“You always carry so much tension in your shoulders, as if you were shouldering the weight of the entire world. I can see it in your posture.”
She chose to torment his shoulders and neck for several more minutes with her firm, occasionally prickly fingers and thumbs. Only when he had sufficiently relaxed did a satisfied smile grace her lips, and she released him from her grasp. She may have noted other areas in his back calling for attention, but time and opportunity were lacking.
“Say your farewells to Stellina; we must go and see Salvatore with Ciara.”
She then approached the crate of green, leathery fruit once again, scooping up nearly a dozen into her arms. She gave the lid a decisive kick to close it, carefully dodging the horse’s inquisitive muzzle several times before managing to hide all twelve pseudo-apples in the feed trough.
“No, no, Stellina - you have to finish the healthy things first, then you will get your reward.”
She patted the towering mare along her neck and gently stroked between her eyes, then watched how Damien would handle the situation before guiding him back to the hacienda’s washroom. After all, it was best to have clean hands before meeting her daughter.
"Your hands always make a strong case for why Ciara should have siblings." By all means a cheeky compliment, and he knew that and had deliberately intended for it to be. But she could see his body language and facial expression slowly adjusting, as if to tuck this playfulness away since they were going to see her father and their daughter.
Knowing that it would be some time before he saw his horse again, he reached out and gently placed his hand on the side of its neck to brush his hand downward about a dozen times. It was like sinking the fingers into rich black silk that occasionally thrummed with life. Since this was still only his first time interacting with Stellina, he restrained his enthusiasm and curiosity. And he would make no attempt to actually go for a stroll and survey the family estate just yet. Perhaps another time, when he actually had some idea about how to ride a horse.
He nodded to show his readiness to leave after this and followed after his partner.