Gypsy Girl and Horse Lovin' Boys Read Online Free Page B

you.”
    “I think I set myself up for that.” I tried to smile but I was too twitchy. Glancing over at the stables, I was scared to death that I was about to walk into a sea of my worst fear.
    Noah squeezed my shoulder. “You’re really scared, aren’t you? Don’t worry. We aren’t going in there. I have Ezra over here.” He pointed his thumb over to the path leading out of the fairgrounds.
    He had a slight cowboy swagger when he walked over to where he pointed. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my thighs and didn’t quite keep pace with Noah and Cessie. My sister talked non-stop about how she loved horses. Could she ride his horse? What breed of horse she loved most, how many horse books she’d read. Normally I would have told her to shut-up. She was actually helping draw attention away from me as my fear escalated when Ezra came into view. The pretty gray horse stood in front of a wooden fence with her lead rope wrapped around it. The horse was chomping on some grass until she spotted Noah. She tossed her head and nickered as he approached.
    I hugged my chest and slowed even more. Noah guided Cessie right up to Ezra’s muzzle. She giggled with delight as she fed Ezra a piece of carrot he handed her.
    Noah motioned for me to come closer. I hadn’t noticed I stopped. I tried to convince my feet to keep going. He reached for my hand and pulled me gently. I focused my attention on his hand holding mine and that felt really awesome. So I allowed him to bring me up to the horse. I stopped when there was still at least five feet between me and the horse’s muzzle.
    “How did you get as close as you did the other night if you’re this scared?” Noah asked, slightly humored by my irrational fear. He asked me so gently that I was only a little embarrassed instead of completely mortified.
    “I didn’t see the horse until after we bumped into each other.”
    “Maybe I should have blindfolded you. Maybe it would have been better.”
    “No. Worse.” I tried to let Noah bring my hand to the horse’s muzzle. I couldn’t help it when I kept pulling it back.
    “What are you scared of? Ezra doesn’t bite. Besides, she can’t do anything but back away with the rail between you and her.”
    “She’s enormous.”
    “Oh please, she’s the most well-behaved, over-grown puppy you’ll ever meet. Do you like puppies?”
    “Yes, but we’ve never had one.”
    “I’m scared of macaws because of their strong beaks,” he said.
    “It does hurt something awful when Millie bites.” I showed him my bruised finger.
    “Is that supposed to comfort me? Good thing you aren’t the one helping me with
my
fears. This is nothing. Look at her eyes. They’re gentle. You can see it.”
    I took in Ezra’s brown eyes and he was right. The horse looked sleepy or bored standing there. Noah stepped behind me. I trembled even more when his breath fluttered my hair. Oh, my. His arm was alongside mine and he cupped his hand around mine, pressing his thumb against my palm.
    “Stretch out your hand. I’m right here and I’ll protect you … from nothing. She’s not going to do anything. If it helps you feel better, lean back into me.” His other hand rested on my stomach, my back pressed against his chest. Not intentionally, I couldn’t help it. My heart wasn’t just pounding because I was scared, I was in physical contact with adorable patient Noah and my knees might not hold me up. The closer he moved me to the horse, the more I pressed my back against him. He stifled a laugh and kept apologizing, which made him even sweeter. I didn’t know what to do with the mix of terror and exhilaration overwhelming me from full body contact. He stopped making me move closer to the horse.
    “You’ll pass out if you don’t breathe. Now inhale,” he said.
    I did.
    “Exhale.”
    I swayed slightly from dizziness when I looked at the ground.
    “Now tell yourself you will be fine.”
    I nodded.
    “I want to hear you.”
    “I will be fine,” I