Spring Love Blossoms
At
The House of Four Seasons
by Atonia
Part 3
The weather was perfect for fishing and Bud made use of the boat and the fishing gear he found in the shed. Toni didn’t fish, but would bring one of her books down to the edge of the pond and read in the near silence that surrounded the place. It was peaceful and quiet and she liked to watch him casting about. He was enjoying himself and she noticed he was making himself at home. He rearranged the sports shed as he called it making it a little easier to get in and out.
“Do you ever ride these bikes in here?” he asked one day.
“I don’t think they’ve ever been out of the shed, Bud; would you like to ride?”
“Been a long time but I guess you don’t forget how,” he said pulling the bikes out.
They pushed them up the hill and once at the house rode up toward the stables. Toni stopped at the stables.
“I miss my Calla.”
“Who was Calla?”
“My horse, Maximus gave her to me and Cort took her back two years ago, doesn’t seem that long ago.”
“Why don’t you have her back?”
“I would but…would you ride with me if I asked for her?”
“Oh now, horses I know nothing about, Toni.”
“Would you be willing to learn?”
“Sure are you gonna teach me to ride?”
“I might ,unless someone comes with them. East brought them the first time, he knows horses.”
“It seems a shame for the stables and paddocks to be empty.”
“I haven’t been up here since Cort left, I didn’t think I wanted to come back up here, but now I think you’re right, Bud, they should be occupied, there should be horses here. I’d like them here in the spring through the fall and let them go in the winter, it’s too cold for them here and you can’t ride for the snow.”
“I’ll bet it’s pretty in the snow around here.”
“It is, you see that green field over there, that’s wheat and that is where Maximus came in the fall, through the wheat field. In the winter John and I rode his snowmobile over it. Are you feeling a little connected to this place now?”
“Yeah I am, it’s good to know what goes on year round like you were just telling me.” He turned and smiled, “it’s home Toni, I feel like I live here now.”
They were up in Toni’s room that night, Bud watching a ball game on TV and Toni lying on the sofa beside him still reading her book. “Bud, Peter Aldridge was an itinerant photographer, he wrote on the back of this picture in the book, ‘I’ve spent the most wonderful summer in this place’ I’m thinking he had a season here, you know?”
“Yeah he could have, it’s a wonder the picture survived after he left, must have been pretty special.”
“I wonder who called him here.”
“Maybe he just showed up.”
“That couldn’t happen, no I think there was a woman here and she called him.”
Bud kissed the top of her head.
The next morning the horses arrived, Egan brought them along with his dog who followed them into the stables. He had a cabin on the property and thought he might visit it before he left.
“Egan if you want to stay awhile in the cabin, we don’t mind, do we Bud?” she looked up at him.
“No not at all, in fact I need somebody to teach me to ride.”
“I won’t be a bother, I stay pretty much to myself, me and dog here. You sure you don’t mind?”
“No, Egan you’ll take care of the horses, feeding and currying and all?”
“Yes, I can do that, just let me know when it’s time for me to go, no worries.”
“Thanks, I appreciate your help.” Toni smiled and rubbed Calla’s nose.
Calla 
“What’s the black one’s name?”
“That’s Dyce, he’s Calla’s mate and the big one is Blondie, an easy ride.”
“Easy ride that sounds like me,” Bud said still not sure about all this.
“Ah we’ll have you up and riding in no time,” Egan said, “I’m going to let them roam, there’s nowhere they can go for now and I’ll stable them up tonight.”
“Thank you again Egan,” Toni said taking Bud’s hand.
“I can’t believe I’m going to ride a horse,” Bud chuckled as they walked back to the house.
“Believe it darling, it will be fun.”
True to his word they didn’t see much of Egan, he seemed to know when they were coming to the stables and would be there with the horses. He taught Bud to ride quickly and much to Bud’s surprise he liked it. Blondie was a gentle fellow and Bud was comfortable on his back as they rode the trails over the property.
His season was drawing to a close and he hated for it to end. He really had enjoyed himself, felt a part of it all and most of all a part of Toni. He’d planted trees, rode a horse, fished and learned a lot about the area. He still hadn’t solved the mystery of the house but he had a good start, and maybe it wasn’t solvable, maybe it should be left alone.
He watched her as she made sandwiches for their lunch loving everything about her. Toni looked up from her sandwich making and caught his eye and smiled. He had no idea how sexy he was, what a beautiful man she thought, so gentle and yet so strong. She stuck a bit of cheese in his mouth, “You are so special I love you so much,” she said dropping the knife on the island he wrapped her in his arms, swallowed his cheese and kissed her soundly.
TBC in Summer