Fan Fiction ❯ The Best Thing ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

There was an audible intake of breath as Mason lead his gray stallion out into the alleyway. Clockwork tossed his head proudly, his eyes shining with contained fire.

 

"He really is gorgeous," Rosalyn commented in a low voice as she took in the horse's conformation. There was a distinct arch to his neck and the slight dish to his face spoke of a Thoroughbred influence. He was taller than she remembered; his back was just above her eye level.

 

Mason gave a noncommittal shrug although his smirk gave away his pride. It was Rosalyn's turn to follow horse and rider through the wide doors and outside. She hung back as he tightened the girth and ran down the stirrups, choosing instead to find a comfortable place on the fence line. The wind was picking up carrying the scents of autumn and the last sigh of summer. She shivered as the chill cut through the thin sweater she wore. Her gaze then moved to the dark-haired boy as he swung up and easily into the saddle. She watched with an interested stare as the muscles moved beneath his clothing. He rode barehanded, even in this cold weather, and this too drew her attention. His long elegant fingers wrapped gently around the leather reins and she shuddered as a sudden, unexpected vision of those same hands stroking down her hips crossed her mind.

 

"Maybe you should go back to the barn and grab your coat, you keep shivering," Mason said as he walked past her.

 

"Uh, no, I'm fine. Thanks," came her quick reply as her cheeks blushed vivid red.

 

He would have paid any amount of money to know the thoughts running through her head at that moment. The blush that continued to colour her cheeks had him intrigued. His concentration was moved back to his horse, however, as the stallion pulled on the reins.

 

"You're ready for a good run after sitting in the pasture all week, aren't you?" he spoke softly to the horse. Cogs seemed to read his thoughts as he tossed his head once again in impatience. Mason laughed lightly and allowed the horse to move forward into the trot.

 

Rosalyn took in the horse's movement with enthralled eyes; the stallion seemed to positively float across the ground.

 

"I take it you like what you see," Mason called to her.

 

"What's not to like?"

 

"Excellent point," he countered as he signalled the stallion to lengthen his stride.

 

Rosalyn couldn't seem to keep her mouth closed as she continued to watch the performance. Every motion was fluid and effortless, balanced and graceful. She also took notice of the rider. His body appeared relaxed but from the look of his face she knew that he was working at controlling the horse. Clockwork made the transition from trot to canter flawlessly, his big stride eating up the ground. Mason decided to show off a little and executed a perfect flying lead change directly in front of Rosalyn. After a few more minutes of work he dropped back to a walk and made his way over to the fence line and Rosalyn. He gave her a bright smile before dismounting.

 

He tossed her the reins as she descended the fence, "Your turn."

 

"What?" her surprise was evident in both her voice and her face.

 

"I said, 'your turn'," he said in a feigned exasperated tone. "Now how many holes up do you think?"

 

"Uh, three I guess," she replied awkwardly as she watched him fix the stirrups for her. He came to stand beside her and observed as she tensed at his close presence. He startled her when he bent down and grasped her shin in his hands.

 

"What are you doing?" she pulled back with a gasp.

 

"Giving you a leg up, I don't think you can get on this big fella from the ground." He took her leg into his hands once more and boosted her easily up and onto the horse's back.

 

Rosalyn sucked in a breath as the feeling of weightlessness passed and she settled into the saddle. She allowed him to place her feet into the stirrups as she gathered the reins. Her gaze rested between the pricked gray ears in front of her.

 

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, try him out!" Mason urged from the ground.

 

Rosalyn nudged the horse gently with her heels and immediately the stallion set off into a lively walk. She absorbed the movement through her seat and legs, fiddling with the reins to find the right pressure. Instantly the stallion dropped his head putting a pleasant arch into his neck. She pressed him forward into the trot; the sense of so much restrained power was nearly overwhelming. Fortunately the horse's training was parallel to none and she had no trouble guiding him to her instructions. As she passed Mason she noticed his ordinarily sunny face was now serious with concentration. She smiled at the change in character and spurred Cogs into a canter. His big rolling gait was much different than what she was used to. Not only was his stride simply enormous but the ease at which she could control him was astounding. A bright smile lit up her face.

 

“This is awesome!" she thought to herself as the rocking horse canter eased her tense muscles. She shot a quick glance in Mason's direction noting that he was watching her as acutely as she had him. Her smile turned mischievous as she cantered across the diagonal and signalled Cogs for a lead change. The change came effortlessly; his shoulders rising up and shifting. Rosalyn let him canter around the corner before slowing him into a walk. She directed Cogs towards Mason; a smile still plastered on her face.

 

"Have fun?" he asked as he hopped off the fence.

 

"Most definitely," she replied. Rosalyn kicked her feet free from the stirrups and was ready to slide down when his two warm hands closed about her waist.

 

"Wait! I . . .” she began to protest but broke off as he effortlessly lifted her down from the saddle holding her close and letting her slide down his body to the sandy ground. Her gasp was music to his ears. He gazed down at her face taking in those features that had now become so familiar to him. Her wide startled navy eyes stared up at him, uncertainty and longing waging battle in their cerulean depths. Her small rosebud mouth parted slightly beckoning him closer. He leaned forward unconsciously.

 

Rosalyn felt herself drawn toward this strange boy with an attraction she had never felt before. His gentle hazel eyes looked down into her own with a look of such tenderness it took her breath away. The tension she initially felt melted away like ice on a summer day. She studied his face taking in the sharp planes of his cheeks, his firm jaw, the long patrician nose and finally his finely formed lips which captured most of her attention. She felt herself swaying forward unintentionally. Their lips were mere inches from each other when a sudden nudge sent Mason off-balance. He shook his head trying to clear away the fog of yearning that clouded his mind. He glanced down quickly at Rosalyn hoping that the moment hadn't passed but sadly the look of pure ardency that had coloured her brilliant eyes had faded and she was now staring at him through veiled eyes once more. He shot Cogs an exasperated look, the stallion perking his ears and nudging him once again. Clearly he was ready to head back to the barn.

 

“Nice timing, Cogs,” Mason murmured sarcastically under his breath.

Rosalyn backed away and out of his grasp, his fingertips dragging against her clothing in his reluctance. “Well I guess we'd better head back to the barn …” he trailed off awkwardly.

 

“Yeah, I agree,” Rosalyn said quietly. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold. Tremors were still quivering through her. A bright blush stained her cheeks as she thought about what they had almost done. She found herself unable to meet his eyes directly afraid he would see the disappointment she so keenly felt.

 

Mason led the way back to the barn with Cogs walking quietly beside him. Rosalyn trailed a bit farther behind using the time to redirect her thoughts toward less precarious matters. She hoped that the incident wouldn't encourage Mason's advances. Although she had now discovered that she indeed feel something for Mason besides irritation she couldn't quite bring herself to act on her emotions. This was a new and rather frightening emotion to her. She had never felt so bewildered by her own behaviour before. She quickly dismissed those thoughts from her head and followed Mason into the barn.

 

Rosalyn hung back while Mason led the stallion into his stall and began untacking him. She watched quietly resting her cheek in her hand as she leaned against the stall door.

 

 

Mason went into auto-pilot as he went about removing the bridle and saddle from Cogs but his eyes strayed toward Rosalyn. She had a dreamy far-off look to her face and didn't seem to notice him examining her. He was speechless for the first time in his life. He couldn't seem to think of anything to say without bringing up what had almost occurred.

 

Even when he stood directly in front of her with the saddle in his arms she didn't snap out of her reverie. He cleared his throat and Rosalyn sprung back like a startled deer. She dropped her gaze too quickly for him to read and moved away from the stall door. Mason sighed and headed for the tackroom shaking his head at his own brash foolishness. He set the saddle down and dropped into one of the couches.

 

“I scared her away it's as simple as that. I scared her away because I couldn't control myself. Idiot!” Mason smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand as he thought furiously to himself. He jumped when he felt the couch sink and list slightly to the right as another weight settled next to him. He swept his hair out of his eyes and found himself staring into Rosalyn's tranquil sapphire eyes. She gave him a very slight shy smile but immediately ducked her head before he could respond.

 

“You … You shouldn't beat yourself up over it,” she whispered quietly keeping her eyes trained on the coffee table. “It was as much my fault as yours.”

 

“It's not your fault,” he reached across to take her hands but as quickly as he had caught them she withdrew them.

 

“I guess I was caught in the moment. Anyway, it's not going to happen again so let's just move past it, okay?” She gifted him with another small smile.

 

Mason swallowed hard and found he couldn't answer.

 

Her smile remained but it looked a little forced, “I hope we can be friends.”

 

“Uh, yeah … friends.” Mason tried to keep the look of sheer disappointment off his face but traces of it remained in his normally cheerful features.

 

“Great. Well, I'm going to take off now. See you later.” She shot to her feet and took off before he could reply.

 

Mason ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. He had never felt more confused, frustrated or defeated. “Friends,” he murmured dolefully to himself.

 

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I hope you're enjoying my little horsey fiction. I'm currently working on chapter four and am hoping to have it done by mid November. Unfortunately exams are hitting me pretty hard and so my updates may be a bit random. Anyway, let me know what you think so far. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions please feel free to email me using the link provided above. Thank-you for reading!

- Katey Cook