The hand nodded and walked away with both horses while Francisco carried the saddles into the barn. "How did you like your first ride?" he asked.
"This wasn't my first time on horseback!" Terri protested.
"You rode like it was." Francisco enjoyed teasing Terri.
"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mr. Cowboy!" She feigned disgust but enjoyed the playfulness of the comment. "I'd kick your ass if you weren't carrying all of that stuff."
"I'll just set these over there, and then, you can kick my ass."
"Hang on, there, Lone Ranger!" Terri had pulled out her camera. She motioned for Francisco to pose.
"Well, look at you, Miss Professional Photographer! That's a fancy camera!"
"Thank you. And, by the way, it's Ms. Professional Photographer. And, you're my handsome model, so let's see some attitude."
Francisco played along and posed according to her direction.
"That's right, baby!" she coaxed him. "Work it for the camera." They both burst into laughter.
Francisco set the saddles on their racks in the tack room and walked back out with a confident smile. "Do you need any more pictures?"
"No, I think I'm good," Terri answered, "unless you want to take that shirt off."
"Sounds like a great idea, but maybe not here. I don't want to scandalize the staff."
"Bummer!" Terri was admiring Francisco's build. He was in terrific shape for a man pushing forty. She realized that she didn't know how old Francisco was; the topic had never come up. But he had a teen-aged son, so he'd have to be in his late thirties at least.
"How about a cup of coffee?" Francisco offered. "Or we could just go upstairs for a bit."
"Both tempting offers!" Terri admitted. "But I really should be getting home. I've been here all weekend."
"No, don't go!" he pleaded playfully.
"But I have to work tomorrow. I can't go into the office looking like I just came from a trail ride."
Francisco hugged her and looked into her eyes." I'm glad that you stayed for the weekend."
"I am, too!" she confided. "Can I come back again sometime, I mean, just to see the horses?"
"Any time you want. The horses will miss you terribly." They shared a passionate kiss. Francisco took her hand and walked her slowly toward the parking area.
"Are you going to call me?" Terri asked.
"Of course, I'm going to call you!"
"I mean, it's okay if you don't want to. Just let me know now, so I won't have to sit around waiting."
"I am going to call you every day, silly!" he protested.
"Oh, really?" she asked through a fetching grin.
He kissed her again. "I am going to call you until you get sick of me. And, then you're going to have to come over here and kick my ass."
Terri laughed loudly. "Okay, that's a deal, Cowboy! You'd better be ready!"
"¡Estoy listo!" he assured her.
Terri was about to walk out the door when she spotted Jo walking through the parking lot. "Holy crap!"
"What is it?"
"It's Jo. She must be here for her riding lesson."
"Well, why don't you go say 'hello'?" Francisco teased.
"No way! I don't want her to know that I was here."
"You mean, you don't want Louise to know that you were here," he clarified.
"I think we covered that already," Terri said coldly. "No need to bring it up again!"
"Sorry," he said. "Just wait until she goes into the office. You'll be able to leave. She won't see you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, we make them sign some forms," Francisco replied. "It takes a few minutes. You'll have enough time to get down to the road."
"Okay, here I go," she said nervously.
"Hey," he said clutching her arm. "Thank you!"
They shared a quick kiss. Terri smiled and then walked hastily toward her car.
Terri's phone rang as she pulled out onto the main road. The number was unfamiliar, but she answered anyway. Her clients expect her to be responsive.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Peaches!"
Terri's heart jumped. A sudden rush of panic almost caused her to lose control of the car.
"Douglas! Why ... why are you calling me?"
"I just wanted to see how you're doing."
"I'm doing fine, Douglas."
"I was worried about you."
"You don't have to worry about me, Douglas."
"But you haven't been home all weekend."
Terri hung up the phone and sped toward her mother's house.
Francisco hugged her and looked into her eyes." I'm glad that you stayed for the weekend."
"I am, too!" she confided. "Can I come back again sometime, I mean, just to see the horses?"
"Any time you want. The horses will miss you terribly." They shared a passionate kiss. Francisco took her hand and walked her slowly toward the parking area.
"Are you going to call me?" Terri asked.
"Of course, I'm going to call you!"
"I mean, it's okay if you don't want to. Just let me know now, so I won't have to sit around waiting."
"I am going to call you every day, silly!" he protested.
"Oh, really?" she asked through a fetching grin.
He kissed her again. "I am going to call you until you get sick of me. And, then you're going to have to come over here and kick my ass."
Terri laughed loudly. "Okay, that's a deal, Cowboy! You'd better be ready!"
"¡Estoy listo!" he assured her.
Terri was about to walk out the door when she spotted Jo walking through the parking lot. "Holy crap!"
"What is it?"
"It's Jo. She must be here for her riding lesson."
"Well, why don't you go say 'hello'?" Francisco teased.
"No way! I don't want her to know that I was here."
"You mean, you don't want Louise to know that you were here," he clarified.
"I think we covered that already," Terri said coldly. "No need to bring it up again!"
"Sorry," he said. "Just wait until she goes into the office. You'll be able to leave. She won't see you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, we make them sign some forms," Francisco replied. "It takes a few minutes. You'll have enough time to get down to the road."
"Okay, here I go," she said nervously.
"Hey," he said clutching her arm. "Thank you!"
They shared a quick kiss. Terri smiled and then walked hastily toward her car.
Terri's phone rang as she pulled out onto the main road. The number was unfamiliar, but she answered anyway. Her clients expect her to be responsive.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Peaches!"
Terri's heart jumped. A sudden rush of panic almost caused her to lose control of the car.
"Douglas! Why ... why are you calling me?"
"I just wanted to see how you're doing."
"I'm doing fine, Douglas."
"I was worried about you."
"You don't have to worry about me, Douglas."
"But you haven't been home all weekend."
Terri hung up the phone and sped toward her mother's house.
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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