My Country Love Story

9- Being helpful

Blake helped me unload everything from his truck and then I mentioned how my brushes and saddle is sitting up in my room.

Me: “I really want to try my saddle on them to see if it fits.”

Blake: “You already have a saddle?”

Me: “Yeah I just left it up in my room, and there are a couple other things I want to grab as well.”

Blake: “Want an extra hand?”

Me: “Sure.”

He followed me up to my room and I unloaded all of the horse stuff from my closet. A bridle, two rope halters, two lead ropes, my pairs of boots, a saddle pad and cover, and of course my saddle and rack.

Blake: “Yeah sure a couple of other things.”

Me: “I almost forgot my grooming box full of brushes.”

He pretended to be annoyed, and went to grab my saddle for me. I just watched waiting for his reaction.

Blake: “Damn that is a hell of a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be.”

I laughed and hooked my bridle to the horn of my saddle, and I grabbed everything else.

We made it down to the tack room without dropping anything and put all of it away.

Me: “Wanna lead Cosmo in for me?”

Blake: “As long as you put his halter on.”

Me: “Sure.”

We spread the shavings in each stall, filled a water bucket and hung them up, and put two flakes of hay in each stall. I grabbed the rope halters and lead ropes and Blake followed me out to their pasture.

Me: “Their nose goes through here and then this part goes behind their ears, then through the loop and ties a knot.” I demonstrated. I threw a rope over Cosmo’s neck and had Blake come in and try to put it on.

Blake: “Ok so nose through here, this rope over his head and through the loop, and how do you tie the knot?”

Me: “Any way you want just not too tight that you can’t un-do it.” He patted Cosmo on his neck and watched what I did as I brought Mars inside first.

I mixed up their grain and gave that to them and went into Cosmo’s stall to brush him. I wanted to try my saddle on him first. I let Cosmo finish eating then I brought him into the barn isle and tied him to a post. I went into the tack room to grab my saddle and saddle pad. Blake put his saddle pad on and I threw my saddle up and over Cosmo’s back. The gullet was way too loose for him. I could try a buildup pad but his withers are so much thinner than Mars’. I put Cosmo back in his stall and brushed Mars and tied him to the same post. Blake put on the saddle pad again and I threw my saddle up and over. Perfect fit as far as I could tell. I would have to ride to make sure.

Me: “It fits better on Mars.”

Blake: “How can you tell?”

I explained it to him and he just stood there nodding, I think I’m just confusing him.

Me: “I would need to ride and get Mars sweaty to see his sweat marks. If there are no dry spots underneath his saddle then it’s all good. Then I just need to buy a saddle and bridle for Cosmo.”

Blake: “That’s good, hopefully it works out.”

Me: “Yeah but now they’re all set. What about the brake lines or something that my Dad said.”

Blake: “Oh right I almost forgot.”

He replaced them without any problem since he had already taken an automotive class last year. He said they were just old and gave out, nothing major.

I let him come inside to wash up and then my Momma said dinner was ready, right in time.

Momma: “Blake you’re welcome to stay if you’d like.”

Blake: “Sure thanks a bunch Claire.”

Momma: “Leah, your Dad isn’t going to make it home for dinner but when you take care of clean up can you pack a single serving in a left over dish in the fridge for him?”

Me: “Yeah no problem.”

Over dinner we just talked about everything that went on today. I planned to be up at 6am to feed and then lunge Mars to see if he looks injured or anything before I ride him. Then I’ll just need to test out my saddle and get measurements for Cosmo and then I can go shopping.

Blake and I checked on the horses one last time and I walked him to his truck.

Blake: “So what time do you think you’ll be riding tomorrow?”

Me: “I don’t know depends on how everything goes.”

Blake: “Wanna call me just before you get on?”

Me: “There’s only one problem with that, I don’t have your number.”

Blake: “Oh right, here I’ll put it in your phone.”

Me: “I left it inside, hang on I’ll be right back.”

Blake: “Never mind can I have your hand?”

He grabbed a sharpie out of his truck and wrote his cell phone number on the back of my hand. I thanked him for all of his help today and he actually reached out for a hug before saying goodbye.

When I hugged him he smelled like hay and that’s so much better than the scent of any cologne. It was a quick but tight hug and I had to stand on my toes to put my chin on his shoulder. He chuckled about that part, and let go of me.

Blake: “Wait Leah come here for a second.”

Me: “Yeah what?”

He pulled something out of my hair and showed me the piece of hay that was stuck in my hair. We laughed and then I said goodnight.

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Author's note:

This time in the media section is a collage of Leah and Blake. I just realized I never really described what they look like;

Leah: Brunette with brown eyes, about 5'5"

Blake: Brunette with green eyes, almost 6'