CHAPTER 22
"Have a nice ride?" Amanda asked, looking up from the game of chess Joe and Adam had begun to pass the time.
"It was . an event." Richie replied, not missing the final look of warning Duncan shot him over their heads.
"I enjoyed it, but I think I used muscles I didn't know I had." Claudia groaned as she lowered herself onto the sofa. "Are you sure we can't postpone training today?" she asked Adam.
She was surprised when Adam shrugged. "I'm not really in the mood today. But if MacLeod is willing, I don't think you should let tomorrow go by without training."
Duncan assured them both he would make sure she was back on schedule the next day.
"What time do we need to leave for the church?" Amanda asked as she went to make a pot of coffee.
"It's only a 5 minute drive, so I think 5:30 would be early enough." Adam replied as he moved his knight to take Joe's bishop, causing his friend to curse him under his breath.
"And we'll have dinner at the club afterward?" Amanda continued.
"So I've been told." Adam didn't look up as he waited for Joe to make his next move.
"Then what do you say I heat up that casserole Beth left for us around 1?" she asked the group and they all nodded that sounded good to them.
"I think I'm going to take a long hot bath." Claudia declared as she gingerly stood up from the sofa.
Richie started to ask if she wanted some company, but didn't want to push it with Mac. Besides, Claudia looked exhausted and he thought she would probably want to be on her own for awhile. He was restless though, especially with all the pent up frustration after Garrett's not so funny prank. "Hey Amanda, want to hit the mall?" he asked, knowing this game would go on forever and the conversation would be less than entertaining.
"My plastic or yours?" Amanda answered as she went to retrieve her purse and jacket.
"Duncan's of course." Richie replied with a grin, ducking when Mac tossed a throw pillow at his head.
When they were out the door, Adam slid his pawn across the board to set up another move before looking up at MacLeod. "Want to tell me what happened? And don't say nothing MacLeod, I can read Richie like a book and it was obvious Claudia was upset about more than her sore bum."
Duncan shook his head and sat down on the sofa where he could watch the game. "Garrett had a little fun with Richie and Claudia."
Joe and Adam looked up, both obviously interested in what would come next.
"He recommended a horse to Richie that he knew would be a problem not only for him, but for Claudia." Duncan began.
"I thought Claudia was going to ride the horse Mr. Harris recommended." Adam observed.
"She did, but the horse he talked Richie into taking has a nasty habit of bolting for the barn and not stopping to go around the fences, and Claudia's horse has a tendency to follow him. I managed to catch her horse before it made it to the last fence, but Richie unfortunately landed not so gently against the post."
"I haven't even met this kid and I already don't like him." Joe commented as Adam looked back at the board with a deep scowl on his face.
"How long did it take you to pull Richie off of him?" Adam asked, knowing their young friend's temper.
"Garret was wise enough to be gone when we returned. Beth's brother was there though and that's how we knew it was a set up." MacLeod told them. "Richie has explicit instructions not to cause trouble tonight, so you don't have to worry if Garrett shows up at the wedding or when we all go to The Barn afterward."
"Don't reign him in on my account." Adam said dryly.
"It's Beth I'm worried about. He is her friend after all." MacLeod replied, knowing Adam was none too pleased. "But I think we all need to be a little more careful around him from now on. This may have been a prank, but it may have been a prelude to more."
"Have a nice ride?" Amanda asked, looking up from the game of chess Joe and Adam had begun to pass the time.
"It was . an event." Richie replied, not missing the final look of warning Duncan shot him over their heads.
"I enjoyed it, but I think I used muscles I didn't know I had." Claudia groaned as she lowered herself onto the sofa. "Are you sure we can't postpone training today?" she asked Adam.
She was surprised when Adam shrugged. "I'm not really in the mood today. But if MacLeod is willing, I don't think you should let tomorrow go by without training."
Duncan assured them both he would make sure she was back on schedule the next day.
"What time do we need to leave for the church?" Amanda asked as she went to make a pot of coffee.
"It's only a 5 minute drive, so I think 5:30 would be early enough." Adam replied as he moved his knight to take Joe's bishop, causing his friend to curse him under his breath.
"And we'll have dinner at the club afterward?" Amanda continued.
"So I've been told." Adam didn't look up as he waited for Joe to make his next move.
"Then what do you say I heat up that casserole Beth left for us around 1?" she asked the group and they all nodded that sounded good to them.
"I think I'm going to take a long hot bath." Claudia declared as she gingerly stood up from the sofa.
Richie started to ask if she wanted some company, but didn't want to push it with Mac. Besides, Claudia looked exhausted and he thought she would probably want to be on her own for awhile. He was restless though, especially with all the pent up frustration after Garrett's not so funny prank. "Hey Amanda, want to hit the mall?" he asked, knowing this game would go on forever and the conversation would be less than entertaining.
"My plastic or yours?" Amanda answered as she went to retrieve her purse and jacket.
"Duncan's of course." Richie replied with a grin, ducking when Mac tossed a throw pillow at his head.
When they were out the door, Adam slid his pawn across the board to set up another move before looking up at MacLeod. "Want to tell me what happened? And don't say nothing MacLeod, I can read Richie like a book and it was obvious Claudia was upset about more than her sore bum."
Duncan shook his head and sat down on the sofa where he could watch the game. "Garrett had a little fun with Richie and Claudia."
Joe and Adam looked up, both obviously interested in what would come next.
"He recommended a horse to Richie that he knew would be a problem not only for him, but for Claudia." Duncan began.
"I thought Claudia was going to ride the horse Mr. Harris recommended." Adam observed.
"She did, but the horse he talked Richie into taking has a nasty habit of bolting for the barn and not stopping to go around the fences, and Claudia's horse has a tendency to follow him. I managed to catch her horse before it made it to the last fence, but Richie unfortunately landed not so gently against the post."
"I haven't even met this kid and I already don't like him." Joe commented as Adam looked back at the board with a deep scowl on his face.
"How long did it take you to pull Richie off of him?" Adam asked, knowing their young friend's temper.
"Garret was wise enough to be gone when we returned. Beth's brother was there though and that's how we knew it was a set up." MacLeod told them. "Richie has explicit instructions not to cause trouble tonight, so you don't have to worry if Garrett shows up at the wedding or when we all go to The Barn afterward."
"Don't reign him in on my account." Adam said dryly.
"It's Beth I'm worried about. He is her friend after all." MacLeod replied, knowing Adam was none too pleased. "But I think we all need to be a little more careful around him from now on. This may have been a prank, but it may have been a prelude to more."