Notes: This moves up a month or two. If you couldn't tell by the chapter name. My friend Jules came up with this chapter name. Sorry about the weird horse names. I have three myself. Pacer (Taycer), Joker, and Shylo. This was originally going to be one long chapter but I'm going to split it into two chapters.
Horses and Ducks
"Dang cake eater. I knew you were rich but I didn't know you lived in a mansion." Russ said as he, Julie, my father, and I entered my house the day before Thanksgiving.
Russ and Julie were staying at my house for Thanksgiving. Originally, Julie was going to be spending Thanksgiving with Connie but that changed. Then I invited her to stay with us since Russ was already going to be staying there. She told her parents that my sister had invited her so they wouldn't object. My sister liked the idea for some reason. All of the out of state Ducks were staying with someone. Luis was staying at Goldberg's. Portman was staying at Fulton's. And Dwayne was staying at Averman's.
"You've never been in here?" I asked puzzled. I could have sworn all of the Ducks had been in my house.
"Nope." Russ said.
"Me neither." Julie said.
"Oh well then I'll have to give you a tour." I said with a grin. "Don't want you guys getting lost while you are here."
"Adam is that you?" My mother called from upstairs.
"Yes mom." I replied.
She came down the stairs. She was definitely starting to show now. She gave me a hug. She turned to Julie and Russ. "I don't think we've ever been formally introduced. I'm Sharon Banks."
"I'm Russ Tyler and this is Julie Gaffney."
"Thanks for inviting us to stay here." Julie said.
"Oh no problem. Adam why don't you show them to their rooms?" She asked. "You two can leave your suitcases here. Jeffrey can take them up later."
"Sure. Come on." I said leading them up the stairs. I gave them a short tour on the way. They were staying in our two biggest guestrooms. Julie's had her own large connecting bathroom. I didn't think Russ would mind sharing my bathroom.
After they saw their rooms we went downstairs and then outside to continue the tour. "The pool's at the bottom floor. We've got tennis courts past the pond. The pond's over there." I pointed. "The stables are down there past the courts." I said pointing.
Julie's face lit up. "You've got horses?"
"Yeah. My mother and sister love riding. But since Chris is in California and my mother's pregnant, they aren't ridden much. We've got a stable hand working with the horses and stuff."
"Would it be all right if I went riding sometime?" Julie asked nervously.
"Chris would love it. I don't ride horses that much. My dad once said hockey was dangerous enough for me."
"I'd believe that with how much you get injured." Russ said as we walked down to the stables.
"Thanks a lot Russ."
"Wow." Julie said as she looked at the horses. There were five total. Three Arabs and two quarter horses.
"Their names are Ice, Mango, White Lightning, Jaded Sky, and Thunder." I said pointing to each horse in turn.
"Mango's so pretty." Julie said.
"That's Chris's horse. Thunder's supposedly my father's horse but he never rides. He always says he doesn't have the time. Jaded Sky's my mother's, White Lightning's my brother's, and Ice is mine."
"Hello Adam!" A voice called from inside the barn. It was Mike the stable hand.
"Hey Mike. These are my friends Julie and Russ. Julie wants to ride Mango."
"Let me get him saddled up. You want me to saddle Ice for you?"
"Sure. Could you saddle up White Lightning for Russ?"
"Sure Adam." Mike said and went to do so.
"White Lightning? Banks I've been on a horse before!" Protested Russ.
"White Lightning's nothing like his name. He's pretty calm."
We got onto our horses. Russ was very reluctant at first. We rode around the circled area. After awhile Russ relaxed and enjoyed himself.
"Hey Russ you sure you've never been on a horse before?" Mike called from the barn. "You are a natural."
"Thanks." Russ called back.
"Having fun Julie?" I asked as I rode next to her.
"Yes. Thunder's a great horse." Julie said patting her neck.
"Call me biased but my favorite's Ice." I said patting her neck.
"Russ seems to be having fun." She said looking over at him.
"Yeah. We probably won't be able to get him off the horse." I laughed.
"Yo Jules what are you doing on my horse?" A voice called. We all turned to see my sister and Keith standing there watching.
I brought the horse to a halt and got off. I tied her up, went over, and hugged Chris. "I thought you were coming later."
"I caught an early flight and Keith picked me up. Mom said you were out here."
Julie and Russ came over with their horses. "Hey if you want to ride Mango..."
"I was just teasing you Julie. Go right ahead and ride her. Keith and I are going to play a game of tennis." They walked off.
"Don't think we'll see much of Christina this weekend." I said getting back on Ice. The others did the same.
"Ducks on horses. What a concept." Keith called as he and Chris walked to the tennis courts.
We walked the horses laughing hard. It'll probably be an interesting vacation.
Horses and Ducks
"Dang cake eater. I knew you were rich but I didn't know you lived in a mansion." Russ said as he, Julie, my father, and I entered my house the day before Thanksgiving.
Russ and Julie were staying at my house for Thanksgiving. Originally, Julie was going to be spending Thanksgiving with Connie but that changed. Then I invited her to stay with us since Russ was already going to be staying there. She told her parents that my sister had invited her so they wouldn't object. My sister liked the idea for some reason. All of the out of state Ducks were staying with someone. Luis was staying at Goldberg's. Portman was staying at Fulton's. And Dwayne was staying at Averman's.
"You've never been in here?" I asked puzzled. I could have sworn all of the Ducks had been in my house.
"Nope." Russ said.
"Me neither." Julie said.
"Oh well then I'll have to give you a tour." I said with a grin. "Don't want you guys getting lost while you are here."
"Adam is that you?" My mother called from upstairs.
"Yes mom." I replied.
She came down the stairs. She was definitely starting to show now. She gave me a hug. She turned to Julie and Russ. "I don't think we've ever been formally introduced. I'm Sharon Banks."
"I'm Russ Tyler and this is Julie Gaffney."
"Thanks for inviting us to stay here." Julie said.
"Oh no problem. Adam why don't you show them to their rooms?" She asked. "You two can leave your suitcases here. Jeffrey can take them up later."
"Sure. Come on." I said leading them up the stairs. I gave them a short tour on the way. They were staying in our two biggest guestrooms. Julie's had her own large connecting bathroom. I didn't think Russ would mind sharing my bathroom.
After they saw their rooms we went downstairs and then outside to continue the tour. "The pool's at the bottom floor. We've got tennis courts past the pond. The pond's over there." I pointed. "The stables are down there past the courts." I said pointing.
Julie's face lit up. "You've got horses?"
"Yeah. My mother and sister love riding. But since Chris is in California and my mother's pregnant, they aren't ridden much. We've got a stable hand working with the horses and stuff."
"Would it be all right if I went riding sometime?" Julie asked nervously.
"Chris would love it. I don't ride horses that much. My dad once said hockey was dangerous enough for me."
"I'd believe that with how much you get injured." Russ said as we walked down to the stables.
"Thanks a lot Russ."
"Wow." Julie said as she looked at the horses. There were five total. Three Arabs and two quarter horses.
"Their names are Ice, Mango, White Lightning, Jaded Sky, and Thunder." I said pointing to each horse in turn.
"Mango's so pretty." Julie said.
"That's Chris's horse. Thunder's supposedly my father's horse but he never rides. He always says he doesn't have the time. Jaded Sky's my mother's, White Lightning's my brother's, and Ice is mine."
"Hello Adam!" A voice called from inside the barn. It was Mike the stable hand.
"Hey Mike. These are my friends Julie and Russ. Julie wants to ride Mango."
"Let me get him saddled up. You want me to saddle Ice for you?"
"Sure. Could you saddle up White Lightning for Russ?"
"Sure Adam." Mike said and went to do so.
"White Lightning? Banks I've been on a horse before!" Protested Russ.
"White Lightning's nothing like his name. He's pretty calm."
We got onto our horses. Russ was very reluctant at first. We rode around the circled area. After awhile Russ relaxed and enjoyed himself.
"Hey Russ you sure you've never been on a horse before?" Mike called from the barn. "You are a natural."
"Thanks." Russ called back.
"Having fun Julie?" I asked as I rode next to her.
"Yes. Thunder's a great horse." Julie said patting her neck.
"Call me biased but my favorite's Ice." I said patting her neck.
"Russ seems to be having fun." She said looking over at him.
"Yeah. We probably won't be able to get him off the horse." I laughed.
"Yo Jules what are you doing on my horse?" A voice called. We all turned to see my sister and Keith standing there watching.
I brought the horse to a halt and got off. I tied her up, went over, and hugged Chris. "I thought you were coming later."
"I caught an early flight and Keith picked me up. Mom said you were out here."
Julie and Russ came over with their horses. "Hey if you want to ride Mango..."
"I was just teasing you Julie. Go right ahead and ride her. Keith and I are going to play a game of tennis." They walked off.
"Don't think we'll see much of Christina this weekend." I said getting back on Ice. The others did the same.
"Ducks on horses. What a concept." Keith called as he and Chris walked to the tennis courts.
We walked the horses laughing hard. It'll probably be an interesting vacation.