CH 11
Dan had fallen asleep. He was content to relax in the warmth of the soft blankets and Karlas form next to him. He sat up quickly and looked around. She was gone. He never fell asleep in the middle of the day. "Must've been tired."
He dressed
and went out to the living room to look for Karla. She wasn't there.
"Karla?"
No answer. He put his shoes on and went outside
on the porch. He could hear noise from inside the barn. He crossed
the yard and as he got closer he heard a squeal and a clap. He opened
the door and stepped inside. What greeted him inside was a terrifying
sight.
His tiny bombshell of a girlfriend was up on top of that bouncing, squealing, kicking animal she'd been dancing with earlier. She had a riding helmet on, a very small saddle between her and his back and a whip in one hand. They were moving around the indoor arena and the horse was not happy at all about this. He had his ears pinned back and he was bucking at every cue she gave him. He was giving protesting squeals and pulling heavily on the reins. Karen was apparently quite alright, but he was afraid she would come off and be hurt. He stayed back in the shadows and just watched. What she was doing was dangerous and he knew it.
The horse was wet with sweat and so was Karla, but she was determined. At last he seemed to accept that she was in charge and slowed his protests to tokens. Karla relaxed slightly in the saddle and let him walk. The creaking of the saddle and the blowing of the horse were the only sounds in the small barn. As he relaxed more she let him have more rein until he was just walking tiredly around the arena.
She stretched her legs a bit and gathered the reins. He tensed. She touched him with her heal. He pinned his ears back a bit, but jumped into a controlled canter. She told him in loving tones what a good boy he was. They went one round of the arena and she brought him back to a walk. She turned him in a gradual circle and cued him to go the other way at a canter. It looked rougher than the first way, but he didn't offer anything beyond a token ear pin and she let him walk again. She walked for several rounds and stopped him in the middle of the ring. He began to sidle and fidget. She pulled him in a tight circle.
He wasn't happy about this and protested with a squeal and a hoppy buck. She smacked him with the whip in her hand and he pinned his ears but that was all. This time when she stopped him, he stayed for just a minute then started sidling again. She sent him around the other way. When she stopped him the third time he just stood blowing heavily. She patted his sweaty neck and slid off. My God, she'd only come to his shoulder.
She gathered the reins and led him over to the side of the arena where the gate was. She didn't seem to be surprised to see Dan. "Sleep well?" she asked with a mischievous smile.
"Yes. You were magnificent. I've never seen anything like that."
"He was a good boy, wasn't he?"
"Good boy? That was a good boy?"
"Yes. He remembers what he's supposed to do, even if he's protesting having to do it. If he didn't remember that'd be one thing, but he's decided he can't trust his rider to tell him what to do so he's fighting me on it. Can you hold him for me for a minute?"
"Sure." Dan took the reins pretending his wasn't nervous.
Cinco just stood blowing heavily. Karla loosened the saddle and lifted it down. She put it on the arena wall and turned back to the big horse. She took a halter down and put it on the now placid animal and fastened it snugly. Next came a chain over the horses nose through the halter and Dan was holding an empty bridle. "I need to walk him. Come talk to me while I do it, please?"
He followed the horse back out into the sunshine. Karla began to walk him speaking gently to him. "So, what are we going to do about this?"
"About what?" Dan looked up at her and blushed that he'd been caught watching her walk in the skin tight riding pants and boots that she'd dug out from somewhere.
She smiled knowingly and winked at him. "Work, silly."
"Work." Was this what Goren felt like? He had new sympathy for the man. You're a Captain for petes sake. Get a hold of yourself! He told himself sternly. "We're going to tell Cragen and Sackett that we'll be the poster child for." His eyes returned to ogling her rear end in those pants. Poster child for babbling captains. "For the campaign to change the policy on fraternization."
Karla didn't help anything when she gave her butt a little shake and he nearly swallowed his tongue. "Bring me the hose, will you?" she asked.
"Sure. Where is it?"
"In the barn." She said patiently.
TBC
