Free Hidden by ML Ross

you.”
        “Which
one is this?” I ask as I stand in front of a beautiful black and white horse.
 He seems so tame.
        “That’s
Buster.  He’s an old guy.  When you ride, I’ll put you on him.
 He’s slow and gentle.  You’ll like him.  Once we’re all
finished here, we’ll go for a ride.”
        “Really?”
 I feel like a little girl.  I’m so excited, I want to jump up and
down.  Since that first day I saw the horses, I dreamed of being able to
ride.  “So what do we have to do?”
        “First
we have to hay, feed and water the horses.  Then each horse has to be
groomed.  Then we have to muck the stalls and then dump and spread the
manure out in the fields with the tractor. We also have to record all the
feedings, water changes and grooming.”
        I
stare at him blankly.  I didn’t sleep last night.  At all.  Just
listening to all that work makes me yawn.  I cover my mouth as I try to
suck in as much oxygen as I can.
        “Don’t
worry, it’s not that bad and with both of us working, we’ll get done fast and
then we can relax.  So, if you can start filling their buckets with water,
I’ll start cleaning out the stalls and then we can fill them with hay.”
        “I
can do that.”
        We
work side by side.  Dillon shows me where all of the supplies are.
 It takes a few hours to finish the stalls.  We take a quick water
break and get back to work.
        “Now
we have to make them all pretty.”  He brings out a bunch of different
shaped brushes and a bucket of water and washcloths.  “They like to be
groomed so don’t be scared of them.  You can start with Buster.
 First we use this brush in a circular motion to remove the dirt and loose
hair, then this brush we use in straight short motions, and then the soft brush
we use last and on the more sensitive areas. This comb is for their mane and
tail. Then we use a sponge for their faces and docking areas.”
        “Docking
areas?”
        “Their
asses.”
        “Oh.”
 He chuckles at me and then grabs the brush.
        “Here
let me show you.”
        He
stands super close to me and puts the brush in my hand.  Putting his hand
over mine, he shows me how much pressure to use and how to brush the circles on
the horse. His hand is strong and yet gentle.  I can feel my hand shaking
under his.         
        “See,
he likes it.  He’d much rather have a pretty girl brushing him than me.”
 He winks at me.  “Grooming the horses also helps them build trust
with you.  They’ll get used to you and trust you to take care of them.
 Here.”  He takes the brush from my hand and sets it down.  He
reaches for my hand again and places it on the horse’s nose.  “You don’t
have to be scared to touch him.  He likes it.”
        I
can’t help but to think he may be talking about more than just the horse.
 We split up the horses and groom them all.  By the third one, I’m a
pro.  I even let one eat some hay out of my hand.  I’ve never smiled
so much in my life.  I’m so tired from all the work but I also feel an
intense sense of gratification.  For the first time in a long time, I have
hope for the future.
        Dillon
lets me off the hook with poop duty.  He can tell I’m about to fall over.
 He sends me off to take a shower while he disposes of the manure and
tells me to dress in something comfortable, and that he’ll meet me back at the
barn in an hour.
        I
turn the water on and step into the shower.  As I close my eyes and let
the spray of warm water massage my sore muscles and wash the dirt and grime off
of my body, I replay the day’s events in my head with a smile tugging on my
lips.  I soap up my hands and rub the suds across my chest and breasts.
 My nipples stiffen and suddenly feel very sensitive. It’s not something
I’ve ever felt before. I skim my fingertips back over my hardened nipples as
pleasure