"I can ride the spookers and the bolters and the rearers and the quitters" Jill said confidently, "but the buckers, well they just have to think about it and I'm flying through the air."
"You're brave" the harness racer'd said, scaring her in fact, because if he thought that she must be missing something. But, she wan not missing the fact he was bringing her an ice cap as a super surprise on such a hot day.
"You can see through those pants when the sun's behind you" he said, teasing and changing the subject. She was actually wearing cream coloured linen pants to muck out the stall that day. They were hand-me-downs from movie star cousins that she knew she'd never wear outside of the barn, but they were so cool, and felt so comfortable and it was so hot...
"I switched from polka dot underwear to a solid colour this morning in case that happened" Jill retorted, acting less mortified than she actually was...now she tried changing the subject,
"The last time I rode Farah she jumped a big rock in our path like it was a real obstacle. Isn't that cute? Doesn't that sound like a pony that WANTS to go cross?"
*
Later the same day, Jill was in the barn alone, tackling yet another disgusting corner of the standardbred breeding farm buildings. Cobwebs covered the tack on the hooks on the wall, and as she discovered more tack in the dusty piles on the floor, she just added the bits to the hanging mess, concentrating on "sorting" for the time being. Just to cobweb and sweep with things up of the floor and flat surfaces would be a huge improvement. She laughed out loud to find a bar of saddle soap on a shelf she was clearing, and Jim peeked around the corner of the doorway, surprising her with his presence, and his quizzical expression... "As if we need THIS around here" she showed him the unopened box.
They also had a quick conversation about the whiskey bottle she'd found back there, and flirted in their way as she continued her dirty work and he harnessed his (devil) pony. When the boss came in the barn Jim said, "Jill's been drinking in the barn again" and Jill shrieked and turned to see the boss's face as she told Jim to SHUT UP.
The boss laughed and then said to Jill, "EW, your face is dirty."
Jill shrugged and brought the inside of her t-shirt up to her face to wipe it. As she smeared it around her gritty grimy skin, she felt wet around her nose. Ick, was this a snotty, messy nose? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW. Gross. She was grossed out and it was her own mess. Not to mention, it was mortifiying. And, in front of Jim of all people? In a way she wanted to die of shame but on the other hand, she tried to think "well, what's wrong with a dose of real life in a romance anyway?" Ug.
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