Chapter 9

When Elizabeth finished feeding Jason, Allie and Henry came down the stairs. He put Allie down at the bottom of the stairs and she ran over to her mother, wither Belle nightgown and her disheveled bedhead hair. "Good Morning, Noodle," Elizabeth leaned over from the chair and kissed her head.

"Is Uncle Will up yet? He promised he would play Barbies with me today." She looked up at her mother with her big, brown eyes.

"I am sure he will be up in a little bit but for now we'll let him catch up on some sleep," she answered her as Allie leaned in to leave a kiss on her brother's forehead while she sniffled from her lingering cold.

Elizabeth frowned she was hoping the cough and cold would be almost done by today. It felt like there was no end in sight. With three kids sick with colds and her brother's unexpected stay at the house, she was stressing over where to put Henry's parents.

Henry walked back in carrying two cups of steaming coffee. He handed Elizabeth her coffee, while leaning down to give her a good morning kiss. He checked her over catching a glimpse of her cleavage through her light blue robe and cream camisole that she had worn to bed. He then sat down on the maroon plaid couch set aside from the chair she was sitting in. "The day is going to be warmer than expected. Should be a good morning for a ride. You want to head out before my parents get here? I got the kids and breakfast." He looked at her and could tell she was stressing, "What's wrong? Did work call?"

"No and for the record I am not looking forward to going back tomorrow," she snuggled Jason, who had fallen back asleep on her shoulder into her and kissed his forehead. She took a sip of her coffee with her other hand. "But, Henry with Will here and the kids still sick, I am concerned about where we are going to put your parents when they get here. Is it too late to book them at the hotel? They will probably be happier, right?" She looked at him, with her brow furrowed and shrugging her shoulders.

"WHAT?! Babe, they are due to arrive in just a few hours. May I remind you that they have gone to great lengths to bring the surprise with them. We can't just banish them to a hotel!" Henry argued.

She looked around at the messy house. Burp cloths and blankets laying over the couch, toys from Christmas everywhere, laundry piled up that needed to be washed.

"Well, Henry I can't send my brother over there. This was his home too. Where would your parents even sleep? Besides, once they get a look at this place, they'll be glad to not have to stay here. Just this one time, please Henry," she was whispering but making a strong case to him.

He looked the other way and rubbed his forehead. She walked over to him. Leaning over she placed Jason on his lap, while showing him just the right amount of cleavage from the v-neck of her camisole and robe.

"I tell you what, I'm going to go for this ride. You can break it to your parents and call that really nice hotel. You know the one with the indoor pool. Book them their suite. It's on me."

He smiled at her, "Yeah, go. I got this."

She kissed him and raced up the stairs, changed and was out of the house in no time, grabbing an apple on her way out the door.

Walking into the stables, she could still see her own breath. It would be a cold ride but she was bundled up.

She gave Millie some sugar cubes on her way by the stall. But she whispered, "I'll be right back." She had been dying to take Millie for a ride but Stevie would never allow it. Elizabeth knew she needed to do it when Stevie wasn't around. Elizabeth talked to Mitch and Stevie's coach, Julie that she was concerned Millie was not a smooth enough ride to push Stevie back at the top of the competitions.

She made her way over to Buttercup's stall and handed him the apple out of her pocket. "Listen big guy. Here's an extra special breakfast. I'm giving you a break today and I am going to take the girl out for ride. " She hung her outer green and beige barn jacket on the hook beside his stall. Her puffy jacket would be enough knowing she would be getting warmed up soon. "We'll be back shortly." She rubbed the white patch on his snout and walked away.

It was only minutes before she and Millie were trotting their way to the outskirts of the property. The cold air hit her cheeks giving them a rosy glow. She slowed Millie down as they entered the woods following the trail that winded out to the meadow. Elizabeth looked up as some of the leaves refusing to fall rustled in the wind. The remnants of the pre-Christmas snowfall barely covered the path now. It was a little muddy so she walked her slow.

She could almost see the clearing of sunlight coming into the path. She leaned down and whispered in Millie's ear. "Listen, girl. You need to work on your speed a little bit. Smoother transitions. More flow to your gallop. Up here that is what we are going to do. She gave her honey colored neck a little tap with her hand and a rub.

As soon as they cleared out of the path, she sat up off the saddle and squeezed her calves against the girl, she gave a quick "Go!" and they were off racing through the meadow. Elizabeth felt steady on the horse with her pigtails bopping on the back of her shoulders. She ran her as far as she could thne gave the right rein an easy tug slowing her down naturally. It was almost like they were one.

About ten strides in, she gave her another squeeze and a "go" and they were off running again. The chill in the day was getting warmer and it was easier on her body to ride without freezing.

This time she slowed her down even faster than before. It was bumpy. Once into a walk, she leaned down again. "Slow down easy, baby. Put your trust in me." She again gave her a quick rub to the side.

She cantored for a bit and gave her a squeeze with no "go" this time. Millie responded beautifully and picked up her pace with an easy motion. Elizabeth was able to make her way off the saddle without being bumped around. They ran for a few minutes across the meadow trail. She turned her and gave the rein a gentle pull, Millie easily slowed herself down.

She leaned down "Beautiful Girl, that's it!"

They stayed in the meadow for nearly an hour before heading back. Once back at the stable, it was warm enough to leave Millie out in the pasture for a bit. Elizabeth walked into the stall and hooked Buttercup up and lead him to the pasture too. She grabbed her coat off the hook and headed back into the house.

She opened the door and she could smell fresh scrambled eggs and bacon. She could also hear her girls laughing with Will playing with them.

"Hello family!" she called out.

Will answered, "In here."

She walked through the mudroom, hanging up her coat and taking off her boots.

As she spied her daughters on the floor playing Barbie surgery with Will she laughed.

"You trying to persuade them into your profession and not mine?"

Will laughed, "As long as they stay in an operating room and not out in the field like me, they'll be safer than both of us."

She stared back at her brother and said "Truth. Where are the boys?"

Stevie answered, "Daddy took Jason upstairs because he pooped everywhere. It was stiiinnkkyy!"

"WHAT?!" she said back her eyes wide open.

Will answered, "Oh yeah. All up the back, right in the middle of Henry making breakfast. I finished the breakfast and fed the girls. You hungry?"

'Well, not now," she said as she made her way up the stairs.

"Henry?" she called out.

"In here, Babe," he called back from the nursery.

"What happened?"

"Trifecta! He pooped badly, got him up here and he spit up. Henry looked over his shoulder at her as he was putting a new onesie on Jason. "Probably from me running up the stairs with him. I then put him in the bath and he peed up and out of the bathtub."

She started to laugh, 'This kid just explodes everywhere. All the time."

"Pretty much," Henry finished snapping his outfit and handed him to her. Jason smiled at her during the pass over.

"Hi baby! You have to start being a little nicer for your Daddy. Did you talk to your parents?" She chuckled as Henry leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Did you have a good ride?" he asked, placing his hand on her back.

"I did! Millie was fabulous. Nice deflection." she pulled Jason in tighter as he nuzzled up to her neck. She smelled that sweet baby scent as she kissed his forehead.

"Oh yeah, I did. They were completely fine with it. I think they are looking forward to it. I got the suite. It was about $250 a night. That's without room service and fees. So, good luck with the bill. Gonna go shower." He smiled at her and left her standing there with the baby and apparently the bill.

By the time, one o'clock rolled around Henry was getting tired of Elizabeth asking him when his parents were going to be there. He finally started answering her with "when they get here." Will had gone off for the afternoon to have lunch with some buddies from medical school and wouldn't be back until later. She was grateful as it would give them time alone with Patrick and Mary.

The crunch of the tires coming up the driveway sent all of the girls running out of the house with Henry following behind him holding Jason in his arms. Elizabeth turned to look behind her to catch a glimpse of her favorite view. He smiled as she beamed at him, her eyes as striking as ever and her golden mane blowing in the breeze. She winked at Henry and turned back around.

It was right about then he heard Stevie and Alison scream with delight as his father opened the back door to the SUV and a giant of a dog jumped out to happily great them. Alison got knocked down in the process but laughed as the dog licked her face. The girls were all over the beast, laughing and petting her.

"She is so cute! What kind of dog is she, Mommy?" Stevie asked not taking her eyes off of her.

"She's a bull mastiff. She's big and that is one of the reasons why she is ours. She wasn't fitting in at her first home." Elizabeth said leaning down to pet the girl.

"She's ours. Not Grandpa's?" Stevie asked.

Henry answered, "Nope, she is ours. She is going to live here on the farm. She belonged to a high school friend of mine. Their house was much to small for her so they thought the farm would be better. I think she will fit right in, don't you?"

Stevie reached up and hugged Henry. "Of course, she will. Can we name her?"

"Oh baby. Her name is Lady. She is probably so used to it so I think we should keep it." Elizabeth answered her.

"I love it," Allie answered. She was still on the ground playing with the dog.

Elizabeth responded with "it's a little chilly out. Why don't we all head in?"

By this point, Mary had already taken over with Jason as they all headed in for lunch.

Elizabeth and Henry watched from behind as the dog ran alongside Stevie and Allie bounding into the big, messy house.

"That house is about to get a whole lot messier," Henry said. He put his arm around Elizabeth and they both laughed walking in.