Chapter 36

A few days later after watering the crops, Jack went to check on how Zephyr was doing. The young horse looked up from the hay he was eating. Giving a small whinny Zephyr came over to Jack.

Jack smiled, "Hey, Zephyr, I'm glad that you are liking it here."

Jack reached up to the nearby shelf and got the brush. While brushing down his horse he heard someone calling his name.

"Hey, Jack! Where are you?"

"I'm in the stable."

A moment later Karen looked in, "Guess what, Jack."

Jack saw that there was a mischievous grin on her face and her hands were behind her back, "You won a Super Deluxe Pizza from Kai's Snack Shack?"

Karen chuckled, "Nope, try again."

"You won the Miss Mineral Town Beauty Pageant?"

Karen laughed and shook her head, "No, will you please be serious?"

"Ok, I guess that you have a way to early birthday present for me?"

Karen laughed, "I thought I told you to be serious. But, since you are a nice guy, I'll forgive you."

"Well, was I right?"

Karen brought her hands around, reveling a box with the logo of a swim wear company on the side, "Ta-dah! I paid a little extra so that this would be sent quickly. Now, are you finished with work?"

"Just about, all I have left is to finish brushing Zephyr."

Karen came over and petted Zephyr, "Hello there, sweetie. Are you a good boy?"

Zephyr softly nickered.

Karen smiled, "Yes you are. Now be nice for my friend Jack, ok?"

Zephyr whinnied.

Jack smiled, "It looks like he perked up a bit."

"Well, most horses do get happy when a beautiful, kind girl talks to them."

Jack placed the brush back on the shelf, "Ok, let's get our swimsuits on and head up to the hot spring."

Karen grinned, "You remembered?"

Jack smiled, "I would not want to have a good friend be mad at me for forgetting to go soak in the hot spring together."

Karen picked up her tote bag that she had placed on the ground.

Jack pointed at it, "You have everything in there?"

Karen nodded, "Yup, two towels, a small radio and my bikini."

"You're not wearing it?"

"Nope, I wanted to change into it in your home. I'll use your bathroom to do my changing."

"Ok, but why two towels?"

"I felt that it would be nice to bring a towel for you to use to dry off with."

"That's nice of you. Thank you."

"You're welcome.

Entering his house, Karen looked around, "It's a bit small."

"I think Joe felt it was good enough for him."

"Don't worry, Jack. I like it. Besides, Elli, Ann and I do worry about you. Anyway, your bathroom is behind that door?"

"Yes."

"Ok, but first, open that box and let's see that swimsuit I got you."

Opening the box, Jack removed the swim trunks, "This looks great, Karen, thank you."

Karen smiled, "You're welcome, Jack. I definitely can pick great swimsuits for people."

Karen then opened her tote bag and removed her bikini, "Ok, I'll go change while you change out here. But you better not peek in on me, or else."

"Or else what?"

With a mischievous grin Karen replied, "Or else the amount of clothes I have on at the time of the peek is the amount I'll wear to the hot spring."

Jack mischievously grinned back, "As tempting to see your 'birthday suit', I'll pass for today. Umm, no offence."

Karen grinned, "None taken."

Karen then walked over and opened the door to the bathroom, "Jack, all you have in here is a toilet and sink. How do you bathe?"

"I go up to the hot spring."

"Well when winter comes, it will not be practical to do that. There will be lots of snow on the path and Gotz will not allow anybody to go up there."

"Why's that?"

Karen sighed, "Years ago his wife and daughter went up to the top of Mother's Hill. A snowstorm picked up, they tried to make it back safely, but they didn't make it. They died. So now Gotz just will not want another person to die up there. So, those pineapples you are growing, you should get a lot of money for them. So, promise me you'll upgrade this bathroom. If you don't get this bathroom in the fall, then when winter comes, please come and use my bathroom. Promise me, Jack, please."

Jack heard the concern in Karen's voice, "Ok, Karen, I'll upgrade my bathroom this summer. Did you know Gotz's daughter?"

"Yes, Gina was good friends with not only me, but she was friends with Elli and Ann. She would be the same age as us if she were still alive. Anyway let's get changed."

Karen stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. Jack quickly changed into his new swimsuit.

A moment later the bathroom door opened slightly, "Jack, are you ready?"

"Yes. You can come out."

Karen opened the door farther and walked out carrying her clothes neatly piled. Jack saw that Karen had hidden her underwear. A mischievous grin crossed her face, "Hoping to see what kind of underwear I wear?"

"Well, not really, but I'm going to guess that they are something that makes you feel sexy."

"They are, but you don't get to see them, well at least not yet." Karen said with a wink. "I'm going to leave my clothes here for now. So when we finish soaking I can come back and change into them."

"Ok, that sounds fine with me."

Karen picked up her tote bag.

Jack then opened the door and made a sweeping gesture, "After you, my friend."

Karen chuckled, "Thank you, my friend."

Crossing the farm Karen looked around, "It looks like you haven't gotten your chicken coop repaired."

"Yeah, I don't know if I should. Gotz took a look at it after he repaired the stable. He felt it would be cheaper to just build a new coop then repair this one."

"Are you going to get a new one?"

"Well, if you look back at the field, you'll see the area where I planted the grass seeds you gave me. I was thinking about getting a cow."

Karen took a look at the field, "Yeah, I see the area. You might want to get a few more bags, so you can build up a good amount of feed for the winter to feed your cow."

As they were headed up the path to the hot spring Karen started to laugh.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "What are you laughing about?"

"Oh, I just remembered something. When Gina was still alive and it was a very hot summer day, when Gina would go with her mom to take a bath. She would..." Karen started laughing again.

"Yes?"

Karen grinned, "I don't know if I should tell you."

"Please? It looks like you might hurt yourself if you keep it in."

"Well...ok. Most people around here know it, and since you are a nice guy. I'll tell you, but do not tell anyone else. Ok?"

"Ok, I promise."

Karen nodded, "Ok, Gina would walk up here naked."

Jack laughed, "I see, this was when Gina was...ummm.. how old was she when she did this?"

"She was six years old."

"Well when you are that old, sometimes you don't care about wearing clothes on hot days."

Karen nodded, "True. She might have continued to do it if she were still alive."

Karen burst out laughing, "I just had an image of her doing it today. You were coming back from forging on Mother's Hill while she was walking to the hot spring. You had a shocked look on your face while she calmly walked by saying 'Hello' to you."

Jack scratched his head, "Well, if I wasn't warned she does that on hot summer days, I would have a shocked look. But if I was warned, I would just calmly reply with a 'Hello' as well and not stare at her."

A surprised look crossed Karen's face, "Really?"

"Well, you girls do get offended sometimes when boys stare."

"True."

Entering the hot spring the two friends checked to see if anyone else was using it. Seeing that they had the place for themselves. Karen pulled out the small radio and tuned into a soft rock station.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "You like soft rock?"

"Yes, I hope you do."

Jack nodded, "Yes, I do."

"Good, oh, by the way in the fall there is a music festival. Ann, Elli, Mary and I are a part of a group. Why don't you join us?"

"Will it be ok? I'm a guy after all."

"It will be ok, we did try to get a few of the other guys in town to join us, but they find some lame excuse to be elsewhere."

"What instrument do you play?"

"Well I don't play an instrument, I sing. Ann and Elli play recorders and Mary plays the organ."

"I guess I'll join you. I don't know what instrument I could play."

"I'm sure Carter will think of something."

"I'll make a note when we get back to my house."

"Good. Oh, I heard from Mary, that you made friends with Gray."

"Yeah, I helped him to the Clinic when he hurt himself at work. Then we went to the Inn, he felt he owed me a better greeting then the one he gave when we first met."

A warm smile crossed Karen's face, "Thank you for being a friend to my friends."

Jack returned the smile, "You're welcome."