Putting the Heart Before the Horse

He felt his ears flatten down. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel stupid. He’d just hoped that they’d figure out a way to communicate with him in stallion form. He backed up and stretched to nuzzle gently at her face, then returned to his former position.

“Do you—I really hope I’m not offending you again—do you want me to climb on?”

He whickered and nodded again.

“Okay,” she said. He could hear her voice shaking. “Here goes nothing.”

Before she could move, he took a blanket that was hanging on the porch rail and tugged on it with his mouth. She quickly got the idea, draping it over his back to provide a bit of cushion for her.

Standing rock-still, he waited while she carefully climbed over the porch rail and eased herself onto him. The sensation of her weight on his back was unfamiliar; horse shifters almost never allowed anyone to ride them, unless there was an emergency. But they were both on edge, and words hadn’t worked for them last night. He’d offered to carry her as a gesture of trust, and she’d returned it.

Hope moved around a bit, trying to settle. “Tell me if I do something wrong, okay? I’ve been riding before, but never quite like this.” She wrapped her fingers in his mane, not tugging, but enough to help her feel secure.

Josh eased into motion as smoothly as possible, letting Hope get used to the gentle pace. Aside from a few shaky breaths, she seemed to be okay, and the more he walked, the more comfortable she got. So he gradually sped up until he was trotting, as smoothly as he could possibly make his gait. From above him, he heard her laugh breathlessly, and a surge of possessiveness welled up in him. He wanted this forever. He wanted her with him, as a stallion and a man.

She tightened her legs around his barrel, and he figured she might be ready for more speed. He eased into it, giving her time to adjust, but soon he was cantering.

He kept an ear out for any sign that Hope was having a problem, but she seemed fine, and he gave in to his body’s needs. Even with that morning’s exercise, he was still eager to go, to feel his horse form almost pushing the air out of his way, as it was meant to do. The feeling of freedom took over, suppressing almost all conscious thought. He just let his body take over and run, run, run.

The wind streamed through his mane and tail, the same way it must be streaming through Hope’s hair. Even though they were in different forms now, with her on his back it felt like they were joining together and becoming one.

Eventually he began to slow, easing to a walk, and then coming to a halt. He let her slide off his back, then shifted back to human form, clad in his flannel shirt, jeans, and boots.

“Whoa,” she said as he reached out to steady her.

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“Of course! Some little girls are really into horses, and I think I understand why, now. You’re just...beautiful,” she said almost shyly. “To feel the muscles moving under your skin, and the way you absorb the shock each time you hit the ground—it’s not like anything I ever felt before. I didn’t even know enough to dream about it.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Josh said.

“God, I just realized—when I said ‘whoa’ I didn’t mean it like you normally mean when you say it to a horse,” she babbled, her fair skin turning red. “I just meant it like, ‘wow’, as in, “wow, that was amazing—”

He reached out and took her into his arms.

“I know,” he murmured. “It’s okay, you can relax.” Hope tightened her arms around him and rested her cheek against his chest. The sweet smell of her hair wafted up, and he breathed it in, stroking her back, enjoying the feel of her body pressed to his.

“I know I said something really stupid last night,” she said, her voice muffled.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. It was rude, and I said it in front of your whole family. I was trying to

be funny, but it came out all wrong.”

Josh released her and lifted up her chin to look in her eyes. “I should have stayed with you while you met everyone and got adjusted. I was trying to give you some room and let you go at your own pace, but you probably just felt abandoned.”

“A little,” she admitted.

“I didn’t want to rush you. That didn’t work out so well the first time.”

“Can we go somewhere and relax a little bit? I’ve got some things I want to talk about with you.” He must have looked panicked, because she quickly added, “Nothing bad!”

He looked around to get his bearings. Without realizing it, he’d been headed toward the south pasture, to the spot he’d told her about in the Chicago airport. He bent to pick up the blanket that had fallen when he shifted, took her hand in his and started walking. “This way,” he said.

***

Hope drank in the beauty of the landscape around her. This. This was what she had missed, living in big cities. The light was brighter, the air cleaner, and the sounds sharper. They soon reached a creek, and she recognized the place he’d described to her. The sun shone just enough to bounce off the leaves and water, but the trees sheltered them. He guided her to a fallen log and spread the blanket over it to make a place for them to sit. It was perfect.