Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

Who Do You Think You Are

   "Tell me just what you want me to be. One kiss. And boom, you're the only one for me-"

  "Well, if you insist." Before I could even turn around, I felt my waist being grabbed and hauled backwards in a spin.

  Startled, as he dipped me, I blinked up at Liam. "You scared the crap outta me!"

  I was just at the barn, grooming Molly, and singing 'Game of Love' and bam! Liam's out of nowhere, spinning me around like an idiot.

  He smirked. "That was kinda the point." He brought me back standing straight. "I'd have waited a lot longer if I'd known you could sing."

  Blushing, I turned back to grooming Molly. "I can't sing...."

  "Ya know what? Don't argue with me. It's not gonna end well."

  I rolled my eyes. "Oh, brother."

  Grabbing a curry comb, Liam obliged in helping me groom the muddy Molly. She'd rolled around in the pond and then dirt. "Well, I've seen this horse better....It's all your fault."

  "My fault?" I laughed.

  Liam nodded, pretending not to pay attention to me. "Yup."

  "And how's that, exactly?"

  "Ever since ya got here, she's been acting ten years younger."

  Smiling, I scratched Molly's ear affectionately. "She missed me!"

  "She's not the only one."

  I stared at Liam, who refused to look up from his insistent brushing. It was so quiet, what he'd said, that I wasn't even sure he'd said it. Awkwardly, I went back to brushing.

  "So," Liam said, like nothing had ever ensued. " ya gonna help me muck stalls today?"

  "Haha! No!"

  "Why? Afraid you'll get dirty? Chip a nail?"

  I glared at him. "I've got homework."

  "Well.....ya sure got time ta fool around doin' the fun part 'bout horses."

  "Well, what's in it for me if I help?"

  Liam smirked a 'hey, hey baby' look.

  I frowned, not amused.

  "Seriously, though. You can go to Pete's with me this weekend."

  Still frowning, and on guard, I asked, "What's Pete's?"

  "Horse auction place."

  "Sounds fun," I said sarcastically.

  Liam gave me that big, boyish grin. "Ya have no idea."

  I glanced at the row of seven stalls, knowing they all need mucking. "How bad are they?"

  He shrugged. "Not too bad. Been bout two weeks. It'll probably take only a few hours."

  I groaned, seeing no way out of it. If I didn't, I faced being guilty for just leaving and letting Liam do it all by his lonesome. "Fine," I whined.

  Liam put a hand over his heart. "So nice to have enthusiastic people around!"

  I shot him an unamused look.

  He laughed anyway, walking over to the side of the barn to retrieve rakes and pitchforks. "When was the last time you mucked a stall?"

  "Before I moved."