Chapter 34
Admiral AJ Chegwidden stood there in civvies with a visitor's badge clipped to his shirt with a pot of coffee in his hand.
"Coffee General?" he asked her with a grin.
Even though she was dressed in her new uniform with her new insignias she couldn't help but give him an impulsive hug, of course she was careful not to spill the coffee pot he was holding. "I would love some!" she told him after stepping back.
"I hope you don't mind that I stopped by on your first day Mac?" as he poured her a cup.
After her first sip and a sigh she said, "Nothing could have been better!"
He didn't stay much longer thinking that if the big JAG had to be there on her first day it might undermine he authority.
Three days later AJ and Akaliiani were on their way to Texas.
Telling Gerald and Adel about the baby was a very emotional reveal. Gerald got teary eyed when he thought of his baby girl having a baby. Then came the realization that in less than a year each of his children would be parents.
Akaliiani was amazed to see how well her father had adapted to ranch life. His promise of becoming a 'cowboy' seemed to have come true, he was even wearing boots!
The visit had been going just great until Akaliiani had wanted to go riding with the other three. Gerald began to protest almost immediately. There was no way his baby was going riding while carrying a baby! Akaliiani insisted that it was perfectly safe for pregnant women to ride well into their pregnancy. She turned to AJ for support, but his answer was, "I only want you and the baby to be safe."
It wasn't until she called it up on the internet that it was safe until sometime in the seventh month that AJ came on board at this proof. He told her he was okay with her going riding as long as she promised nothing too strenuous. Akaliiani quickly made that promise and then Adel asked her how much riding experience she had.
Gerald quickly jumped in to say that the answer was 'none' just like him and that he had the only beginner horse in the stables.
"Even if that were true Gerry, you are riding so well these days that we could put you on a different horse," Adel told her husband.
"However, it isn't true, the summer camps Pops sent me to every summer offered riding lessons and I loved it. I might be a little bit rusty but I was pretty good as a kid," Akaliiani told her.
"Is Cinnamon still around?" AJ asked his sister.
"Yes she is and she would be a good choice for Akaliiani. Shall we head to the stables then?" asked Adel.
Nodding slowly Gerald walked with the group out to the golf carts. "I thought we were going to ride horses?!" Akaliiani asked in a teasing voice.
"Two years ago the stables burned down, they were much closer to the house than they are now. We saved all the horses but when we went to rebuild we were told that for insurance purposes we had to build farther from the house. We were really glad that we had the golf carts for the other out buildings" Adel explained.
AJ and Akaliiani took one cart while Gerald and Adel took the other and before long they were at the stables. Three horses were saddled and tied to the fence by their reigns. Clem came out of the building as they pulled up. AJ greeted him and thanked him for saddling his horse for him.
"I was just waiting to find out who you wanted for your lovely wife?" Clem responded.
"Cinnamon," AJ told him.
"Good choice. I'll get her ready," Clem answered and headed into the building.
While they were waiting AJ introduced Akaliiani to the other horses. Gerald's Neptune, Adel's Egypt, and the one that he always rode when he was home for a visit. It was a pure white stallion named Galaxy. By the time she was done meeting the horses Clem was back with a lovely reddish brown colored horse.
To be continued…..