Lovebirds

A soft nicker came from the stable as the woman walked into the barn, wearing slacks and a men’s button up shirt and her black hair pulled back into a loose bun- an outfit frowned on by most but she found it much more comfortable to ride with pants over a dress. Certainly more comfortable than the big frilly dresses her daddy had wished she’d wear. She moved with prowess as she walked to the stall to greet her newest mare, wise eyes looking at her with dark spots around them that made her think of the drawings she’d seen in books of the exotic bear. She knew that the men had made a good choice in the mare that was brought to her the moment she’d laid eyes on her- though she had been surprised they were successful in finding the breed she had sent them off on considering how they reacted to the request. It wasn’t the first time she hadn’t been taken seriously by such men and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. 

“That’s alright Baby Doll.” She said with a smile as she stoked the mare’s soft snout with a gentle hand. “You ready for our morning ride?” She cooed sweetly as she opened the stall door, the golden plaque with ‘Baby Doll’ engraved in it. Despite her daddy’s constant worry and dislike of her attire, or the fact of her reading books, or most anything else she did- the money ran deep in their veins and Catherine got what Catherine wanted. Well, for the most part anyways. 

She pulled the mare out of the stall by her halter, guiding the loyal maneless horse to tie up and start to tack with a lightweight saddle and a gentle bit in her mouth. A delicate breed deserved such delicate handling. 

“Miss Catherine.” In much contrast to the white mare and the pale woman wearing nice clothing, he was wearing clothes comparable to rags- dirty from work.

The woman turned her head and smiled at the dark skinned man, “Are you ready? Grab Flattop and we can get out of here.” 

The man didn’t have to be told twice, tipping his floppy hat to the woman before he walked through the stable and opened the stall to a maneless leopard spotted gelding, similar to the mare that she had pulled out with it’s maneless nature and soft curly tail. The horse sniffed at him and pressed his head against him endearingly, though he wasn’t his horse the animal had grown more than accustomed to him with these rides. 

Catherine untethered Baby Doll and took her reins, leading her to meet the man as he placed the saddle on the gelding. She snatched his hat off her head and put it on herself, grinning from ear to ear as he looked over with a smile spreading across his face. 

The man couldn’t help himself from a quick kiss, despite the consequences of them being seen together. 

“Let’s get out of here before anyone gets suspicious.” He hummed to her, tightening the strap on the gelding before he took the reins and walked side by side with her out of the stable. 

She didn’t need the help, but the man still hoisted the petite woman onto the sweet mare who pawed at the ground with anticipation of the usual morning ride. She seemed just as glad that he and Flattop would be joining them as Catherine was. 

The gelding turned his nose to Baby Doll as he was mounted, snorting at the extra weight on him but easily listened to the physical commands of the man squeezing his sides. 

Catherine knew better but still giggled as they rode side by side past the mansion she lived in on one side, and the acres of cotton fields on the other. “I say, you’re truly more of a gentleman than any of the men daddy has been bringing around.”

“Is he still letting those men bother you like that?”

“He’s getting more persistent, everytime I try to put out that pesky candle he comes and extends it!” She rolled her eyes, “One of these days I’m just going to tell him how I feel about it.”

“Oh I wouldn’t do that Miss Catherine.” The man shook his head. 

Catherine turned her eyes to him, watching his face as they rode on the docile horses at a steady walk down the dirt paths on her father’s plantation.
“I don’t know how much longer I can do this for Gilbert.” She told him, her eyes turning down as she rocked her feet while Baby Doll loyally walked the path she had grown accustomed to shoulder to shoulder with Flattop as they made their way to the back of the property. 

“We can’t do this forever.”

“What other choice do we have?” She asked. “If daddy finds out about us, about you?”

“I know… but let’s not worry about that so early in the morning Miss Catherine.” He said with a grim tone in his voice, pulling Flattop to a stop and Catherine shifting the reins in her hands as Baby Doll stopped with him.

“I worry though, I have every right to.” She told him.
“I’m not trying to take that from you ma’am.” He said, leaning towards her from the saddle.

Catherine smiled some, her eyes half mooning as she leaned back towards him.

Just before he could land another kiss on her soft lips, he claimed his floppy hat from her head to put back on his head before kicking at Flattop’s sides.

“HYAH!” He called out with laughter in his voice, the spotted horse huffing as he reared and whinnied before he started to take off. 

“You thief!” Catherine laughed out as she gathered herself and the reins to start following suit after him.  “I’ll get you!” She giggled as she pursued him on her mare, the white horse flicking her tail and arching her neck as she gave chase to the gelding and Gilbert. 

Gilbert pushed his limits to the edge of the property, him and the gelding both panting as he jumped off of him and turned to face her as she was catching up on the mare. 

“You’ll have to run fast!” He laughed out as she jumped off her still running mare. 

“You can’t get away from me that easily!” She laughed as she started to run after him on foot. 

He must have taken it easy on her as he started to run and she easily caught up to him. 

The woman pounced and jumped on his back, trying to claim the hat from him and in the struggle they both ended up on the muddy ground. Catherine let out a squeal of laughter as she tried to wrestle the hat from his head and then his hands as he snatched it from her grip. 

The man’s deep laugh was contagious and made her laugh that much harder as she tried to pry it from his grip and finally claimed in to place on her head, sitting up on top of him and placing her hands on her hips.

“Look at me, I’m Gilbert.” She giggled out, quickly putting both her hands over the hat to keep it in place as he tried to snatch it back once more.

“Where are you manners!?” She squealed out with laughter, successfully keeping the hat on her head for the meantime. 

“I guess I must of left them at the stable.” He chuckled out, leaning forward to finally grant the kiss he had offered prior to getting his hat back.

She wrapped her arms around him, falling over him as she kissed him back but broke it with a giggle from her lips. “I ought to teach you a lesson.” She teased him. 

“I’m a stubborn man.” Gilbert teased back, poking at her sides playfully and putting her guard down enough for him to claim his hat back and start another round of laughter filled rough housing for the hat while the two horses started to graze nearby. 

Catherine panted, finally giving up on her attempt to get the hat back as she laid on her back and Gilbert stood up- covered in mud and dirt from the play fighting. He corrected his floppy hat on his head, panting lightly as he watched her. 

“Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to steal?”

“Me? I’ve never stolen a thing in my days. I am offended at such accusations sir!” She panted out with a smile on her face as she inched closer to him, using her hips to her advantage as she did her best to be charming- even covered in mud and her bun so loose it was nearly falling out. 

Before she could snatch the hat off his head, the man leaned backwards away from her with a hearty laugh. “Close but no cigar.” He laughed out, only for the hat to be lifted off his head.

Baby Doll had claimed the hat in her mouth, her ears perked up as she nickered and bobbed her head proudly at her success. 

Gilbert double took as Catherine’s grin widened and her eyes grew round. 

“Atta girl!” She laughed as she pushed Gilbert when he started to reach to grab for the hat out of her mouth. 

The mare pawed at the ground, giving a small bounce as she turned to keep the hat from him as well, joining in on the game the two had been playing all morning. 

“Baby Doll!” Catherine giggled out, rushing after her and trying to claim the hat from her, only for the mare to lift her head and trot off, proudly showing off her trophy but denying any hands to make claim of it. 

Gilbert couldn’t stop laughing, tears forming in his eyes as the both of them kept trying to get the hat from the mare that kept dodging their best attempts. 

Finally, the man managed to snatch the hat from her mouth and she let out a loud whinny over her loss. 

“That horse is about as bad as you are.” Gilbert laughed as he fixed the floppy hat that now had a hole in it from the mare’s playful teasing. 

Catherine gasped and placed her hand on her chest as if offended, only for the act to break just as soon as it had come with a smile. 

“Bad?” She laughed out, throwing herself at him and getting caught by the muscular man wearing rags. 

Gilbert caught her, laughing as he did but quickly removing his hat to hold in his hands behind her back to keep her from claiming it once more. 

“Yes, bad.” He chuckled, planting a kiss on her sweet lips as he enjoyed the moment. It felt so rare that they got time alone together and as worrisome as it was to get caught, he couldn’t help his love and desire for this woman.

Catherine’s feet planted on the ground once more, smiling but worn out from the playing and leaned against him with her head against his chest and her arms draped over his neck. 

“I don’t think I’m so bad.” She hummed.

“Sneaking off to take a ride with me? Stealing my hat? Influencing your devious mare to do the same? I’d say, you’re a criminal.” He teased, placing his hat back on his own head as he kept his other arm wrapped around her waist. 

“Oh hardly.” She chuckled out and pulled away, a look of content on her face as she gathered Baby Doll’s reins, playing with them in her hands as Gilbert approached Flattop and followed her lead.

Gilbert looked over at her as she stroked the mare’s snout, noticing as her mood started to suddenly crash as her smile went from adoring to bittersweet. In an attempt to raise her spirits, he removed his hat from his head and placed it on Flattop’s head- who huffed and snorted at the piece being placed on him. 

Blue eyes turned and noticed the hat as Gilbert smiled and gestured to the gelding with a proud look on his face. 

She couldn’t help but laugh, the mare next to her raising her ears as she snorted at Flattop as if she were laughing at him as well. 

“I’d say it looks better on him than you.” She teased playfully. 

“You-” Gilbert laughed, snatching the hat from the horse’s head and putting it back on himself. “One of these days little lady.”

Flattop snorted and shook out his head, his nostrils flaring as he headbutted Gilbert’s side– nearly knocking the man’s feet from under him. 

“One of these days what?” Catherine teased with a hum, her eyes half mooning as she climbed onto Baby Doll’s saddle. 

Gilbert watched her, the bittersweet smile claiming his own face as she looked down at him.

“One of these days we’ll get away from all of this.” He told her, patting Flattop’s neck before offering her the reins. “It’s getting late in the morning Miss Catherine. I best get to work.” He told her.

Catherine’s smile turned to a frown, her eyes straying away for a moment before taking the gelding’s reins. 

“Gilbert?” She asked.

“Yes ma’am.” 

She took his hand to stop him from pulling away and leaned down to steal one last kiss for the day.

“I want to see you tonight.” She whispered.
“We need to be careful…” Gilbert warned, though still leaned forward from the kiss she had claimed. 

“I need you to be ready.” 

“What are you saying?”

“I can’t keep doing this, we’re leaving tonight.” Catherine promised him before sitting up in her saddle, tapping Baby Doll’s sides as she led Flattop back towards the stables. 

Gilbert watched as she rode away, his heart sinking as he took his hat off to admire her despite the fear that she had struck through him with those few words.