Page 28 of Rival
Mason marches over until I see the tips of his scuffed boots in front of me. He squats down, a finger slipping under my chin to lift my face for his perusal. His eyes look over my face for a moment before they narrow on me. “That’s bullshit. This is no fucking mishap. It looks like you got punched or something slammed into the side of your head. Don’t lie to me, Edith. What the hell happened to you?”
I stiffen under his gaze, but I know I can’t tell him it was my father. Instead, I lean my head back to dislodge his hand from my chin. “I’m working on a construction site, working here, anddoing chores at home. Sometimes things happen. I promise I’m okay.”
Mason remains silent for a moment before he huffs out in annoyance and stands up. “I need your help out in the field today. I want to get the calves out there. The vet is coming to help tag them as well as give them shots. It’ll take more than just me and my dad is taking my mom to an appointment. You think that’s something you can do? If you can’t, I’ll call in someone else.”
“I can do it.” My reassurance is quick, maybe a bit eager, but I can tell he’s relieved he doesn’t have to call in anyone. “What do I need to do?”
“What I say. That’s all. I won’t know ‘til we get out there. Can you ride?”
Gulping, I shake my head slowly. “I can’t. I’ve never… No. I don’t know how to.” I look away, ashamed when he is clearly annoyed.
“Of course you can’t. Meet me outside in fifteen.” Mason marches away, slamming the barn door behind him, and I flinch at the sound.
Sighing, I brush my fingers over my kitten’s head, then whisper, “Maybe someday he won’t be so aggravated with me. Mason is a cranky man, isn’t he, little man?”
The meow my little guy lets out has me chuckling as I stand and stretch my back. Picking him up, I set him in front of the fresh food I’ve set in his bowl. I leave him as he attacks it like he’ll never get another meal again and slip outside into the early morning sun.
I don’t know where Mason disappeared to, but after only waiting for about five minutes, I hear the thump of hooves just before he comes around the corner on the back of his horse. “Come here, Edith.” His order is gruff, and my nerves wrackthrough my body.Holy fuck, I’m about to ride a horse. What do I do?
I obey him, hurrying over, and he holds his hand out to me. “I’ll pull you up to sit behind me.” It’s a crisp, clean, no-nonsense order, and I find myself frozen as I stare at his outstretched hand. “Come the fuck on, Edith.”
Flicking my eyes up to him, I let them trail down to the back end of the horse, eyeing it warily. I know my voice is wobbly as I ask, but I push my question out anyway. “What should I do?”
Mason rolls his eyes, clearly irritated with me. “Grab my damn hand. I’ll pull you up and just swing your leg over the saddle behind me. It’s not rocket science.”
In my experience, nothing I ever try to do ends with the results we want, so I’m sure this is going to be embarrassing for both of us. But Mason obviously doesn’t have patience with me, so I quickly step up next to his massive horse and grip his hand. I’ve barely touched him before he’s yanking on my hand hard and hauling me up behind him. Squealing, I throw my leg up and scramble over the back of the saddle, grabbing onto him to keep myself from falling off the other side.
“Jesus. You weren’t kidding. How the hell do you get to your age without ever mounting a horse?” He shifts forward as I try to get myself settled behind him, his animal shifting under us from the added weight, and I panic that I’ll slide off the back.
“I-I don’t think I’m on right,” I exclaim, grabbing his shoulders to keep from falling off to the ground. He grunts when I start sliding and claw at his arm.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” His murmured complaint embarrasses me further, but what am I supposed to do? I feel like I’m literally falling off the back. “Move forward and sit on the actual saddle, Edith! You’re going to fa—”
Just as I start falling, he reaches his arm behind me and hooks around my waist to catch me. “Goddamnit!” he growlsloudly. Twisting around, Mason uses his other arm to pluck me up and swing me around to his front. I scramble to position my legs so I’m facing forward, my back pressed hard against his chest, sucking in air loudly. “Just… Edith. You need to relax. Austin isn’t going anywhere, but he’s gonna bolt if you keep kickin’ your feet like a fuckin’ child.”
“Who’s Austin?” I cry out, grabbing for the handle pressed against my body, worried I’ll fall forward and dive headfirst to the ground.
“My fuckin’ God! Jesus Christ! What the hell is wrong with you?” he shouts just before wrapping an arm around my stomach and pulling me back. He’s actually lifted me up so I’m sitting on his thighs with one arm around me, the other reaching out to grip Austin’s reins, keeping him from moving around so much. “Take a breath and relax.”
His words melt into my neck where his lips are pressed, and I do my best to listen. I force my body to freeze, then eventually relax against him when my mind accepts I’m in factnotgoing to fall off his horse.
I’m panting hard, my heart racing so fast I’m worried I’ll pass out from the adrenaline until I’m able to focus on Mason’s reassurances.
“Just relax, Edith. That’s it… Let your legs relax and feel that he’s not going anywhere… You good now?” His words are both a comfort to meandthe animal who was feeling as anxious as I was. Austin snorts out a loud breath and shakes his head to ease the tension we were both feeling.
I can only nod once, afraid that if I move anymore, it’ll upset his horse.
Well, notjusthis horse. I’m certain I’ve pissed off Mason as well, and I want to crawl into a hole over the way my body flailed as soon as he got me up here.
“So sorry,” I whisper, dropping my chin to my chest. “I-I’ve never—”
“Just… stop talkin’ for a minute, would you? Take another breath and a moment longer to relax. Your body is as rigid as a goddamn board. You can’t ride if you’re this stiff. You’ll freak out Austin.” The hand he has holding my stomach starts to circle, as if he’s trying to soothe me as one would a wild animal.
Looking down, I watch his hand slowly move over my body and it distracts me long enough to fully settle down. Mason thrusts his hips forward and just as my mouth drops open in shock, I find myself shoved forward onto the hard leather of the saddle instead of his lap.
His arm leaves me, and I grapple for the handle again as his arms frame my body to gather the reins. Clicking his tongue, he urges Austin to turn around and head toward the field.
I glance over my shoulder toward the calf barn. “Don’t we need to get them out first?”
