Chapter two:

Everything looked clean and well-maintained. The barns looked freshly painted, and the fields were nicely mowed. No trash or tools lay out of place anywhere in sight.

''Is this place in use often?'' Rose enquired, glancing about in the bright light of the beautiful warm sun.

''Yes. It was always so clear out this way.''

Rose could see two horses standing next to the stable, already saddled and bridled. One was huge and dark grey-so dark he almost looked black. The other was a pretty caramel-coloured horse with a black mane and tail. Her coat was smooth and shiny that she almost looked metallic.

"The big one is Brutus," Jack told her, running his hands across the smooth back of the horse. "The other is Penny. She's a sweetheart-the nicest horse that old Sam has got. So, you'll ride her, while I take Brutus. He's not as nice, but he gets mad if Penny goes anywhere without him."

"Alright," Rose nodded, giving Brutus a wide berth. He looked over at her with his large black eye, on which no white could be seen. He wasn't the friendliest looking, but not aggressive. Penny, by contrast, eagerly put her velvety nose into Jack's palm, then rubbed the side of her head against his shoulder, making a gentle snuffing sound.

"You miss me, Penny?" Jack toyed with her, in a low, husky voice. Rose didn't know why, but hearing the tone he used with the horses had an effect on her, too. It sent little prickles down her arms, just like when he had told her how much he loved her. ''It has been three years, but I never forgot you, my lady.''

Jack had met Sam, the owner of the farm when he had been in Santa Monica the first time. Riding horse on the sand, Rose had been told, was much harder than on dry land and so, Sam had advised Jack to take Rose out on land for the first time before allowing them to be taken to the beach at an early hour the next morning.

"Alright," Jack was as calm and as confident as ever. "Here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna get you set up on Penny first... you're gonna put your left foot here in the stirrup, and you're gonna grab this little knob here on the saddle, it's called the pommel. And I'm gonna help you swing your right leg over the horse. I'll kinda help boost you."

Trying not to show how nervous she was, Rose slipped her left foot into the closest stirrup. The skirts of her pale pink and grey dress flourished about her boots, tangling round her legs and as she placed her foot where it should, Jack worked to arrange the layers about the place to ensure she had a smooth transition to the horse. When his fingers caught her thigh, even though all of the layers, Rose felt the warmth of something spread through her body but right now, that needed to be ignored in order to focus on the task at hand. With Jack holding Penny steady, Rose suspected that the horse would have stood and waited patiently even without Jack there. Even though she radiated gentleness, and she wasn't nearly as massive as Brutus, she still felt much taller than Rose had expected. Adjusting her dress, Rose contemplated just how she was going to get her other leg over Penny's back, when that back was higher than her own shoulder.

However, as Rose stepped up into the stirrup, Jack put his hands around her waist and helped to lift her onto the wide back. With his boost, her right leg swung easily over the saddle. Rose wanted to squeal out, but knew not to spook the horse. It was damned high up! It was higher than expected. It was—wonderful.

''I thought I would have a hard time getting my thighs around her, but the saddle is comfortable.''

Jack adjusted Rose's pale pink skirts about the horse so they wouldn't tangle in the reins. It smelled nicely of leather, and Penny smelled nice too-like clean hay and sunshine. Beneath that, a not-unpleasant scent of animal sweat. Jack passed Rose the reins, and she took them hesitantly and he sensed the nerves as it flashed upon her eyes.

''Right, hold these and sit tight one second while I get up too," he told her.

Rose nodded and watched, still as could be as he hopped up onto Brutus's massive back in one smooth motion that looked as easy as stepping up on a curb; it looked to be second nature to him and then, she recalled that he had grown up on a farm in Wisconsin, himself. Images of Jack, as a younger teen, riding with his father, perhaps, came to Rose and it was a topic which she longed to learn more of. Jack sat comfortably on the large, dark horse, directing Brutus with the smallest motion of his hand on the reins, or his heel against the horse's side. Rose gave Penny a gentle tap, and obediently she started walking forward. She was probably following Jack and Brutus more than listening to Rose, but she was glad the horse didn't just take her off galloping.

Even walking jolted her around more expected. Her shoulders and haunches rolled beneath her in a way that wasn't quite regular. It was hard to catch the rhythm so that she didn't bounce off the saddle.

''How do people ride side saddle? Surely there even less control?'' Rose called, ahead of the sound of the trots.

''Yes, because they are nothing but toffee-nosed assholes who can never be bothered to learn to ride properly.'' Jack called to her, and she snorted a laugh, remembering how Jack felt about the upper class. It lightened her mood, relaxing her a little. Upon seeing her smile, Jack nodded in approval.

"You're doing great!"

Rose laughed. ''We have only taken a few steps.''

Jack tossed his hair from his face, and the sight stole the breath from her, as he stayed close by to her, with Brutus just a little ahead of Penny so that it's clear who was leading. He kept the pace slow to start as they ambled across the meadow. The grass was a little higher there, and full of tiny white butterflies that fluttered upward in papery clouds as the horse's swished through. The early morning sunshine made the dew sparkle. The grass smelled sweet, and the air was fresher than any either had tasted before. Penny felt warm beneath Rose's thighs, even though the air was cooler in the morning air.

''You got the hang of it yet?''

The first, nerve wracking few steps were not as bad as initially thought. It was the surroundings which Rose was transfixed by; how wonderful everything felt. All five of her senses seemed to have been awakened to something new, exciting and wonderful this morning.

''I think so.''

''Are you sure?''

''Yes.''

Jack smiled, squinting in the sunlight. How stunning he looked upon a horse.

''Do you trust me to take you on a gallop? You have to stand more in the stirrups, bouncing against her.''

Rose glanced to him, as though he was a man gone mad and he frowned in a response.

"It's actually more comfortable to gallop," Jack demonstrated, taking Brutus in a small circle about the field, his powerful thighs working as he lowered himself to the horse, flying about the field. Jack whooped, but not too loudly, knowing just how Penny could startle. Feeling her cheeks hurt from laughing, Rose's stomach fluttered about, unsettled from something about that morning. Was it Jack or perhaps just life? Life was beautiful, wonderful and everything which she had envisioned it could be.

''You going to try?'' He circled Brutus, to come towards Rose. Brutus had enjoyed the gallop about, if nothing else.

"I don't know about that..." Rose was hesitant, feeling her heart flying about in her chest.

''What are you fearing, Rose?''

''I don't-''

Just what did she fear? Jack had taught her how to overcome every single fear which had ever haunted her. The way his eyes shone, with such happiness pushed her confidence through. She had already soared at the bow of a ship-

''Do you trust me?''

Of course, she did.

''Yes.''

"Just grab the reins like this"-he showed her—"and lean forward more, so you're closer down to her neck..."

Adapting to a better position, to mirror the one which Jack was taking, Rose felt ridiculous, but still, once Jack had nodded his approval, he shouted-

"HA!"

And the horses took off.

Rose thought she would undilute; but she remained on the horse, clinging to Penny with her knees, leaning low over her neck, gripping tight onto reins until they almost cut into her delicate hands. If her heart was hammering before, then it would fall out of her chest then in that second. Out on the open field, it felt bright green and velvety; if she was to fall, she would probably not injure herself. Her hooves thundered beneath Rose, propelling her forward and soaring further into the field. Jack was right; it was easier to gallop and to follow the rhythm of Penny's movement at a gallop. The wind streaming into her face was cool, clean and invigorating.

Slowly, confidence was gained. Wasn't that the only thing which was needed in order to try new things? Her smile was infectious, but she concentrated on her riding, but her eyes travelled outward, to Jack. Brutus seemed thrilled to be running. He's was stretching his neck out low, his powerful legs churning, not even seeming to feel the weight of Jack on his back.

The two horses ran in tandem, only a couple of feet between them. It was beautiful, utterly beautiful. The vast stretches of the farm seemed endless all around them. The sky was like a huge, inverted bowl, brilliantly blue like Jack's eyes, almost cloudless. Her heart was racing -partly from fear, but also from exhilaration. As her hair came loose from the ponytail, held together with ribbon and clips, it streamed out behind her like Penny's tail. Rose realised that she wasn't gripping the reins so tight anymore but she was actually squeezing Penny with her legs, wanting her to run faster and faster. Wanting to feel exactly this, more and more.

Jack' was right beside her. He let out a whoop, partly to urge on the horses, and partly out of pure happiness. Every now and then, he checked Rose, to ensure that she was enjoying this just as much as he was. She was. The day was gorgeous, bright and lovely. Jack's whoop echoed about the greenery, as though they were the only two people on earth.

Rose felt as though she was soaring. Enlightened. Alive. She felt terrified and exhilarated and thrilled, all at once. Every golden hair on Penny's smooth coat, every blade of bright green grass, every bird soaring overhead Rose saw as though it was the brightest colour ever discovered. The smell of the various trees, of the sea and the smell of Jack acutely all over her body; she wore him like a woman wore perfume or a man wore cologne.

Her muscles were aching from the strain of doing something so foreign to her usual activity but it felt wonderful, making her feel as powerful as the horse, as limitless as the open space and wild...perhaps, like Jack were. He always seemed to be like a force of nature. Like he could never belong to a city or a place. He was just himself, at all times. Wherever he might be. He became that place. Her own home.

At last, Jack made a clicking sound and pulled back on the reins. Brutus reluctantly obeyed, coming to a trot and then a gentle walk. Penny matched his pace exactly. Rose could feel her rapid breathing, and the heat of her body. She was the same -panting and sweating. But exhilarated. Not wanting to slow down.

"Why are you stopping?"

"There's a stream up here," he told her, out of breath. "The horses can have a drink.''

''All right,'' she agreed, reluctantly.

''Hey, don't look so unhappy, we're taking them out to the surf after that. Remember how we talked about that?''

In the beautiful morning, Jack's eyes shone with a certain mischief.

''Yes, I do.''