Joined by a Common Language

"I would much rather be home in our bed." she scolded playfully.

Jack leaned over to touch her back and she arched to avoid him with a giggle. "Oh no you don’t."

Bridgid spurred her horse forward and took off at a slow canter. Jack followed. "I will get you!" he warned.

"You reckon? You may be the master on the deck but I ride better." she called back, remembering to be more conscious of her balance.

Moving faster she laughed as she outran him, or so she thought. Seconds later the bay horse pulled up alongside her sans rider.

"Jack!" she cried out as she pulled Skipper up. Wheeling around she trotted up to the man who was sitting on the ground upon his wounded pride.

Bridgid dismounted. "Are you okay?" she asked as she knelt down beside him.

"I am fine." he replied, sounding rather frustrated. Moments later he began to laugh. "You have jinxed me, Siren. You have spun some kind of magic to bring on this occurrence."

She stood slowly and crossed her arms. "I have not. Jack. Is that what you think of me, that I’m a witch?"

"In jest." he replied as he wrapped one arm around her waist. Pulling her into him he nuzzled her belly.

"Uh uh. I know what you’re up to. You fell off on purpose… you..you…" she accused as she pulled away.

"There’s a great deal to be said for making hay while the irons hot, Siren."

"I’m going to call you Lusty Jack, not Lucky Jack."

He took a swiping reach for her but missed. Jack sat back as if he were waiting for his prey to come to him.

"So tell me something "Bridgid spoke as she circled him just beyond the length of his arm. "Do you love me for me, or for my favors?"

He watched her turning his head as far as he could one way then looking around the other way to catch her behind him. "Favors may be had at the drop of a hat but it is yours I chose to pursue and yours alone."

"Hah, bullshit!"

"None of that, Siren."

"Would you prefer I speak like you, my dear? There’s something to be said for making hay when no clouds obscure the sun." She tilted her head up, squinting against the bright warm rays. Taking advantage of her perhaps intentional moment off guard he lounged and brought her down into his arms. In seconds she was on her back and pinned. His large hands circled her wrists with ease and she offered no fight.

"I call a foul."

"Typical of a colonist … to cry out while the tea is wasted and tossed overboard. No reproduction without copulation." Bending to kiss her, his lips mashed into her cheek as she turned her head and giggled.

"There is little to be done with a thoroughly unwilling crew.’ Jack growled. He knew she was toying with him as usual.

Turning her head so their noses touched, Bridgid spoke against his mouth. "There’s no forcing the willing and that's taxation without representation."

"You are wicked. You have chosen your cake now you must lie in it, Siren."

"What?" she chuckled "Do you mean I’ve made my cake and …Or I cannot have my bed and eat it too?"

"Precisely."

"Damn it man, I love you and everything about you and speaking of beds can we go home and lie in ours. I don’t want a case of poison ivy where the sun don’t shine."

Jack laughed one of his characteristic hearty ones. "The sun shines out your arse, Siren. You are safe from the grasp of oak and ivy."

"Then we are tarred with the same feather, Captain Jack Aubrey. You and I are pretty damn like minded."

"So to home and hearth, my dear one?"

"To home and heart and our big ass bed. There is something I want to talk to you about before we settle in for a nice bit of this which is on your mind."

He kissed her mouth then helped her up. "Speak your mind, Bridgid. Your tone of voice is as rushing a bull in a china shop."

Brushing herself off she looked over at him to notice the sly smile on his face. He was the king of ass busting though he did his best to hide it. "Give me a moment to recover from that romantic moment, Jack. "

Bridgid fetched her horse that was grazing nearby and she picked up the bay’s reins as well. She handed them over to Jack then she mounted her horse. When he was aboard the bay they moved on at a walk, side by side.

"Bridgid, what is on your mind?"

She had to weigh her words. Though she’d been thinking about this for awhile she had yet to speak of it to him. "Well. I was thinking. Since we are both pretty much out of the service now, perhaps it was time we …you did something else. It will still leave us time to sail on the weekends and by the same token it may give you the chance to use some of your leadership skills.

He looked at her just as she turned her head and their eyes met. "What port are you sailing toward, Bridgid?"

"I think you should throw your hat in the ring to run for mayor of the Glen." she spoke abruptly as if she expected him to decline just as fast. But he didn’t.

"Hahahaha , Bridgid you know I am amazingly flush. Crocus is my middle name."

"You mean Croesus?"

"Oh well, be damned to literary airs and graces. Are you stating I need to seek some sort of employment, Siren? We have both seen our share of the service and neither of us needs to carry our pigs to market."

Once again she chuckled. "You are in rare form today. All I am saying is that the Glen needs a mayor and you, in my eyes, are the best man for the job."

She watched him as they rode and he seemed to be pondering. Jack had an amazing mind with the ability to command everything and anything except her modern language. Even that he mastered most of the time. She reckoned his play on it was intentional, exposing his sense of humor.

"What do you say, Jack?"

Once again their eyes met and in their disregard his stallion nipped at her horse. It caused the smaller gelding to lash out with a foot.

"Control your mount, Bridgid."

"You are delaying answering my question. What do you think?"

"I reckon we will return home. You will prepare a meal for us after which we will retire to our bed, make love until the cows return to roost, then we shall sleep …after which I should be able to give you an answer."

"Fair enough." She laughed as she got a vision of flying cows.

TBC