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“Since we are going our separate ways,” he says, his voice low, “either one of us needs to buy the other out of the house or put it on the market.” He trails off. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”
“Fine, buy me out,” I state.
“What about your furniture?” I close my eyes. “What do you want me to do with that?” I want to say throw it out, but that couch is a great couch, and it took me a year of searching to find it. “I can keep it until after Christmas, and then you have to come and get it.”
I tap the steering wheel. “Fine, but you aren’t there when I come.”
“This is my house, you aren’t going to tell me to be here or not be here,” he says, his tone angry. “You ruined everything.”
“I ruined everything?” I laugh. “Your dick ruined everything. You ruined everything.”
“Whatever. By January second, I want your shit out of my house.”
“It’s not your house yet, dumbass,” I point out, “and until we sign the papers, it’s still half mine.”
“Send me the papers to sign,” he snaps.
“With fucking pleasure,” I retort, hanging up the phone and finally blocking his number. I look over to the forest and get back out of the car, not in the mood to go grocery shopping. Instead, I walk toward the barn. Smelling the fresh air, I calm myself down from the phone call I just had.
I take out my phone, pull up my mother’s name, and send her a text.
Me: Daniel wants to buy me out for the house. Can you please do the paperwork?
She wastes no time answering me back.
Mom: Consider it done.
I put the phone back in my pocket and walk toward the trees, seeing a little trail at the end. I walk into the forest. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the sound of birds flying overhead. Living in the city, it’s full of horns, sirens, and planes landing and taking off. This is so peaceful. The twigs snap underfoot as I move deeper and deeper into the forest. The sound of rustling happens nearby, and I look over to see horses to the right. Stepping out into the clearing and just watching them run by, I’m in awe. I watch them run past me, taking in their beauty. I walk along behind them for I don’t even know how long until I’m standing in a big clearing, and I see three men on horses look back over at me. “Shit,” I mumble to myself when I hear creaking going on behind me.
“You lost, Sweetheart?” I don’t have to turn around to know who that voice belongs to. I close my eyes, taking a deep inhale before turning, and I swear to everything that nothing can prepare me for him right now. He’s on top of the most beautiful black horse I’ve ever seen, wearing jeans and a black thermal shirt with a black jacket on. His eyes are on me, but my eyes go to the cowboy hat on his head. His mouth goes into a grin as I check him out, and my panties instantly get wet.
“Hey.” I turn around to see Casey on his own horse. “Look who is out of the house,” he says, getting off his horse and coming to me. Two horses follow him, with another one in the distance. The rest of the horses that were just running free are in the distance.
“I am,” I reply when he bends to kiss my cheek. “Thought it was a great day to take a walk,” I tell him, “but then I saw the horses running, and I just followed them.”
“Do you ride?” Casey asks me, and I shake my head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten on a horse,” I admit.
“We should get you on one, then.” He smiles at me.
“I got her,” Gabriel says from behind me, and I look over my shoulder. “You can ride with me, and we can get you a horse.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble.” I try to act as normal as possible. If it wasn’t Gabriel, I would probably jump up and down with excitement, but I can’t do that. I can’t show anything.
“No trouble at all, Sweetheart,” he says, and I grit my teeth.
“Do you two know each other?” Casey takes off his gloves and puts them in his back pocket.
“She locked herself out of the house last night,” Gabriel fills him in. “Sofia called me to get her the key. I told her I would make sure she is okay.”
“Is that so?” Casey looks behind him to the other three men.
“Yup,” Gabriel says to him. “Let’s go, daylight is a wasting.” He holds out his gloved hand for me. If I don’t go, his uncle is going to know, and if I do go, he’s going to think I want him—and well—he’s not wrong.
I walk over to him and his horse as he moves his foot out of the stirrup. “Put your right foot in there, hold my hand, and swing your legs when you get up,” he instructs me. “If you can’t do that, we’ll get one of the guys to lift you.”
“I think I can do it,” I tell him, putting my foot in the stirrup as he pulls me up. I grip his jacket as I move side to side, trying not to move.
