The breakfast that they consumed a few minutes later was one mostly spent in silence, save for the clink of cutlery and the scrape of a knife against toast. Fortunately for Bo and Jessie, Buzz and Woody between them had gone to collect the eggs, milk and cheese first, so had only just started making a mess of the kitchen when the ladies had returned.
Bo had made omelettes with cheese melted into them, and now settled herself between Jessie and Woody, the latter of whom was at the head of the table. Buzz sat right opposite Jessie. They kept looking at each other over their food, lidded gazes that kept Woody wondering exactly what Bo had said to Jessie. He didn't have to wait long, for suddenly Jessie spoke.
"Fine. I'm in."
Everyone stared at her. Buzz's jaw in particular, was on the table.
"Why do you all look like the critters have bolted over the fields?" Jessie enquired. "I just said I'd do it."
"Well," Woody began thoughtfully, "I suppose you'll be riding Bullseye."
"No. I thought about it, and I think I'll use Buttercup."
"Buttercup?" Buzz lifted his jaw up long enough to speak. "But you have a bond with Bullseye."
Jessie smiled. "Sure, and I love him to bits, but he isn't always the most obedient of all the critters out there in that stable."
"You think you'll be able to train Buttercup in a few months?" Bo asked.
Jessie shrugged. "I don't see why not. It cant be that hard." Buzz and Woody exchanged a glance that unfortunately Jessie intercepted. "What in tarnation are you two pulling such faces for?" she demanded.
Woody looked uncomfortable. "Well Jessie, it is going to take a lot of work. I mean horses, sure they can jump, but we're going to have to train and rehearse for a while."
"Sure," Jessie grinned, "A few hours a week should be fine."
"Er, no, Jess," Woody stopped her. "At least three hours a day."
"A day?" Jessie stared. "Three hours PER DAY?"
"Afraid so." Woody nodded. "I mean, Buzz has already broken her in, but for someone else to ride her, saddle her…she'll need to get used to someone different…" he went on.
Jessie glared at Buzz. "Why didn't you mention this?"
"Because I knew you'd react like this." Buzz looked up and fully met her annoyed gaze. This wrong footed Jessie entirely, and she spluttered in fury.
"I am not reacting!" She muttered, pushing her half empty breakfast plate away. "I think I have a right to be…be…"
"Shocked?" Woody offered casually, looking slyly sideways at Bo. "Well, if you don't think you can do it…"
"I never said..." Jessie glanced from Woody to Buzz and fell short of words. She threw her hands up in he frustration, flopping back in her chair, trapped in a conundrum she couldn't get out of now.
Bo patted her husbands hand and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Nicely done," was all she said.
"Buttercup!" Jessie shrieked. It was three weeks after the morning that Buzz had produced the flyer for the show jumping contest at the state fair. In that time, Buttercup had absolutely refused to take a single hurdle.
She would allow Jessie, after days of work, to finally sit on her back.
She loved her saddle, didn't mind the reins or bridle too much.
She didn't mind being taken into the round pen and being ridden gently around in there, with Buzz watching carefully for any accidents that might happen at first.
She would allow Jessie to trot her around and around the stables and the outbuildings.
She would even get up to a canter or a fair paced gallop around the fields, with Jessie on her back.
But hurdles she would not succumb to, the one thing she needed to know, and Jessie was fast running out of patience. Buzz was there all the time of course, the whole idea had been his in the first place, and Buttercup was his favourite after all. Unfortunately, Jessie thought, as she hauled herself up, it seemed that Buzz spent even more time these days looking at her.
Not that he would be looking at her in this state, she thought, wiping the mud off her front. And judging by the sound coming from the other side of the hedge, he wasn't bothered about it at all. He was too busy laughing at her falling off Buttercup's back into a mud puddle on the other side of the hedge.
"It's not that funny," she muttered loudly as she got to her feet and glared over the hedge at him.
"Hahahaha, oh Jess, you should have seen your face…I just…hahaha…when you made her jump that hedge and you slipped….oh my….and the splash…hahahaha….." Buzz chortled. Jessie frowned, looking round and catching sight of Buttercup, who was standing nearby munching on some grass without a care in the world.
"Yeah…very droll..." she grumbled, going to fetch the horse as Buzz recovered himself.
"Listen…Jess…" Buzz called to her as she led Buttercup back over to where the gate was and walked her through. "I think we need a new plan."
"What tipped you off?" Jessie asked wryly, closing the field gate behind Buttercup. She didn't usually give up so easily but being thrown off a horse was giving her all sorts of aches and bruises she could easily do without.
"I thought….maybe we could saddle Bullseye and try just going for a …well an excursion. Away from here, where the horses don't have the stress of having to perform or co operate for a while."
"Sure," Jessie shrugged, steadying Buttercup by her reins. "It's worth a shot."
Forty minutes later Jessie was sitting on the back of her beloved Bullseye. Buzz had put saddle bags on the filly, and Jessie had seen him putting some items into them. She shrugged it off; it was probably something Buzz put by for the horses to keep their strength up, particularly if they were training.
They set off at a slow canter, along the winding country roads that separated their farm from the other land and fields. They made their way past the neighbouring farm (both made a face at the mere sight of it) and along yet another country lane and up a slight slope to the ridge there. Here Buzz dismounted and helped Jessie down.
After settling the horses with some water, they let them graze. Jessie sat down on the ledge, while Buzz fumbled near Buttercup for something. To Jessie's surprise he brought over the saddle bags from the horse, and flung down a picnic blanket, which he decorated with a couple of paper plates and cups, some sandwiches, cakes, and some bags of fruit and salad. There was also a bottle of fizzy water and a bottle of the farms own milk, Jessie noted, her eyes shining as Buzz settled down across from her.
"This looks amazing." She lifted her eyes to meet his. "What's this in aid of?"
"You need to keep up your strength. We've been at this practising a long time."
"But I need to keep my weight down for the riding." Jessie complained, but not before her hand had developed a mind of its own and taken up one of the sandwiches.
"So we'll pick it up tomorrow. Enjoy yourself."
Jessie needed no second encouragement; she tucked in heartily alongside him.
When they were finished, the sun was just starting to fade from the sky. The horses were rounded up and tied to the nearby ridge, water and grass still within their reach. Buzz took to packing up the remains of their well enjoyed picnic. Jessie stayed silent, her legs stretched out in front of her as she leaned back against the rocky ridge. She watched the sunset, the amber hues reflecting off the fields, and shivered a little. Within minutes she felt something light touch her shoulders, and with a little jump she realised Buzz had draped their previously laden picnic blanket over her shoulders before continuing with his packing.
At length he returned to her side and settled down next to her. She noticed how he kept his distance and was puzzled by it. He'd just treated her like a princess, and now he was backing off again. She rolled her eyes to herself – like she cared what he did. She didn't like him. So why was she watching him wring his long fingers together?
"What happens if I lose the contest?" she asked, voicing the concern aloud for the first time since she'd spoken to Bo.
Buzz looked round. "If you…? Jessie…we can't think like that."
"But what if I do? Then what?"
"We figure it out. One day at a time."
"But if I lose, we lose everything."
"We wont lose everything. If we do, we'll just take the horses and begin again. It'll be just like before." Buzz smiled at her.
"With what money?"
Buzz shrugged. "I have friends who owe me favours."
Jessie raised a brow." Favours?"
"Yeah. I do them a good turn, they owe me."
"What sort of things?"
"Well...I….I…" Buzz looked flustered for a minute before admitting it aloud. "I just….you know….help out."
"With what?" Jessie probed.
Buzz blushed. "Oh…I fix things."
"Like…trucks?"
"No…watches. Clocks. Small mechanical things. I make things too, carpentry and all those bits and pieces people need."
"I guess that makes you good with your hands." Jessie caught Buzz's eye and found it amusing when his blush reddened.
"Um….I guess." He responded, turning away from her.
Jessie thought for a moment. "So..." she brought the conversation back to what he had said before. "We'd take the horses and get another set of stables?"
"Yeah."
"Just move the horses."
"Yeah. And if times got tough we could just hire them out."
"Rent a pony! Sure!" Jessie giggled and their gazes met again. But this time it was Jessie who blushed and looked away.