Playing the Polo Player

She bites her lip and keeps watching the horses. I let my gaze fall to the horses as well, taking in their gorgeous, well-kept coats and flowing manes. They start moseying back toward the stables, and I idly wonder if it’s because they’ve been so well trained to be on a schedule. It is almost sundown, though the sky is overcast and a bit gloomy.

“We love horses,” Luce states. “We are good at taking care of them, riding them, and breeding them. Horses are the reason we were ever brought together to be friends… I was a sad, shy kid. Being an only child with parents who were never around, the only comfort I really had was food and television. The more weight I put on, the more I was bullied, and the more alone I felt. Which made me eat more, and so on. My parents were friends of Sierra’s and they arranged for me to work at the stables. Sierra was homeschooled and shy herself, so they figured it would give us both a friend, get me to be more active, and give me supervision on the weekends while they worked or partied. I was mad at first, but it all worked out. I fell in love with caring for horses and gained a best friend along the way.”

She sucks in a sharp breath.

“Unfortunately, as fulfilling as it has all been, it didn’t make either of us business savvy. We thought we could just have our horses, care for them, and sell the foals as they came. Apparently, there’s more to a business than that. More bills than we can really manage. Especially after an outbreak of Strangles took half of our breeding horses last year.”

“Damn,” I breathe. “I mean, it sounds like you’re prepared to head into the right direction at least. Understanding the problem is the first step. Next is sourcing solutions. I would be happy to look at your books myself, or have one of my employees help you guys sort through them. If that’s something you would be comfortable with.”

“I would be, and I’d be grateful,” she breathes, her chocolate eyes peering up at me with tenderness. “But it’s not really up to me.”

“What do you mean? I thought the two of you owned the business.”

“We do… Or maybe we did… It’s complicated, I guess. Her cousin, Marcus, bailed us out after the Strangles outbreak. He bought fifty-one percent of the business, in exchange for him catching up our insurance payments and stuff like that. He’s always been bossy and tries to cut corners with our personal expenses, horse feed, things like that… We even had a ranch hand that he made us fire to save money there. And now he’s wanting us to breed the horses faster, by any means necessary. Even if it risks the health of the mother. He’s an ass… And I doubt he’ll allow anyone to take a look at the books. He's controlling.”

They’ve really gotten themselves in a pickle and my heart goes out to them. I could offer to help, but I don’t want to offend her or make her uncomfortable. Maybe one day soon, but not right now. Putting my arm around her, I bring her into my side and kiss the top of her head. “It’ll work out somehow. And I’m here for you to help in anyway I can.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, hugging my ribs.

I drop a hand to lift her chin to get a good look at her face. She’s smiling, even though she’s just unloaded such heavy things. “You’re sunshine on a cloudy day, aren’t you?” I comment lowly.

She shrugs and I swear her eyes are shimmering. “I’ve spent more than half of my life sad and living in my own head in the worst ways. Now I choose happiness. Even when the odds are against me.”

“I like that,” I smile and run my fingers along her jaw. “I like you, Luce.”

“I like you too,” she replies breathlessly.

I press my lips to hers and I can feel her kissing back as her arms wrap around my neck. Shit, there’s something real between us, isn’t there? It’s still new, still young… But there’s no denying this sort of feeling I have. This sort of natural bond that is indescribable. It isn’t like yin and yang, as she reminds me of the best parts of myself. She’s that bit of hope, of humor and happiness that I always needed on my best and darkest days. But it isn’t empty happiness or hope. It’s real and deep, because it comes from a pain uniquely hers. That has shaped her into the wonderful and compassionate woman she is today.

I’m going to fall madly in love with her. I just know it.

Our tongues are mingling and our hands groping one another. I squeeze her ass, and she squeezes mine as well. We’re laughing as we kiss, and I just know that this is what bliss really is. The ability to laugh even in intimate or painful moments, and passion that overflows into every situation.