Page 37 of My Salvation
About twenty minutes later, I finally make it out of the bathroom. My hair’s dry enough for a ponytail, and that would have to do today. I can’t handle much more. I have no idea what I should wear, so I grab jeans, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and my motorcycle boots. I figure they could at least get me through the muck.
“Fuck. I’m going to be late.”
Hurriedly grabbing a piece of toast and some coffee to go, I run out to my vehicle. Punching the address into the GPS, I pray it will get me there.
Another twenty minutes, and I pull up to their house. The vehicle’s barely in park before Lev has my door open. Helping me out of the vehicle, he immediately pulls me into his arms for one of his bear hugs. Wrapped up in him, the tension of the week melts away. It’s like coming home. Looking up into his smiling green eyes, I pull him down for a long, long kiss. Man, I missed him.
Minutes later, someone nearby clears their throat. Dragging my lips from Lev’s, I look up to see Shaw waiting for me. I can feel my cheeks turning red, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was even early. Looking down at my watch, I realized I had spent way too much of that time greeting Lev, and I am now officially fifteen minutes late for my lesson with Shaw. Oops.
Groaning, I ease out of Lev’s arms. “I’m so sorry, Shaw. I made it here on time, but I didn’t account for Lev’s welcome.” I stroll over. “I wasn’t sure what to wear. I hope this will do.”
Shaw’s eyes slowly make their way down every inch of me and back up. My nipples tighten as I watch him. Something about him makes me want to do something rash. Keeping my thoughts to myself, I wait until he nods before I turn to Lev.
“Will I see you after my lesson?”
“I’ll be here. Just come find me in the kitchen when you finish.” He gives Shaw a hard stare and walks off towards the house.
Shaw strides off towards the barn, and I follow. He leads me to a grey horse. He describes her as a dappled mare with a calm disposition.
“What’s her name?”
“Sugar.”
“Well, hello, Sugar.” I hold my hand out flat so she can sniff it. Shaw had told me to hold my hand flat and she wouldn’t nip my fingers. I am a little scared as she reaches out, but she only nuzzles me with her velvety soft nose. In awe, I stroke her neck and mane. “She’s super sweet. I guess that’s why you call her Sugar.”
He starts by explaining our lesson for today. For my first lesson, I need to learn about managing and caring for a horse. I follow his instructions as he teaches me how to put tack on a horse, how to lead them on a rope, how to start and stop the horse on the ground.
Once I’ve mastered those items, then I will learn how to mount the horse. Until then, he makes me repeat these steps several times. My arms shake with the effort to put on the saddle, but I get better and faster each time.
Finally, my reward. I get to sit on Sugar. Excited, I can barely stand it. I search around for a stool, but he stops me. Instead of a stool, he cups his hands and describes how he wants me to step into them so he can lift me onto the horse. After trying it a few times, I finally get it right, and he lifts me with ease to sit on top of the horse. Smiling widely, I reach forward and run my hands over Sugar’s mane.
“Next time, I’ll teach you how to mount a horse with a stool, but I’d prefer you had shoes better fitted for stirrups and riding. Speaking of which, I have something for you when we get done.”
Without waiting for my reply, he picks up Sugar’s rope and leads me around the ring a few times so I can get used to her gait. I can now officially say I’ve ridden a horse. A perma-grin is plastered to my face, but I can’t help it.
Finally, he slows Sugar to a stop. He instructs me on how to dismount. Once I’ve followed the steps, he reaches up to help me off the horse. Placing my hands on his broad shoulders, I can’t help feeling how hard his body is as my body slides down his. As my feet touch the ground, I go to step away, and his hands tighten around my waist, holding me to him for a second. Looking up, I scan his face, trying to figure out what he is thinking, but it’s like looking at a brick wall. His hands release me, and he abruptly steps back.
“Is everything OK?” I inquire.
“Yep, it’s fine. Let’s put Sugar back in her stall and go back to the house.”
Determined to show him I took his lessons to heart, I remove everything from Sugar, brush her down, and walk her back into her stall.
Smiling, I turn to him. “Thank you so much for the lesson. That was amazing.”
He searches my face, as if to check my sincerity. “You did well today. I’m sure Lev has supper about ready.”
Shocked, I look at my phone. I’ve been out here with Shaw for three hours! I didn’t even notice the time flying by.
When we enter the house, Lowell swings by and kisses me. “I’d give you a hug, but...” He holds his nose and waves his hand.
“How dare you tell me I stink!” Laughing, I get a whiff of myself and have to agree. “How soon is supper? I have some gym clothes in my car, so if there’s time, I can grab a quick shower and change?”
He texts Lev, who replies that dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. Plenty of time to get a shower.
As I leave to get my bag, Shaw hands me several bags and a box. Looking in the bags, I see a helmet, tan pants, and a shirt. The box holds beautiful, black riding boots.
“Wow. This is way too much, Shaw. I can’t accept it. Would you let me pay you for these items, since you are giving me free lessons?”
