"Jae! Wake up or I'm going to send Aries and Blaze into your bedroom!" Jason's voice echoed all the way from downstairs at half past nine on Tuesday morning.
Jae groaned and turned over on her right side, but her stomach lurched and immediately she flew out of bed and fled to the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet.
Ugh.. this sucks...
"Jae.."
"I'm up!"
Five minutes later, Jae stepped sleepily and grumpily into the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas as her uncle smirked at her before calling for her sister.
"What's the big idea?" Jae asked. "It's not even ten yet. And where are Mom and Dad?"
"They went out for the day-"
"I thought this was supposed to be a family vacation."
"Jae, you know they always spend a day together when you guys come out here."
"Yeah, I know. So, what's the big idea?"
"Yeah, what's with waking us up so early?" Jula said as she entered the kitchen, her speech somewhat slurred from sleep.
"Well, I though the three of us could do something today."
"Like what?"
"Riding. I believe there are still a couple of trails that you two have yet to go on."
"Yeah, but why so early?" Jula asked.
"It's not that early."
"Uncle Jason, you don't count. You're the only one of us that likes to get up at five in the morning."
Jason laughed.
"Aw come on. It'll be fun. Just get yourselves ready and meet me in the stables after you're done eating and getting dressed."
"But I have to shower." Jula whined.
"Don't bother." Jae scoffed. "We're riding."
Jason smirked and added, "She's right. You're only going to come back smelling like horse."
"Whatever... Col. Tavington never smelled like horse when he got back from riding, at least not that much.." she whispered.
"That's 'cause he almost always headed straight to the washroom when he got back." Jae whispered back. "And besides, do you have any idea how often he had Asmodeus groomed. His coat was so shiny it could blind someone."
"Yeah well..."
"Alright you two, who's up for French toast?"
"French toast?" Jula asked excitedly.
Suddenly, there was the sound of rushing paws scraping against the hardwood floors as Aries and Blaze came sliding into the kitchen, Aries not quite stopping fast enough and smacking head first into the island counter while Blaze stopped just in time and looked at Aries with a puzzled face.
"Crazy dog.." Jason mumbled.
Aries whimpered and looked up at his master imploringly.
"No, you get nothing; you're already spoiled enough."
Aries moaned in dejection as Blaze barked demandingly for a treat.
"Nope, not you either."
Blaze gave Jason a disgruntled look and sat down.
"Alright, now that we're all in the kitchen, let's eat."
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One hour later, Jae and Jula got dressed and headed towards the stables.
"Well, you two look better."
"Aw shut up." Jae replied.
Jason laughed.
"Alright, the horses are saddled and ready."
"English saddle?" Jula asked.
"Yes. Jae, you're riding Sangre and Jula, you're riding Ignatius. I'm riding Divino."
Jae and Jula nodded and followed their uncle into the stables where three geldings stood in their stalls, fully saddled and straining at their bits to get out.
"Hey Sangre." said Jae walking up to the first horse, a
chestnut colored thoroughbred.
"He's a bit jumpy at the moment, so if you can't handle him, you can take Divino instead." said Jason.
Divino, a buckskin thoroughbred in the stall to the right of Sangre, nickered at the mention of his name.
"No, I'm fine. Besides, Sangre is my favorite. Aren't you buddy?" Jae replied, stroking Sangre's soft nose.
"Alright, then Jula, that leaves you with the black one."
"Cool." said Jula, walking over to Ignatius and entering his stall.
As soon as all three of them were mounted, Jae, Jula and Jason left the stables and headed towards the back of Jason's property into the woods and onto the trails.
"Hey Uncle Jason, how about a race?" Jae challenged.
"Not right now."
"What? Chicken?"
"No, the trail isn't wide enough and besides, Divino would outrun Sangre in no time.."
"Really?" Jae replied with a smirk. "Let's test your theory.."
With that, Jae gave Sangre a tiny amount of pressure with her heals and he lunged forward into a breathtaking gallop past Jason and Jula.
"Jae!" Jason called after her.
"Oh great." Jula muttered as her uncle urged Davino into a gallop after her sister. "Not again.."
Reluctantly, Jula urged Ignatius forward into a gallop and followed after her uncle and sister.
"Jae, what do you think you're doing?" Jason demanded as soon as he was just behind his niece.
Jae smirked.
"The trail is wide enough, you're just too lazy."
Jason gave Jae a lopsided grin but then asked, "And what about your sister. I don't think she wants to race."
"Darn right, I don't!" said a voice behind them.
Jae and Jason looked back to see that Jula had caught up with them.
"Ignatius may be fast, but he's stubborn too. Besides, you two race dirty anyway, like you're trying to kill eachother just to get ahead of one another."
"But we haven't, have we?" replied Jason impishly.
"Well, there's a first for everything. Now just go on and get the race over with."
"Jula, we don't have to if you don't want to." said Jae.
"No, it's fine, I don't mind. In fact, I rather enjoy watching you two nearly run eachother into trees. I do sort of feel bad for the horses though."
Jae and Jason laughed out loud.
"Alright, Jae, here we go.."
With that, Jason and Divino shot forward with Jae and Sangre hot on their heels, slowing to a canter and winding through the trees and jumping over hedges with Jula and Ignatius loping behind them.
"Oh, come now, Jae!" Jason shouted over his shoulder as he moved out of the way of a tree just in time while Jae came to a jarring stop just in front of it, cursing at her uncle as he continued on.
"Damn it! You ass!"
Jason laughed and urged Divino on, leaping effortlessly over a hedge and winding around another tree until Jae and Sangre pulled ahead of him and halted right in the middle of the path, causing Divino to rear on his hind legs. Fortunately for Jason, he was able to rein Divino in and took off after Jae, nearly running her into a tree.
"OH MY GOD!" she screamed as her knee brushed against the trunk of the tree.
Sangre snorted and then let out a high pitched scream as he and Jae pelted towards a large fallen tree, quickly jumping it to catch up with Jason as Jula followed behind them, laughing hysterically all the way.
Think that's funny, do you?
Leaning low over Sangre's neck, Jae urged him into a blinding gallop, the trees around them beginning to blur in her vision until she caught up to her uncle as he was easing Divino over another large fallen tree.
"There you are!" he called over his shoulder.
Jae nodded and shot ahead of him, winding tightly around the trees until she heard Divino come to a halting stop, followed by a thud and a gutteral moan sounded behind her, and she stopped, turning to see Jason hanging over a tree branch with Divino looking up at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Alright, you win, Jae."
Jae laughed.
"What'd you do, get hung up on something?"
"Very funny; I forgot to duck a branch. Thankfully, I slowed down before hand. That could have costed me a couple of ribs."
"Ah, the advantages of being short..."
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Several more trails and two more races later, with long breaks in between Jae, Jula and Jason found themselves riding at a light trot back to the stables.
"Did you see the finish on the last race?" Jae asked her sister excitedly. "Man, it was so close!"
"Yeah, I saw it! And Uncle Jason, might I add that your face was absolutely priceless when she beat you by a nose?"
Jason pretended to scowl and muttered, "There goes my rep, damaged by my own niece!"
Jae laughed.
"Well, we still have enough distance; do you want to try redeeming yourself in a race back to the stables?"
"You're on. But only for this once, as you're not normally supposed to race back to the stables."
And they were off, racing all the way to a tie, pulling the horses up about thirty yards from the stables.
"Guess you sort of redeemed yourself, huh?"
"I guess; I mean, I did manage a tie.."
"Yeah... what's for dinner?" Jae asked.
"Well, let's get the horses back in their stalls and then we can talk about it because I don't believe your parents will be back until late."
"Can we have spaghetti?" Jula asked.
"We'll see.."
Dismounting their horses, Jae, Jula and Jason walked them into the stables, removed their tack, and groomed them before placing them in their stalls.
"Later, Sangre." said Jae giving the chestnut thoroughbred a pat on the nose.
Sangre snorted and lipped her hand.
"He wants a treat."
"Here." said Jason, handing her and Jula a couple of treats each to feed the horses before turning to Divino and giving him a couple of treats, which he munched on greedily.
After feeding the horses treats, Jason, Jae and Jula went back to the house where Aries and Blaze greeted them with loud barks and wagging stub-tails.
"Easy boys, down." said Jason, shoving the dobermans off of him as he made his way toward the kitchen with Jae and Jula following closely behind.
"Alright, so, Jula, you said you wanted spaghetti for dinner; Jae, what about you?"
"Pickles and ice cream with tuna.." Jae replied without thinking.
Ah, cravings... I'm going to can O'Hara's ass for this...
Jason cocked an eyebrow and Jula gave Jae an odd look.
"Jae, that's disgusting.." Jula said.
"Jae..."
Jae rolled her eyes.
"Come on guys, I'm joking. But spaghetti sounds good.."
"Yeah, that's what I thought.. I mean, if you were serious, I would have had to think you were pregnant or something.." said Jason.
Jae laughed somewhat nervously.
"Good one, Uncle Jase..."
You have NO idea...
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Late that evening at around 11:30 after watching a movie, Jae headed up the stairs with her sister and was about to go into her room when Jula stopped her.
"Yeah?"
"Jae, I know I didn't say this earlier, but I didn't want Uncle Jason to hear.."
"Hear what?"
"Look, I don't think it was such a good idea to go racing."
"Nothing happened."
"No, and you're lucky, but if something did, if you got injured..."
Jae rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious, Jae. Whether we like it or not, this baby plays an important role in what is going to happen later on."
"I know, Jula!" Jae snapped.
Jula stepped back, a slightly hurt look in her eyes.
"Sorry.. I know, it's just..."
"Look, we're both adjusting, and thank god you are good about covering yourself, especially when you blurted out what you wanted for dinner."
Jae grinned sheepishly.
"Yeah, cravings are a bitch; I mean, I hate pickles and tuna, but I still want them.."
Jula laughed softly.
"I know. But hey, like I said, just be careful alright?"
Jae nodded.
"I will.."
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The week went by quickly and before Jae and Jula knew it, it was Friday evening.
"So, you guys are going to the Tavington family estate tomorrow, aren't you?" Jason asked.
"Well, I'm not sure." Richelle replied. "Erik just got a call today from work and we may need to fly home tomorrow instead of going on the tour."
"Mom!" the girls cried in unison.
"I'm sorry girls. It isn't as if we planned for this to happen."
"Can't Dad just take a plane home so we can stay?" Jae asked.
"Girls, if your father goes home, so do we." Richelle replied firmly.
"That's not fair!"
"Jae, stop it!"
"Richelle, with respect, they really do want the tour." Jason spoke up calmly.
"We know." Erik replied.
"Look, how about in the event that you do have to leave, they stay with me and I take them on the tour; I can get them on a plane and back home when the tour is over."
"Jason..."
"Come on, Erik, God knows I can afford it and don't mind the airfare, and besides, like I said, they really want the tour."
"Perhaps, but you'll have to change it to a daytime tour instead of an overnight tour."
Jae and Jula groaned.
"Dad, there will be other people there; I mean, it isn't as if the brothers are taking us alone. And besides, if you really are so paranoid, I'm sure Uncle Jason won't mind coming with us."
Richelle sighed.
"Alright, we'll think about it and let you know first thing in the morning. Right now though, you two, up to bed."