“Are you insane? Why ever not?” Her head and shoulders shook in disbelief but then he fixed her with his eyes again and suddenly she became very still.
“The price was too high,” he answered softly.
She sucked in her cheeks, “Keep talking.”
He swallowed.
“She wanted me to promise that I keep my mitts off the girls here,” he paused, “including you,” he put a hand up to stop her from cutting in, “Yes, I know, don’t say it. Cause you know what? It actually stings every time you do. But I live in hope, Liberty. I figure there are other horses and other yards. I’m not ten anymore. I’m working now and I’ve been saving up for my driving licence and a car, so I can get myself places. Somebody else, somewhere else might be willing to swap help for lessons or else once I’ve got a car and insurance and all that I can probably pay for them. Whatever, the point is I couldn’t promise Lisa what she asked for because,” he looked away, not being able to meet her eyes for the next part, “I’m still hoping you might change your mind about your type one day.”
He glanced back tentatively, heat rising in his cheeks. She was staring at him transfixed and for a moment he wondered whether she’d heard any of it. Slowly she seemed to thaw from her state of shock.
“You idiot! You turned her offer down for me?”
He nodded and she turned her face away to stare ahead. They sat in silence for a long time, Liberty occasionally shaking her head at the empty space in front of her nose.
“What if,” she finally said, “I did change my mind and then you found out that I’m a complete disappointment as a girlfriend. – Oh you silly boy! You should have gone for the horse! Horse trumps girl any day.”
He smiled into the air, “Not this girl.”
She shot him a sceptical side glance then begun kneading her hands nervously.
“You know,” she mumbled, “I’ve never been kissed by anyone, ever. Not by a single soul. Not even my parents. You know how other parents kiss their children goodnight? Not mine. Not in my house. Not ever. I know it’s not practice for kissing a boy but I mean never. What if my lips don’t work that way? What if, you know, I can’t.”
Tull saw tears gathering in her eyes again and for one moment he forgot his awe. He reached for her and pulled her close by the nape of neck, raising his other hand to wipe the tears away with his thumb. Her skin was so soft that for one irrational second he feared his rough hands, so much like hers now, would lacerate it.
“Shut your eyes,” he demanded quietly.
“Tull, I…”
She seemed so frightened it felt like his heart was being torn out.
“Just this once. For me. Please, Liberty. This I can do. Trust me.”
She took a deep breath as if she needed to brace herself then shut her eyes and melted against his palm in her neck. He watched her face for a fraction of a second, wanting to burn it to memory for the rest of his life.
Finally, he let his lips meet hers.
There was no denying they were different, textured and harder than his at the top but soft and supple at the bottom. The contrast drove him spare with desire for more instantly.
He kissed her once, twice, a third time and was about to force himself to stop when suddenly she kissed him back. Gently testing, she responded to his lips with equal tenderness and he heard himself groan as he almost doubled over with the rush.
She opened her eyes.
“Are you okay?” she mumbled against his lips.
“Yes. No. We need to stop here or I’ll just want more, Liberty, way way way more,” he answered truthfully.
She smiled, still lips against lips, “They work alright then?”
“Yup,” he breathed, “plenty fine.”
“Great,” her mouth sought his again, bolder now, a little surer, “Define more.”
Suddenly this was easy.
“Everything,” he drew back and began stroking her face, “I want to walk to school with you. I want to sit with you at lunch. I want to cook for you and if Lisa will still let me, I want to watch you ride sometimes. Just be with you. All of it.”
There was a glint in her eyes he’d never seen before and it went straight to his pulse.
“More kissing?” she asked.
“I hope so,” he answered and ran a finger along her lips.
“Then show me more,” she smiled, “Way, way, way more.”
Just then, Oliver shuffled around in the stable to push his nose down in between the two people taking up room on his bed. They both looked at the cob and Liberty laughed, already rising to her feet.
“But maybe not here,” she dusted herself off while Tull slowly got up, “Come.”
She patted her pony good night and they left the box.
Standing in the aisle she grabbed Tull by the shoulders, every inch confident Liberty again, tall and proud.
“Wait here, don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back in a second.”
She turned abruptly and made her way towards the office.
It seemed as if as soon as Tull had seen her knock and enter he saw her come out again, her face inscrutable. When she got back to him she grinned, slipped her hand into his and started dragging him towards the doors.
“Right, back on track. Same work load as before, lessons twice a week. Your first one is this Tuesday. You better get yourself a hat before then because I know from experience that that part is not negotiable. - Now, this ratatouille you mentioned some time back, how quickly can you knock one up? I’m starving.”
She didn’t retract her hand the entire way home.
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