Mission of a Christmas Pony
"You did what!" Stephanie shrieked at her handsome husband.
"Babe, Lissie wants a pony."
Her hands were going in all directions as she was freaking out. "You tried to buy the Trenton City Council so they would vote to change the animal ordinance!"
"No, Babe," he said shaking his head. His black ponytail was swishing in the air. "I was offering to assist with the budget deficit the city is experiencing right now and if they voted in favor of allowing domesticated animals larger than the canine and feline varieties in most households, then I wasn't going to complain."
"You were bribing them!"
"Babe, Lissie wants a pony for Christmas."
"And I want to be queen of the world!"
He had a shit ass smirk coming across his face that infuriated Stephanie at that moment. "Don't I make you that every night?"
It was true. She was married to the magnificent Cuban Sex god. "That's beside the point. We don't need a pony. We have Rex, Myrtle the Turtle, Benny Beta, Herman the Hermit Crab, Chopsticks the Siamese, Houdini the white rabbit just like the one from the magic show she saw, and we acquired Taffy, our cotton ball of a puppy." As Stephanie named the animals she counted them out on her fingers.
With each new pet acquisition, it was followed by a shopping spree the next day at 'Victoria's Secret' for the married couple. He knew how to keep both of his Babes happy. Ranger's black credit card more than qualified for the frequent buyer program. There were actually letters and e-mails asking them to come back if there were no recent purchases on record. It made Stephanie laugh and Ranger grimace when she cleaned out her closet, Grandma and her beauty shop brigade took her donations for the fashion show auctions at the Senior's Center. With the proceeds of the old ladies strutting their stuff in lingerie, there was a new pool table and big screen TV delivered. Trenton's senior males must have really bad eyesight to bid on old ladies in skimpy nighties.
The rabbit's pen was in a corner of her play yard between the Rangeman buildings, but moved to its temporary warm, sunny winter vacation chalet in their entry of the walkway. Houdini exercised hopping after Alisa when she roller skated and hung out with the cat and puppy. All of the animals got along. How crazy was that? It may have something to so with Taffy and the white rabbit being practically the same size. Good natured Ella just took all the Manoso creatures in stride adding more animal food to the regular shopping list. The Rangeman housekeeper thinks it's so sweet how Big Bad Ass Ranger turns to goo at the blink of his daughter's blue eyes. So does her Grandpa Plum, his granddaughter plays catch in their backyard with him. She wears her pink baseball shirt and he's always willing to play with her.
It seemed also that one pet or another was due for a vet visit or shots. Dr. Quinn probably had a cruise booked from the increase in business just from Lissie's zoo.
With a perfect French accent, Ranger said, "She's a Coton De Tulear, Babe."
Her panties were ruined every time he said the breed with that perfect accent. He wasn't Parisian? She sighed and Ranger knew he had her. The puppy was a fluffy white cotton ball with a little black. She reminded everyone of a really miniature sheepdog who saw her. Lissie's school bus passed a pet shop and the puppy was all alone in the shop window. She had to show her father the sad little puppy in the window one day after first grade. "Babe, the puppy was all alone. She'll have company here," Ranger told her walking into their apartment with a small ball of fur in his hands. Karalee, Tank's main squeeze, gave her vote of confidence that it was a good dog with children.
Stephanie, Ranger, and Lissie lived in a Rangeman zoo! The doting father and mother with their sweet little girl took Taffy for a walk right after she arrived home from school everyday. Sometimes the Siamese walked along on its leash. That was an hour each day which was blocked off on the Rangeman CEO's schedule. It was after-school time and no one bothered Ranger during that time. Rangeman could be on fire, he would deal with it after their puppy walk.
"Coton De Tulear," he whispered in her ear.
Stephanie was a goner. "OK, let's see what kind of pony we can get for Lissie, but lets board it at the stable. No slipping money to elected officials for their 'retirement' and I really don't want to live on a farm. I can just see it, Lissie riding her pony around the parking garage."
They had discussed buying a house with property so the Manosos could have a horse. Was it worth the expense of buying and the up-keep of a house for a pony? Ranger told his wife 'it was only money'. Stephanie was afraid Lissie would tire of her pony and they would be living in the country and she didn't want to leave Ella's cooking. Since Trenton wasn't going to allow farm animals living within the city limits anytime in this century even though Frank Plum offered his back yard for the pony, he figured there would be no need to cut grass, the Manoso pony would be boarded at a stable. Included with the pony would be riding lessons. Stephanie didn't ask her husband yet if one of the Merry Men would be taking riding lessons too so he was in close proximity to their daughter or her husband was going to go cowboy himself. Stephanie would pick out his chaps herself. Oh, boy!
He reorganized his days so Ranger and his wife could visit horse breeders in close proximity to Trenton. After the morning meeting if it was a day with a pony appointment, the two of them would leave after Alisa was on the school bus and back after lunch. The stable manager gave Ranger a list of reputable horse farms which sold them and pointers to look for in a pony for Alisa.
Ranger always gave Stephanie that very sexy arched eyebrow when she came out of the bedroom on those days with leather boots to the knees. After visiting seven different breeders in New Jersey and over into Pennsylvania, Lissie parent's chose a very gentle chestnut Welsh pony for her Christmas present. Stephanie was going to miss all the small out-of-the-way places they found visiting the farms for lunch, she had some very delicious food. Arrangements were made, Shasta the pony would arrive at 'Rolling Mills Stable and Riding Academy' three days before Christmas. A note with a picture of the Welsh pony would be in the box for when Lissie unwrapped a pair of pink cowgirl boots. It was her favorite color. Happy 'Santa' Tank wrote the note so the little girl didn't recognize her father's elegant handwriting. The second in command was crazy about his Siamese cat who spent the day in his office curled on a soft cat bed or chasing her sister, Chopsticks, and the fluff ball of a puppy around Rangeman. He and Karalee, the shelter manager where the Siamese twins were adopted from, were dating and exclusively. It was a very happy animal sanctuary and security company.
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ON CHRISTMAS MORNING:
Lissie, Chopsticks, and Taffy all came running into Stephanie and Ranger's bedroom and up on the large bed. "Mommy! Daddy! It's Christmas!"
"Are you sure, Lissie?" A wide awake Ranger lifted his young daughter over his head.
"Daddy, are we Cuban?"
He smirked at his little girl with her mother's 'Burg' attitude. "You know we are."
"Well, duh! Its Christmas then," her blue eyes rolled as she told Ranger.
"Merry Christmas, Lissie," Stephanie said kissing her daughter. "Merry Christmas, Ranger."
"Merry Christmas, Babes," he replied kissing the loves of his life.
After the bathroom visits, the two adults, little girl, cat, and puppy all went down into the living room to see what Santa Claus brought the Manosos. Presents were stacked around the tree. Lissie went running looking all around the large decorated Christmas tree and under it. Both her mother and father saw a look of disappointment.
"I guess Santa couldn't fit a Christmas pony in his sleigh for me." She pouted looking at her parents with sad blue eyes.
"Lissie," Ranger said kneeling down in front of his beautiful daughter, the splitting image of her mother with darker Cuban curls. "I'll take Taffy out and we'll open our presents. Maybe Santa left a pony somewhere else. I don't think your mother would appreciate a pony in the living room and I know Ella wouldn't want to be cleaning the carpet on Christmas."
"Do you think my pony is waiting for me, Daddy?" She asked looking at her father, then up at her mother.
"We won't know until we open presents, Sweetheart," Stephanie said. "Let Daddy take Taffy out and I make coffee and hot chocolate for us."
That perked up Alisa. "Yeah! We can open Christmas presents! Maybe my Christmas pony is in there."
Lissie Manoso opened each wrapped present liking the pink sweater, Barbie doll, pink Corvette for Barbie to drive, the beach house for Barbie to vacation in, and new pink roller skates, but there was a little something missing in her enthusiasm. There was one last Christmas gift from Santa. The paper went ripping off. Opening the lid of the box were the pink cowgirl boots and a matching hat with an envelope addressed to 'Alisa'. "Here, Mommy, read it," she told her trying on her new boots and cowgirl hat.
Opening the envelope, Stephanie removed a card with the face of Santa on it.
"Dear Alisa," her mother read, "I know you have been very good this year and are at the top of my 'Nice List'. You asked for a pony this year, and it is just a little too big to fit into the sleigh and for the reindeer to fly through the sky with on Christmas Eve. I left Shasta in a warm stall at 'Rolling Mills Stable' and after the New Year, you will begin riding lessons. I'm sure your father knows the directions to the stable. Here is a picture of Shasta so you can see the beautiful pony I chose for a very special girl. I hope you and she will become best friends. Merry Christmas. Love, Santa Claus.
She stared at the picture in her small hands. "I got a pony," she whispered. She blinked and blinked again. It set in. With a happy shriek, "I GOT A PONY!" Her pink cowgirl hat was tossed up in the air and she jumped in her father's strong arms. "Daddy, Santa brought me my pony! Look!" She was waving the photograph in the air.
"See, Lissie!"
"Mommy, we got to eat breakfast and go see her! Hurry!" She got down running into the kitchen.
"Lissie, Grandma Plum, Grandpa, and Grandma Mazur will be here to see your presents and go to Grandma Manoso's house for Christmas dinner," Ranger reminded her. "We'll stop at the stable on the way so you can meet your pony."
"We can so everybody can see Shasta?"
"Yes, Lissie."
Stephanie handed the excited little girl her stocking. There were stockings hanging from the mantle with the names of Carlos, Stephanie, Alisa, Taffy, Chopsticks, Houdini, Rex, Myrtle, Herman, and Benny. The crab and turtle received new fruit snacks and Santa brought the Beta new food and a little green plastic fern to swim through in his bowl. Chopsticks was chasing her new catnip mouse around their home. Taffy was contented in front of the warm fireplace chewing on a new rawhide bone. Houdini received a sisal toss carrot to entertain him and fruit chews.
In Lissie's stocking, Stephanie filled it with plastic horses of different colors and sizes. Ranger had to chuckle, the horses all seemed quite happy vacationing in Barbie's house. He hoped they cleaned up after themselves before Barbie got home.
Her grandparents bought her Barbie with a horse and Grandma Mazur gave Lissie a frilly nightgown with slippers. Pink, of course.
The coats were on to make the drive to meet Shasta. Lissie came running down the steps in her pink parka with white faux trim. The cat and puppy had on their matching vests.
Ranger glanced at his wife. "Where are Chopsticks and Taffy going, Lissie?"
She looked up at her tall father with mittened hands on her hips. "Daddy, Chopsticks and Taffy want to meet their new horsy sister. Besides, Grandma and Grandpa Manoso are expecting them for dinner, too!"
"They are?" he questioned his little girl. "Do we have to take Rex, Myrtle, Herman, and Houdini also?"
"No, Daddy," she said shaking her dark curls. "It's too cold for them and Herman's bowl might tip over. Houdini is playing with his carrot."
"Thank God," Ranger thought chuckling. If Lissie wanted to take her zoo, he would figure out a way.
"Do you know how to get to Shasta's house, Daddy?"
"I know, Lissie."
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The security enhanced Range Rover and the Plum's Buick parked in the 'Rolling Mills Stable and Riding Academy' a short time later. Stephanie, Ranger carrying the cat in a pink vest, and Lissie with her fluffy puppy on a pink leash and a bag of carrots with her Grandparents walked into the long red building where the horses stayed. A worker was going down one row of stalls giving out buckets of oats to each horse. "Can I help you?" He had a pretty good idea the little girl was the owner of the new horse.
"I'm Alisa Grace Manoso," Lissie spoke up standing straight. "These are my Mommy and Daddy, Stephanie and Carlos Manoso. This is my cat, Chopsticks Manoso, and my puppy, Taffy Manoso. My Grandfather and Grandmother Plum and Grandma Mazur. We're here to meet Shasta Manoso, my Christmas Pony that Santa brought me. She was too big for his sleigh so he brought her here."
Ranger whispered to his wife, "What a speech, Babe."
"Hello," the college aged guy removed his glove shaking her hand, "I'm Chris. My family owns this. You must have been a very good girl. Your pony's stall is down on the left." He pointed down the aisle. "Let me give Desert Star here her oats and I'll bring her out."
"Thank you. I brought her carrots," she told him holding up the bag.
There was a stall about halfway down. The door was made to look like a package with red ribbon and a bow. A big paper tag read 'To Alisa, From Santa."
"She's beautiful," Lissie called out running down in her pink cowgirl hat and boots to stand in front of the stall with the dark Chestnut pony's head peaking over the door.
Chris opened the door and walked the Welsh pony out to the little girl all in pink. The cat gave a 'Meow' from Ranger's arm. Frank was holding the puppy growling a little at the animal bigger than it.
The horse didn't hesitate and gently took the carrot Lissie offered.
"Can I sit on my pony?" she asked.
Nodding, Chris held the reins as Stephanie took the Siamese cat from Ranger so he could lift their daughter up.
"You're pretty," a happy Alisa Manoso told her pony brushing the brown mane with her fingers. "Look, Daddy, Shasta has hair the same color as mine."
Stephanie watched her husband melt as those big blue eyes looked innocently at him. It was the same expression she witnessed moments after their daughter was born when the maternity nurse placed the small pink bundle in Ranger's hands. It was pride, love, and amazement all wrapped into the soft dark brown eyes and it was still the same right now.
"She's the perfect pony for my perfect little girl."
"Wow, Daddy, by the time my birthday comes, I'll be really good at taking care of my pony just like I am with all my pets," Alisa commented in her father's arm heading to the SUV to leave for Newrk.
His eyebrow arched not sure what she meant. "Why your birthday?"
"So I can help Mommy."
"With what, Lissie?" Ranger asked.
"I want a baby brother or sister. I'll be a really good big sister."
Ranger's gaze turned to his wife walking beside them. "Babe?"
"Merry Christmas, Ranger."