Lauren woke up early that morning with new found purpose. She was very excited because today she was going to work with some horses at a friend's farm. Horses had always been a passion for her, she loved riding them and just being around them. She got up, careful not to wake Janet, and headed toward the bathroom to take a shower.
When she had finished showering, she dressed in her jeans, boots, and a Beatles t-shirt Jack had given her for her last birthday. After pulling her long brown hair up into a ponytail and checking her reflection in the mirror, she walked into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Morning." Lauren said cheerfully as she sat down at the table. Jack was busy fixing breakfast. "Morning Babe." He greeted her with a smile. "Sleep well"
"Like a rock. Smells good." She said, complementing the breakfast he was cooking. She noticed that she hadn't seen Janet. "Where's the Kid?" She asked with a laugh, referring to a nickname she and Jack had given to Janet once.
"Haven't seen her." He answered as he put breakfast on the table.
"Watch this." She said with a grin as she went up to her bedroom door. "Wood! Get your butt out of bed!" She yelled.
Janet came running out of their bedroom, a dazed look on her face. "I'm up! I'm up!" She squealed. "Good, just making sure." Lauren said with a laugh.
"Very funny!" Janet groaned as she smacked Lauren's behind. She went into the bathroom to take a shower.
"Looks like we're Ms. Cranky Pants this morning." Lauren commented as she rubbed her now sore behind. "That smarts"
"Aww, poor baby! Want me to kiss it and make it better?" Jack asked as he puffed his cheeks and started to chase after her.
"No thank you!" She squealed as she smacked him playfully. Janet came into the kitchen and caught Lauren in Jack's arms. Lauren backed away quickly when she saw Janet's questioning gaze. "We were just talking." She reasoned as she sat down at the table.
"That's right." Jack agreed as he sat across from her.
Janet eyed the two of them for a minute, but shrugged her shoulders. "What's on for today?" She asked.
"I'm working with some horses today." Lauren beamed.
"I have school until 3." Jack commented as he bit into his toast.
"I'm off work today, so I figured I'd clean up around here." Janet informed them. The two of them nodded, knowing that when Janet made up her mind to do something, there was no stopping her. Lauren quickly finished her breakfast and got up from the table. "I'd better hurry so I can catch the bus." She said eagerly.
"If you can wait a few minutes, I'd be happy to drop you off on my way to school." Jack offered.
"That's great Jack, thanks." She said with a smile.
-
After cleaning up the dishes, Lauren and Jack waved goodbye to Janet and got into Jack's car.
"You excited?" Jack asked as he grinned at Lauren.
"I sure am." She grinned back.
Soon, Lauren saw that familiar gate that led to Terrace View Farm. She got out of the car and turned to tell Jack goodbye.
"Later Babe! I'll be back to pick you up when I get out of school." He smiled at her.
"Ok, bye!" She smiled back and waved as she watched him drive off.
She walked up to the nearest pasture and let out a loud whistle. The sound of hoof beats filled the air as a huge black horse ran toward her from the other side of the field. He stopped right at the fence and let out a welcoming neigh. "Morning Comanche!" She greeted him as she rubbed his soft nose. He let out a low nicker and relaxed at her touch. She opened the gate and went into the fence with him. He walked up to her and rested his head on her shoulder adoringly. "You're just a big baby." She laughed as she stroked his neck. -
A few hours later, Jack arrived to pick Lauren up. When he didn't see her waiting for him, he decided to get out and look around for her. He walked up the driveway and noticed her in a nearby ring. She was clicking her tongue, totally focused on the black horse running in a circle around her. Jack watched in amazement as this horse obeyed Lauren's every command. Lauren was totally focused on Comanche. She noticed him slowing down, the classic sign of respect toward her. She turned away from him slowly and simply waited to see if she had gained his trust. In a few seconds, Comanche's soft nose nuzzled her shoulder. She smiled proudly and turned to give the horse a pat on the neck. "Good boy!" She praised him. She noticed Jack watching her and she blushed.
"Sorry Jack, guess I lost track of the time." She apologized as she gave the horse a pat and took off out of the gate. She quickly walked towards the car, a little embarrassed that Jack had seen her working with Comanche. Her methods seemed strange to the average person who had never been around horses, so she was afraid to let anyone watch her at work. The fact that he had seen her scared her a bit.
-
"What you were doing back there was amazing." Jack commented as they rode home.
"Really?" She looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it." He smiled at her.
"It's not your conventional horse training." She said quietly. "You're not the conventional woman." He said with a laugh as he caressed her cheek. She gulped as she felt his fingers against her cheek. They pulled up at the apartment and she started to get out. He grabbed her wrist to stop her. They faced each other, looking deeply into each other's eyes. "I thought it was beautiful." Jack whispered as he leaned closer to her.
She gulped as he leaned in, his face inches from hers. His lips met hers in a passionate and heartfelt kiss. She relaxed and enjoyed the kiss. Neither of them noticed Mr. Roper trimming the hedges until they heard someone clear their throat. They both looked up and froze in horror.
"Morning." Lauren said cheerfully as she sat down at the table. Jack was busy fixing breakfast. "Morning Babe." He greeted her with a smile. "Sleep well"
"Like a rock. Smells good." She said, complementing the breakfast he was cooking. She noticed that she hadn't seen Janet. "Where's the Kid?" She asked with a laugh, referring to a nickname she and Jack had given to Janet once.
"Haven't seen her." He answered as he put breakfast on the table.
"Watch this." She said with a grin as she went up to her bedroom door. "Wood! Get your butt out of bed!" She yelled.
Janet came running out of their bedroom, a dazed look on her face. "I'm up! I'm up!" She squealed. "Good, just making sure." Lauren said with a laugh.
"Very funny!" Janet groaned as she smacked Lauren's behind. She went into the bathroom to take a shower.
"Looks like we're Ms. Cranky Pants this morning." Lauren commented as she rubbed her now sore behind. "That smarts"
"Aww, poor baby! Want me to kiss it and make it better?" Jack asked as he puffed his cheeks and started to chase after her.
"No thank you!" She squealed as she smacked him playfully. Janet came into the kitchen and caught Lauren in Jack's arms. Lauren backed away quickly when she saw Janet's questioning gaze. "We were just talking." She reasoned as she sat down at the table.
"That's right." Jack agreed as he sat across from her.
Janet eyed the two of them for a minute, but shrugged her shoulders. "What's on for today?" She asked.
"I'm working with some horses today." Lauren beamed.
"I have school until 3." Jack commented as he bit into his toast.
"I'm off work today, so I figured I'd clean up around here." Janet informed them. The two of them nodded, knowing that when Janet made up her mind to do something, there was no stopping her. Lauren quickly finished her breakfast and got up from the table. "I'd better hurry so I can catch the bus." She said eagerly.
"If you can wait a few minutes, I'd be happy to drop you off on my way to school." Jack offered.
"That's great Jack, thanks." She said with a smile.
-
After cleaning up the dishes, Lauren and Jack waved goodbye to Janet and got into Jack's car.
"You excited?" Jack asked as he grinned at Lauren.
"I sure am." She grinned back.
Soon, Lauren saw that familiar gate that led to Terrace View Farm. She got out of the car and turned to tell Jack goodbye.
"Later Babe! I'll be back to pick you up when I get out of school." He smiled at her.
"Ok, bye!" She smiled back and waved as she watched him drive off.
She walked up to the nearest pasture and let out a loud whistle. The sound of hoof beats filled the air as a huge black horse ran toward her from the other side of the field. He stopped right at the fence and let out a welcoming neigh. "Morning Comanche!" She greeted him as she rubbed his soft nose. He let out a low nicker and relaxed at her touch. She opened the gate and went into the fence with him. He walked up to her and rested his head on her shoulder adoringly. "You're just a big baby." She laughed as she stroked his neck. -
A few hours later, Jack arrived to pick Lauren up. When he didn't see her waiting for him, he decided to get out and look around for her. He walked up the driveway and noticed her in a nearby ring. She was clicking her tongue, totally focused on the black horse running in a circle around her. Jack watched in amazement as this horse obeyed Lauren's every command. Lauren was totally focused on Comanche. She noticed him slowing down, the classic sign of respect toward her. She turned away from him slowly and simply waited to see if she had gained his trust. In a few seconds, Comanche's soft nose nuzzled her shoulder. She smiled proudly and turned to give the horse a pat on the neck. "Good boy!" She praised him. She noticed Jack watching her and she blushed.
"Sorry Jack, guess I lost track of the time." She apologized as she gave the horse a pat and took off out of the gate. She quickly walked towards the car, a little embarrassed that Jack had seen her working with Comanche. Her methods seemed strange to the average person who had never been around horses, so she was afraid to let anyone watch her at work. The fact that he had seen her scared her a bit.
-
"What you were doing back there was amazing." Jack commented as they rode home.
"Really?" She looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it." He smiled at her.
"It's not your conventional horse training." She said quietly. "You're not the conventional woman." He said with a laugh as he caressed her cheek. She gulped as she felt his fingers against her cheek. They pulled up at the apartment and she started to get out. He grabbed her wrist to stop her. They faced each other, looking deeply into each other's eyes. "I thought it was beautiful." Jack whispered as he leaned closer to her.
She gulped as he leaned in, his face inches from hers. His lips met hers in a passionate and heartfelt kiss. She relaxed and enjoyed the kiss. Neither of them noticed Mr. Roper trimming the hedges until they heard someone clear their throat. They both looked up and froze in horror.