First to the Altar Wins (Wattpad Reading List choice)

4. Kendall: An Old Crush

This was the farthest Kendall had ever been. She sat in her saddle atop Sky, gazing down at the house sitting in the valley. Proud stone walls, curved balconies and high-reaching roofs formed an impressive shape that sat nicely in the middle of its acres of grounds. Yet, the estate seemed almost out of place, surrounded on all sides by forest-covered slopes.

For as long as Kendall could remember, the house had been empty since its last tenant had moved away, its gardens left to run wild, the windows coated with layer upon layer of dirt. But today was a different story. She could see people down there, cleaning, airing, trimming. The Hurtmore house was awakening.

Kendall sighed wistfully. She must have come to look at this estate a thousand times in her life. That was all she would ever be able to do - look. She'd never be able to live in a house like this, one that rivalled the Harper mansion in size and grandeur. Still, it was nice to imagine. She used to pretend that the house was unoccupied because it was waiting for her, waiting for the day she could make it her own.

Right. Keep dreaming, Kendall.

She turned Sky around, trotting back the way they had come. Sky's clopping hooves made a gentle rhythm against the ground, mingling with the sound of birds chirping and insects yawning. She closed her eyes, moving with the pace, thinking that time never seemed to matter here.

Then, through her reverie, she heard rustling, and was startled when the shape of a man popped up on her left. She gasped, tightening her hands on the reins. Her first thought was that it might be bandits, even though she had taken this trail countless times and had never had any trouble before.

Sky tottered backwards, and Kendall could feel her energy going out of control. In a flash, she remembered the lessons her brother had taught her to prevent bucking. She sank deep into the saddle and tugged on the reins to pull Sky's head to one side. If she could break Sky's instinct to go into the bucking position, it might turn out alright.

To her horror, Kendall saw someone grab the bridle, getting a firm hold. They wanted to take Sky from her! Now, it was her turn to panic. She freed her left foot from the stirrup, delivering a furious kick with her boot. She felt the hard, solid heel connect with a patch of chest, and watched with satisfaction as he was rudely sent backwards – right into a mud puddle.

"Ha!" she couldn't help exclaiming. "That'll teach you to try and take what doesn't belong to you. Scum." She adjusted her grip, regaining control. She was about to send Sky off running when she heard something that made her stop.

"Kendall," the man groaned, and her chest tightened when she realized she knew that voice.

She stopped, taking a closer look at the figure she had just knocked down. He was young and lean, and underneath the mud, his clothes were actually quite fine. Only now did she notice his (formerly) white shirt and tailored ash-gray vest, which contrasted against the bulky, sack-like bag on his back. She ran her eyes over his black ponytail and the lean shape of face. "Logan?"

He wiped his face, sitting on his rear and gazing up at her. He smiled wanly through a splash of dirt. "Hello, Kendall."

"Oh no. Oh noooo." She jumped down swiftly, extending both hands to help him up. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I thought you were – "

"Scum?"

She reddened at that. "Yes."

"It's alright. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to startle the both of you."

"Sky is a little jumpy." Using all her strength, she hauled him up, getting bits of mud on her clothes in the process. Still, it was nowhere as bad as what she'd done to him. "I'm sorry I kicked you. Does it hurt?"