Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie Page A

horse. It’s not fun.” A beat passed. “How’s old Magpie treating you?”
    â€œHuh? Oh, she’s great,” Andrew answered, distracted by the loose-limbed way Ryder moved. He pulled the reins back on Cobalt and they slowed to a walk, turned, and headed back to the fence.
    â€œDamn Dante. He’s a wild one,” Mr. Kensington said through clenched teeth.
    â€œAre you boarding him, or is he yours?”
    â€œOh, no. We’re boarding him, but the owners didn’t tell me he hadn’t been completely broken yet. I charge a lot more up front for that. I’ve broken plenty of horses, but this one just doesn’t want it. He has a free spirit. I think I might let Ryder have a shot with him.”
    â€œWhat do you mean by broken?”
    â€œBreaking a horse is kind of like training a dog. You know, get them used to your commands, and do what you want, when you want it? Except with a horse, it’s training them to accept a rider, too not just the commands. Most horses spook out when they have a rider on their back for the first time. You have to go slow with it and be easy with them. If Dante wasn’t good on a halter, I wouldn’t have taken him. I guess since he seemed okay I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to take him in.”
    â€œSo what can he do?” Andrew asked.
    â€œWell, he accepts a saddle now, but he doesn’t like the bit at all.”
    All this terminology…Andrew felt like he needed to study a book. What’s a bit? He wondered. He sat up straighter, not asking. “And you think Ryder can do it?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œCan’t he get hurt?”
    Mr. Kensington looked up at him, his eyes crinkling up with his smile. “Sure he can, but he’s smart. He’s not an expert at it, but I’ve seen him work with spooked animals before, and he’s pretty good. If he can get Dante to take a rider, well, I think it’ll be a damn miracle, but I’ve run out of other options.”
    The conversation lulled as Ryder headed back toward them, leading Dante. Andrew kept his eyes focused on Ryder, unable to take his eyes away from his shape. He held on to his reins with one hand, while the other held the lead of Dante. The horse followed after him with no resistance as if he hadn’t just been running away. His uncle went ahead to meet them and open one of the gates, but Andrew stayed put.
    The cold breeze blew through Ryder’s long, brown locks and they floated on the wind, brushing against his lips. His eyes sparkled wide with laughter as he handed off the lead to his uncle. His lean body rolled with each step of his horse, looking more like an extension of the creature than a separate being. Andrew’s pulse quickened at the sight and he shifted uneasily in the saddle, looking down at himself in alarm as other things stirred in his body—things that shouldn’t be stirring when he looked at one of his friends. One of his male friends.
    What the hell was wrong with him? It had to be the riding. Sitting in the saddle for so long…it was probably putting pressure in the exact wrong spot, at the exact wrong time. It had been a while since he’d gotten laid.
    It’s natural. Completely fine .
    Ryder stopped in front of him and Andrew’s focus shifted to him. He hadn’t been paying much attention and didn’t realize Ryder had gotten so close, and from the look on his friend’s face, Ryder knew it. He felt his face heat up but couldn’t look away. Ryder’s eyes caught his and seemed to burn through him, looking into his mind and seeing what he saw, feeling what he felt. The smile that pulled at his lips hinted at something far from innocent, and Andrew shivered.
    â€œLet’s head back,” Ryder whispered and didn’t wait for Andrew to answer. Cobalt turned and walked for the barn. Andrew hesitated a moment before he and Magpie followed after him.
    Together