***
It was late May. Phillipa had come to the yard late, she’d seemed upset so I asked what had happened. She’d shrugged, telling me she’d had a tough day at work so I hugged her. I felt her body relax in my arms, she gripped me warmly before leaning in and kissing me on the lips.
I was surprised, I squeaked in shock. She’d apologised, her eyes welling up before she ran from the tack room straight to her car. She’d driven away before I could catch up with her.
I’d mentioned it to mum who’d laughed. “I think Phillipa has a bit of a crush on you.”
I’d snorted in disbelief.
“No, I’ve seen her and, well, the way she looks at you.”
I’d gone quiet, unable to process what I was being told.
The next day Phillipa came in apologetic, I’d asked her, was there something she wanted to ask? The poor girl just went bright red.
“I’ve made a terrible mistake… I’m so sorry… I thought…”
Kissing her was, in my opinion, the only way to put her mind at rest. We parted and stared at each other for a moment before I giggled. She started to laugh and we hugged again.
I’d been struggling in my mind, finding myself starting to have feelings for this beautiful woman who was so out of my league, I had been somewhat flattered that she had wanted to be my friend, but each time she had touched me, electric shocks had pulsated through my body. So, this was love? I’d not really realised it before. I’d liked Sean, there had been considerable lust, but this was so much deeper.
“Come in and have a coffee?” I stuttered.
We walked into the kitchen together, kicking off our boots, I busied myself with the kettle. Mum was out so we had the house to ourselves. I sat down opposite her, beaming like a Cheshire cat.
“I knew you were an amazing friend. I just didn’t expect any more…” She’d snorted. “No… You are, so pretty, No, more than than, beautiful. You have an amazing job, you’re so skilled. I’m…-”
“You’re amazing. From that first day, I was just bowled over by you. I said to myself, Phillipa you have a boyfriend, Annie wouldn’t be interested. But you just enchanted me. You’re so funny, so beautiful.”
I choked. “You have a boyfriend?”
“Did… Past tense, he found a secretary who didn’t, and I quote, ‘stink like a stable’ and ‘love that bloody horse more than me’.”
“Oh, I love Dave…”
“Well, I think I love you, Annie…”
About the Author
Samantha is a keen rider who made horses her career from an early age. Having left school and worked as a working pupil both in riding schools and event yards she qualified and now works as a freelance instructor and coach.
She started writing as she couldn’t find books about people like herself and wanted to create something like the pony books she had so enjoyed as a child. When she’s not teaching, or writing, she rides and looks after her own horses or walks her dog on the beach in Lytham Saint Annes.
