”
He laid out the blanket he’d brought on the grass close to the shoreline then removed Stride’s saddle and bridle while Amy unpacked the food.
“He won’t wander off?” she said when Adam joined her on the blanket, leaving Stride to his tasty undergrowth.
“No, he always stays close to me. And we come here a lot so he knows the area. I could have left the saddle on, but he always seems happier without
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