Surprises
When Ben entered the back door, Liana was sitting at the dining room table, her laptop in front of her, frowning at the screen. She looked up with a smile. "It's not quite time for lunch yet. What are you doing in from the stables already?"
"Just need to make a coupla business calls, darlin'. Wanted to do it from the study."
Fixing a glass of iced tea for Ben to take upstairs with him, she said, "I've been working on the website for the ranch. Should have the basic site ready for you to take a look at in a couple of days."
"That's fast work," he remarked, as he took a sip of tea.
"Well, I haven't been doing a whole lot with my time lately, other than this and gardening. It's not too hard to get a lot done." Raising herself on tiptoe, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Lunch should be ready in an hour.
Ben had barely made it inside the door of his study when he stopped abruptly to look around. Something was different. He'd made this place his own and Liana never changed it, knowing to ask him before she did anything in here. But right now, something wasn't right.
Then he saw what it was. Crossing the room in a couple of long strides, he looked at the wall next to one of his bookcases. Where before it had been bare, there was now a group of five small picture frames hanging there, arranged in a neat diamond shape.
The frames were made of saddle leather with a square of non-glare glass in each one. Inside were five sketches from one of his small sketchbooks. All horses in various poses--necks arched, heads held proudly high, manes and tails blowing in the wind.
His first instinct was to be angry. Not only had she changed his study, but she'd gone into one of his sketchbooks.
As he was turning to go back downstairs and find her, Ben saw the folded note on his desk. It was on a sheet of ranch stationary that Liana herself had designed. Heavy cream-colored paper with a black horse silhouette in the upper left hand corner, the name and contact information for the ranch centered neatly on top. His name was on the outside of the sheet.
Picking it up, he unfolded it and read
"I hope you don't mind that I did this. I thought it would make
such a nice surprise. You never said I couldn't look at your
sketchbooks and the horses were so beautiful. I didn't tear up the
book. Just took it and had prints made. It seemed only fitting
that you have some of your sketches of your horses hanging
in your study. They look so strong and proud. Just like you.
Love,
Liana
Ben sat down in his chair, propping his feet on the edge of the desk, still looking at the note in his hand. His anger gone, he actually chuckled a little. She was always doing something unexpected. Unexpected but sweet.
He looked at the frames on the wall again. Liked the way they looked and decided to forgive her. This time. As a matter of fact- He reached for a sheet of paper in one of the desk drawers.
Ben had been thinking about a surprise for his wife. Decided it might be a good time to get started on it. There were some things to be arranged, and one of the first things he needed to do was talked to Pastor Alistair Harris, when he came with Maximus, Joimus, and Ahnna to go riding this Saturday.
Ben smiled to himself, hoping-for a change-that Liana wouldn't be angry with him this time.
