CHAPTER 21
A smile spread across Adam's face as he heard the door to his room close softly. He didn't have to open his eyes to know his bride was quietly making her way across the floor to surprise him.
"I take it you aren't the superstitious type?" He murmured sleepily as he rolled over to greet her.
"You mean that old wives tale about not seeing each other the day of the wedding?" Beth asked as she slid under the covers to snuggle beside him.
"That would be the one, yes." He said between kisses.
"We make our own luck." She replied as she wrapped her arms around him and giggled when he pinned her beneath him.
"So how long do we have before the little princess wakes the rest of the house with that appetite of hers." He whispered as he kissed along her cheek and jawline.
"Probably not very long at all." She replied sadly. "I tried a bottle with her yesterday and last night, and she took it well. But Rayna's giving it a try now and thought Cassie would be less distracted if I weren't in the room." Her sister had let Adam's plan to surprise her with a suite at the Ridgetop Inn slip, so she'd thought maybe they could make the most of their time together if Rayna could feed the baby in the early morning since she was planning to stay in another room to watch her. She was hoping this would work.
The not so muffled sound of Cassie's frustrated scream sounded in their ears, and they both groaned as Beth slipped out of his arms and pulled her robe more securely around her.
"I'm right behind you." Adam said as he tugged on jeans and a sweater, running a hand through the top of his hair as he followed her upstairs. At least tonight once Cassie was asleep, there would be no interruptions.
Duncan, Richie and Claudia got up early so they could go to the stables. Claudia had never ridden before, and Duncan found out from the Harris' which horse would be best suited for a novice.
As expected, Garrett was there, almost finished with the morning routine. His head jerked up when he sensed the strong presence, and was relieved to see Pierson not among them.
"Could you use a hand?" Duncan asked the young immortal.
"No, I'm fine. Mr. Harris mentioned you might be bringing your friends for a ride. I fed Firefall first since he said the young lady hadn't ridden before. And you can choose any of the others along that side of the stable. They've already eaten." Garrett indicated several stalls with eager heads popping out of them.
"That was nice of you." Duncan replied. "I don't believe you were formally introduced to my friend, Richie Ryan. And this is Claudia Jardine."
Garrett took off his glove before shaking their hands. At least MacLeod made it easy to get along with the others. He could stand to keep things friendly for at least another day since he planned to be far from Ridgetop and these unwanted immortals by the next morning.
"It's nice to meet you." Claudia said with a smile as she shook his hand. "And thank you for taking care of the horse Mr. Harris selected. I'll have to admit I'm more than a bit nervous."
Duncan thought it would be a good idea for Claudia to get acquainted with the horse while he saddled it up. She held the reigns on the bridle and stroked the horse's nose.
Richie had only ridden a couple of times, so he asked Garrett which of the others would be good for someone with little experience. "The black and white one there, his name is Jupiter."
"Thanks man." Richie replied as he took the saddle from Garrett and started to get his own horse ready.
Garrett offered to lead Claudia around in the small ring while the other two finished saddling up, and by the time they were ready to go out into the open pasture she was feeling more confident.
"Do I need to stay and rub them down when you are done?" Garrett asked, hoping the answer would be no.
"We can handle that. You've been a big help and I'm sure you've got things to do before tonight." Duncan assured him as he cantered his horse in front of Claudia's.
Duncan knew that Claudia would be sore later if they rode too long, so he kept the pace easy and they rode just around the main pastures, almost always keeping the stable in view.
"This is so much fun." Claudia laughed as her horse sped up slightly to keep pace with Richie's. The horses appeared to be great friends since neither strayed too far from the other.
"We should probably be heading back." Duncan called out finally, turning his horse and leading them all in the direction of the stable.
They were just entering the gate of the pasture that enclosed the stable when Richie's horse took off in a dead run. He tried pulling up on the reigns, but it was no use. Jupiter was focused on the stable door and there was no stopping him. Unfortunately, Firefall saw her partner bolt away and with Claudia screaming and holding on for dear life, she followed his path as fast as she could.
Duncan somehow managed to catch the second horse just before she tried to jump the last fence. Richie however was not prepared for Jupiter to take the shortcut and when the horse leapt into the air, he fell hard against the fence.
Kyle Harris had only just arrived at the barn when Richie hit the ground. He ran to help the young man, arriving at the same time Duncan and Claudia dismounted their own horses.
"Man are you all right?" Kyle asked as Richie rubbed his shoulder and tried to sit up against the fence post.
"Richie?" Claudia knelt beside him, shaken not only by what had happened to him, but by her own near miss as well.
"I wish you had let Garrett select your horses." Kyle said when he saw Richie was all right. "Jupiter has a tendency to get in a hurry when it's time to come back, and with the way Firefall follows him, we never let the two out at the same time . especially with inexperienced riders."
"You don't say?" Richie replied, cutting Claudia off before she could say anything about Garrett selecting the horses.
"We'll have to remember that next time." Duncan said, helping his friend to his feet.
"That could have been bad." Kyle said, shaking his head. "But if you are all right, then I've got to get back to the house. I just came to check on the mare."
"He did that on purpose." Richie said to Duncan as soon as Kyle had driven off.
Duncan nodded. "I don't know what his motive was for doing that, but let's keep this to ourselves for now. I don't think Methos would take too kindly to that little stunt and the last thing we want is to ruin the night for him and Beth."
Richie understood, but was still frustrated that the coward had left before seeing his handiwork. "He better keep his distance from me . and from Claudia."
"Richie don't start anything, please." Claudia begged, holding onto his arm tightly.
"Claudia's right. For all we know it was meant as a joke, a stupid one, but it's not something deserving of a challenge."
"How about a right to the jaw?" Richie replied, rubbing his shoulder again.
Mac gave Richie a look that said to let it go, and he would . but Garrett had better watch his step from now on.
A smile spread across Adam's face as he heard the door to his room close softly. He didn't have to open his eyes to know his bride was quietly making her way across the floor to surprise him.
"I take it you aren't the superstitious type?" He murmured sleepily as he rolled over to greet her.
"You mean that old wives tale about not seeing each other the day of the wedding?" Beth asked as she slid under the covers to snuggle beside him.
"That would be the one, yes." He said between kisses.
"We make our own luck." She replied as she wrapped her arms around him and giggled when he pinned her beneath him.
"So how long do we have before the little princess wakes the rest of the house with that appetite of hers." He whispered as he kissed along her cheek and jawline.
"Probably not very long at all." She replied sadly. "I tried a bottle with her yesterday and last night, and she took it well. But Rayna's giving it a try now and thought Cassie would be less distracted if I weren't in the room." Her sister had let Adam's plan to surprise her with a suite at the Ridgetop Inn slip, so she'd thought maybe they could make the most of their time together if Rayna could feed the baby in the early morning since she was planning to stay in another room to watch her. She was hoping this would work.
The not so muffled sound of Cassie's frustrated scream sounded in their ears, and they both groaned as Beth slipped out of his arms and pulled her robe more securely around her.
"I'm right behind you." Adam said as he tugged on jeans and a sweater, running a hand through the top of his hair as he followed her upstairs. At least tonight once Cassie was asleep, there would be no interruptions.
Duncan, Richie and Claudia got up early so they could go to the stables. Claudia had never ridden before, and Duncan found out from the Harris' which horse would be best suited for a novice.
As expected, Garrett was there, almost finished with the morning routine. His head jerked up when he sensed the strong presence, and was relieved to see Pierson not among them.
"Could you use a hand?" Duncan asked the young immortal.
"No, I'm fine. Mr. Harris mentioned you might be bringing your friends for a ride. I fed Firefall first since he said the young lady hadn't ridden before. And you can choose any of the others along that side of the stable. They've already eaten." Garrett indicated several stalls with eager heads popping out of them.
"That was nice of you." Duncan replied. "I don't believe you were formally introduced to my friend, Richie Ryan. And this is Claudia Jardine."
Garrett took off his glove before shaking their hands. At least MacLeod made it easy to get along with the others. He could stand to keep things friendly for at least another day since he planned to be far from Ridgetop and these unwanted immortals by the next morning.
"It's nice to meet you." Claudia said with a smile as she shook his hand. "And thank you for taking care of the horse Mr. Harris selected. I'll have to admit I'm more than a bit nervous."
Duncan thought it would be a good idea for Claudia to get acquainted with the horse while he saddled it up. She held the reigns on the bridle and stroked the horse's nose.
Richie had only ridden a couple of times, so he asked Garrett which of the others would be good for someone with little experience. "The black and white one there, his name is Jupiter."
"Thanks man." Richie replied as he took the saddle from Garrett and started to get his own horse ready.
Garrett offered to lead Claudia around in the small ring while the other two finished saddling up, and by the time they were ready to go out into the open pasture she was feeling more confident.
"Do I need to stay and rub them down when you are done?" Garrett asked, hoping the answer would be no.
"We can handle that. You've been a big help and I'm sure you've got things to do before tonight." Duncan assured him as he cantered his horse in front of Claudia's.
Duncan knew that Claudia would be sore later if they rode too long, so he kept the pace easy and they rode just around the main pastures, almost always keeping the stable in view.
"This is so much fun." Claudia laughed as her horse sped up slightly to keep pace with Richie's. The horses appeared to be great friends since neither strayed too far from the other.
"We should probably be heading back." Duncan called out finally, turning his horse and leading them all in the direction of the stable.
They were just entering the gate of the pasture that enclosed the stable when Richie's horse took off in a dead run. He tried pulling up on the reigns, but it was no use. Jupiter was focused on the stable door and there was no stopping him. Unfortunately, Firefall saw her partner bolt away and with Claudia screaming and holding on for dear life, she followed his path as fast as she could.
Duncan somehow managed to catch the second horse just before she tried to jump the last fence. Richie however was not prepared for Jupiter to take the shortcut and when the horse leapt into the air, he fell hard against the fence.
Kyle Harris had only just arrived at the barn when Richie hit the ground. He ran to help the young man, arriving at the same time Duncan and Claudia dismounted their own horses.
"Man are you all right?" Kyle asked as Richie rubbed his shoulder and tried to sit up against the fence post.
"Richie?" Claudia knelt beside him, shaken not only by what had happened to him, but by her own near miss as well.
"I wish you had let Garrett select your horses." Kyle said when he saw Richie was all right. "Jupiter has a tendency to get in a hurry when it's time to come back, and with the way Firefall follows him, we never let the two out at the same time . especially with inexperienced riders."
"You don't say?" Richie replied, cutting Claudia off before she could say anything about Garrett selecting the horses.
"We'll have to remember that next time." Duncan said, helping his friend to his feet.
"That could have been bad." Kyle said, shaking his head. "But if you are all right, then I've got to get back to the house. I just came to check on the mare."
"He did that on purpose." Richie said to Duncan as soon as Kyle had driven off.
Duncan nodded. "I don't know what his motive was for doing that, but let's keep this to ourselves for now. I don't think Methos would take too kindly to that little stunt and the last thing we want is to ruin the night for him and Beth."
Richie understood, but was still frustrated that the coward had left before seeing his handiwork. "He better keep his distance from me . and from Claudia."
"Richie don't start anything, please." Claudia begged, holding onto his arm tightly.
"Claudia's right. For all we know it was meant as a joke, a stupid one, but it's not something deserving of a challenge."
"How about a right to the jaw?" Richie replied, rubbing his shoulder again.
Mac gave Richie a look that said to let it go, and he would . but Garrett had better watch his step from now on.