Classics in Summertime

Dylan and I guided Conchita and Splash with their bridles until we were outside the barn and a few steps towards the back pasture. When I stopped, Dylan stopped with me, and although I was ready to hop on Splash and go, it didn’t appear he was.

“Do you know how to get up?” I asked, trying to mask the wide smile on my face. For a while, I had almost forgotten that he was just a city boy and that this whole thing would probably end up being quite the show.

Dylan eyed the saddle for a moment before looking back at me and shrugging his shoulders. “Just put my feet in the loops, right?”

I chuckled and nodded my head. “Something like that.”

He was biting his lip, and I couldn’t help but watch as he stuck one foot in the left stirrup – the wrong foot, might I add. He grabbed onto the horn and attempted to use it o lift himself up, though his poorly situated foot made it difficult. It took nearly five minutes and several almost slips before he was sitting on Conchita normally, the smile on his face as though he hadn’t just made a fool of himself.

“What are you waiting for?” He asked, looking at me with a smile as he wrapped his hands around Conchita’s reins.

I said nothing before hopping on Splash easily and holding onto her reins. With both of us on our horses and ready to go, I guided Splash in the direction of the trail, and Conchita quickly followed with no direction from Dylan.

The two of us rode in silence for at least a mile, just enjoying nature, before Dylan finally spoke beside me.

“Your brother didn’t seem to happy to see me in the barn earlier.”

So, Dylan had noticed Austin’s very displeased look and overall snippy attitude regarding everything related to him. Austin was a good kid, really; he just liked Wyatt too much for his own good.

“He’s an odd one,” I said simply, shrugging my shoulders. “He fell off one of the horses when he was little, so I imagine that has something to do with it.”

“I could see that.” Dylan laughed, making me laugh with him. “When do we get to this gorgeous view you were talking about?”

I looked at him once before pointing up in the distance. “It’s just past those trees.”

Neither of us said anything else until we reached the trees and turned the corner, which opened up into a wide pasture and the mountain laid out right in front of us. The sun was high in the sky, and it provided the perfect spotlight on the Oscar worthy scene.

The horses stopped as if on cue, and I turned to look at Dylan, admiring the look of pure wonder of his face. He had his mouth slack and his eyes wide, while his hands were fidgeting loosely with the reins.

“What do you think?” I asked. I didn’t really want to interrupt his magical moment, but I had to say something so I could be a part of whatever it was that he was feeling.

“You were right,” he said simply, looking out at the mountain for a long moment before looking back at me. Our eyes met and he smiled. “It is beautiful.”

I smiled back. “I told you.”

I gave Dylan a few more moments to just admire the scenery before I interrupted him again, knowing that we’d have to start making our way back. I couldn’t risk being late for dinner and having everyone ask where I had been. Even if I was willing to lie about it, Austin wouldn’t be.

“We better start heading back now,” I said, pulling Splash’s reigns to get her to turn around. “I promised Austin I’d be back before dinner.”

“Yeah, of course,” Dylan said quickly. He struggled to get Conchita to move, but when she saw that Splash was beginning to leave, she quickly followed. Conchita walked quickly for a minute until she was side by side with Splash, almost knocking Dylan and I’s legs together from how close they were standing. “Thanks for taking me out here, Ev. It really is beautiful.”

I looked over at Dylan to find that he was smiling brightly at me, and I quickly smiled back. “It’s no problem, really. I enjoyed having someone to ride with.”

“If you ever need a riding buddy again, you know where I live. Though I have to admit I’m not nearly as talented as you are.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You don’t have to be talented to ride a horse. You just have to have the right demeanor.”

“Do you think I have that?”

I nodded my head, smiling at him. “Definitely. Conchita loves you.”

“Well, I’m glad I made at least one friend.” Dylan reached his hand out to rub against Conchita’s neck, and the smile on his face was simply perfect.

We rode in silence for the rest of the way until we made it back to the barn, just in time for dinner. Dylan made it off of Conchita much more easily than he had gotten on her, which was probably because all he did was slide off. He held onto her reigns like a pro and helped me guide both her and Splash into the barn.

The moment we stepped foot into the barn, I saw Wyatt standing next to one of the front stalls, casually petting one of the younger mare’s noses.

“Wyatt,” I said immediately, picking up my pace so I could get to him before Dylan was anywhere close. “What are you doing here?

Wyatt shrugged his shoulders, moving away from the stall to look me dead in the eyes. “Austin said you were out for a ride, so I thought I’d wait for you to get back. Just wanted to check to see how you’ve been.”

I shuffled my feet nervously as I bit my lip, gripping more tightly onto Splash’s reigns. “I’ve been good thanks.”

Dylan was still standing at the front of the barn with Conchita just petting her nose. He was apparently trying to give Wyatt and I space, and I was just thankful that he wouldn’t hear anything Wyatt said.

“You’ve been hanging out with that city boy a lot.”

“No, he, uh – he’s just around.”

“Just around?” Wyatt said with his lips pursed, casually putting his hands into his front jean pockets. “Seems like a little more than just around to me.”

“It’s nothing, really,” I said, shaking my head. Wyatt had always been bad about prying into my life, and Dylan was one thing I really didn’t want him prying about. “Listen, Wyatt, I’ve gotta get the horses put up and get ready for dinner, so I’ll just talk to you later.”

I didn’t know when later would be, and I honestly didn’t plan on making plans for it. Before Wyatt could say anything else, I pulled Splash towards the back of the barn to her stall, and Dylan took that as his cue to follow.

He was pulling Conchita silently to her stall and after I took off her saddle, he shut the door before moving towards Splash to help me with her. I was unfastening the saddle when Dylan leaned down a bit.

“I’m sorry if I made the two of you fight,” Dylan said softly, almost like it was a secret just between the two of us. “That wasn’t my intention at all.”

I shook my head quickly, standing up so Dylan and I were eye to eye. He had his lips pressed together, but they almost looked like they were trembling.

“It’s okay, really. It was nothing.” I paused for a long moment, unsure of what else to say, before Splash kicked her hoof and interrupted me. “I better get inside though. My parents will kill me if I’m late for dinner.”

Dylan nodded his head gently before taking the saddle from my hands and putting it in its rightful place. I stepped out of Splash’s stall, and when Dylan followed, I slid the door behind us. He followed me to out of the barn until we had reached the place where my house’s dirt sidewalk met the road and we had to part ways.

“I had a great time today, Ev,” Dylan said, giving me a faint smile while he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“It’s no problem, really. Thank you for coming.”

The two of us stood for a few, long awkward moments before Dylan finally spoke again, motioning his hands towards his house down the road. “I guess I better get going then. Let you get to your dinner.”

“Yeah, of course,” I said quickly, nodding my head. “I’ll see you around.”

Dylan nodded his head and smiled. “See you around.”

With that, he was turning down the dirt road and back to his place, leaving me to head inside, where I would soon be doing dishes for Austin, despite the fact that Wyatt found out anyway.