The Girl
By Lonelyrider

Story Highlights:

Muscle
Age difference
Friendship
Man
Girl
Warriors
Play-time
Pretend
Toys
Horses
Angel
Humans
Reunion
Innocence

Big James is thrilled to run into a young long-last friend once more & enjoy a taste of the good times they once shared.

"Whoa boy. Who is that in the field there?" James spoke to his burly stout steed, his brave Belgian drafter Diablo, who tossed his big head & snorted, shifting his feet under James as James gazed through a little set of binoculars.
Young Natalie Baker looked up from her secret play time beside her grazing war pony to see a big older friend cantering towards her on his draft steed with a friendly greeting.
"Nat, oh hey, oh my gosh it's you! I didn't recognize you from so far off. Honey, are you doing okay? What brings you to Farmer Wheeler's field?" James asked the preteen girl in a soft voice impregnated with warmth.
"Oh, I just didn't want anyone in town knowing I still played with my toy horses. I need them to know I'm tough. Do you...uh...have somewhere I can play with them privately?" Natalie asked, a little shy, which was unlike her. James let Diablo move closer to her and her pony, the two equines touched noses, saying hello.
"Oh, why of course you can, sweetie! My, my, I was just about to offer that to you, you just beat me to it! Okay then, tough guy, follow Diablo & I, we'll hook you up real nicely, Nat." James gushed, his face rosy and kind; he dearly adored the young girl, whom he'd met when she'd been injured and he'd healed her with his angelic magic, and the two had been fast friends before Natalie had distanced herself due to her own traumas; traumas that were eerily close to James's own misfortunes.
Natalie skillfully hopped onto her pony, which had been a gift from the big brute, and leaned over riding next to James & patted Diablo's muscled neck, making him nicker and nudge her softly with his velvety maw, which made her giggle; James grinned and made a face of endearment at her, his black wingspan fluffing up happily. Natalie followed her old friend to his fancy manor back yard and they both dismounted, James went to his stable and brought a big manly handful of hay for their horses, who munched it happily, their tails swishing; James also put a horse blanket over Diablo & Natalie's mare to keep them cozy in the mild winter afternoon.
"Now, Nat, what would you prefer, to play out here, or inside? Oh, my apologies, where are my manners. Are you hungry or thirsty, honey? Cold? Anything at all you wish, please, don't hesitate to ask." James gushed, leaning over with his big hands on his huge beefy thighs to speak to her; as he was huge and tall. Natalie thought with a little pout and James melted, batting his eyes at her; he found her simply adorable.
"Um...inside sounds kinda like fun but...I need to ask mom's permission before I go into your big house, I'm sure she'd let me, she likes you a lot. So, we can play out here, this time. I am a little thirsty, yeah." Natalie admitted. James beamed at her warmly, joining her on the soft thick quilt she had spread out over a tarp she'd brought rolled up on her pony's rump, James clapped his hands softly with a gentle whistle and his butler came with his usual polite bow.
"Oh, you clapped, sir? & who is this young lady?" Luke asked, cocking his head with a kindly smile.
"Luke, this is my best buddy Natalie Baker, oh, ahem, pardon me honey; warrior princess Natalie Baker. Nat, this is Luke, he's my head of the household & main butler, and he does a great job." James gushed proudly, grasping at his chest harness on his mighty hairy pecs.
"Oh, sir, you really are too kind, quite the flatterer, indeed sir. What can I do for you two?" Luke asked with another bow.
"Huh, a real life butler, cool." Natalie said, starting to play pretend with one of her 4 model horses.
"Yeah, isn't he, honey? I've got a great maid too and a chef, and a stablehand carriage driver as well. Oh, yes, Luke, so sorry! Nat's thirsty, could you make her something tasty?" James implored, tossing Luke a shiny gold coin from his little sack on his belt, which Luke caught; James tipped him so often he'd become rather adebt at it.
"Perhaps something fizzy with ice cream and a cherry, yes, sir?" Luke said with a kind smile Natalie's way, James looked at her with excited liking and grinned, nodding excitedly at Luke.
"Oh yes please, that will do nicely, thank you!"
"As you wish, sir." Luke backed away with a bow.
"Who ya got there today, huh Nat?" James asked eagerly, and a little shy; he'd missed her greatly, and in his own insecurity, the big sweet bruiser was frightened that his young friend perhaps no longer liked him. In reality, her troubles had nothing to do with him, but he didn't see the truth.
"This is Missy, this is Boulder, this is Boris, and this is Prince." Natalie told James, showing him her three model horse stallions and one mare; she was currently playing with the mare, making her eat a parcel of the hay James had brought for their real mounts.
"Oh my, what a pretty mare she is. What's she like?" James leaned close to talk warmly to her, a little nervous, shy and stammering, but she didn't mind or call attention to it, to his relief and further adoration.
"She's tough like the boys, who are her friends. Here James, you can play with Prince." Natalie handed James her model clydesdale stallion with pretty ribbons in his mane and tail and James looked him over with an admiring gawk.
"Oh wow, isn't he a handsome one! Oh, why thank you, Luke." James said fondly, Luke handed Natalie a rootbeer float complete with a cherry and striped straw and the young girl pounced on it, slurping it down hungrily. Luke handed James a small shot glass of brandy to warm up and James tossed it down with a thank you; Luke held the tray until the friends had drained their drinks and then took the empty glasses back to the kicthen.
"Prince is the wheel horse for a brewery's wagon. He's the biggest horse, which is why I gave him to you. Cause you're big too. James, Missy says hi!" Natalie was in full play mode; James smiled at her lovingly but also joined her; he had a very big heart and a sweet youthful side, so this came easily to him.
"Neigh! Hello there, Missy! How are you this splendid day? I'm getting ready to be hitched to the beer wagon, how about you today?" James put on a deep horsey-sounding voice with many pretend snorts and nickers; Diablo, Natalie's mare and in the stables, James's other animals including his second horse all looked his way, fooled & intrigued by his realistic impression.
"Beer? That sounds kinda...important, James...I mean, Prince. Yes, very important indeed. But not as important as what I'm doing today. I'm going to the gladiator games to watch them all fight." Natalie made Missy the Lippizan mare answer back, in her own little pretend horsey voice; James and she shared fond grins at each other, and happy chuckles as they played together on the warm blanket,
"Oh my! How very important indeed! Who is your favorite fighter?" James had Prince ask Missy in his deep mock-horsey bass baritone.
"I like the deer hunter from Moss Creek." Natalie had Missy reply; James gave Natalie a friendly little rub on the back and she smiled at him; his big wing arced over her protectively; he didn't even realize he was doing it, it was instinctual.
"I love that guy too, honey!" James excitedly burst out with, he shyly cleared his throat & got back into character, "Neigh! Wanna pull in my carriage before you go watch the battles? You can be lead horse!" James had Prince say in his play voice, Natalie had her horse prance around James's.
"Yes please." She said, and the two chuckled in delight as Natalie made her model horse gallop in front of James's, as the two were swept away in their friendly flight of fantasy together.
Suddenly Natalie leaned over and hugged James tight, lacing her hands over the back of his muscled neck and giving his groomed short bearded cheek a quick kiss; James inhaled and blushed, looking very happy, he laughed fondly and hugged her back, but being careful not to accidentally snare her in his strong arms or wings as he did; the last thing he wanted was to frighten her away again.
"It's gonna be sunset soon, that's mom's curfew for me, James. Hey, you can hold onto Prince in the meantime." Natalie said, smiling at James and standing up; she expertly rolled up the quilt and James hurried to do the same with her tarp, handing it to her towering several feet above her as he handed her the tarp and she packed that on her pony's saddle too.
"I'd be simply honored to, oh but, honey, isn't he special to you? Oh, here ya go!" James lifted Natalie up onto her mare's saddle like she weighed no more than a twig and she gasped, surprised; Natalie, ironically due to James's own instruction, had become an expert horseman and didn't need his aid, but only for him, she allowed the help, and laced her feet into her pony's stirrups and grasped her reins as the mare slowly turned about.
"He sure is, yeah." Natalie admitted, thinking pensively atop the saddle; even atop the pony, James still soared over her like a tower with his huge frame.
"Oh honey...Nat...I...forgive me, I'm such a softy. Does this mean you...you're coming back? Here, I mean, ahem, to my, my uh, manor. We can be friends again? Oh Nat, could we really? Oh honey I've missed you, I've truly missed you so much." James tenderly took her hands in his much larger ones and gazed at her with open fondness and sentiment, wiping away his tears fast as he could; he blushed harder, abashed she saw his display of sentimentality, but he couldn't seem to hold it back though he wished to.
"Yeah...I'm gonna come back for him, yeah. Hey, I never stopped being your pal, Jamesey. No matter what, ok? I think it's cool that you're rich and have a giant house & butlers and stuff. Hey, are you & Lonely gonna get married?" Natalie asked, her mare shifting under her eager to start heading homeward, recognizing the hour. James blushed sweetly and toed the ground, smiling fondly at Natalie and feeling his short thick hair.
"I...I...oh, excuse me, Nat," James gulped hard, "Shhh....it's a huge secret. I'm gonna ask her in the summer, when her birthday comes. But shhh...it's super confidential. I don't want her to suspect until I have a big fat gemstone on a pure gold ring worthy of her." James whispered to his friend, leaning in close with his big hand by her ear. Natalie nodded, pleased to be included in his closest confidence.
"I think that's good James, I like Lonely, she's so nice. When you and her get married, will we still be friends?" Natalie asked, only a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. James melted looking at her, and gave an emotional sigh, his face gentle and loving and cheeks still rosy with warm shyness.
"You will always be my friend, until worms eat me in my grave. I promise, honey." James gushed, he gave her cheek a brief stroke with the back of his fingers, but only quickly, not wishing to overwhelm her like he had in the past; he was worried he already had. Natalie only smiled, looking pleased; James inhaled fast, still appearing boyish and vulnerable in his blatant fondness for the young girl.
"Okay! Bye until next time. Bye James, bye Prince! Bye Luke! Bye Diablo! Hyah!" Natalie waved and gave her mare's sides a fast but light & careful kick with her spurs, and her pony took off at a gallop, James inhaled again and jogged after her, waving his massive muscled arm.
"Bye Nat! Come back soon sweetie! Bye now, oh bye! Goodnight!" James stood trying to catch his breath as she faded into the sunset, dust stirred about her horse; he couldn't believe his luck as he watched her go, still so emotional and feeling his face watching her fade into the distance.







A big ty & photo credit to: 📸
https://unsplash.com/photos/a-statu.....se-ZT4Whv1Cz50