Chapter 5: The Kiss

Zella woke the next day by pebbles hitting her window .She groaned looking at her clock.
4:30? What?! Zella stumbled out of bed and opened her window.
Yeah? She yelled.
C mon we should get an early start, Nashua yelled back.
Alright! She groaned getting dressed but as she got to her upper clothes she gasped as she put them on.
Are you alright? Nashua yelled up.
Yeah, Zella gasped tugging on her shirt then ran the brush through her hair.
She ran down stairs hoping she didn t wake any one.
Nashua was standing outside the door when she got outside.
As she shut the door she saw him grinning.
What? Zella asked, suddenly noticing he had dimples.
Nothing, he said softly.
She started feeling butterflies, Let s go! She started for the corral. Nashua followed. That s when she noticed Nashua didn t have his Stetson on. She didn t ask why.
What are you doing? Nashua gawked as Zella opened the gate and walked straight up to the mustang.
What are you doing?! Nashua repeated hissing.
The mustang rubbed his head against her. The whole time Nashua was ready to jump in the corral if he tried to hurt her.
Nashua just stared at her with disbelief.
Zella laughed at his surprise.
What did you do? Nashua asked, coming to stand in front of her.
Still in front of the mustang she turned to face Nashua who was 2 feet away, I joined up with him last night, She said grinning now.
Suddenly the stallion thrusted his nose into her back.
She stumbled forward gasping.
She ran into Nashua.
He stumbled back a step surprised.
Their foreheads touched as he did.
As they regained their balance, Zella caught her breathe as Nashua s eyes held hers for a few seconds then he bent towards her, his face a few inches from hers.
Suddenly the porch light glared on.
Nashua took a step back from Zella.
What are you two kids doing up so early? Matlock called.
Training the mustang! Nashua yelled back. His eyes met Zella s for some reason.
Good, Matlock yelled then shut the door.
Nashua s brown eyes still held her green ones. Without realizing it, her eyes strayed to his lips. She looked back into his eyes quickly, hoping he hadn t noticed, but he had.
The stallion still behind her snorted and shook his head, frustrated. Neither Nashua nor Zella noticed.
The stallion was trotting around them when he stopped behind Nashua nickering.
Nashua cocked his head at Zella with a questioning look. She shrugged. Neither one of them knew what he was going to do.
Suddenly he thrusted his head into Nashua s back making him step foreword till he was face to face with Zella.
I must be dreaming? Zella told herself.
The horse snorted.
Nashua? She barely breathed as he bent toward her. Her heart skipped a beat as his lips met hers. She flinched away slightly by surprise. As the kiss ended, Zella gained enough breath to speak, "Nashua Chochize what-?!" Zella stammered.
Nashua put a finger to her lips smiling, to shush her, "Look," he said softly, pointing toward the stallion.
The mustang was nodding his head up and down.
"What's he doing?" Zella asked herself.
Nashua heard her," I don't know," he whispered, so close his breath tickled her face, but she didn't step away from him.
Suddenly she longed to lay her head against his chest again. Just when she got the nerve to do so Nashua moved away.
He walked up to the stallion's neck.
"Zella, you should see this," He said, touching patch on the horse's neck.
As she walked their way she noticed it wasn't a patch at all it was a brand. It looked like an arrow pierced heart as she got closer.
"This don't make sense," Nashua scratched his head thinking, "This is a brand, but how did he get it if he's wild?" Nashua asked mostly to his self.
"That is real strange," Zella said sighing to her self, still star struck from Nashua's kiss. When she noticed him watching she blushed (so glad it was dark so he couldn't her expression). Her heart was still beating hard as she and Nashua went to get a bridle and a saddle so they could try to tack up the stallion.