By The Hillside

Chapter 6

In this chapter there are mentions of riding without a helmet. For the love of God never do that. Protect the head! (Both of them) Enjoy!

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Three days went by, and Louis could admit he was beginning to get used to the ranch life. Every morning was breakfast with Harry and Conny, then followed by some work Harry put him to. Then lunch with the workers. He had bonded quite a lot with Zayn, and Niall was a good laugh. Jacob he was tolerating. The man was annoying.

Usually after lunch, Louis would hide away for a while to read some of his purchased books, and one day he also called Eleanor, telling her about Sunny, Zayn, the cows, Conny. Harry.

But one thing he did every day was to help train Sunny.

"It's important she learns the essential things from a very young age," Harry had explained. "It's so she will be easy to handle once she grows older. An unhandled full-grown horse can be very dangerous."

So Louis had been helping Harry with what he liked to call 'Filly Training'. He had, with Harry's help, taught Sunny to get a halter on and off, and they were working on having her walk on a leash next to him.

Another thing they had begun doing, was training to lift her hoofs so that they could be cleaned.

During those three days spent in the company of Sunny and Harry, Louis realised he had not only begun to form a friendship with Harry but also with the little scrawny horse. Now, every time Louis came into the stable, Sunny would neigh loudly, demanding scratches. Louis adored her.

And then there was his forming friendship with Harry. It had been in the works ever since they had been in town shopping, but now Louis could really feel it. Harry was warming up to him, and sometimes Louis even managed to make him laugh, resolving that tense line that ran along his shoulders to disappear, if only for a little while.

It was a nice feeling.

Yeah, Louis really was beginning to like living at the ranch. He found himself not even missing London.

June nineteenth, three days after Sunny's birth, Harry asked the question during breakfast.

Conny had served them egg and bacon, together with juice and coffee. Abby was laying in the corner of the room, together with the cats, Misty and Owen—somehow they had made their way into the house. It was probably Abby and her door-opening skills. She was quite good at that.

Harry asked the question just as Louis had raised some of the eggs to his lips, and once it was said, Louis just stared blankly at him. "What?"

"Yeah, isn't it about time you tried to ride?"

"Harry, I thought we discussed this, I'm the one who gets ridden. I'm flattered, honestly, I am, but I'm a top—"

"I meant horses, Louis," Harry chuckled. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

Conny chuckled, taking a sip of juice. There was a twinkle in her eyes. "Just act like I'm not here."

"Never, Conny, never," Harry said, making his voice extra emotional. "You just have to live through this immature idiot."

"Oi!"

Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not wrong, and you know it."

Louis let out a puff of air. "Sure."

"Now, I think I should give you a riding lesson."

"Why?" Louis said, faking agony.

Harry chuckled. "Because you live at a ranch, and you clearly enjoy being near the horses."