***
I found Adam sitting in the tack room cleaning tack, he was sat opposite Kate, but at a distance. I smiled and asked how they both were, Kate was chatty but Adam was strangely quiet. Kate soon finished polishing the bridle she was working on and bid us a warm farewell.
“What’s up?”
“I don’t know what you mean?”
“Adam, you have put that bridle back upside down and inside out and when I came in here it looked as if someone had stolen your tongue.” I put my hands on my hips. “Spit it out buster. What’s going on…” He blushed, looking down and turning the bridle in his hands.
“What do you think of Kate?”
“I think she has proven herself to be a very competent working pupil, she is hardworking and efficient, very polite.” I looked up at Adam’s lost expression. “And I know that is not what you wanted to hear me say…” I sat down, looking into his eyes. “Look at me… Adam, are you falling in love with Kate?” The way he stuttered and blushed told me everything. “Oh goodness… Ask her out…”
“I can’t… What if she said no…”
“What if she doesn’t…”
***
The rather one-sided conversation went on between us over dinner, I let him escape to bed. However the next morning I was due to take Kate for a lunge lesson. I had asked her to tack up Manton so she led him into the arena and I started to lunge him as she sat without stirrups and reins to improve her riding seat.
“What’s up? Don’t tell me it’s riding without stirrups, because you’re going to have to do a lot more of that.”
She frowned, a look of concentration on her face. “It’s your brother…”
“Oh no… What’s he done?” I snapped.
“Oh nothing, it’s just…” She looked away from me, her cheeks reddening.
“Oh, God…” I brought Manton back to a halt and walked towards her. “Are you saying you, like Adam?” She nodded. “Do you like him a lot?” She blushed even more and nodded. “Oh goodness… Have you told him you like him?” She shook her head coyly. “Aggh!” I yelped, causing Manton to throw his head up. “Okay… Come on…” I started to lead Manton towards the gate.
“Where are we going?” Kate squeaked.
“You’ll see…” I walked Manton across the yard much to the amusement of the other grooms who were sweeping down the yard. I stopped at the tack room door. “Adam, come out here…” Adam stepped out, looking up he saw Kate on board Manton and blushed.
“Right, so I don’t have to bang both of your heads together. Kate, Adam has told me he ‘really’ likes you. Adam, Kate has told me that she likes you a lot. So, here you are.” I pushed the lunge rein into Adam’s hands. “Sort it out, take this poor girl on a date!” They both blushed and the grooms applauded and whistled. I walked away muttering how sometimes you have to take things into your own hands.
***
“This one?”
I looked up. Adam, you have now taken every single shirt out of the wardrobe, go with the blue one. No, that one.” I handed him a shirt. “Then get downstairs, I have to get you lovebirds into Grange.”
***
Kate was similarly flustered, Judith had lent her a pretty black dress and Emily had helped with makeup so that when she walked down the stairs and towards the car she looked more beautiful than ever.
“Easy tiger…” I whispered to Adam. “And close your mouth…”
“Oh Kate, you look amazing.”
“Please, let me get you in the car and to the Bistro.”
It was a short drive into the local town of Grange Over Sands, a pretty seaside resort which boasted a few inexpensive restaurants. I dropped them both off at the Grange Bistro and told them I would collect them later unless they fancied the long walk through the dark back to the stables.
***
I blushed as Adam opened the door for me, this was stupid, I worked with him every day, yet now I felt as if my mouth was full of cotton wool, I couldn’t speak. We were seated at a small table in the window, with a candle flickering in a red glass pot. Adam opened his mouth to speak, stuttered and stopped. I laughed, then he did.
“Oh, I’m sorry…” He smiled, blushing. “I seem to have turned a bit shy all of a sudden.” He took a deep breath. “Can I say, you look amazing… I mean, you always do, but wow!”
“Well, I guess not wearing torn breeches and smelling of horses is an improvement. Unless that’s what turns you on!” Oh, Kate, what are you saying? I cringed at my own words, but saw a smile spreading across Adam’s face.
“Well… I don’t think there is a look you couldn’t pull off. But it’s nice to have a reason to dress up. I do sort of feel I am playing at being an adult here!”
“Oh yeah, me too. Oh I’m so relaxed when we are both at work. Why am I feeling so nervous!”
“Right, let’s talk horses, we’ll both know where we are!”
tarting to talk about our first horses and riding in shows we discovered we had so much in common, we laughed and flirted more naturally, the ice well and truly broken.
We were so deep in the conversation we hadn’t noticed the time until the waiter asked us politely if we wanted anything else as it was midnight! We had sat and chatted for five hours without a break, and more importantly, we had left Amanda waiting for well over an hour.
We walked down the road arm in arm, laughing like little
