Cowgirl Up Three ✔️

Chapter Forty Seven

Phoenix's first reaction was to eye the white sheet with curiosity.
Knowing that was perfectly normal for him, I'd tried to approach him with said sheet so I could put it over his back.
He'd rolled his eyes and crab walked away, keeping the sheet and I at a six foot distance at all times.
Admittedly, I'd gotten a bit cranky, finding it ridiculous that my Horse was pretending to be worried about a sheet.
It's just because He's fresh out the paddock.
I'd told myself.
He's just playing games.
When I'd actually managed to touch him with the sheet, He'd reared!
I tried to approach Him again and He staggered sideways, snorting as though the white sheet was a deadly weapon.
Was I seriously just a naive seven year old who'd thought riding her Horse into her Wedding was just what a Bride could do if she wanted to?
The strangling feelings of defeat consuming Me, I crossed my ankles over each other and sank down to sit on the arena floor, cross legged like a school girl.
I didn't care one iota that I could already feel the wetness from the ground seeping into the seat of my jeans.
Phoenix stopped dancing around, maybe twelve feet away from the sheet and I and dropped his head to snort loudly.
I'd upset him.
The whole plan was to ride Phoenix into the Wedding.
Was that seriously not going to happen?
It wasn't like I could ride Phoenix in and then get changed into my dress once I was off his back!
And Blayze and I had planned to ride away from the ceremony together!
The torrent of tear's in my eyes became rapidly thicker.
Why did I have to be the airhead idiot who just believed that everything would work?
Hot tear's rolled down my cheek's.
It would be just my luck right about now, if it started to rain.
I sniffed against my tear's.
Now the whole Wedding plan was going to have to change, because Phoenix wasn't willing to believe the sheet wasn't a demon risen from the depths of Hell who wanted to dismember him limb from limb.
Phoenix lifted his head and pricked his ear's, his gaze focused on something behind Me.
Something heavy made contact with what sounded like the arena floor.
Phoenix didn't so much as flinch.
Curious, I twisted around to look behind Me.
Noah was nowhere to be seen.
Zuke was laying just outside the arena fence, no doubt with a disgustingly dirty belly.
Blayze was walking across the arena, his strides easy and his face mostly hidden from my view by his black hat brim.
Today he was dressed in waterproof Ariat boot's, dark stonewash jeans and a medium blue button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
Both his shirt and jeans had splatter's of dirt and god knew what else splashed across them.
"It's my Birthday, you're not allowed to cry."
He informed Me, stopping maybe a foot in front of Me and tipping his head down to watch Me.
I lifted my left hand and wiped at my tear's.
"It's your Birthday, you're not allowed to cry."
I corrected him, my stupid voice scratchy.
He eased down to squat in front of me, resting his elbows on top of his thigh's.
"You're not gonna tell me for my second Birthday in a row that we're expecting another Kid, are you?"
He queried.
"I'm n-not pregnant."
I told him, shaking my head.
"B-but the wh-whole Wedding p-plan has to ch-change."
I explained, struggling to make the words come out coherently.
He frowned, looking confused.
"Whaddya mean?"
"Phoenix won't even let me get near him with this stupid sheet!"
I exclaimed, gesturing behind Me to where I was pretty sure my Horse was still standing.
Blayze ducked his head.
Guilt gripped my heart.
I'd let us both believe we could have the 'ride our horses to the altar' Dream.
And now I was the one who had to break it.
He'd been excited.
It was what he d wanted too.
Blayze's shoulder's began to shake.
I couldn't see his face, because with his head tipped down, his hat hid his entire face.
Was he crying?
I'd thought I'd be the only one to cry over this!
"Blayze I'm sorry!"
I croaked.
He snapped his head up and I was faced with blue-green eyes that were shining, but out of sheer amusement, not tear's.
His grin was huge.
I blinked.
He find's this amusing?
"I will fix it if you want me to."
Blayze told me, his expression mostly back to serious.
Fix-?
"Don't patronise Me!"
I growled.
"You don't do that!"
He might egg people on, but he's not patronising.
Not to people he respects or cares about.
He held up his hands, palms forward, as if to hold off an attack.
"I'm not."
He promised, trying hard to hold back a smile.
"You're saying Phoenix is worried about the sheet, correct?"
He asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"He either crab walks, eyes rolling, or he backs up really fast, basically trying to yank my arm on the rope out of it's socket, or he even rear's!"
I informed him.
It was hardly looking good for riding him to the ceremony, if I ever actually managed to get an actual wedding dress.
"C'mon Bail's."
Blayze rolled his eyes.
"Cowgirl Up."
"Excuse you?!"
I demanded, clenching my hand's into fist's.
Blayze shook his head.
"I don't know where your logic's run off too, but hurry up and bring it back. This is merely a case of Desensitising."
De-?
I blinked.
I blinked again.
"Blayze?"
"Yeah?"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
I demanded.
"I don't find this very funny! We're just over two weeks from our Wedding Date! We can't afford dramas like this!"
Blayze rolled his eyes.
"You merely have to Desensitise Phoenix to the sheet."
He shrugged.
"It's no big deal. As I said, I'll fix it if you want me to. But because it's Phoenix, I think you should be the one to deal with this."
Desensitise.
A small spark of hope ignited inside of Me.
Was it possible I could just work on Phoenix's acceptance of the scary white sheet?
"Do you think I'll be able to have him satisfied with t before the Wedding?"
I all but whispered.
Blayze rolled his eyes.
"You'll have him accepting it Today if you climb up off the floor and actually get started."