Chapter Two
By six thirty the next morning, just as the cool morning sun began to peak its luminous head over the horizon, Jodi had already rolled out of her bed and had taken a very quick shower, before she snuck down the stairs without her boots on knowing that her grandparents never woke before seven and despite their youthfulness she felt that they needed as much rest as possible, so she let them be. With half of a brown sugar and cinnamon pop tart sticking out of her mouth, she slowly opened the front door with her boots and a half empty bottle of water in hand. Jodi shivered when the cold morning air hit the warm exposed flesh of her face, but quickly got used to it as she pulled on her boots and finished her breakfast before she headed towards the smallest paddock where the four mustangs were being kept.
Jodi watched the four horses graze happily from her perch on the gate. All of them were different sizes and colors, because inherently they were mustangs, but two of the four were different types of mustangs. The tallest of the feral geldings was what her grandfather called a Kiger mustang. He was leggy, with just enough muscle to not seem weighted down by the bulk and his most distinguishing features were his abnormally long, thick and curly two-toned mane and tail. His coat was a muted shade of tan, with the usual dark primitive markings on his legs. The second tallest gelding was a dark buckskin paint, whose color was reminiscent of a darker shade of palomino. He was pure Spanish mustang and the least spooky of the four. The last two were just regular feral mustangs and several inches shorter than the other two. One of them was red dun in color with a wide blaze down his face and four matching coronets just above his hooves. The last gelding was the smallest and flightiest one in the group. The solid blood bay gelding was just barely shorter than his red dun companion.
Jodi watched the four horses for several minutes, before she hopped off the gate and headed to the barn. As Jodi opened the small side door of the large red and white barn, she flipped on the light switch and was almost immediately greeted by at least ten affectionate and hungry cats of various shapes, sizes and colors. Jodi smiled and scratched a few of the singing felines on their backs. A couple of the cats jumped upon the fourth barrel and began to purr loudly. The seventeen year old laughed softly. Trust animals to know the exact barrel that holds their food. After Jodi poured half of an old tin coffee can of cat food into an old pie pan she left the small room for the center of the barn where most of the horses her grandparents owned were kept. There were ten stalls in the barn, but only six of them should have been occupied since that was how many her grandparents kept.
Three of the four mustangs that her grandfather had purchased were going to be properly and fully trained before they were sold. Her grandfather was a part time horse trainer and mustangs were the perfect horses for the rodeo circuit if they were properly trained. Jodi had opted to become a business partner with her grandfather when she was younger but had later found her calling to be in the field of animal medicine. Before Jodi could even get to the first stall six curious heads poked out of their stalls and began nickering at her in greeting. "Hey Faron," She cooed softly to the older grey Arabian that she had first learned to ride on as a child. Though the gelding was twenty years old he was still strong and healthy, as well as the fastest among the six horses stalled in the barn.
The second horse she greeted was a tall, pert eared chestnut thoroughbred. Eros was the youngest of the six geldings in the barn being only five years old, as well as the most spirited due to his racer bloodlines. The young sleek gelding was to be a racer until his owner, who was an old friend of her grandfather fell ill and sold Delwyn the gelding after the young horse's first and only race, before he passed on. Jodi had only met the older man once when her grandfather was training horses for him, but that had been when she was very young so she couldn't remember much about him. The third stall down from the grey Arabian housed a beautiful dark liver chestnut Dutch warmblood with a star, interrupted stripe and snip on his muzzle, as well as three matching socks on his legs. Ciro belonged to Jodi's grandmother, who loved to compete in dressage and show jumping competitions.
On the other side of the bar only the first three stalls were occupied, just like the right side. Directly across from the grey gelding was a solid black Murgese gelding. Neron also belonged to Jodi's grandmother, but he was trained under a western saddle, as well as a side saddle and not a competing horse, unlike Ciro. In the stalls next to Neron were two Quarter horses. The first stall belonged to Vaquero, a bulky but agile brown gelding, while the one next to him belonged to his elder half brother, Aero, a dappled chocolate palomino. Vaquero and Aero were rodeo competitors and working ranch horses. Both of them were foaled from an older broodmare that Delwyn had bottle raised from a foal due to an accident. Unfortunately the old mare died from old age almost a year ago, but she passed on her gentle and trustworthy nature to her last two foals.
Jodi greeted all six of the horses making sure to give them all a good look over just to make sure nothing was wrong with them, before she let all but one out into the back paddock. The first to go was the ever calm and dignified Faron, followed by Eros, who was a little more eager to get loose and run, as he pranced out of his stall and out of the barn. The others left in a similar calm manner as the older grey Arabian, until there was only one horse left in the barn. The last horse left in his stall was the stocky chocolate palomino Quarter Horse gelding with four white stocking and a wide blaze down the center of his forehead. The silver name plate on his dark blue halter read: Aero in fancy italic writing. Aero actually belonged to Jodi's father, but he had to stay in Forks due to the lack of acreage for him to live comfortably on at their home in Little Rock. Jodi was slightly disheartened that she couldn't keep a horse at her home, but now that she was heading off to college she found that it was for the better.
The gelding nickered softly and perked its ears forward in interest when Jodi lead him out of his stall and tied him to the hitch at the front of the barn, before she started to brush the excess hairs from his shiny coat softly taking to him all the while so he could get used to her voice and scent. After she cleaned him up she checked his hooves and legs again for any soreness or abnormality. When she found him to be completely healthy and sound she began to tack him up. Aero and his brother, unlike the rest of the horses, were strictly western saddle broke, which was Jodi's preferred saddle type. After Aero was properly saddled and bridled Jodi swung herself into the saddle with practiced ease and gently nudged the gelding into a trot. When she rounded the corner of the house she saw her grandfather grinning at her over his steaming cup of coffee. "You're up with the chickens, as usual." He commented as he sat his coffee mug down on the coffee table and walked down the stairs to greet the horse and rider.
"Yeah," Jodi laughed softly and affectionately pat the nickering gelding on his sleek sinewy neck. "I just couldn't wait to ride this morning, since we're going to start working on the mustangs after lunch." Delwyn nodded and rubbed the geldings on soft nose. "Where are you going to ride to?" He asked after a moment of thought. "I'm not sure, probably just along the road for a few miles. I'd love to ride down to the beach but it would be almost an all day journey there and back." She replied with a careless shrug of her shoulders. "If you want to go to La Push you can, just make sure you have your cell phone with you incase anything happens. I'd go with you but the old lady wants me to start working on the big freezer, it went out sometime this morning and she's about to pitch a fit if it isn't fixed before lunch. So you go and have some fun, before we have to start working on those four hellions." Delwyn didn't miss the big grin on Jodi's face, as he gently nudged the gelding's head towards the road.
"Thanks grandpa, I'll be back later and tell grandma not to work you too hard." Jodi called over her shoulder with a wave, before she nudged the gelding into a canter with her heels. Delwyn watched his granddaughter ride away with a wistful grin. It was at times like that when he missed his long gone youth the most. "Delwyn, has Jodi left already?" Roseanne asked with a small frown as she stepped out of the warm house wrapped in a thick suede blanket. "Yep, she's headed to La Push," He stated and turned around only to face his halfheartedly upset wife. "Don't worry she's a responsible girl and horsewoman. She'll be back before you know it." He assured her in a soft tone. "I know I just wish she would've eaten some breakfast or taken some with her, it's a good piece away." Roseanne muttered, as her blue eyes watched the flanks of the cantering horse disappear around the corner of the driveway.
Delwyn wrapped his wife in a comforting side hug, before he led her back into the house. "Well if you're that worried then I'll just go tack up Eros and catch up with her–ow! Honey that hurt," He started but was cut off when his wife purposely stomped hard on his foot. "Good, it was supposed to," She replied sternly as she removed his arm from her shoulder. "But honey, I'm hurt," Delwyn whined with a pout, only to earn himself a dangerous glare. "Go fix the freezer like you said you would Delwyn or I'll show you what real hurt is." Roseanne ordered knowing that her husband was playing up his supposedly wounded foot. "Yes, ma'am," He nodded tipping his hat to hide his widening grin, before he turned to go do exactly what she wanted. "And drop that damn grin or you'll get no lunch!" Roseanne called after her retreating husband only to hear his muffled laughter drift around from within the confines of the house.
Jodi loved to ride; the feeling of true freedom it gave her was therapeutic, even a bit addictive. Jodi found true peace when she was working with animals, but freedom came from the air whipping restlessly through her hair and the rhythmic tenor of soft hoof beats. If she closed her eyes while riding and let herself go from her worldly cares she could swear she was flying. It was a very cliché way to describe it, but no words could truly describe the sensations she felt. Gently she pulled back on the reins to slowly ease the galloping gelding into an easy lope, before she slowed him down to a lazy walk. Jodi smiled and whispered her praise to the well mannered gelding. His ears flickered back to listen to his rider, as she switched the reins from her right hand to her left so she could adjust her fallen hat.
Jodi inhaled the crisp morning air and slowly let it go with her next easy breath. The scent of damp earth and trees was actually quite pleasant, soothing even, but not unfamiliar. As her cloud-gray eyes surveyed her surroundings Jodi noticed that the local wildlife was quite abundant. Mostly it was just small mammals like birds and squirrels, but she did see a shy fox hiding in the underbrush and several rabbits run across the road as well. Jodi kept up the slow even walk for awhile, before she nudged the gelding into a slow, relaxed jog trot knowing that the gelding was eager to move forward, but patient enough to let his rider decide what pace they were going to travel. Jodi spent the rest of the ride in a content silence listening to the gelding's soft footfalls and the songbirds singing in the forest, with the occasional bark of a disturbed squirrel, until she reached the beach. Jodi grinned when she heard the crashing waves and stopped the gelding so she could slip down from the saddle to pull the reigns over the gelding's head so she could lead him around easier while she was out of the saddle.
Jodi wasn't surprised to find that the beach was mostly deserted as it was fairly early in the day and not all that warm out. Jodi could barely suppress her laughter when she passed an older couple and saw the looks on their faces, but she gave them a polite smile and greeting before she lead Aero nearer to the crashing surf. Aero's ears were perked forward in interest as they walked along the beach and occasionally he would nicker softly and nuzzle against Jodi's shoulder. The gelding couldn't have been happier if Jodi had given him a whole wheelbarrow full of apples. "I guess you like the beach," Jodi laughed and brushed her hand down his long face, gently tracing the white markings that stood out against his darker coat. "I bet you'd love it at Galveston, I know I do." She said more to herself than the gelding, who listened on with pert ears and warm brown eyes. "The sound of the crashing waves, the heavy scent of salt in the air, it's like a lullaby. I don't think I've ever slept so peacefully then when I stay at the beach house maw-maw and paw-paw own."
Jodi paused to think about what she was saying, before she laughed at herself for sinking too deep into her thoughts and pat the gelding on his soft nose in silent apology. The gelding didn't seem to mind her conversation with herself. In fact he seemed to almost want her to spill her inner thoughts and fears, as if he was her secret confidant. The feeling was not unfamiliar or unsettling, as she had always been able to let go when she was with animals. After a while of just walking along the edge of the beach Jodi spotted a rock just large enough for her to sit comfortably on and was a safe distance away from the water so she wouldn't be soaked and cold on the long ride back to her grandparents. Not long after she sat down, Jodi again sunk deep into the thoughts she had been unsuccessfully trying to avoid for the summer.
Which college should she choose? Was she jumping into college too soon after graduating? She was only seventeen after all, but would be eighteen by the end of summer. Was that too soon? Was she too young? Would she even be able to survive the first semester? There were so many questions and only a few answers, but she knew for certain that becoming a veterinarian was what she wanted. The real question was should she wait a couple of years before she started or not? Jodi sighed deeply in frustration and made a goofy face at her situation, before she slid off the rock and began to lead Aero back along the beach in an attempt to momentarily forget her whizzing thoughts, as the beach front slowly began to fill up with more people. Along the way back, Jodi stopped for a moment to watch a small group of teenagers attempt to ride one of the larger waves. Three of the four were unsuccessful in their attempts, but the fourth one managed to ride most of the wave out, but fell off moments before the wave fully crested.
Jodi chuckled and shook her head, as a strong breeze suddenly blew off of the water and swept her hat clear off her head. Jodi having one hand on the gelding's reigns was unable to catch the elusive cowboy hat. "Crap," She muttered with slightly narrowed as she watched her favorite hat roll all over the beach on a wild zephyr. Without a second thought Jodi jumped into the saddle, with the ease of a well seasoned rider and took off after her hat at a fast walk, careful of any people getting in her way on accident. By the time Jodi caught up to her elusive hat, she had long since bypassed the rock she had been sitting on earlier. Thankfully someone had grabbed it before it could go any further. Jodi couldn't make out much about her hat rescuer but smiled and pulled the gelding to a slow stop before she slid out of the saddle a fair peace away from the approaching person, so she wouldn't intimidate them. They met halfway and Jodi gave a sheepish grin as the smiling woman handed her back the runaway hat.
"Thank you for catching my hat," Jodi smiled thankfully as she took her hat. The woman laughed softly and Jodi felt her face flush at how soft and musical her voice sounded when compared to Jodi's harsher sounding southern drawl. "You're welcome, it wasn't a problem." The woman reassured with a kind smile. Jodi took a moment to study the older woman and noticed just how pretty she was. Her hair was as sleek as Eros' coat and a lovely shade of rich black that made Jodi think of black silk. Jodi also noticed that she had the kindest set of brown eyes that she had ever seen. "I'm Jodi, Jodi Wyler and it's nice to meet you," Jodi said with a kind smile and held out her hand. When the older woman took her hand, Jodi couldn't help but notice the differences between them. Jodi's skin might as well have been translucent sandpaper compared to the woman's smooth copper skin tone. "It's nice to meet you Jodi. I'm Emily. Emily Uley." The older woman introduced herself with another smile.
Emily's bright brown eyes trailed from Jodi's slightly flushed face, to the bulky gelding at the young woman's side. Jodi noticed and grinned. "Oh, and this is Aero." She introduced and the palomino gelding nickered back in greeting. Emily laughed and gingerly reached out to pet the horse on his nose. "He's a bit of a ladies' man." Jodi told the older woman when the gelding nuzzled her palm when she went to pull away. "I see," Emily laughed and continued to pet this nose. "Is he yours?" Emily asked after a moment. "Kind of, he actually belongs to my dad, but my grandfather keeps him at his ranch." Jodi told her as she began to brush some of the sand off of her hat. "Do you… live in Forks?" Emily asked between a laugh when Aero tried to give her a kiss. Jodi laughed and gently pulled the gelding's head towards her and away from Emily's face. "Sorry about that." Jodi apologized awkwardly, but smiled in relief when Emily said it was alright. "No, actually, I live in Arkansas, but I came down for the summer to help my grandpa train some of his new horses."
Emily had a thoughtful smile on her face for a few moments before her bright smile returned. "Now I remember why your name sounded so familiar. You must be Mr. Delwyn and Mrs. Roseanne's granddaughter; you even have the same eyes." Emily commented with a smile of recognition and Jodi laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot. No one can say we aren't related." Jodi joked with a grin and Emily agreed. "Do you live in Forks?" Jodi asked, after she hung her hat of the saddle horn hoping it wouldn't fly away again. "No, I live on the reservation, not far from here actually." Jodi nodded her head and tied the affectionate gelding to a small piece of heavy driftwood, before she sat down on the closest boulder. Emily quickly sat down beside her and Jodi noticed the simple yet elegant diamond wedding ring on her left hand. "You're married?" Jodi asked politely and Emily gave the younger girl a smile that Jodi had only seen on her parents and grandparents faces. "Yes, for two years now." Emily replied in a tone that told Jodi that Emily was very happily married.
"Congratulations," Jodi smiled and Emily thanked her with a slightly flushed face. "What about you?" Emily asked and Jodi shook her head with a somewhat wistful smile. "No. Not me, not for a long while. Truthfully I wouldn't know what to do with a fiancée, let alone a husband. Men are something I haven't yet gotten figured out." Emily laughed and Jodi chucked at her own words. "To tell you the truth, I don't think men are possible to fully understand. They're wired different, if you will." Emily explained with a face that said that was all Jodi need to know to understand and Jodi's body shook with laughter as she tried to hold it in. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Emily asked when the two finally managed to stop laughing. "I'm seventeen, but I'll be eighteen on July the fourth." Emily's face held pleasant surprise at hearing how young Jodi was, compared to how she acted. "Wow, I thought you were older." Emily voiced as an embarrassed blush began to bloom on her face.
Jodi laughed and nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah, I get that sometimes. My dad says I act too mature sometimes, but he's the world's biggest big kid so he doesn't have much room to talk." Emily smiled and confessed her age, which made Jodi laugh confessing that's she thought Emily was younger. They sat there for almost an hour and a half just talking like old friends, asking normal questions about what they liked and what they didn't. Jodi found out the name of Emily's husband, their friends and more about her life on the reservation and told Emily about her one real friend who lived next-door to her in Little Rock, who was actually Emily's age and about his daughter who Jodi thought of as her own. Jodi checked her cell phone to see what time it was and frowned slightly. "Well, I guess I'd better head back to the house before my grandparents come after me." Jodi said as she stood up. Emily agreed saying that Sam, her husband would come after her to if she didn't get back to her home as well.
"It was really nice to meet you and talk with you, Emily." Jodi said as they shook hands. "Same here, Jodi," Emily agreed with a sincere smile. She truly liked talking to the younger girl, who was quite kind and polite, but had a bit of childishness that made her company never boring. "I guess I'll see you around," Jodi said as she untied Aero and began to heave herself into the saddle. "You bet," Emily replied with a smile that Jodi returned, before she put her hat on. "Later, Emily," Jodi called with a wave as she turned the gelding around to head back up the beach, but before she could get very far Emily's voice calling her name made her stop and turn Aero around. "Yes?" Jodi asked with a confused look. Emily jogged over to stand at the palomino's shoulders. "I wanted to know if you wanted to come over to my house to eat tomorrow." Emily asked and Jodi grinned. "Sure, I can't turn down a free meal. What time is it and how do I get there?" Emily laughed and Jodi pulled her cell phone out to type in the address, Emily's number in case she got lost and a short description of Emily's home.
"Do I need to bring anything?" Jodi asked as she pocketed her phone. "No, you don't have to bring anything. I'm sure there will be plenty of food to go around. A few of our friends will also be there, if that doesn't bother you." Jodi chuckled and shook her head at Emily's concern. "It doesn't, meeting new people doesn't bother me as you can probably already tell." Emily nodded and the two bid each other goodbye for a second time. "I'll see you tomorrow evening then." Emily waved and nodded back, before she turned and headed towards her own home. There was a bit of preparation that needed to get done before Jodi showed up at her home tomorrow and she would have to warn Sam and the pack about Jodi. Emily was pretty certain that the boys would be fine around Jodi and vice versa, but it never hurt to err on the side of caution, especially where the pack and their secret were concerned. She just hoped that everything went as smoothly as she hoped it would tomorrow.