The morning after Rey's first visit to Solo-Skywalker Ranch appeared livelier. Other than the morning's chilly temperature with a gentle mist remaining from the rain that rolled in the night before, a hand full of students from surrounding county schools came to the plantation for equestrians to enjoy all that was left of their weekend. Some rode for pleasure while others practiced for pre-registered competitions taking place at the Free Fall County Fair, precisely the same week leading up to Rey's birthday.
Following Ben through the dining room's French doors to the back patio, brandishing a cup of freshly brewed coffee in one hand with a half-eaten snicker doodle in the other, Rey could barely hear the sound of a horse whinnying in protest to its master's command. She presumed the subtle dispute was coming from one of the three stallions seen in the riding arena upon their arrival earlier on.
Jango, Rex, and Cody: if she wanted to be precise.
Rex and Cody were two of the Solos' youngest stallions, which Rey remembered Ben introducing during the tour of the property the day before when the horses were grazing in their pasture. Cody was a russet-brown Morgan with a sandy-colored mane and tail. Rex looked exactly the same, aside from the white sock above his right back hoof with a temperament as equally mellow as its companion's.
Jango was a dark, stormy shade of grey with lighter hues speckled along his coat. Ben had made a comment then that Jango's personality compared greatly to the stallion's very distinguished appearance.
"That would be Jango," Ben grunted, confirming Rey's suspicion as if he had means to read her thoughts. "He can be an asshole and thinks he's his own boss at times."
Rey nodded at first, having taken a bite from the delicious sustenance moments prior to Ben talking. She chewed her food quickly, not wanting to give him an eye full of mashed-up food when she spoke. "I was just about to say," she admitted. "I remember you saying he had some spunk to him yesterday."
"I'd say 'having spunk' would be a bit of an understatement," Ben affirmed. "He's just an asshole."
"Kinda like how you said Kylo was a prick?" Rey remarked with a brow arched, taking a sip from her coffee.
"Kylo's reasons are valid for having trust issues – Jango's aren't. He just doesn't like someone being the boss of him. I applaud Tallie for putting up with him for as long as she has."
"Fair enough," Rey nodded, taking in the last bite of her cookie. Brushing her hand over the length of her shorts to rid of any sugar and crumbs left behind on her fingers, she proceeded to walk the short distance alongside Ben towards the barn. "Did you ever compete?" she asked, shoving her hand that wasn't holding the coffee cup inside her hoodie's front pouch.
Ben nodded, pushing both hands up to his knuckles into the front pockets of his jeans. "I did," he huffed. "Every year the fair came I competed at least four out of the six days it was in town. The days were long, but it was fun as hell. It sure beat staying in school at times."
"So, was it more for the competition or playing hooky and skipping classes?" Rey teased, cocking a sly smile up at him.
Ben snorted, scuffing the soles of his boots in the drenched turf. "Honestly? A little bit of both, I guess." He explained, giving Rey a once over. "I loved riding. I loved competing. My parents had to drag me in from the stalls during most school nights."
Rey eyed him thoughtfully, tapping her index finger idly against the cup's foam surface. "So how does someone who virtually lived, breathed and dreamed about horses decide to teach high school agriculture?"
Ben drew in a deep breath, grimacing as he looked to the barn's entrance ahead. "People change, right?"
Rey scoffed, fluttering her lashes in confusion. "That's quite the change, isn't it? You might as well start comparing apples to oranges."
"Not necessarily," Ben countered. "Equestrians fit right in with agricultural science. They're working class farm animals that happen to be useful for recreational purposes, also. I'd like to think I'm getting the best of both worlds."
Rey gave his profile a knowing look, not buying his multiple attempts of beating around the bush. Considering the amount of time she'd spent with Ben over the weekend, it wasn't hard to notice that his heart and passion never left the stable – or pasture pertaining to a certain black Morgan.
"Did you ever consider teaching lessons in riding?" Rey asked, attempting a different approach to obtaining answers about his life.
Ben sighed, conceding to acknowledge Rey's adhering gaze. "Once," he replied, voice heavy with emotion. "But shit happens and, unfortunately, people have to change."
Rey flattened her lips, forming a frown on her face. "Have to change?" She repeated, making sure that she heard him correctly.
"Rey," Ben uttered lowly, "I know you want to understand, but it's a lot more complicated than you think."
"Then, make it easy for me to understand," Rey affirmed, halting steadfast outside the barn's entrance with demand weighing heavily on her stare.
Ben paused, eyeing Rey assertively with his brows raised. "Let's talk about this later, okay? I may have planned for us to do something today that you wanted to do yesterday."
"Oh?" Rey asked; curiosity deterring her attention from the prior discussion.
Ben nodded, wearing a grin large enough to reveal the dimples hidden on his cheeks. "Kylo took to you a lot better than I thought he would've. I was wondering if you wanted to take him for a ride."
Rey gasped, widening her eyes to the size of Leia's dinner plates, her mouth being drawn agape. This wasn't just any horse, it was Ben's horse: the notoriously ill-mannered Kylo Ren would be the first horse she'd ever get to ride. But then, her cheerfulness over the notion ruefully turned to apprehension, remembering what happened during lunch the day before with Ben's father.
"What about your father?" Rey frowned, knitting her brows. "I don't want this to add more stress on your relationship with him."
Ben snorted wryly. "Trust me," he countered, showing her the way to the prep station inside the barn. "It can't get any worse than it is now."
A sigh escaped her lips, knowing there was more to the story than Ben was willing to shed any light upon. Rey let it slide (for now), concerning how she and Ben weren't the only ones in the stable that shared the same idea of what the day's activities would be.
"What's going on?" Ben called out, addressing the individual prepping her horse in the aisle outside a stall.
The young woman stole a look over her shoulder, following the direction of Ben's voice while blindly attempting to secure the back clasp of her horse's bridal. "I can't talk to you until I've had my coffee, Solo."
Ben grunted a laugh, removing Kylo's bridal hanging among other equestrian garments on the wall. "I forgot how much of a sparkling conversationalist you can be when you haven't had your caffeine."
"Fuck yeah! Starbucks was out of their caramel syrup. How in the hell does that happen?" She griped whilst facing the horse, making it appear that the animal was receiving the full brunt of her rant. "That's like McDonald's running out of their McNuggets!"
Rey lowered her chin, regarding the cup of coffee in her hand with a look of guilt. "Should we tell her that we drank the last of the coffee inside?"
Ben smirked, grabbing a saddle with his free hand. "Probably not, it might make her worse."
"Oh," Rey said shortly, worrying her bottom lip. "Is she a friend?"
"I better be a friend of yours," the other woman advised, glaring accusingly at Ben with arms folded across her slender frame as she approached. "I may be the only other person on this ranch that puts up with your moody ass on the weekends."
Ben scoffed, feigning offense. "Who are you calling 'moody'?"
The young woman rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly prior to settling her sights on Rey, who had been standing by like an awkward third wheel amongst their banter. Her expression softened over her chiseled features, giving Rey a welcoming smile.
"I'm Sabine, by the way."
Rey took a moment to consider Sabine's electrifying appearance, noticeably tracing her eyes over the woman who seemed uncomfortably familiar with Ben. Her razor-cut hair was blackened at the roots, evolving in an ombre style of lavender and a vibrant shade of icy blue at the tips that came to her shoulders, offsetting the warmth of her brown eyes. Her black t-shirt with bolded grey Under Armour lettering and sleeves cropped below her shoulders revealed the stunning artwork of an owl tattoo on her bicep. Its feathers matched the color of her hair, having its tiny feet perched on a tree branch surrounded by fall-colored leaves that extended somewhere under her concealed shoulder and ending above her elbow.
If Rey had to be honest, Sabine was the prime example of a walking piece of human art. And Rey – she was wearing a boring pair of cut-off denim shorts with a crummy grey hoodie.
Rey put on a halfhearted smile, hoping it was convincing enough to hide her unwarranted jealousy corrupting the inside of her chest. "I'm Rey."
"Very nice to meet you, Rey," Sabine assured, widening her smile. "Can I steal her from you for a sec, Ben? I promise I'll give her back."
Rey shifted awkwardly on her soles, looking to Ben to see him nod an answer.
"That's fine." Ben nodded, agreeing. "I've gotta get saddled up anyways."
"I won't keep you waiting – for long, at least."
Ben snorted, regarding Sabine's comment with a smirk. His eyes flickered to Rey, frowning when he took notice of her unease. "Sabine is one of my oldest friends here," he assured softly, exerting warmth in hopes of easing her anxiety. "The worst that she could possibly do is attempt stealing your coffee."
"Hey, don't tempt me," Sabine warned, pointing a firm finger at Ben.
Rey laughed, feeling slightly more at ease. "I mean, I guess I won't need it here soon. I just took one sip if you want it."
"Oh, you're fine sweetie," Sabine ensured in a light protest, shrugging. "I'll survive, even though it feels like the sky is about to fall."
"Sabine can be a little dramatic sometimes," Ben commented to Rey, cocking a smile. "If you haven't already noticed."
"This is also coming from the renowned drama queen himself, Benjamin Solo." Sabine teased as Ben started walking away, making Rey laugh whilst nodding in agreement.
"Then again," Ben called over his shoulder to Rey, "perhaps I shouldn't leave you alone with her."
Sabine rolled her eyes, snickering at the remark. "I really do love giving him shit," she confessed to Rey. "It does him good."
Rey nodded, raising her cup slightly in accord. "I've noticed."
"How did you guys meet, anyways?" Sabine asked; turning to grab an English-style saddle from the display.
"Mutual friends," Rey lied, wrinkling her nose. She promptly attempted turning the tables, wanting to take the focus off her and Ben. "How about you?"
Sabine scoffed, tapping her thumb rapidly on the saddle's leather hide. "Interesting. Hey, can you grab one of those blankets down there?" She asked, completely ignoring the question and cocked her head to some saddle pads piled on a bench under the saddles.
Rey stared blankly, allowing the question to sink in momentarily. "Oh, um – yeah, any color preference?"
"Orange is fine," Sabine confirmed happily, tracing her steps back to the horse known as 'Chopper.'
Chopper had been one of the dozen horses Ben introduced during Rey's initial tour of the ranch, known as being the lone gelding with muddy-brown hair and a trail of white streaking from its mane to encompass his muzzle.
Rey tossed her foam cup into a nearby aluminum trash can, freeing her hands to become more useful and oblige Sabine with the pad that was pumpkin orange. "So, how long have you known Ben?" Rey repeated her question tentatively, waiting for the other woman to make a surprise statement as being an ex-lover of sorts. It shouldn't have mattered – no, not at all. But it did.
Sabine hummed thoughtfully, chewing her bottom lip and bending her waist slightly to drop the saddle on the ground with a hefty 'thud'. "Since I was in sixth grade. So, I guess roughly 9 years?" She finished, squinting her eyes and putting her hands on her hips. "I'm a junior at Purdue now."
"Wow," Rey scoffed, handing the blanket over to Sabine. "So, you guys never – you know..."
"Dated?" Sabine cocked a brow knowingly, snorting. "No, Ben's a good guy. But he's practically like my brother," she affirmed, turning to Chopper in time to miss Rey's shoulders fall loosely with relief. "I took lessons from Han for a little while. Ben and I were the only English riders – actually, we still are," she shrugged, taking a step back from Chopper to grab the saddle and put it over the pad on his back. "It was fun competing with him at the county fairs, and he was fucking good. He never should've quit."
Rey's ears perked, taking advantage of the newfound opening to question what happened. "Why did he?"
"Can you put a hand right here?" Sabine asked, patting the quilted pad under the saddle. "It likes to move on me."
Rey nodded, complying.
"Yeah, um," Sabine paused, distress etching the center of her knitted brows as she worked to secure Chopper's saddle. "Ben took his father's accident really hard. He doesn't talk about it much – not even to me. I was in school the time it happened, so I'm only going off the details that I pick up on occasionally. But all I know is that he dropped everything: show riding, training, everything."
Rey took the next few moments to carefully ponder a response, removing her hand when Sabine finished saddling Chopper. "When I met Han yesterday, I got the vibe that it had something to do with Kylo."
Sabine drew in a steady breath, looking at Rey while blindly reaching for her helmet hanging from an iron hitch outside a stall. "Kylo is a sore subject, yes," she confirmed, explaining. "They almost got rid of him after Han's accident, but, like I said, I don't know what happened. All I know is that no one messes with Kylo except Ben. Even Leia is hesitant with him."
Rey swallowed, jutting her chin slightly. "He was fine with me yesterday."
Sabine scoffed, looking dumbfounded as she fumbled with the helmet's clasp to the side. "Who? Kylo?"
Rey nodded, drawing a genuine look of surprise from Sabine that made her feel as if she were standing upon some invisible pedestal. However Rey was just as surprised to hear that a near life-long friend hadn't established such trust with the temperamental stallion, considering it had been a matter of seconds after Rey met him. "I pet him yesterday when Ben showed me around. He's gonna let me ride him here in a few."
Finished securing the clasp to her helmet Sabine folded her arms loosely over her chest, cocking her head to the side with a smirk. "I'd take that as an honor, then. It's almost as if..."
Rey held her breath, eyes fixed on Sabine's. "What?" She asked, apprehensive what Sabine would say.
Sabine shook her head, pivoting her hips to insert the toe of her riding boot into the saddle's stirrup, reaching a hand up to grip the saddle to steady her swaying. "Nothing. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rey. Will I see you around often, then?"
Rey considered her, a sincere smile peaking through her worried bottom lip. "I hope so."
**
Ben had just finished prepping Kylo when Rey joined him outside in the corral, emotions tethering a waltz between excitement for getting to ride a horse for the first time and nervous for not knowing what to expect. Ben assured her that riding a horse in a steady walk was as easy as riding a bike – only Kylo had a heartbeat and carried well over a thousand pounds to his figure.
However, seeing the horse decked out in his riding attire, standing so kingly in a proper show stance (for Rey no doubt) made her think back on the conversation with Sabine and how quickly Kylo bonded with her the day before. It was enough to make her swallow down the wave of nausea toying with her gut – for a moment, at least, before a new flourish rolled in to replace it.
"Okay," Ben declared in a breath, having made certain that the saddle was securely fastened. "I just need to get you a helmet and you're good to go."
Rey nodded, using a smile to disguise her worry despite Ben already knowing that she was nervous as hell. Perhaps he'd caught sight of her shaky hands before folding them over her chest with her arms.
"You're gonna do great," Ben coaxed. "I promise, I'll be right there with you."
"I know," Rey sighed, believing his words. "For the record, riding a bike was scary. I crashed a lot."
Ben chuckled, shaking his head. "You can't crash a horse, Rey. But if it makes you feel any better I can hold the reins."
Rey curled her bottom lip between her front teeth, hugging her torso. "But what if he freaks out? Horses are scared of mice, you know. And snakes – I hate snakes, also, so I wouldn't blame him."
"Now you're making excuses," Ben accused lightly, cocking his head aside. "But it's up to you. I won't force you to do anything that you're not comfortable with."
Rey frowned, eyes diverting between Ben and Kylo rapidly, settling on Ben in the end with a final verdict. "I know. And I want to."
"Are you sure?"
Rey nodded, taking a breath. "Yes," she smiled. "I'm sure."
Ben nodded, eyeing her dubiously to make sure she was certain, giving her the few moments pause to reconsider. "Okay," he replied, "I just need to grab you a helmet real quick. In case you crash," he winked.
Rey cocked her head, teasing him with a glare. "Not funny."
Ben snorted, stifling the laugh before making a quick jog back to the stable to retrieve a helmet. Rey heaved a sigh, turning to Kylo, who was attempting to nibble on a patch of grass where Ben had left him though such an easy task appeared to be more difficult with the bit in his mouth. Rey took a few apprehensive steps towards him. Squatting with her forearms resting on her thighs, she could hear the metallic bit of the bridal clanging against his molars as he grazed.
"You won't let me crash either, will you?" She asked softly, nearing a whisper.
Kylo's ears perked from the side to Rey's direction, attention piqued.
"I know you won't," she stated, heaving another sigh. "Ben's right, I am being ridiculous. You are my first though, you know that? So, go easy on me."
Kylo shook his head, causing the metal on his bridal to jingle along with the notion as if he were shooing away a batch of flies. Rey laughed, scrunching her nose, making the creases along her cheeks from the smile more prominent.
Ben returned quickly, holding the helmet in hand as promised. "Do you want to do the honors, or should I?"
Rey rose from her former position, regarding him for a moment. "You can," she stated. "Who knows, I may incompetently screw that up, too."
"You're being way too hard on yourself." Ben affirmed gruffly, settling the helmet in place. The first knuckle on two fingers skimmed her cheeks as he fastened the clasp, streaming along the upper curvature of her jaw as he attempted to tighten the strap to fit properly. Rey only hoped that Ben hadn't noticed (or felt) the warmth of her flushed cheeks in the process. Or heard the subtle hitch in her breath, having to feel him touch her so tenderly.
"Is that too tight?" He asked, creasing his brows at the center.
Rey shook her head. "No, it's fine."
"Okay," he said, taking a single step back to make sure the helmet wasn't crooked. He gave her a smile, satisfied. "Are you ready?"
Rey took in another breath, nodding. "I think so."
Ben nodded, reassured to proceed showing her how to mount a horse; which he did, and Rey was certain that she was bound to fuck that up, too. Kylo stood steadfast, patient and unwavering from his spot while Rey drew her left foot through the stirrup, using her other leg to unsuccessfully launch her body weight up. Ben remained behind her, watching and chiding himself not to step in. He could've just went to the barn and found a stool, like the other vertically-challenged riders used.
Instead, his hands somehow found their way to her waist after Rey tried multiple failed attempts to get her ass onto the saddle, causing her to pause on the spot.
"On three," he instructed. The hoarse sound of his voice spoke indirectly to her ear due to the significant difference in height. Rey could feel the heat of his touch radiating from his large hands that nearly engulfed her hips, even through the thick fleece of her sweater. She closed her eyes, nodding her answer whilst trying to focus on the task, and not on the newfound wave of tingling emotions that weren't caused by the pre-riding nerves.
Ben counted down. His fingers tightening their grip on three and hoisted her skyward to Kylo's back with a grunt. After Ben withdrew his hands, Rey swung her leg to the other side, allowing her foot to successfully find its way to the other stirrup. It took a moment for her mind to wholly process all that happened within a matter of seconds: the memory of what it felt like to have Ben's hands on her to being very, very high off the ground. Everything was equally exhilarating as much as it was terrifying.
Except – that memory of those hands gripping her and raising her with such effortless ease never went away.
"Oh my god!" Rey cried out, exerting a laugh in regards to reclaimed pride whilst concealing her inner quarrel. "I did it! Oh god, this is amazing."
"I told you," Ben affirmed, cracking a smile to bury his own inner mayhem about how weak Rey was starting to make him.
Why did he insist that touching her – no, helping her (for lack of better terms) in that way would be a good idea? It didn't help that Ben was reprising his role as Rey's teacher in the process.
"Hang on here," he instructed, gesturing a nervous hand to the tree-like object sprouting at the front of the saddle. "I'll lead with the reins."
Rey took a deep breath, talking herself down from cloud nine to competently do what Ben just asked of her. Everything wound up as a blur in the past when Kylo started to move, giving Rey something new yet, also, terrifying to focus on rather than the former. However, that feeling of having her stomach lurch to her chest quickly subsided to its initial resting place even though Kylo's movement was slow and steady.
Allowing Ben to do the work of leading Kylo around the pasture, Rey took the opportunity to engrave every thought and feeling into her memory. She could feel the coarse texture of his hair brushing against the bare skin of her knees to her calves. She could also feel his power, lying beneath that outer layer coated in darkness were muscles that could easily crush her if he wanted to. Over time, Kylo's movements became her own: each hip rising and falling and swaying in unison with every step of his hind leg.
For better descriptive aspects: it felt like they were walking as one living individual instead of two.
Ben would occasionally glance over his shoulder, stealing a glimpse at the look of sheer bliss on Rey's face. There were several moments where he considered breaking the soothing sound of horse hooves clumping heavily over the turf to ask how she was doing. Then, his attention would swivel back to Kylo, appearing to be more content than he ever looked while simply grazing the field like any of the other horses did.
In all honesty, Ben couldn't decide which of the two were more disappointed when the late morning to early afternoon leisure stroll came to an end for him and Rey to grab a late lunch.
Climbing down from the horse proved to be a much simpler task to accomplish for Rey. She took Ben's hand when he offered it to her, helping her steady her footing after coming in contact with solid ground. Oddly enough Rey felt like she was still riding, swaying in what felt like a momentary lapse into vertigo even though she was standing in place.
"And no snakes or mice," Ben teased, releasing her hand to tend to the clasp on her helmet.
Rey laughed, mocking her needless fret from earlier on. "Do you think I could take the reins next time?" She asked, her voice sounding hopeful. Holding her chin high to accommodate Ben's height over hers, Rey looked at him with imploring eyes, which insisted they study every feature on his face that she hadn't noticed before.
Ben's ridiculously long eyelashes grazed over his cheeks when he blinked, seeing Rey staring at him with eyes beseeching and – harboring something else behind them that he'd never noticed before. Like a thief in mid-day, every ounce of breath was immediately stolen from their lungs, enabling Rey's lips to part slightly and Ben unable to speak. The gentle breeze of the outdoors suddenly felt heavier, bringing on a new sort of tension that neither could be sure if they wanted to explore.
Ben swallowed heavily, causing his Adam's apple to bob while his hands failed to complete such an easy task as if his brain had a momentary malfunction. The hand opposite of the one gripping Rey's helmet fastener fell to his side, leaving the other. Before his mind could retract what his body wanted to do, Ben ghosted his thumb along her cheek in a gentle caress.
The tempo of their heartbeats sped rapidly in sync, easily tuning out the world around them like they were the only ones holding existence on Earth. Rey could feel her muscles spasm in a brief shudder, acknowledging the feeling of his extended fingers coming in contact with the tiny hairs at the base of her hairline that protruded the bottom of her helmet. It tickled a little, truly. If Rey hadn't been so focused on his lush lips she would've made the effort to laugh, or twitch or react accordingly to push his hand away from continuing what should've been an annoying act in general.
But she didn't.
Instead, Rey put her hand on his, settling her fingers among the uneven spaces between Ben's. It wasn't much of a gesture, but it had been enough to ease any doubt from his thoughts that Rey wanted him as much as he wanted her. They couldn't recall the exact minute or hour that it happened, but what they could admit was that the weekend had fundamentally changed them – for better and for worse. So much that Ben would've lowered his head further to meet her lips if it hadn't been for Kylo's obnoxious snort.
The unanticipated sound promptly caused their hands to retreat, the top of Ben's hand rubbing the palm of Rey's at the notion as they acknowledged Kylo, standing oblivious in regards to what he'd inadvertently interrupted.
Rey sighed, regaining her composure as she looked to Ben. She laughed along with Ben, clearing his throat to break the awkward tension lingering within the small space that divided them.
"I'll um – I'll put this away real quick," Rey assured, drawing her bottom lip with an incisor while her words regarded the helmet.
Ben nodded, taking a deep breath as his lungs refilled with air. He watched her leave, silently pondering what had just occurred. What was becoming of him? Or better yet, what would've happened if Kylo hadn't interrupted the moment that neither intended stopping?
As if the horse could sense his distress, the fleeting breeze of Kylo swishing his tail captured Ben's attention. Ben blinked, his head turning from the barn door that Rey had disappeared through to see the horse's face staring questionably at him.
A sidelong smirk rendered his face distorted as Ben reassured his companion, gently patting Kylo on the side. "Secret's out I guess," Ben admitted through a heavy sigh. "I like her – and I shouldn't."
**
Rey tried not to think about that potential 'first kiss' during lunch – if she wanted to call it that. However as much as she wanted to imagine how it would've felt having Ben's lips on hers, she didn't want to jeopardize accidentally telling Han and Leia about Kylo. Considering Han nearly blew a circuit after telling him about petting Kylo, Rey didn't want to think what would happen if she'd told him Ben allowed her to ride the horse Han apparently detested.
Thankfully, the topic of riding horses changed for the overall good when Leia brought up their ranch's annual hay rides for the public.
"What are those?" Rey asked to no one in particular, disregarding the embarrassment flaming her cheeks since she had no clue what it all entailed. Alas, such as the life of a girl always having to grow up far from the urban life.
"We fill a wagon with hay and hitch up a couple horses to pull people around," Ben explained, picking up a half of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "It's a good time, especially for those looking to relax after competing during fair week."
Rey nodded, pinning the day in her thoughts (based on Ben's information) as the same weekend of her birthday.
"Actually, Rey," Leia stated with a glance to her side at Han, "I was thinking it would be nice to have an extra set of hands to help out around here. Especially on that day when it's busier than normal riding season."
Rey paused mid-chew, having just taken a bite from a piece of sliced apple. Slowly, allowing the woman's words to sink in, her eyes widened as she realized what Leia was asking. "Are you offering me a job?"
Leia nodded, wearing a smile that blatantly confirmed her answer before she spoke. "I am. The pay isn't much, but we could sure use the extra help around here – with Han and all."
Rey was stunned to answer, at first. The topic of getting a part-time job on the weekend had been brought up on occasion between her and Maz, but definitely never considered getting to work on a ranch – with Ben.
Rey happily accepted their offer, nodding a bit more excessive than needed though it was certainly hard to contain her excitement.
"Perfect," Leia affirmed, casting a sharp look towards her son. "I'm certain Ben could fill you in on the details before then."
Ben nodded, agreeing, though he didn't need to be coaxed into taking advantage of spending more time with Rey. As much as he enjoyed being around her, his only fear now lay with the fact of losing control – again. Ultimately, he wondered if he'd have the strength to stop on his own should it ever happen without interruptions.
Ben's thoughts must've been loud enough to hear. At least, for Rey as she looked at him like he'd admitted out loud to everything that happened. Giving her a guarded look, the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his thoughts as Rey brushed the side of her pinky over his.
Rey kept her hand next to his on the table, casually taking another bite from her sandwich.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top