The barn had settled into that particular hush that came after good food and better company. Elara’s boot tapped against the polished concrete—a habit she couldn’t shake when her mind was working—and she caught Bryce’s eye across the bar. He knew that tap. He knew exactly what it meant.
Holly set her glass down with a soft thud, the condensation beading on the side.
“I wish tonight didn’t have to end.”
Elara’s boot went still.
Bryce’s hand rested around the base of his own glass. His gaze moved from Holly to Elara.
“It doesn’t,” Elara said finally. “Not unless we want it to.”
Holly leaned back on the wooden stool. A strand of blue hair had escaped her ponytail and she tucked it behind her ear without thinking. “I mean it, though. Not just tonight. This—” She gestured vaguely at the barn around them. “This is the first time I’ve felt like I was home since we moved into the new place.”
“The first gathering,” Bryce said.
“The first gathering,” Holly agreed. “And I’m already dreading it ending.”
Behind them, Luke and Erin were talking near one of the pews. Sophie sat close against Matt, her legs stretched out in front of her. Liam and Joel had taken their drinks farther along the bar, Liam doing most of the talking while Joel listened.
Elara reached across and took Bryce’s hand. His fingers closed around hers, warm and calloused.
“You could stay,” she said.
Holly’s eyebrows went up. “Stay?”
“The weekend. All of it.”
Holly stared at her.
“Not this one,” Elara said. “Next time. Come Friday instead.”
“And stay Saturday?”
“If you want.”
Holly’s eyes shifted to Bryce.
He nodded. “Sunday too.”
A smile started at the corner of Holly’s mouth.
⸻
She turned on the stool. “Luke?”
Luke looked over.
“What would you say to coming back for a whole weekend next time?”
Erin looked at him, then back at Holly.
“I’d say yes.”
Luke laughed. “So would I.”
Elara glanced towards Sophie.
“What about you two?”
Sophie straightened. “What about us?”
“Would you come back for a weekend?”
“Yes.”
Matt looked sideways at her.
Sophie shrugged. “You know you were going to say yes.”
“I probably was.”
Liam’s voice carried from farther along the bar.
“Hang on. Weekend?”
Joel shook his head.
“That word was always going to get his attention.”
Liam ignored him and looked at Bryce. “As in two nights?”
“As in whatever works,” Bryce said. “Come Friday and stay until Sunday. Come Saturday. Stay one night. Doesn’t matter.”
The conversation spread along the bar from there. Sophie wanted to bring enough food that Elara wouldn’t spend half the weekend feeding everybody. Erin asked about the horses. Matt wanted to know whether Bryce intended to put them to work.
“Only if you annoy me,” Bryce said.
“That’s Liam fucked, then,” Joel said.
Liam raised his glass to him.
Elara laughed. “We could ride Saturday.”
That caught Sophie immediately.
“All of us?”
“If everyone wants to.”
Bryce shifted beside her. “Could ride the boundary. Check the water while we’re out.”
Holly leaned forward onto her elbows.
“And Saturday night?”
Bryce looked at Elara.
“The evening’s whatever we want it to be,” he said.
⸻
Three weeks later, the first car came through the gate a little after four on Friday afternoon.
Elara was carrying a feed bucket back toward the house when she heard tyres on the gravel. She stopped beside the fence and watched Holly’s ute come around the bend, Luke driving, Erin beside him and Holly leaning forward between the seats as though that might somehow get them there faster.
There were bags in the tray.
Elara smiled.
By five, Matt and Sophie had arrived. Liam and Joel came last, Liam climbing out with a carton under one arm and an overnight bag that looked barely large enough to hold a clean shirt.
Joel looked at it.
“That all you brought?”
“I’m planning on spending most of the weekend naked.”
“You could’ve saved yourself the bag.”
Bryce laughed and took the carton from him.
Nobody hovered at the barn doors this time. Bags went into the house, drinks found their way into hands, and Holly disappeared through the curtains with Erin while Luke helped Bryce carry food from the cars. Sophie joined Elara in the kitchen without asking what needed doing, opening cupboards until she found plates while Matt stood outside with Liam and Joel around the barbecue.
The noise moved between the house and yard as the light faded.
Dinner ended up wherever people found somewhere to sit. Holly stole a piece of steak from Luke’s plate and nearly lost a finger for it. Sophie and Erin argued over which horse they wanted if they rode the next day. Liam announced that Bryce’s offer to check water tanks sounded suspiciously like unpaid labour.
“You don’t have to come,” Bryce said.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t coming.”
“That’s what I thought.”
By the time the plates were cleared, nobody had made any move toward a car.
⸻
Holly caught Elara looking across the yard at the bags visible through the open back door.
“Told you.”
“You haven’t made it through Friday yet.”
“I’m confident.”
They took their drinks out to the barn.
The curtains closed behind them one by one, but there was none of the hesitation from the last gathering. Luke went straight to the bar. Sophie dropped onto one of the pews and pulled Matt down beside her. Erin stopped to look at something on the workbench while Holly came up behind her and slid both arms around her waist.
Liam watched them.
“So what happens now?”
Elara leaned against the bar beside Bryce.
“Whatever happens.”
Joel handed Liam a beer.
“You heard her.”
Liam opened it.
“I like weekends.”
They didn’t stay in the barn long.
Back at the house, drinks were topped up and the conversation scattered through the kitchen and lounge. Sophie sat against Matt at one end of the couch, his arm around her. Erin settled at the other with Luke beside her, Liam and Joel close enough that her bare feet eventually ended up in Joel’s lap while Liam ran a thumb along her ankle.
Holly came up behind Elara at the kitchen bench and slid both arms around her waist.
“You’ve been ignoring me.”
“For at least ten minutes.”
“Cruel.”
Elara turned in her arms.
Holly kissed her before she could answer.
Across the kitchen, Bryce took a drink and watched.
Elara broke away just enough to look at him.
“You planning to help?”
“Eventually.”
Holly laughed against her mouth.
⸻
Nobody announced anything.
Matt’s hand had disappeared beneath Sophie’s shirt before Elara and Holly made it out of the kitchen. Erin had shifted sideways across Luke’s lap, one of Liam’s hands moving slowly along her thigh while Joel kissed the side of her neck.
Bryce followed Elara and Holly down the hallway.
Nothing closed behind them.
Holly already had Elara’s shirt open when they reached the bedroom. Bryce sat on the edge of the bed while Holly took her time with the rest, her mouth following her hands across Elara’s breasts and down her stomach.
Elara caught a fistful of blue hair and pulled her back up.
“You’re enjoying this far too much.”
“Yes.”
Holly glanced at Bryce. “Good.”
She pushed Elara onto the mattress and followed her down.
Bryce still hadn’t moved.
Elara looked at him.
“Are you going to sit there all night?”
“Maybe.”
“Creep.”
His mouth twitched.
Holly’s hand moved between Elara’s thighs.
Elara’s breath caught.
From the lounge came Erin’s laugh, followed by Liam saying something too low to make out and Joel telling him to fuck off.
Holly curled her fingers.
Elara gasped.
“That?” Holly asked.
Elara nodded.
Holly did it again.
Another laugh carried through the house.
Holly glanced towards the hallway.
Elara caught her by the hair.
“Pay attention.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Bryce laughed.
Holly kept going until Elara came around her fingers, Bryce finally moving close enough for Elara to catch his hand and hold it while the tremors ran through her.
Then Elara pushed Holly onto her back.
“My turn.”
⸻
Holly opened her thighs.
Elara worked her way down slowly, tasting skin until Holly’s laughter disappeared. She settled between her legs, and Holly’s fingers tightened in her hair.
“Don’t stop.”
Elara didn’t.
From the lounge came Luke’s voice.
“Erin.”
A pause.
“Go swap with Sophie.”
Holly’s eyes opened.
Elara stopped just long enough to listen.
Erin laughed. “You serious?”
“Yep.”
Matt said something Elara couldn’t catch.
Then Sophie laughed.
Footsteps crossed the house.
Erin passed the open bedroom on her way down the hall, looking back over her shoulder.
Sophie followed a few moments later.
Luke caught her hand as she reached the lounge and pulled her down beside him. Liam shifted to make room without taking his eyes off her. Joel leaned back against the couch and grinned.
Sophie looked from one to the next.
“Oh, fuck.”
Their laughter followed her through the house.
Holly looked down at Elara.
“Well.”
Elara kissed the inside of her thigh.
Then she lowered her mouth again.
The rest of the house never went quiet. Erin’s voice carried from farther down the hall. Matt answered her. Sophie swore at someone in the lounge, followed by Luke laughing and Liam protesting that he hadn’t done anything yet.
Holly came with her thighs tight around Elara’s shoulders.
Elara stayed there until Holly finally pushed weakly at her head.
“Enough.”
Elara kissed her thigh and crawled back up the bed.
Holly caught her face and kissed her.
Bryce’s hand closed around Elara’s hip.
“I need you,” she said.
⸻
Bryce rolled her towards him.
Holly stayed beside them as he pushed into Elara. Elara reached for her, pulling Holly close enough to kiss while Bryce settled into a slow rhythm.
“Harder.”
Bryce did.
A cry came from the lounge.
Sophie.
Holly smiled against Elara’s mouth.
“She sounds happy.”
Another followed, cut short by laughter.
Elara tightened around Bryce.
“So am I.”
She pulled Holly back into the kiss.
Bryce drove deeper until Elara came between them, fingers locked around Holly’s hand. His rhythm broke shortly afterwards and he stayed over her for a moment, breathing against her neck.
Nobody elsewhere in the house sounded remotely close to sleep.
Bryce eased away and rolled onto his back.
Holly looked at him.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re not finished.”
His mouth curved.
“Apparently not.”
Holly climbed over him.
Elara rolled onto her side to watch. Holly lowered herself onto Bryce, his hands settling at her hips as she found the angle she wanted.
Elara slipped her hand between her thighs.
Holly noticed.
“Don’t stop.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Bryce looked past Holly and found Elara’s eyes.
From the lounge came another burst of noise, Sophie unmistakable among it, then Liam laughing hard enough for Joel to tell him to shut up.
Holly began to move.
Later, Erin came through the hallway wearing Matt’s shirt. Matt followed carrying two glasses.
Sophie appeared from the lounge with her hair wrecked, Luke behind her and Liam and Joel still laughing about something she clearly wasn’t going to explain.
Matt looked at Sophie.
She smiled at him.
He smiled back.
⸻
Morning came with voices in the kitchen and the smell of coffee.
Elara found Bryce already dressed. Holly was gone from the bed.
She pulled on a shirt and followed the noise through the house. Liam was asleep sideways across the lounge with one foot hanging over the arm. Joel had claimed the other couch.
Matt sat at the kitchen table with Erin, both drinking coffee.
He raised his mug when Elara appeared.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
Sophie wandered in behind Luke a minute later, carrying her boots.
Her hair still looked like Friday night.
Erin looked at her over the rim of her mug.
Sophie gave her the finger.
Luke laughed.
Holly appeared at the back door.
“Coffee before horses?”
“Always,” Elara said.
Bryce handed her a mug.
Breakfast took most of the next hour.
Nobody seemed particularly interested in discussing sleeping arrangements or who had ended the night with whom.
By the time they reached the horses, the morning chill had gone. Saddles came out. Sophie changed her mind twice before Elara assigned her a horse and ended the discussion.
Liam looked at the saddle Bryce handed him.
“I don’t remember agreeing to this.”
Joel took the reins from him.
“You spent half the last gathering asking about the horses.”
“That was academic interest.”
“Get on.”
They rode out with the group stretched along the track, breaking into pairs and reforming whenever the ground narrowed.
Sophie found her way beside Elara.
⸻
“You really don’t mind people watching you?”
Elara glanced across.
“Depends what I’m doing.”
“The piercing.”
“No.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“You don’t have to.”
Sophie rode quietly for a few strides.
“I want a collar.”
Elara looked at her.
“Mine?”
“No. My own.”
That made Elara smile.
“Good.”
Sophie frowned. “Good?”
“You should want your own.”
Ahead of them, Holly turned in the saddle.
“I want one too.”
Erin looked back.
“Make that three.”
Bryce glanced over his shoulder.
Elara laughed.
“Looks like you’ve got work.”
They rode on.
Sophie stayed beside her.
“I wasn’t saying I want to copy you.”
“I know.”
“There’s just a lot I didn’t know I wanted.”
“Friday help with that?”
Sophie’s smile answered before she did.
“Maybe.”
Elara laughed.
Sophie looked ahead again.
“I like seeing what you do, though.”
“That’s fine.”
“You don’t mind showing us.”
“No.”
Sophie waited.
Elara adjusted her reins.
“Just don’t look at me and think that’s what you’re supposed to end up wanting.”
Sophie looked across at her.
“I don’t.”
“Good.”
“What else do you like?”
Elara thought about it.
“Impact.”
Sophie’s eyebrows rose.
“Like the floggers?”
“And the cane.”
Luke had ridden close enough behind them to hear.
“Does it ever send you quiet?”
Elara looked back at him.
“What do you mean?”
“The way some people go with rope. Still there. Just… somewhere else as well.”
Bryce looked back from farther ahead.
Elara met his eyes.
“Yeah,” she said. “Sometimes.”
⸻
They stopped near the boundary while Bryce checked the water.
Liam dismounted and took Joel’s reins with his own. The horses shifted around them, tails flicking at flies while Bryce walked off to check the tank.
Sophie stayed mounted beside Elara.
“What does it feel like?”
Elara rested her hands over the pommel.
“Hard to explain.”
“Try.”
Luke stood beside his horse nearby.
“It’s not the same for everyone.”
Sophie looked at him.
“You’ve done it?”
“With rope, I’ve seen people get there.”
Elara looked towards Bryce as he started back.
“The pain doesn’t stop hurting.”
Sophie waited.
“I just stop following every hit.”
Bryce reached them.
“She gets quiet.”
“That’s it?” Sophie asked.
Elara shook her head.
“What changes?”
Elara thought about the question.
“Everything gets further away.”
Sophie looked from her to Bryce.
“Can you make it happen?”
“No,” Bryce said.
“Sometimes it happens,” Elara added. “Sometimes it doesn’t.”
Sophie’s gaze stayed on her.
“I’d like to see it.”
Elara looked at Bryce.
He didn’t answer for her.
She looked back at Sophie.
“Why?”
Sophie shrugged, but her eyes stayed steady.
“I want to know what you mean.”
Elara gathered her reins as Bryce took hold of his horse.
“Maybe tonight.”
Sophie smiled.
They turned back towards the others.