A/N: Sorry this took so long, I literally re-worked this chapter like twelve times and I'm still not completely satisfied with the results, but if I don't post it now it will never get put up. So, here it is! After this she officially meets the Pack, that will be so awesome and even I'm looking forward to it. :) Ciao!
Take care,
-SugarLandBabyGirl
Chapter Three
When Jodi finally got back to her grandparents she found her grandfather in the barn brushing down Eros. Her grandfather glanced up when he heard the sound of Aero's hooves hitting the grass and smiled as she pulled the gelding to a stop in front of the barn doors. "Sorry I'm late," Jodi quickly apologized as she slid out of the saddle and led the gelding over to the closest hitch where she began to remove his tack. Delwyn shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Just remember to apologize to your worrywart of a grandma. She'll forgive you in a heartbeat." He told her with a wink.
"Will do," Jodi smiled and slipped Aero's blue halter on him after she removed his bridle. "How was your trip to the beach?" Delwyn asked conversationally as he moved to the other side of the chestnut gelding. "It was great. Aero was as well-behaved as always. He was a little feisty before I let him have loose rein for a bit though." Delwyn nodded in understanding when Jodi paused to grab a brush before she began to tell him some of the more interesting parts of her ride.
"After that, my hat was blown away and a chase ensued down the beach," Jodi gave a bashful grin when her grandfather laughed. "Thankfully my hat was rescued. After introductions and a pleasant conversation she invited me over to her house for supper tomorrow evening. I was a bit surprised when she asked me over seeing as how we hadn't even known each other a day, but she was very nice and polite. She seemed trustworthy." Jodi trailed off lost in her memories for a moment before she grinned cheekily
"Aero was in love from the moment he saw her. You should have seen him trying to give her kisses and get her attention, I was almost jealous." Delwyn laughed as he led Eros into his stall for the night. "That sounds right coming from him. He took after your father in that aspect." Jodi pat the palomino gelding lovingly on his soft nose. She hummed thoughtfully to herself and stared into his chocolate brown eyes for a few moments before a wide smile broke out over her lips. "Indeed," She chuckled and led the gelding into his stall.
"Tell me more about your hat rescuer." Delwyn said as he plunked himself down on a hay bale beside Jodi who was cleaning her saddle while he plucked up the bridle. "Well she's the same age as Shane, has been married for two years and lives on the reservation. She introduced herself as Emily Uley," Delwyn glanced up with furrowed brows at hearing a familiar name. "Emily Uley, as in the wife of Samuel Uley of the Quileute tribe?" He asked in an odd tone that Jodi couldn't place.
"Yeah that's what she told me. Why, is something wrong?" Jodi glanced up from her work curious as to her grandfather's sudden change of tone. "No, not really," Delwyn quickly replied, returning Jodi's look of concern and confusion with a smile. But Jodi wasn't buying it for a second; she knew her grandfather's true smile and the one he had just given her was forced to seemed careless. She started to ask him what was wrong but stopped herself short and went back to cleaning the saddle. She knew when to shut her mouth and now was not a time to be nosy.
After several long moments of silence her grandfather spoke up. "Jodi," He began slowly, as if he might change his mind about speaking what was on his mind at any second. Jodi's attention was quickly planted firmly on him, watching the emotions flicker in his eyes before he sighed heavily and their gazes met. "They aren't bad people, of that I can assure you." He smiled reassuringly and Jodi knew he was speaking the truth, but she knew he wasn't saying everything. "Then why-" She began to ask but her grandfather motioned for her to let him finish speaking and she fell silent.
"I have nothing against them Jodi, believe me, Rose and I are friends with a few of the older members, but they're… different," Here he paused as if searching for the right way to explain to Jodi just how different they were. "Just be careful… and have fun." He said instead which confused Jodi but before she could even open her mouth to question him he spoke again. "Now let's get this finished so we can eat and avoid your grandma's temper." He grinned before he finished up the halter and hung it up.
Despite Jodi's confusion she didn't question her grandfather and decided to just let it go. 'Perhaps grandma is finally rubbing off on him after all these years,' she thought to herself with a mental shrug of her shoulders. She quickly let the strange conversation slip into the back of her mind as her grandfather began to recap the events of his day. Jodi laughed when he told her what happened to him just after she left that morning. Trust her grandma to punish him for any misdeeds no matter how playful. It didn't take long to finish cleaning the saddle with the work split between the two of them.
"So what's grandma cooking for us tonight?" Jodi asked as her grandfather closed the double doors of the barn and turned to face her. "I think she said she was gonna cook a chicken enchilada casserole, and I think she made a salad too." Jodi grinned and her stomach growled. "That sounds great," She laughed as the fact that she had only eaten two pop tarts for breakfast and nothing else finally became evident. "That it does." Delwyn agreed as he hung up his hat and removed his boots at the door.
Jodi followed his example after she took in a deep inhale of the mouth-watering aroma that perforated the air. When they entered the kitchen Roseanne gave them a decisive once over before she sighed and pointed to the sink in a silent way of telling them to wash their hands before they touched the table. They weren't filthy, but they both had dirt stains on their clothes and smudges of cleaner on their hands and faces. "It smells wonderful grandma and I'm sorry I was late." Jodi complemented and hugged her grandmother in gratitude before she sat down at the table after washing.
Roseanne thanked her granddaughter before she also took a seat beside her husband. After a short blessing, lead by Roseanne, Delwyn started to fill the plates one-by-one and pass them around while Roseanne filled the cups with freshly brewed lemon tea and passed the first one down to Jodi. Between the three of them more than half of the casserole was gone by the end of dinner. When everyone was finished eating Jodi helped her grandma wash the dishes and put up the leftover food.
It was then that Jodi decided to ask if she could be excused from tomorrow night's dinner and told her the reason behind her absence. Jodi noted that her grandma seemed immaculately pleased to know that Jodi had met Emily and was going to spend time with the Quileute woman, her husband and friends. Jodi found out through her grandma that Emily was a frequent consumer of Roseanne's homemade jelly and preserves. "Since you're going over there tomorrow I'll send a few jars with you. I'm sure she's starting to run low, feeding all those boys." Her grandma told her before Jodi finished drying the last plate.
After the dishes were in their proper place above the sink, she headed up to her room to take a shower. When Jodi was sure she no longer hand any traces of cleaner on her, smelled like a barn or a sweaty horse she exited the bathroom and dressed for sleep. After she dried her hair Jodi went down stairs to the living room, stretched out on the couch and turned on the TV. For about an hour she watched reruns of Friends before she went to bed somewhat anxious about starting to work with the mustangs the next day, but quickly fell into a peaceful slumber.
The next morning after a proper large breakfast, courtesy of Roseanne who was insistent that her granddaughter eat more than a pop-tart for breakfast, Jodi and her grandpa headed out to the barn. While Delwyn fed the cats and let the stalled geldings out into the back pasture, Jodi fed Jip and played with the puppies for a few minutes. She was quickly becoming attached to the two odd ball pups and they to her she noticed. As far as Jodi was concerned no one could deny the puppies of their much needed attention due to their clumsily fluffy cuteness. It just wasn't possible.
Jodi was an animal lover above all else and quite proud of it. Her parents had joked that she would gladly live in a zoo instead of their house if she could and they weren't too far from the truth. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Jodi wouldn't object one bit if she could get a job as a veterinary at a zoo. Up close, hands-on experience with exotic animals was nearly every aspiring vet's dream come true. Unfortunately exotic animals were much harder to work with than pets and livestock which Jodi thought she would work better with.
"Well tomboy, which hellion do you want to start with first?" Delwyn asked as he closed the round-pen gate. The four mustangs were snuffling in mild discontent at the forced change of habitat, as Jodi silently observed them from the other side of the fence. "Is there a down payment on any of them?" She asked and held out her hand to the curious painted mustang as it cautiously sniffed at her fingertips. Now that she had a closer look at the paint gelding she noticed that he had two beautiful glass eyes. The reflective silvery blue pools set off his golden and white coat in the best way imaginable.
"Yep, the little one has seventeen hundred on him already and after he's completely saddle broke I expect nine hundred more." Her grandpa told her as he readied the tack. Jodi hummed softly in contemplation and dropped her hand when the buckskin paint moved away from her and closer to his herd. "Then he's the one we need to start with." Jodi said as she turned to take a lead rope from her grandpa. "Plus he's the spookiest and it'll take more time." Delwyn grinned and shifted his hat as Jodi shouldered the white and dark blue rope and headed towards the gate entrance. "Alright, but remember once we start we see it through to the end, no backing out the first time he throws a tantrum." Jodi just laughed and eased into the pen to separate the small gelding from the other three.
"You gonna pick out their names for me to put on their sale papers Jodi?" Delwyn asked as he watched his granddaughter slowly interact with the four mustangs for the first time. "Of course, if that's what you want." She replied softly, loud enough so that he could hear her but not startle the horses. "I haven't a clue as to what to name them though." She continued speaking, even as she began to trail her fingertips softly over the buckskin paint gelding's neck in a soothing caress. "I suppose I should take the paint off the sale list." Delwyn grinned knowingly when Jodi glanced over at him with a slightly surprised and guilty grin. He shook his head with a soft chuckle.
"Don't you worry about it any Jodi, consider him an early birthday and a late graduation present from your grandma and I," He finished with a playful wink and Jodi smiled back before she looped two of her fingers through the side of the black halter on the paint gelding and lead him over to the back gate, where her grandfather was waiting for her with the gate cracked open. It wasn't smart horsemanship to do that, but she had enough experience and confidence to know what to do if the gelding spooked. "Thank you so much grandpa." She told him sincerely as she and the gelding passed through and into the back paddock.
After the other two mustangs were released, Jodi and Delwyn eased back into the round-pen with the feisty blood-bay equine. Jodi cooed softly to the gelding as she stood off to the side of the pen not daring to approach the horse yet. The bay gelding was snorting and pacing back and forth on the other side of the ring, but she was not deterred in the least. She stood there for almost twenty minutes just speaking softly to the frightened gelding, waiting patiently for him to calm down. Finally after awhile he slowly became accustomed to Jodi's presence and curiosity overcame him not long after.
Cautiously and very slowly he began to ease closer to her, but reared back and trotted away from her still form several times before he finally found enough bravery to approach her and cautiously sniff at her outstretched palm where a homemade molasses, bran, grated apple and oatmeal cookie lay. Jodi rarely used bribery, but figured that the little gelding would quickly become more comfortable in her presence if he was rewarded with a treat every now and then. Despite his fear he hadn't been aggressive towards her in any fashion, which only raised Jodi's spirits more.
"There's a good boy," She spoke with a soft smile when he finally gained enough courage to take the cookie from her open palm, but she didn't attempt to touch him yet. He was still too flighty and would probably react negatively if she did. After feeding the gelding another cookie Jodi left the round-pen to stand by her grandfather and Jip, who was happily basking in the attention her owner was bestowing upon her. "So," Her grandfather asked glancing up from petting his dog. "What do you think of him?" Jodi grinned and scratched Jip behind her ears before she answered. "He'll make a great competitor and companion to the right person." She answered.
"He's got plenty of potential. He's just too rambunctious for my tastes." Delwyn chuckled as he leaned against the cool metal fence. "You can tell already, can't you?" He asked his granddaughter as they watched the gelding gallop around the inside rail of the round-pen. Jodi nodded her head. "Yeah, I doubt he'll ever fully lose his wild streak even after his training, but that's what'll make him a great competitive mount. Maybe even a good Barrel racer for an experienced rider. I just prefer calmer tempered horses." Delwyn grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with wanting a more placid mount, Jodi, nothing at all."
Jodi smiled back and glanced over her shoulder to the back paddock when she heard one of the horses whinny. It was the painted gelding. Her attention was completely captured as she watched him race across the field, his four white legs mere streaks against the dark grassy background as he ran. Delwyn watched his granddaughter gaze upon the galloping gelding and hid a wily grin. "You know if he were a boy, I'd be worried that you'd run away with him." He teased with a playful shove. Jodi's head snapped back around to gaze at her grandfather with a look mixed between embarrassment and disbelief, before a grin slowly crawled upon her lips and laughter began to bubble from her mouth.
"Grandpa that's ridiculous," She laughed with a shake of her head, still grinning. "Like I'd ever elope with some boy, grandma would have my head if I ever even considered it, mom too." Delwyn grunted, withholding his laughter. "They would indeed. But I didn't say 'some boy'," He grinned teasingly. "I said if he-" He pointed to the rearing buckskin paint. "-were a boy, I'd be worried. You should have seen the entranced and adoring look on your face, good thing he's not human otherwise I'd have to give him the talk." Jodi laughed good-naturedly at her grandfather's joke and playfully shoved his shoulder back just as he had done to her, only he didn't budge. "I suppose it's a good thing that I'm well prepared for such a thing to happen so I won't be as mortified when it happens." She countered, speaking the truth. Having grown-up with a father such as hers and a grandfather almost identical in personality she was a little more immune to the more awkward subjects than most girls.
"I think we can start him on the lunge-line in a couple of days, if it all goes well." Delwyn announced after they had calmed down from their laughing fit. "Do you want to see how he reacts to the weight of a saddle and rider on his back the day after tomorrow?" Jodi asked in a more serious tone. Delwyn nodded his head. "Yeah, we'll work with him the rest of the day, just to get him used to our presence and the same tomorrow." Jodi nodded her head, before she suddenly grabbed the top rail of the fence and hefted herself up and over the fence. Jodi landed on her feet with a soft 'thump' when her booted feet hit the earth. The flighty gelding watched her do this with pert ears and wild eyes, but didn't bolt from the sudden motion, much to his credit. "Alright tomboy, show me what you can accomplish before you have to leave." Delwyn teased, but Jodi just grinned. She was completely in her element and it showed.
"Dang it," Jodi cursed as she rushed around her room to get finished dressing. She was going to be late if she didn't leave in the next ten seconds and her hair was still sopping wet. She muttered unintelligible words under her breath as she slipped on a white camisole and a dark green long-sleeve sweater to keep warm, due to the light rainfall that had started a few minutes ago. With a towel wrapped haphazardly around her head Jodi hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans, only to hear a ripping sound that stopped her dead in her tracks. "No, no, please don't be there." She pleaded to no one and cautiously glanced down only to sigh and fall backwards onto her bed.
"This is what I get for not paying attention to the time." She bemoaned aloud, but finished pulling her jeans on anyway, choosing to completely ignore the new frayed tear at the knees in her favorite jeans as she rushed into her bathroom. Almost ten minutes later Jodi rushed down the stairs with a pair of shoes in one hand, a pair of socks in the other, and the truck keys clenched between her teeth. Delwyn, who was relaxing in his lazy-boy chair half-asleep, nearly fell out of his chair from surprise when Jodi took the corner at full speed and crashed into the back of the couch, sending her sneakers flying over the top of the couch and onto the hardwood floor at his feet.
Rose rushed out of the kitchen upon hearing the racket and laughter. She glanced around the living room to take in the scene only to frown at her husband and smack him in the back of his head with a dish towel. Jodi was busy pulling on her socks, the keys still clamped between her teeth. "Here you are dear," Jodi glanced up after glancing around for her shoes, only to see her missing sneakers in the hands of her grandmother. Jodi slurred out an unidentifiable 'thank you' and Roseanne just smiled. "Hey take care of yourself, tomboy and don't stay out too late with those boys. Remember, no hanky-panky, I'm too young to be a great-grandpa!" Delwyn said as Jodi shouldered a bag filled with jelly. Jodi paused and turned to face her grinning grandfather with a wide eyed expression.
"Pssh, those guys can't handle me anyways!" She gave a devilishly playful grin and a wink. "Oh you two are impossible," Rose chastised the two with a roll of her eyes. Delwyn's only responded was a cheeky smile. "I'll see ya'll later!" Jodi gave a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek to her grandmother and a wave to her grandfather before she left the house in a rush. Delwyn chuckled and pulled his hat down over his eyes. "Still our little tomboy," He muttered when he heard the truck crank up in the garage. Roseanne quietly watched from the living room window as Jodi backed out of the garage and down the drive way, before completely disappearing.
"When are you going to tell her?" Roseanne asked as she turned back to her husband. Delwyn sighed. "I ain't," He grumbled, knowing that his wife was going to have something to say about the complex circumstances Jodi was happily unaware of. "-and neither are you Rose." He stated in a serious tone, unusual for his character. "But she needs to know-" Roseanne started to argue back but was cut off. "Rose, now is not the time. Just stop worrying and let her be. She is perfectly capable of making her own choices, so let her. You're trying to holding on to her when she needs to run." Delwyn responded in a tone that firmly stated that was the last time he wanted to talk about that subject.
Roseanne sighed ruefully and sat down on the couch. "So that's your decision then." She muttered softly resigned to let things happen as they will, albeit very reluctantly. Even Delwyn had to have been a bit apprehensive; he just held it in better than she did. Jodi was her only grandchild, how could she not want to hold on to her, especially now? Naturally when Rory was her age she had somewhat of the same problem, but this time it seemed harder to do. With a determined nod Rose stood from the couch and re-entered the kitchen in purposeful strides. There was no use in sitting on the couch fretting all day, she reasoned logically as she began to re-clean the already spotless kitchen.