Page 59 of Catching Sparks

21

POPPY

My cheeks puff out as I hold in my laugh. Garrison is so damn tense on Kip’s back that if he fell off, he’d pull a true Humpty Dumpty. The lead in my hand is rough against my palms as I walk Kip out of the stable. His rider is so obviously out of his comfort zone that it’s almost adorable how hard he tries to pretend otherwise.

“He’s not going to buck you off,” I say in an attempt to calm him. Other than showing Garrison that Kip listens well, there’s no need for me to even be leading him.

“You can’t know that.”

“I’ll make sure you’re safe, sweet cheeks. Don’t you worry.”

His responding scowl has me releasing my laugh. Kip shakes his head, his thick black mane whipping around. Patting his muzzle affectionately, I wink at Garrison.

“You’re not going to lead me around all day, are you?” he asks, eying my grip on the lead.

“Well, yeah, I was planning on it,” I deadpan.

His eyes flare wide, that scowl twitching. “I would appreciate if you did not.”

“Why, afraid of not looking intimidating for one moment in your life?”

He snares my gaze as he says, “No. I would just prefer not to have to stare at your gorgeous ass all day and ride Kip with a hard-on.”

My mouth goes dry, disbelief settling in. Neither of us says anything for a long beat, and then a smile cracks across his face. It’s bright and happy and impossible not to reciprocate. His laugh is a hoarse, deep sound. Beautiful.

“Luckily for you, I’m feeling generous and planned on riding beside you. Wouldn’t want to scare poor Kip,” I coo.

“Lucky me is right,” he replies.

I roll my eyes and slip the lead from Kip’s head. “Try not to run off on me while I get Honey.”

“Be quick,” he mumbles, fear straining his voice. My chest pangs.

Honey’s already waiting in her pen at the far end of the stable, ears perked and light brown eyes trained on me. I haul open her door and lift her saddle from its peg before moving to her side.

“Hey, pretty girl. Ready to stretch those beautiful legs?”

She buries her nose in my hair and sniffs loudly, pulling a laugh from my chest before I settle her plum-coloured blanket and saddle on her back and begin securing it. My hands move quick, muscle memory working perfectly, even as I rush. Darting my eyes toward Kip and Garrison, I ignore the tingly feeling behind my ribs.

I’ve always been a believer in judging a book by its cover. It’s easy to weed out the bad from the good that way, but until I met Garrison, I didn’t know just how tricky it could become to distinguish between the two. He hasn’t exactly been nice to many people since he got here, and yeah, I heard all about him both before and after he arrived, but I don’t think I’ve seen the guy everyone else has. At least not the entire time. Not in the moments we’re alone, away from curious, judgmental eyes.

Believing that either makes me willfully blind, or maybe, just maybe, he hides his true personality behind a mask of cruel arrogance, and nobody has bothered to pull it off him yet.

I’m too intrigued to let it go and leave that damn mask in place. I’ve seen slivers of the guy he hides beneath it that have me too curious for my own good. I want to explore the almost funny, sarcastic, and semi-sweet sides of him that I’ve seen. Foolish or not, I won’t deny myself that truth.

Honey sniffs again, and I sigh, finishing with the saddle. “I know, I know. I’m up to no good again.”

It’s a good thing horses can’t talk because I’m positive Honey’d be telling me how careless I’m being. Sleeping with Garrison is one thing—friends with benefits is a label that often acts as a separation between lust and love—but how long will I be able to keep my distance if I decide to dive headfirst into learning who he is deep down?

“Let’s just ride, Honey. Now’s your chance to show Kip who the better horse is,” I offer ridiculously, knowing she doesn’t care about much more than getting out of the stable.

She holds still and waits patiently as I swing up on her back and cluck my tongue to encourage her forward. Kip hasn’t moved an inch since I left him and Garrison. I make a promise to myself to grab an extra apple for him once we’re finished.

“You need to relax. Horses can sense your anxiety and fear,” I tell the stiff-backed man.

He looks at me over his shoulder, green-brown eyes sharp with anxiety. “He can buck me off if he chooses to.”

“Kip is the calmest horse I’ve ever met. It’s damn near impossible to spook him. But your fears are valid.”

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