It ended up being a pretty good night for Jack and Bridgid. Seems that
controversy can sometimes be a foundation for passion and passion has a way of
morphing. The explanation to it in plain English is, a good healthy argument
between a couple generally leads to make up sex.
They both woke up in a darn good mood.
"Good morning, Sailor." Bridgid hummed as she yawned and stretched. "Where's my
surprise?"
Jack let out one of those hearty laughs. "Siren, you had your surprise last
night," he teased.
She took a playful swat at him but he caught her arm mid flight. Pulling her
into him, he growled as he kissed her breathless. "There is the ribbon on the
package, Siren." Pushing her away he returned the playful swat as his hand
landed firmly on her butt. "Go, bathe, do whatever it is you do with your hair.
We have someplace to go."
She let out a yelp and turned to glare at him." Rat! .....Where are we going,
Jack?"
"You will see. Now, hurry."
She had no clue what was up or where they were going until they drove up to
Maximus and Joi's cottage. "You sly dog, you. I thought you were kidding about
the horses, Jack. Am I really getting one?"
He absorbed the joy he saw in her face and it reflected back at her. "Aye, Siren
you are and I as well. We can ride together."
She was out of the Rover before it stopped. Skidding on her feet she turned to
duck down to look at him sitting in the drivers seat. "You can't ride for shit,
you know?"
"Posh! Go summon our hosts before I change my mind."
An outside observer may have said she skipped all the way to the door. "Joi,
Max, we're here!" She called before she reached the threshold.
Joimus had been crossing the living room and so opened the door rather quickly.
"Someone is happy this morning," she smiled at her friend.
"So it shows. It's a far cry from how I felt last night, eh? Amazing what a good
nights sleep does for one"
Jack spoke quickly to avoid explaining Bridgid's mood. "Good morning, dear one."
He gave Joi a nice warm hug. "Is the man of the house about?"
"Good morning, Jack. Maximus is already down at the stables. He said to bring
you two on down when you got here."
Bridgid had once again jumped the gun and was double timing it down to the
stable. Jack gave Joimus smile and said. "We should catch up with her."
As Joimus joined Jack for the walk to the stable, he nearly had to carry her to
catch up with Bridgid. They managed, though.
As they entered the main entrance of the stables, a wide beam of morning sun
made a moted pathway into the interior, illuminating Maximus where he stood
quietly stroking Legion's forelock. As always, the sight of him made Joimus
pause. Today he wore tight-fitting rust-colored pants and tall brown riding
boots. His shirt was of a rust-colored flannel so dark it was almost chocolate.
She smiled. Ever he was the General. "Darling," she said softly, interrupting
his thoughts.
"Jack and Bridgid are here."
"Ah," he said, "turning toward them. "Welcome. What I have for you is just down
here."
"Hiya, Max." Bridgid greeted him in her usual way even though he tended to look
at her funny. She always figured he'd get used to it. Jack excused it as part of
her charm but both he and Maximus came from a different time. Bridgid was a
product of hers and a born tomboy.
"General." Jack offered his hand. "Bridgid is more than excited about our
transaction this morning. I do not believe her feet have touched the ground
since she realized what was happening. Thank you, sir."
"We'll get her in the saddle and then her feet will really not touch the
ground," Joimus laughed.
"Only after the Captain has given his approval on the grey. Only then. This
way." He strode off between a long row of stalls to the two closest to the door
that led out into a riding ring. "Here," he smiled, stopping in front of the
final stall. "A true commander of a horse if I ever saw one." Turning to
Jack he asked, "What do you think?"
Jack examined the horse as if he knew what he was doing. He trusted Maximus to
the nines and truth be told, Jack did not know a great deal about the animals.
He did however find the horse very handsome. Turning an eye on Bridgid he could
tell that she liked what she saw. Thank goodness she behaved herself at the
moment. Jack understood that the General was giving him 'head of household'
status by waiting for his approval.
"The gelding is more than suitable, General." he winked at the man. "Siren, can
I give you a leg up?"
"I never thought you'd ask, Jack! He's beautiful. "
Bridgid stood on the left side of the horse and gathered up the reins. She bent
her leg for Jack to help her mount. Giving the horse a pat on the neck she
purred something private to him as she always did when she rode. With a slight
squeeze of her legs she was off to put the gray through his paces.
"She is quite pleased with him." Jack affirmed.
Trying several dressage moves, she brought the horse up to where the trio stood.
"He's grand, Maximus. Jack, I love him. What did you say his name was, General?
He told me he likes to be called Skipper."
Jack threw his head back and roared with laughter, nearly startling the horse.
"What did I tell you, General? At least its not Muffin."
"Hey, what's wrong with 'Muffin'!" Joimus commented, her face a mask of mock
female woundedness. "Do you mean by this, Jack, that the bay is not to be called
"Cupcake'?"
Now it was Bridgid who was laughing her arse off. "Cupcake. Ha, I can see it
now. She did a perfect impersonation of his old British accent when she said
"Siren, would you mind saddling Cupcake? I would favor a gallop this afternoon."
Then she exaggerated her voice as she batted her eyes. "Yes my Sailor. I'd be
happy to do so. Would you prefer whipped cream, butter cream or cream cheese
icing on your stallion today?"
"The teasing will cease now, Siren. A horse with a heart like that bay's will
have a befitting name." For some reason he was not smiling. He buried his tongue
in his cheek though.
"Alright, Jack. Your turn. Go run him through his paces if it's okay with the
General. I'll just stand here with Joi and come up with jokes about how sweet
your ...
"Siren!"
Bridgid dismounted the gray with a tsk. She led the horse over to where Joimus
was standing and watched as Jack tried to mount the bay. He never seemed to get
it on the first try.
"General, could I trouble you for a leg up, sir?" Jack asked after his third
attempt. He could climb a mast like an ape but spirited horses were not
stationary.
Carefully controlling the smallest of grins, Maximus laced his fingers and
assisted Jack. He stepped neatly back as the horse snorted and visibly gathered
his muscles. "Oh...dear!" Joimus muttered under her breath.
Turning her head to look at the expression on Joi's face, Bridgid got a bad
feeling about this. She quickly looked back to Jack as he sat managed to get his
butt down in the saddle. "Gosh, be careful." she said but no sooner where the
words out of her mouth before the big bay horse reared and pawed the air. Jack
stuck to him like glue even though he appeared to be ungainly. The big sailor
seemed to enjoy every out of control moment he spent in the saddle.
After a few rounds in the paddock, it seemed as if Jack and the bay made
friends, kind of. They were both making the same snorting noises as the horse
found his stride and Jack found his seat.
Bridgid moved over to Maximus and she spoke low and soft to him. "General, do
you think you could covertly teach Jack to ride. He thinks he's a master of
horses but his legs are made for the deck of a ship not the flanks of a horse.
He's a brilliant man but riding is not his forte." She loved the sailor with all
of her heart but even he had his limits. "I'm so proud of him but ...I couldn't
bear to see him hurt."
Jack Aubrey just enjoyed the challenge of the big horse more than Bridgid could
ever imagine. He was a lot safer than she thought, he just didn't look all that
elegant astride the bay.
"I will keep my eye on him and see what pointers he may need," Maximus said,
more to placate Bridgid than from any real concern for Jack. Surely there was a
bit of awkwardness to the way the Captain rode, but he had control of the horse
and was in no actual danger of being unseated. He rested his left foot on the
lower rung of the fencing, taking the weight off that leg. Unseating was hardly
the word for what had injured that some months back. His mount's leg had gone a
good eight inches down into the unseen burrow and Maximus had tumbled completely
over the horse's head, landing in an area of rocks. Absently, he rubbed his left
thigh as he watched the Captain ride toward them.
Joimus saw the movement of his hand. Rarely did she miss anything he did, no
matter how slight. He was so much better now. The limp was barely noticeable
these days and seemed to have lessened since they'd come to the Glen. All things
equine had been entirely new to her when the General had come into her life, yet
under his guidance she'd become a reasonably competent horsewoman. Riding at his
side was one of the great pleasures of her life. He had been alone, though, when
he'd taken his fall and that left the scenario of it up to her imagination. That
even he could fall had shaken her greatly, had damaged somewhat her own comfort
level with being on horseback. She hadn't really talked much with him about
that. Horses were such a part of who he was that something in her didn't want to
admit even toherself that she was more tense in the saddle now. She smiled,
coming up beside him, and put her hand on his arm.
"He'll be fine...won't he?"
"He will. He is having a good time. See the way he is holding his head, the set
of his shoulders? Yes, he will be just fine."
When Jack finally pulled the horse to a stop, Bridgid breathed a sigh of relief.
He had that look on his face, the same one he had when they sailed in rough
waters.
"Jack Aubrey you are a bigger adrenaline junkie then me." Bridgid scolded. He
dismounted by leaping off the back of the horse and the moment he landed on his
feet he grabbed Bridgid up and kissed her. It surprised her so much she never
closed her eyes. He left her dumbfounded, too. He didn't say anything to her but
turned in a flurry to speak to Maximus.
"General. I am well pleased with the choices you have made for us. Shall we
finish this transaction in private, sir?"
"I have a small office connected to the stable, if you'd like to use that."
Jack looked over at Bridgid and she nodded. It wasn't as if he were asking her
permission. He was just confirming
Bridgid followed Joi up to the house, just to give the men time to conduct
the business end of the deal with the horses. It's not like it was any big
secret but as stated in the past, Jack was a product of his time and Bridgid
accepted him just the way he was.
As the women reached the porch, they stopped and turned briefly, looking back at
their two men who were still standing just outside the door to the office,
talking animatedly. "Look at them, Bridgid," Joimus smiled. "What a pair!"
"Yeah, I'll say. They're probably talking about us too." she giggled a
little. "Wow, I almost chortled, Joi. You're rubbing off on my, my friend."
Bridgid took one more look at the men and it kind of made her feel pretty
damn good to see them getting on so. "They are lucky, you know? They're really
loved and I would have to add that so are we."
