Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Juliet

I just finished cleaning out the last stall when I heard my name being called.

"Jules, have you got a minute?"

"Hi, Georgia, what's up?"

"I've got a favour to ask. If I give you a tenner, would you bring Diamond in from turnout for me tomorrow and sort him out in his stall? I've got an appointment and I'm not sure what time I will be back."

"Yeah, that's fine. I've got a lesson tomorrow anyway so I can do it after that. Just let me know whenever you need me to help out, I need all the money I can get now."

"I forgot about that. When does your horse arrive?"

"Sunday, I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet him." I literally bounce on the spot in anticipation. My own horse finally.

"You haven't seen him? At all?"

"Well, it's a bloke my grandad knows who is selling him. I've seen videos and photos, and he told my grandad that he is bombproof. My granddad has bought him for me for my birthday. He says he's a bargain. My mum says not to get my hopes up too much that he might need a lot of work."

"Will your mum be riding him as well?"

"She says not. She says she has enough with her own horse. I think she is annoyed grandad bought him for me. She didn't want me to have my own horse until after university, but the university I want to go to has the stabling to take your own horses with you."

"Better make sure you keep those grades up to get there then. I'll see you on Friday then. I better get a move on, am just going to lunge Diamond today, shake some of the cobwebs loose."

I watch her walk away. I like Georgia. She is always chilled with us, even when we are being silly and messing about. And she always pays when she wants a favour, not like some of the other women who act like you are doing them a favour by doing something for them. Diamond is a sweetheart anyway, so it is easy money.

I turn back to the wheelbarrow; I just need to run this up the ramp and tip in into the trailer. I don't know where it goes from here, I just know we dump it in the trailer, then someone comes and takes it away, leaving an empty trailer in its place for us to start again.

I tip the muck out, then prop the empty barrow against the wall. I have an hour before the afternoon lessons start, just time to saddle up Preeya and take her into the arena to do pole work. I don't ride her often, but Em has done a fabulous job with her and while she is away on holiday for a fortnight, I am helping out exercising the horses she normally works with.

I'm distracted texting Em to let her know my plans as I walk into the tack room, so I don't see the legs stuck out until I go flying over them.

"What the hell?"

"Why don't you watch what you're doing?"

I pull myself to my feet and look around. A boy is sitting leaning against the wall just inside the tack room his legs stretched out. He has a smug look on his face. I want to slap off. It's like he is laughing at the fact I fell over him. I check my phone relived to see I managed to protect it from smashing on the floor. I really don't have spare money to buy a new phone right now and my dad swears if I break my phone at the stables he isn't paying for a replacement.

"What are you doing in here?" I try to sound like his presence doesn't bother me, but the guy is gorgeous.

"Waiting for my aunt, not that it's any of your business."

The snarky tone of his voice makes me turn away and head straight for Preeya's saddle. I slide one arm under the saddle, then turn to grab the bridle with my free hand. Instead, I come into contact with him. I swear I have read in books about this electricity that flies from one person to another, but I believed it could be real.

"Don't you ever watch what you're doing?"

He may as well have just thrown cold water over me because he definitely killed whatever spark I felt.

"Well, I wouldn't need to watch what I was doing if you weren't hanging around here like some weird stalker freak. Excuse me, I have things to do."

I grab the bridle and walk out. I can feel his eyes burning into my back. What a jerk. But I can't ignore the tingle I can still feel in my fingertips where they made contact with him.