Page 72 of Claiming His Bunny
My bunny loves me!
Kayla
There are horses. Somany horses!
Also, I told Ethan I love him less than two days after he kidnapped me.
I wonder if the Guinness World Records keeps the “fastest Stockholm syndrome progression” record. I feel like I’d win that one. But anyway, horses!
There are at least eight of them, each in their own little stall, their heads peeking into the central aisle as we walk by. I want to touch every single one, but I’m not sure if it’s allowed, so I keep my hands to myself as I walk toward the back entrance where Annalise is waiting.
I guess I don’t hate her anymore. She owns horses, so she can’t be a bad person, right? Unless she’s mean to them. Then it’s pig time for her, for sure.
This time, I smile back when she beams at us. She seems to be constantly smiling, which is hardly surprising since she gets to be around horses every day. Still, I don’t take any chances and wrap Ethan’s arm around my waist to claim ownership.
“This is Bella,” Annalise explains, pointing at a black mare in the nearest stall.
“Hi, Bella,” I squeal, fully aware that I sound like a kindergartener on her first trip to the petting zoo, but unable to help myself. “You’re such a beauty.”
Annalise pats the horse’s neck. “She is. She’s also very calm and great with people. She’s yours for the day.”
“M-mine?” I stammer even as I run my fingers through Bella’s mane. “But I don’t know what to do.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll show you everything. Ethan, you have the chestnut gelding across the aisle. His name is Spirit. You said you had some experience?”
Ethan runs his hand through his hair, avoiding my look. “I was ten the last time I was around horses, but I think I remember the basics. They don’t seem as big now as they did back then,” he jokes.
Annalise laughs, oblivious to the pain that’s behind his forced smile. I get the feeling the event that made him stop visiting horses as a kid was the same one that made it his life’s purpose to hunt child rapists, but now is hardly the moment to ask about it.
“Perfect!” Annalise says. “We’ll start with grooming, then we’ll take them out to the pasture and clean the stalls.”
Two men in overalls and rubber shoes enter the barn, talking quietly to each other. Annalise waves at them. “Hey guys! You can take care of everyone today except Bella and Spirit. I have some visitors who’ll take over those two.”
A man laughs heartily, shaking his head. “Really, Annalise? I thought you swore you wouldn’t allow those uptight city folk near your babies? No offense, guys,” he adds, inclining his head in my direction.
City folk? I barely stop myself from rolling my eyes. What universe is this that the citizens of a tiny town like Bluebell Springs are considered “city folk”?
“Well, someone”—Annalise faux-glares at Ethan—“was very, very persuasive. Persistent even, I might say.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Oh yes, persistent is Ethan’s middle name. Thank you for having us here. So, what do we do?” I ask, eager to start.
Giggling at my eagerness, Annalise points me to a satchel hanging by the rear door, well out of the reach of the horses. “Grab a carrot or two and offer them to Bella to get on her good side.”
I take three because I want the beautiful mare to really love me. She eats them out of my palm, slobbering all over it as she searches for more. “Later,” I promise her as I retrieve a set of brushes.
Under Annalise’s guidance, I brush every square inch of Bella’s coat and her mane, often pausing to simply place my hand on her. She’s so soft and warm and amazing that I want to pack her in the trunk of Ethan’s car and bring her back home with us.
Ethan is done faster than I am and watches me with tender eyes. He must be reading my mind, though, because when I point at Bella and then in the direction of the car, he shakes his head.
Buzzkill.
A few hours later, after we’ve mucked the stalls and everyone present has had their fair share of whooping laughter at my inability to hold a pitchfork properly, we have a quick lunch on a picnic bench by the pastures. Annalise, the two men from the stables, and several more workers join us, and we all share a meal under the clear blue sky, watching the horses move around the enclosure and munch on grass.
The lunch is a hearty affair filled with half-hearted jabs at the “city folk” present and Annalise’s excited answers to the questions Ethan and I sometimes don’t even get to finish before she jumps in with an answer.
After lunch, the men and women disperse to continue with their duties while Annalise leads us to the horse enclosure. “Ready for that ride?”
“Absolutely!” I’m still excited, but it’s impossible not to feel a tingle of trepidation. Bella is a kind and patient soul, but she’s huge compared to my short stature. She could easily hurt me even without meaning to. And what if I fall? What if I suck at riding? What if I try it, and it’s terrible, and my childhood dream is shattered?
