Undercover ✔️

Chapter 9

Audrey hefted the saddle off the rack and stepped back from the weight. She turned and saw Lucas leaning against the stall's door frame, his arms crossed.

"How'd you learn to do this stuff anyways?" he asked.

His body followed her as she left the stall and moved to where Lincoln was standing.

"I don't know, I learned some stuff here, went to summer camps and stuff like that." Audrey answered vaguely.

She placed the saddle on Lincoln's back and her hands quickly moved around effortlessly looping straps throw buckles and tightening them. In a moment she was finished and looked back at Lucas to see him smirking.

"Must be some summer camps."

"What can I say I'm a fast learner."

They stopped talking when they heard a pair of voices coming towards them.

"Thought just Charlotte was riding with us?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, well I guess not."

Charlotte came into sight and next to her casually sauntered James. His manner always saying that where ever he was he belonged there, whether it was in someone else's home, a club or a foreign city. He smiled teasingly at Audrey when he saw her surprise.

"Look who I found wandering around." Charlotte said cheerily.

"I'm pretty sure James has never 'wandered' in his life." Audrey said, her fingers making quotation marks around the word wandered.

"You caught me, I came over to go riding with you and Charlotte. I know it's a favorite pass time of yours." James said.

"Figures. I'll tell Peter to get you a horse ready." Audrey said.

"No need to burden yourself on my behalf I'll ask him myself."

James walked further into the stable and found Peter in one of the stalls.

"Okay well you want to get going?" Audrey asked, Lucas and Charlotte.

In response Charlotte climbed the wooden box and swung her leg over Kennedy's back.

"Here I'll get the box for you." Audrey said, to Lucas.

She lifted the box off the ground and turned around in time to see Lucas easily pull himself into the saddle without any hesitation or overbalancing. He sat there calmly and smiled at her expression.

"What can I say I'm a fast learner." Lucas said.

Audrey smirked.

"And you said I was difficult to figure out."

James came out of a stable riding Washington his body relaxed, his grip on the reins loose.

"See you got on the horse, good for you old sport. Come on Audy let's show him how it's done." James said.

Audrey instinctively lifted her left arm up to him as he passed and felt him grip it. His strength easily lifted her body from the ground and landed it on the back of his horse. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist as they cantered out of the stables and into the afternoon heat. They made a circle and came back to where Charlotte and Lucas were exiting the stable at a comfortable walk.

"Don't worry, they're just a bunch of show offs." Charlotte said, to Lucas, loud enough for James and Audrey to hear her.

"Come come my dear Lottie don't be so jealous all you have to do is ask and I would gladly let you ride on the back of my horse." James said, brightly.