As advised, new chapter right away and new one tomorrow.
Cookiesprinkles: Emily knows better not to take advantage, after all she is getting a good deal!
Guest: I really think you won't see coming what I have in mind LOL. But I can tell you this, Emily's intention explained in the previous chapter are all there is to it.
Now, time to find out what the big secret plans are!
Saturday morning came, and by then Cal had long given up on finding out. Emily was air tight, Gillian had no clue and did not intend on helping him find out: his only option would have been to badger his daughter with questions and see her reacting to them, but that would have been a dangerous game to play and the price of pissing Emily off beyond reason was not one he was ready to pay for that.
So Saturday morning Cal found himself throwing a small bag, its contents carefully vetted by Emily, in the trunk and driving over to Gillian's house to pick her up on the way to the mysterious birthday activity. Ever the punctual and reliable person, Gillian was waiting for them outside holding a small duffel bag and Cal couldn't resist a quizzical look at his daughter when he noticed Foster's attire. She was wearing sneakers, denim pants and a short sleeve camisole, a combination he had never seen on her and yet looked like a perfect and natural fit, and something that made him think Emily had given her specific instruction he wasn't privy of. Sure, he should have probably put that down to the fact that he pretty much always dressed comfortable - or like a pricey hobo, as Emily politely put it - or to the fact that it was a hot summer day…either way, he liked the new style on her and was looking forward to do whatever the get up would entail.
He stopped the car and got out to help Gillian with her bag, then she and Emily engaged in a short odd dance on who should sit in the front with. His silent vote was for Gillian, especially after he caught a whiff of how the warm sun added a toasted note to her natural scent and made her skin shine, but she insisted to be in the back assuming Emily would have to give him directions. Foster wasn't wrong, Emily was determined to keep the secret going and had no intention to relinquish their final destination, so Cal had to passively settle for driving and being told where to go one turn at the time.
It was going to be a stunning day by the look of it. Emily had checked the forecast and was confident they were in for two days of sun and warm temperature which apparently were the perfect conditions for whatever they were supposed to be doing. Soon they were leaving the city behind and driving east, debating whether they preferred aircon or open windows to fight the rising heat inside the car. Unsurprisingly, Cal was outnumbered and he found himself with wind blowing all around him and Gillian and Emily having to practically yell at each other in order to have a conversation.
After a couple of hours and a quick stop for coffee, Emily directed her father to leave the interstate and take the upcoming exit, then a secondary road that seemed to be heading into nowhere.
"Alright Em, how about you start clueing us in a little here?" He scoffed, looking right ahead and seeing nothing but empty fields and isolated houses. "'Cause at this point I just about expect a crazy man wearing a mask made of skin and brandishing a chainsaw to come out of those fields."
"Why do you always have to be so dramatic!" Gillian laughed.
"Fine, but don't call for my help when we are running for our lives!" He grumbled, holding the steering wheel steadily as they switched to a dirt road and it got bumpy under them.
"Don't worry Dad, we're nearly there." Emily informed him, which was far from reassuring since he had no idea where they even were.
"And where exactly would 'there' be?" Cal enquired again, but it was clear that Emily had no intention to answer.
Not with words at least, because just a minute later a huge smile came up to her face, right when the shape of a big billboard appeared ahead. Cal was driving toward the sun and had to squint his eyes to see through the blinding light and make something out of the writing on the board, then he slowed down as they got near…and nearly pushed on the break with all his force when he was finally able to read the sign.
Lone Star Ranch. Frontier Adventures.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me!"
Emily so obviously wasn't, at least not judging by her smug grin and ecstatic expression. To make matters worse, when Gillian leaned forward sticking her head between the two front seats to take a look a dreamy smile came up to her face, and Cal immediately knew he was going to have to jump through mental hurdles not come across as a total Scrooge.
"Wow Emily! Is that what I think it is?"
Cal had no idea what Gillian was talking about, but Emily graced them with an explanation as he kept driving and their final destination inched closer, revealing a parking lot packed with cars, a sizable crowd and a whole lot of horses. Smiling and barely containing her excitement, Emily told them that they were signed up for a two-day experience including a horse-back hike, overnight camping and various activities. A hopeful thought came across Cal's mind at the word camping, for some reason expecting Gillian to oppose some resistance to the idea of sleeping rough, but when he caught a glimpse of her in the backseat he found out he was sorely mistaken. She looked excited as much as Emily was, if not more, the smile on her face going all the way up to eyes that were positively sparkling with anticipation. He hated to admit it, but he hadn't seen her so happy in a while.
Emily was still going on about the programme and what the ranch had to offer as he parked the car, the three of them getting out and immediately being assaulted by a scorching heat and strong smells of hay, freshly cut grass and not so pleasant animal waste. They got their bags from the trunk and followed the signs to reception, Cal wisely keeping his mouth shut and Emily and Gillian marvelling at pretty much everything they saw, from the horses and other animals to the buildings around them which made the whole place look like a Western movie set.
"How did you even find this place Em?" He asked then, careful where he put his feet on a muddy ground that could easily - and dangerously - be confused with something else.
"A friend told me about it."
Her explanation was so vague and dismissive that even Gillian had to raise an eyebrow at her.
"Aye aye," Cal mumbled.
"It's from the 'Fresher to be' group I told you about," Cal and Gillian looked at each other, thinking the same things: distancing language, lack of details, avoiding eye contact. "His family owns the ranch and he helps out sometime during the weekend."
"He?" Cal quizzed, but then felt an elbow jabbed in his side and frowned at Gillian who had just delivered the blow. "What? It's just a question."
"His name is Justin," Emily sighed then, realising it was inevitable after all. "He's going to Berkley too and it seems that we'll have a few classes together in the first semester. We're just getting to know each other better so we will already know someone when we go to college."
That last bit could have been worded differently, even Gillian thought so, but she admired Cal's uncharacteristic restraint. Oh yes, she did see the veins in his neck pop and pulse and noticed how his hand clenched around the duffle back, but he put in a remarkable effort to control himself. She knew he didn't have much choice after all; it was Emily's day, he had made quite the spectacle in giving her free reins for it and now he couldn't just paddle back, not even because a boy was involved.
It was, quite honestly, the funniest thing she had ever seen.
They followed Emily's lead and confirmed their booking with a smiling cowgirl who gladly took Cal's credit card for payment, then they were instructed to gather around the small stage. As they found out, they had arrived just in time for the briefing because a young man dressed out of a Sergio Leone movie took the stage and addressed the audience. There were a lot of people at the ranch that morning, but Cal soon figured out that not everybody was there for the special adventure they were signed on for. The 'explorers group', as the cowboy on stage called it, seemed to be made of roughly 30 people while other visitors were probably just going to hang around the ranch for the day.
With a markedly exaggerated accent, clearly fake, the cowboy introduced himself as Jimmy and explained that for the next two days they were all going to have the chance to live out their fantasies of living in the Old Wild West. The programme was simple enough; they were all going to ride in a group at a leisurely pace for a few miles, lead by himself and a couple of other guides, then stop for the night where camp would have been already set up and come back to the ranch the day after. Enthusiastically, Jimmy the Cowboy informed the group that everything was going to be provided, including food and essentials, and that they could fit their overnight belongings in their very own saddle bags, then reassured everybody that their horses were well trained and that they could accommodate any level of riding experience. To top it all off, he gladly announced that they were more than welcome to check out the emporium and dress up for the occasion by renting clothing and accessories, then he broke ranks and informed the group that they had about 45 minutes to get ready before the trip started.
When the explanation was over Emily immediately grabbed her father's arm and pulled him over to the emporium, where he grumbled all the way through as she picked up an outfit for herself. Cal lost track of Gillian during the shopping phase, sighing as the man at the register rang up a pair of boots, shirt and hat for Emily.
"What are you getting, Dad?" She asked before going over to the changing room to put on her new attire.
"Nothing, Em," He stated, looking down at himself. "I think I'm already dressed appropriately enough, and I'm not gonna buy stuff I will only be using once."
"You can return them, you know?" She noted. "Just rent them for a couple of days. You need at least a hat Dad, you are going to get heat stroke without it."
"Em-"
"I thought you said you wanted to make sure I had a good time for my birthday," she mumbled then, and Cal bit at his lip.
Sneaky little- He thought, watching incredulously as his daughter gave him a pouting expression dein of a five year old, but he also knew he was, once again, screwed. He sighed and nodded, thinking after all a hat might not have been such a bad idea considering his genetic propensity for sunburn, then started looking for something that wouldn't make him look too ridiculous. After a few minutes he had his eyes set on a dark brown Stetson and was about to go and pay for it without giving it too much of a thought when he spotted Gillian coming out of the changing room. She had replaced the sports shoes with a pair of sturtier leather boots and the blouse with a long-sleeved flannel top, adding a sleeveless vest and topping it all off with a white hat. She was checking herself in the mirror when he spotted her, oblivious to his and other men's eyes helping her out with additional looks of their own, but after a thorough look at the new attire his gaze landed on her face. Gillian was glowing, happily evaluating her own new look as if it was an option for future uses, and Cal found himself enthralled by that absent smile she was giving herself.
He shook out of it soon, afraid Emily might come around and catch him in the act and start pestering him about something he'd rather not think about, but he couldn't still avert his eyes. Not when Jimmy the Cowboy approached Gillian, clearly commenting on her outfit and seemingly providing suggestions on further accessories. Cal couldn't hear what they were saying but as it often happened he didn't need to, from the head tilt to the coy smile Jimmy was displaying all the textbook signs of flirting, and even though he couldn't tell with certainty if she was flirting back it was clear that something about him caught her attention.
Fifteen minutes later, as the explorers gathered up to be assigned their horses, Cal strolled in and stood between his daughter and Foster, wearing a light blue denim shirt with a grey vest, a black Stetson and a red handkerchief tied loose around his neck. Emily gave him a grin, probably reading in his change of mind exactly what had been going on in his head, but kept her mouth shut and waited for Gillian's reaction. When she noticed him she couldn't help staring him from tip to toe, surprised and - What was that? Cal couldn't tell exactly, damn blind spot, but it was clear she seemed to appreciate it.
"Are you planning on robbing a stagecoach, Cal?" She teased then, nodding at the fabric around his neck.
Cal had no comeback to that, not with the way she was grinning at him and how overall lovely she looked with that hat framing her face and - Would you stop that?! He screamed to himself, then opted to roll his eyes as if he was annoyed at the jab and tipped the front of his hat instead, as if to gracefully bow out of the provocation.
Gillian chuckled and so did Emily, who then stopped abruptly when she spotted a young cowboy coming their way.
"Justin!" She called out, immediately leaving the adults behind.
"Easy Cal," Gillian admonished him with a chuckle, sensing how he immediately tensed. "You can't make a scene."
"Don't I know it!"
He groaned frustrated, feeling the pain of having to mind his actions and words for the sake of Emily's birthday success. Gillian chuckled, watching him putting on the less contrite smile in his repertoire as Emily came back to introduce Justin to them. Foster thought that the boy seemed smart, and that he had probably been briefed on Cal's peculiar ability and overall antics, but also figured out that there was nothing defined going on between him and Emily, at least not yet.
"Don't sweat it," she reassured Cal then, once the youngsters left so that Justin could help Emily choose her horse. "It's just a crush for now, and a bit one-sided."
"How can you tell?" He moaned, irritated with himself that with all the sciences in his head he couldn't get that on his own.
"He was way too calm meeting you. If there was something going on between them he'd be scared out of his mind."
"Damn right he'd be!" Cal puffed out his chest, still glaring at the young man now helping his daughter to get on the horse, gulping when Emily giggled and and absently brought her hair behind her ear with a little head tilt. "She's flirting her ass off, that one!"
Gillian laughed, absolutely unbothered by his hurt expression at her lack of consideration for this personal drama.
"I think it's the outfit," she commented then with an absent nod.
"Cowboy?" Cal scoffed. "I guess I don't see the appeal."
"It's not just that, it's what it represents." Her voice lowered into a softer tone, that dreamy expression back on her face making Cal wonder if some of those novels she read starred lonely rangers and women looking for newfound fortune in the prairie. "A time of exploration, hopes, new opportunities. Maybe a bit of a bad boy thing, in which case you shouldn't really be all that surprised."
Cal was about to ask what she meant by that when Jimmy the Cowboy approached them to ask what kind of experience they had with riding, so that he could match them with the right horse. Gillian immediately confessed that she'd never done that before, smiling broadly when the man reassured her they had just the perfect horse for her, then he turned the same question to Cal asking if he'd ever ridden before.
"Once or twice, nothing serious." He registered Gillian's look of surprise as he mumbled that revelation.
"Ok then. You guys come with me and I'll get you sorted!"
That was how they ended up on their horses, Cal matched with a white American Paint Horse with black spots and Gillian with a young dark brown Blazer. Cal hopped on easily enough, watching as Jimmy made sure to help Gillian do the same and carefully keeping an eye on her as she adjusted to the feeling.
"What's his name?" She asked the guide, gently patting the animal's neck.
"Thor."
"Sounds mighty!" Cal joked. "How about this one?"
"Oh that's Daisy." Jimmy approached his horse and offered her a half carrot he pulled from his pocket. "She's such a sweet girl."
Gillian stifled a laugh and had the decency to cover her mouth, but kept her eyes on Cal as he looked nearly offended. She just got a horse named after a god and he got stuck with the old lady Daisy! Even after agreeing to come she had had some reservations, partly because she still thought she shouldn't be there with father and daughter and because of all the secrecy around it all, but now that she was there she was more than ready to embrace the experience. And if that came with the added bonus of making fun of Cal she sure had no qualms with it.
I don't really know anything about horses or riding, so please forgive me for any inaccuracy!
