horses: does he like me?

Question
Hi, I recently (around 3 weeks ago) started riding the horse my mother bought back in may. He is a 4 year old gelding.
The first week he was sort of uneasy around me, although recently I've discovered he doesn't seem to like the girl we lease him to as much as she thinks he does.. (ill explain more in a minute) but the whole first week she would always be in his face and wouldn't let me do anything (tack up, pet him ect).. and then I was expected to ride him..
By the second week she stopped coming to the barn when I rode him and all of a sudden there was a big difference. I think he trusts me a lot more now but I'm also a lot quieter around him and when I ride him.
Now at the third week he never pins his ears, bites, kicks, or turns his but towards me when I approach him in his stall .. (he does this with the girl who leases him and with my mom) He also constantly is rubbing his lip on my hands and clothing, and when I walk him he slows down and either does the lip thing all over my back and shoulders or he rests his head over my shoulder as we walk. Now and then my mom and I put him out in the outdoor arena so he can run around and when my mom approaches him from outside the fence he looks up and runs away. But if I walk to the opposite end of the ring from him (we never go in the arena with him) He always follows me. When I ride him my trainer said that you can tell he loves me by the expression on his face and overall body language but I'm still not sure. The girl who leases him warned me that he bucks on his flying changes and refuses jumps but he was perfectly fine with me! My trainer said that, that's because the other girl irritates him.
The one thing that I don't understand in all of this is the fact that it has only been a few weeks. Is that enough time for a horse to like you? Are these signs that he does like me? How do you tell if a horse likes you?

(I also have been riding for 4 months, grew up with my mom always having horses, and am 15.)

Answer
Hi Jordan,
            Yes, your horse can like you within a few weeks. Like people, if a horse is treated with respect and kindness they will like the person who is nice to them. If he is follow you and looking happy to see you then he does like you.

Lisa