Transition Plan Chapter 130 - School Days Part 6

… Author's Notes: A two scene chapter this time. The opening scene is something fluffy (a definite T for some intimate moments) for your New Year's Day reading pleasure when you get bored with all the college football games. And the second scene? Well… don't you think it's time for Jack and Jeanne to have some interaction with animals? I thought so too… :)

…

Late February 1925

Jeanne was standing unclad at the foot of their bed, examining something new about her curvaceous, buxom shape in the full length mirror on the main bedroom door, about ready to pull her husband into to the steamy warm shower with her after their equally steamy sunrise lovemaking and delightful lingering cuddle that followed. Both enjoyed making love at dawn more than any other time because the physical feeling of marital unity would last the entire day together in each other's presence. The knowing little glances they shared thrilled them, often accompanied by flashes of their precious intimate emotional connection.

It was the weekend and it was cold and blustery in late February, so there was no pressure to dress and run to class nor was there any pressing Married Student Association business or issues to resolve. But there were other fun things to do together on a weekend at college so their intimate early morning play time couldn't last too much longer.

Cricket season was over, and Jack had done well with his intramural team that finished in third place, and the first sports trophy Jack had ever earned sat proudly on a shelf in the study. But the couple discovered they liked playing vigorous sports, and doing it together. They had taken up competitive intramural mixed pair's indoor tennis, and were quite good at it, near the top of their league, and it was time to get ready for their match at the top pair: Bruce and Edith. It was similar to the ancient childhood game of Cyc they had learned from Ndidi in Nigeria but far more intense physically, which they enjoyed most of all.

But tennis was later in the day. There were more important matters for the couple at that instant.

"Jack, look at me!" Jeanne exclaimed, modeling for him.

Jack was still being lazy in their bed, spent from his time with her. He stretched with a grunt, turned as requested, and examined her from head to toe hungrily, still replaying mentally the emotional pinnacle of what they'd just done. Seeing the full splendor of her body, Jack wished he was physically capable of pulling her back into another intimate embrace right now.

"I am, I am!" he stated emphatically. He actually hadn't stopped looking at her since she got up, but pretended that he hadn't been.

She gave him a feigned look of exasperation, knowing all the time he had been admiring her, but made no attempt to cover herself, "No, silly boy, not my body. My hair."

He shifted his gaze and stared where he'd just been pleasuring the both of them the past twenty minutes and raised an eyebrow intently.

She scolded him, "No, not that hair, Jack. My regular hair."

"Oh, my mistake," he grinned like a cat toying with a mouse.

With a very wry grin and one hand defiantly on a hip, she wagged a finger at him with the other, "You, dear sir, are just impossible…"

It was no mistake. And she knew it. But that was the fun of their love play for both of them. They were very proud of their bodies and how much pleasure they could give their spouse with them.

Then she posed for him, fluffing and luxuriating her body-length tresses, showing off her rich underarm hair too. Jeanne knew she couldn't prevent Jack from admiring everything else about her and she didn't want to stop him. Jeanne took great joy in her husband appreciating her beauty, and let him savor her latest 'show for one'. She loved his roaming eyes and approving smile.

And then he noticed.

Her unbelievably long black hair was touching the floor by at least an inch, and she was literally standing on most of it. Some of Jeanne's hair draped over her insteps and let her pretty feet and toes play with the ends of the strands. She had developed a very capable prehensile grip with her feet after several years of learning from Jack and the apes. She tried to be nonchalant about this, faking a dismissive stare up into the ceiling, and softly whistled a whimsical tune.

He sat up straight in bed and his jaw dropped.

She was very excited with her latest accomplishment - to grow her hair out to floor length - and just couldn't hide it, and responded with her classic 'little girl' mannerisms. She started giggling, bent over a little and hunched her shoulders, wrung her hands with delight in front of her, and bounced seeing his genuinely elated reaction. The eight year old girl Jack started loving so long ago was still alive and well in her staggeringly beautiful 20 year old body.

"You did it sweetheart!" Jack exclaimed quite loudly and smiled broadly.

She responded ecstatically, "I know, dear, I know. Isn't it wonderful?"

He chuckled and teased, "It is! Now, Jeannie, you'll have to put your hair up a bit or it'll drag on the snow. Or trip you on the courts."

"A problem I am very happy to have, Jack dear," she intoned proudly, with a pretend haughty look and stance.

She flung her hair completely around her neck, giving it all a toss, letting it fly around her like a black cape, and let her tresses hang down the entire side of her body. It looked like a silk scarf extending down to her calves. She often played 'peek a boo' with her hair, strategically covering parts of her body to tease Jack, but this was very special today, so she hid nothing from him.

Jack grinned and replied, "Amen to that. It's taken over three years. Talk about focusing on a goal."

"Oh, Jack. You know why. For so many years I was forced to look like a boy. Never again."

Jack knew Jeanne was still not quite done with her quest to eliminate or correct the memory of everything she was ordered to do while kidnapped for her healing and peace of mind. This was one of the few things left unresolved, and one of the most personal to her, because her long, shining black hair was one of the things taken from her first. Growing her hair back and letting it extend to body length was one of the tasks Jack encouraged her the most to accomplish, but took the longest time to achieve.

"Well, Jeannie, dear, you're definitely not a boy. I can vouch for that in several ways this morning."

"You're sweet," she responded, blushed at his compliment, leaned across the bed where he sat, and pecked his lips, still thrilled with how incredibly good he made her feel this morning. It had been another one of those 'completely lost control' moments, and she was really glad they were the only suite on this floor from her outbursts. Those were becoming more frequent.

"But now, Jack, it's time to get ready for the day, dear. Our match is at 11. It's already 9. Come shower with me."

She reached an anxious hand toward his.

He took it, embraced her, and stepped with her into the shower, kidding as they went, "You never have to ask me that twice."

She grinned, "Jungle boy, do I ever know that!"

They enjoyed their shower immensely, and after he'd toweled her down and powdered her, he started to double-braid her hair, like she always enjoyed him doing. She adored how much touching and kissing was involved in their very special game of braiding her, and she wanted that closeness.

Watching him do his work intently as well as admiring every part of his physique, she reflected,
"I'm the most spoiled wife ever. You'd think I get the hang of braiding by now. I bet few husbands even want to do this for their wives. Especially noblemen."

Jack replied instantly, "Then all those noblemen are missing out, dear. It's much more difficult because you have to reach behind to braid yourself. With so much hair, dear, that makes it harder. I can move anywhere I need to. I figure you'd never look at another man if I keep doing this for you."

"Smart college guy," she quipped and added, "No wonder I married you. Every girl should have their own personal hairdresser."

"It can't be any more personal than this, dear, plus I do have an ulterior motive," he admitted.

"Oh? Do tell," she smirked.

"I get to admire you longer."

While he worked her hair from behind, her entire olive-colored body was completely displayed in the mirror in front of them. She shifted nonchalantly to give her husband a better view.

"Well me too, Jack. You're cute. I get to have fun with this too, you know," she noted while examining him just as intently. Even in his refractory period, he was still 'all man'. She arched her back upward, he bent down in response and she kiss him lightly on the lips, then pressed her powdery breasts against his chest, thrilling him, which left two very large round white spots on his auburn chest hair. That gave them quite a chuckle.

Their special showering ritual they played included never getting dressed until after he was done braiding her, with her always seated on a sturdy, backless, cushioned brass vanity stool facing a double mirror so they had multiple views of themselves and he could work around her like a barber chair. This was a special kind of grooming for them, and sometimes it went well beyond grooming when that chair held Jack and her both in a wide variety of couplings when they couldn't resist each other. But not today; they didn't want to exhaust themselves for the match with Edith and her fun 'steady boyfriend' Bruce.

He still had some way to go to finish the double bend braid to get her hair length up above her hips to give her the mobility she needed for tennis. She sat patiently and they chatted while he worked on her. There was always something to talk about, as communication and humor were the foundations of their relationship.

They were finally ready for the day, wearing their tennis uniforms under heavier winter clothes and coats. Her short tennis outfit always attracted Jack, because it emphasized her beautiful olive legs, bare all the way to her anklet socks and sports shoes. Armed with their racquets and balls, they departed hand in hand.

Heading to the indoor sports center, Jeanne speculated, "So, you big jungle jock, do you think can we beat them today?"

It was a new term of endearment for him, coined during cricket season. He liked it.

"We better, Jeannie. I'm getting really tired of buying them dinner when they win," he joked.

Jeanne promised, "I'll work on my short game and backhand. I know that's my weakness."

"Well no less a problem with my line faults. I overpower the ball."

That was an understatement. During one of their earliest lessons, their tennis instructor had never seen anyone hit a ball so hard that it disintegrated in flight before soaring three courts over before hitting the ground in pieces. Jeanne thought his sheepish grin and shrug at the time was priceless.

She smiled, "No matter dear. We're doing this together and sharing a new kind of fun game. Edith and Bruce are so cute together, especially when they fuss at each other on court."

"Bruce is such a student of the mechanics of the game. It drives me crazy. For pity sake, 'trajectory analysis'? Give me a break. He's like one of your dad's artillery officers!"

Jeanne sighed, "Well isn't that what all engineers do? They pick everything apart and then explain things in terms none of us can understand but them."

Jack observed, "But he's good to Edith and I like the man."

Jeanne was most pleased Jack had actually made a male human friend.

"He is good to her, but Bruce can't ever love her as much as I do you, dear," Jeanne confessed and hugged her man as they walked confidently to their match. She smiled at him and he blushed contentedly.

…

Dinner was once again courtesy of the Clayton's, although Bruce and Edith bought a bottle of dessert wine and some cheese which the foursome shared by candlelight around a roaring fire at the Clayton flat in a nice, friendly evening get-together after their meal. Edith was ecstatic when Jack and Jeanne got very excited when she showed off the engagement ring Bruce gave her that very afternoon following their match.

The newly engaged pair wanted to let 'their best friends' know first. Bruce tried to explain the complex geometry of the stone he'd selected for Edith, but mercifully Jack just told him to shut up and enjoy the moment, which caused a great deal of laughter.

Neither Edith nor Bruce objected when Jack and Jeanne invited their friends to stay overnight with them to join them for a home-cooked big breakfast the following morning to continue their engagement celebration, instead of eating dorm food. It was very cold and bitter, and was snowing anyway. After some emotional goodnight kissing on the sofa alongside the equally affectionate Clayton's, Bruce insisted on sleeping in separate guest rooms from Edith until marriage, which greatly increased Jack and Jeanne's respect for the gallantry and moral fiber of their Scottish friend, a devout Presbyterian. Edith blushed with pride for her fiancé setting the moral compass early for this newly betrothed couple.

The two couples' snowball fight the next morning after breakfast and church together could only be described as 'epic'. It had been a very good weekend of fun for the two couples, further cementing a deepening friendship, and they parted reluctantly, but knew they had a hard day of homework ahead of them.

Jeanne teased her husband later that day during a study break, with her running her finger down his nose while seated in his lap for their reading assignments, "Jack dear, that's the first time my leotard has ever stayed on me all night."

Jack noted very formally, "Well, Lady Clayton, we must maintain proper decorum with our friends when they stay over…"

"Of course, my dear Viscount!" she matched his formal English etiquette tone, and they returned quietly to their reading homework.

But her leotard didn't last five minutes on her when bedtime came…

March 1925

Meeting at the café after class as they always did at Table 17, Jack showed Bruce and Edith a colorful flyer they'd picked up:

"Attention all student equestrians! Join the University Polo Team"

"Do you ride?" Jeanne asked their friends.

Bruce answered, "We know how. We're both from rural towns, but we don't have horses of our own, and it says here in the fine print we have to supply them to join the team."

Jack's friend was so aggravating, but in a good way. The engineer always caught every detail associated with everything the two couples did together.

Edith rolled her eyes at her fiancé and stated, "It would be fun though. We could be a team instead of competing against each other."

"That would be enjoyable," agreed Jeanne and snickered, "Pity our opponents."

Edith laughed with her friend but instantly lamented, "True! But Jeannie, where can we get horses? Polo is a 'rich people's game'," but then she caught herself, blushing in embarrassment, "Oh dear… I'm so sorry."

She knew the Clayton's were fabulously wealthy, but neither one ever showed any kind of attitude or extravagance.

Instead of getting upset, Jeanne merely grinned and winked at her friends, "Did someone request 'rich people'?"

April 1925

Jack and Jeanne waited anxiously at the train station in Edinburgh watching the locomotive from Greystoke pull along the passenger platform. All the people got off, but the young adults were not waiting for human passengers. The foursome walked down to the freight cars, and watched the train station people prepare them to be emptied.

The Clan Clayton veneur Thomas poked his head out of one of the freight cars, waved, and smiled, "Viscount Jack and Lady Jeanne, good day! We're a little worse for the wear, but we made it."

"Hello Thomas. How are they? How did they make the trip?" Jeanne asked anxiously.

"They were skittish for awhile, and I thought they'd all bolt right through the side of the freight car when that first whistle blew, but they settled down when I reminded them who they would soon see."

Jack had taught Thomas how to talk with their horses.

The Clayton's stable master went back into the freight car, and with reins in his hands, led Jack's stallion Samson gingerly down a sturdy wooden plank with his mate Redemption right next to him. Another stable hand from Castle Greystoke led two other horses off the train as well. The four horses were an impressive sight on the train platform with the six humans and the stationmaster.

Jack and Jeanne rushed to their horses, gave them affectionate hugs and stroked them, and patted the other two horses. All four animals had anxious looks that were turning to relief seeing their masters' familiar faces.

Both Jack and Jeanne whispered their affection in the equine language which settled the horses even more quickly.

Edith exclaimed, "Goodness, Jeannie and Jack, they're absolutely beautiful!"

Bruce noted as he admired the war horses, "I sure hope they take to us."

"We'll make sure of that," promised Jack, and introduced the humans and horses, "Bruce and Edith, I'd like you to meet Sir Isaac Newton and Madame Curie."

Bruce grinned, "You selected these two on purpose, didn't you?"

Jack could not wipe the smile off his face, "Anything for you, my engineer friend."

Bruce and Edith were aware of Jack and Jeanne's ability to talk to animals. This was only the third time they witnessed their friends' communication. The first time, the couples were walking together late one night on the streets back to their apartment, and Jack had convinced an angry dog to not attack them. The second time, Jeanne scolded all the squirrels at a park one day to stop trying to steal their food in the picnic area. The sight and sound of Jeanne animatedly barking at the annoying little creatures in their language was very amusing. But in the end, the dozen or so squirrels surrounding the two couples and their picnic together kept their distance patiently, and when they were done, both couples rewarded them with some nut and berry snacks when they were ready to leave. Jeanne made a lot of little friends that day.

With that Edith and Bruce approached the two new horses, and soothed their snouts. Thomas gave each young person some carrots to feed them.

Thomas smiled, "It looks like you have a couple of instant friends, Master Bruce and Miss Edith."

Bruce was hopeful, "We'll see. We have to be friends if we're to be successful this polo season with Jack and Jeannie."

Thomas advised, "You'll have a good long time to train. Let's get them over to the University stables right away."

Samson objected when he saw the University's truck and a horse trailer arriving, "No, Master Jack. No more rides in confined spaces. That long ride in the iron horse was quite enough for us."

"Then what should we do?" asked Jeanne.

Redemption suggested, "Can humans ride horses in the big city?"

Jack explained, "They do, but mostly in the few places they say horses can be."

Samson assured them, "We can go anywhere. We'll behave. As long you ride us there."

Redemption and Samson and their two companions – technically cousins to them by a couple of other distantly related mares and stallions in their Greystoke herd – agreed.

Jack turned and translated for their human friends, "It seems, Bruce and Edith, they want us to ride them to the stable."

Edith was a bit nervous, "Oh my. Do you think we can handle that, Bruce, honey? I haven't ridden in a few years."

"No time like the present to get 'back in the saddle'," Bruce quipped with an awful pun. Everyone groaned.

Bruce and Edith had ridden before, both being from rural Scotland, but never such powerful mounts as these. And it had been awhile. Thomas outfitted them all, each with brand new polo saddles and one-handed bridles and reins that were required for the game.

Samson was still not happy, "I hate riding this way. Saddles itch and bind and I hate the way a harness cuts my gums."

Jack explained, "We have to use the equipment for polo, Samson. I'm sorry. I'd ride you bareback if we could."

Samson resigned himself to the situation, "You human play such strange games."

Jack smiled, "You'll like this one. Besides, this means we get to ride and run every day against other horses. You even get to bump them a little. My polo stick looks like a lance. It'll be kind of a battle, but nobody gets hurt."

"A battle? Bumping? Now you're talkin', Master Jack," snorted Samson excitedly.

Redemption disagreed with her mate, "Wearing saddles will be worth the trouble. I missed you, Lady Jeanne. I don't like you being away at this 'college' place."

Jeanne assured her mount, "We're all together now, Redemption, and we'll have some new kinds of fun."

They mounted their horses, and Thomas made some last minute checks as they proceeded into town as he followed in the truck. Heads turned everywhere as they rode into the outskirts of town and kept as best they could to well worn but little used bridle paths. It was like the clocks were turned back a century.

The stable master of the University observed as the foursome arrived, "What magnificent animals."

The polo coach, who had agreed to meet them at the barn, "Impressive, Jack. What an addition they'll make to the polo team. Let the other universities' teams beware!"

There was no standardization on the breed of 'polo pony' intercollegiate matches required. Four war horses would be formidable.

"We'll do our best, coach," nodded Jack with a great deal of satisfaction. He saw the look of supreme confidence in Samson.

The polo coach walked quietly and deliberately over to their mounts and gave them a good look. The horses were very comfortable around the coach. They could sense his admiration and his familiarity with horses over many years.

With much praise, he said, "Jack, with your permission, I'd like to breed both of them. There are a couple of Scottish equestrian bloodlines that would benefit from the Clayton breed."

The coach was also a professor of equine and large animal veterinary science during the polo off-season.

Samson snorted, and Redemption reared, but Jeanne settled her mount, and soothed her. Just because the horses couldn't speak Gaelic didn't mean they couldn't understand it.

Jack was quick to pick up on their strong objections, "I'm sorry coach, but this is a mated pair. They will not be separated. I appreciate the offer, but there can't be any breeding."

"As you wish. It would be lucrative."

Jack glanced at Samson and the look remained an insistent 'no'.

"Sorry coach. Some things are not worth a profit."

The foursome rode together for most of the beautiful afternoon, with the new horses and riders getting used to riding together the practice area. Redemption and Samson were delighted to ride with their masters every day, and the other two horses took to Edith and Bruce quickly. It was several days later before the foursome donned the polo gear and pads, utilized the sticks and balls, and started practicing riding close to each other and against other horses. After several days of running and chasing the balls, their masters would hit and pass among the horses and riders in a tactical fashion. They were ready to join the rest of the University team for group practices.

"This is sort of like being with other horses and chasing rabbits in a hunt," Samson noted happily to Jack after one practice.

Jack was careful to be out of earshot of their coach and anyone else and explained, "Yes. Mostly. The point of it is for us to keep the other horses and riders from getting our 'rabbit' and letting the rabbit to go down the 'hole' behind us that we are defending. Think you can do that?"

"If it includes blocking and pushing, I'm all for it," snorted the huge war horse.

Jack smiled, "Of course, but not too aggressively or that's a 'foul'. I told you you'd like it."

"I do and I'll explain this to the others."

Redemption observed while Samson and Jack were talking, "I like all the other horses, Lady Jeanne. There are a lot of mares. This is a very nice new herd of horses and humans. They all ride hard."

Pretty soon Jack and Jeanne and Bruce and Edith were riding as a well-coordinated team. That was not lost on the upperclassmen.

The seasoned Varsity polo team watched the newcomers carefully, feeling a little bit of competitive jealousy, as the 'Number 1' player addressed his friends, "It's amazing, Jack Clayton's team runs like they can read each other's minds."

"They're brand new to the sport, right?" asked the Number 3 rider of the team incredulously.

The coach overhead the gossip, and set them straight, "Ladies and Gentlemen, remember they are your teammates. I think we're finally going to see a championship trophy in Edinburgh this year. They'll just make you guys better."

"Yes coach," answered Number 2 and they all felt a little ashamed at their criticism.

…

Their first inter-varsity match play came, with Jack's Junior Varsity team match preceding the Varsity game. Many Edinburgh students and teammates assembled at the polo fields and were cheering for the new team's first time out. Jack's team started out a little awkwardly, and were behind quickly. The other teams' horses and riders were very aggressive, but they got called for the fouls. They shook their nervousness and soon matched the others stride for stride, and Jack let Samson loose a little to block back without fouling.

The score was tied heading into the last chukka period after a spectacular shot on goal by Jeanne and Redemption after a steal by Edith and her mount.

Edinburgh's coach held his breath with only seconds left. Eight horses were galloping down the field toward Edinburgh's goal. The other team was going to press for the win and they were too far ahead of Jack's teammates. But Jeanne shouted at Redemption and the pair quickly closed the gap. Jeanne and Redemption rode up to the Number 3 of the four rider team who was moving the ball, and she leaned over and talked into the opponent's mare's ears so that the human rider couldn't really see or hear her.

In the language of the horses, Jeanne said, "Excuse me, dear friend horse, but that is my horse's ball. Give it back, please. It was a special gift to her."

The opponent's horse was so shocked that a human spoke to it in the equine language that it stopped instantly, whinnied in surprise and bucked, nearly throwing the opponent's rider off. The other competitors' horses were startled by the sudden stop and broke off their attack. But none of Jack and Jeanne's team flinched. The French woman's deft stick work took over control of the ball from her opponent.

With that bold tactic, Jeanne smiled, praised Redemption, and rode the entire opposite length of the field with Jack and her teammates blocking any pursuit. She wound up with a powerful shot and sunk the ball deeply into the other team's undefended goal. It was a clear win as the time ran out.

The other members of the Edinburgh team instantly leaped to their feet and celebrated. The crowd that gathered to cheer them went crazy, including Hazel and Greenly, as they all trotted off the field and dismounted. The other college's JV team had been unbeatable. Edinburgh pulled a huge upset.

The coach and their upperclassmen teammates quickly surrounded and soundly congratulated Jeanne and her teammates. It inspired the Varsity team to bury their opponents and take the team match overall.

After the conclusion of the match, Jack and Jeanne led their exhausted horses back to the stable to groom and feed and water them.

"I saw that," Jack smirked in a private moment with his wife.

"Saw what?" Jeanne feigned ignorance, but thought, "Busted!"

"You talked to the other team's Number 3 horse," Jack scolded, "You stopped him cold with that little trick. You cheated, dear."

Jeanne rationalized, "Well, my beloved husband, I was merely having a 'discussion' with the other horse. Technically, that wasn't cheating. We get to taunt the human riders. I was just doing the same with the horse. That mare just didn't respond very calmly. There aren't any rules that says you can't."

Her big gleaming proud smile with a wink of one big hazel eye was priceless.

Jack couldn't find a reason to conclude she'd been wrong, but cautioned, "Uh, well. I guess so. But just because you can doesn't mean that you should. So... um… Meriem, let's win the ordinary way from now on, shall we, for the rest of the season?"

"Yes dear," she grinned at being called Meriem for her questionable tactics on the field. She kissed his cheek and vowed in a condescending tone, "I promise… jungle spoilsport!"

And so they did.

Edinburgh fell just short of the overall championship at the end of the season, but everyone was very excited for next year's team and that Jack and Jeanne and their friends would return to the team. Edinburgh overnight became a force in UK college polo and their stunning match play was the talk of Scotland.

The human foursome celebrated at their favorite restaurant in Edinburgh, but as soon as they were done, they went over to the stables with some of the best hay they could buy at a farm not far from the stable to present to their horses. The horses were delighted.

"You all earned this."

"When do we play war again?" asked Samson expectantly.

"Well that's it, until the snow melts again next year," Jack explained.

"Oh. Well, that's disappointing. Can we still practice? When does school get over? When do we all go home?"

Jeanne offered, "Soon. We'll all ride the trails here in Edinburgh until it's time to go back to Greystoke when summer comes."

Redemption was excited, "We'd like that. There will be so many new places to go."

In contrast, Edith soothed her horse sadly, "I'm going to miss you, Madame Curie."

The mare was startled and worried, "Why, Mistress Edith? What's happening? Are you going somewhere? I like you. I don't want to be apart from you."

"Yeah... me too," Edith said with disappointment to her horse.

Jack hesitated, "Edith and Bruce… we've… uh… been meaning to talk to you about that."

Jeanne helped Jack with his explanation, "They're yours now. Consider them an early wedding gift."

"No way? Really?" Edith nearly squealed in excitement.

The girls hugged, and the horses couldn't be happier.

"I'm not sure what to say, Jack, except thank you," noted Bruce.

"That's plenty, Bruce."

Edith's mind was racing, "Oh Bruce, there are stables near where we live in our home towns. We can board them and ride all summer together. It will be so romantic."

Their villages were only a half dozen miles apart, yet they'd never met until the University. It was fun to see love grow between their friends.

Jeanne was a little worried, "What about all the traffic? There's so many automobiles now."

"Are you kidding? Where we both live the 20th century hasn't arrived yet. There are only a couple of motorcars."

They all laughed.

Jeanne suggested, "How about an evening ride together right now? There's bridle trail right on campus. And a little park near the polo field we can share a bottle of wine and cheese and build a cozy fire. It'll be our 'victory lap'."

As spring progressed to summer, the sun was up until after 8:30 pm.

"And carrots?" asked Jack's war horse.

"Yes, Samson. Carrots too," Jack assured the big animal with a grin, soothing the huge horse's mane, and swinging himself bareback on the horse as he normally rode him.