- FIVE MONTHS LATER -
"Bo?" We're going to be late! We still have that drive to make to town!" Woody called from the living room to his wife, who was still upstairs getting ready.
"Hold your horses, Sheriff, I'm coming," Bo's voice drifted down to him, and Woody turned to see his wife descending the stairs, wearing a pretty pink dress with a matching bonnet. His heart filled with love at the sight of her, and as Bo came towards him, Woody reached out to draw her into his arms.
"Still remembering last night?" Bo teased, amused to see Woody blush just before he dropped a chaste kiss onto her lips.
"I remember every night," he smiled at her, and Bo turned a light shade of pink. She swatted against his chest playfully and he released her, walking to open the main farmhouse door and gesturing for her to walk ahead of him, out to the truck.
Today was a big day, and it had certainly started out on the right note.
It was a fifteen minute drive into town, and when they got there, Woody pulled into the parking lot near the local store. He got out of the truck and ran around to help Bo down safely. They wandered, arm in arm, along the path and down the winding road that led just outside the town, only a few minutes walk away.
In the near distance a newly built construction, the sign above the doors gleaming there in welcome, met their eyes. A long tape of ribbon stretched across the very front of the main entrance. There were people standing around the grounds, talking amongst themselves in droves. As Woody approached, people turned to greet him and Bo, shaking his hand and telling him how proud he should be, what a good job he'd made of the farm, and what a great product Cattlesum was. It was enough to make Woody burst, but he steeled himself and nodded politely with an occasional word or two of thanks.
Reaching the front of the crowd, he and Bo found a place to stand off to the side by the main doors. A shadow fell in front of them as they waited for the event to begin, and Woody looked up to see Mr Baron approaching them.
"Mr Pride. Mrs Pride." Mr Baron extended a hand to Woody, who shook it, and Bo inclined her head in a nod of greeting as Mr Baron tipped his hat to her directly afterwards. "I can't say how pleased I am to be here. You must be very proud."
"I am sir. A new business. It's….well it's just amazing how hard the local men can work, don't you agree?" Woody uttered.
"I do indeed. Now, where's the lady of the hour?" Mr Baron turned, and motioned to his daughter, who was waiting on the other side of the crowd. Ali ran across to her father, who rested his hand gently on his daughter's shoulders as the main doors to the building swung open and Jessie appeared, with Buzz flanking her to one side. They were holding hands, Woody noticed with gladness, and both of them looked terrified yet excited.
The crowd fell silent as the pair approached the ribbon barrier, and Mr Baron leant down to Ali. "Off you go!" As her father whispered the words, Ali ran off towards Jessie and Buzz, the former of which caught her with a slight giggle, before standing up again and addressing the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." Jessie called out, and the crowd murmured a little amongst themselves.
"We are so proud to have you all here today. We have spent so many months working on this project – this dream," she clutched Buzz's hand tighter. "We wanted a place where we could work and play, and thanks to Mr Baron, and his generosity, we have been able to do just that. Of course I also have to thank Woody – Mr Pride - for putting up with me, but also for encouraging me along the way."
Jessie paused to smile at Woody, who returned the expression before Jessie carried on. "We have a lovely young lady with us today, her name is Ali, and she gets to cut the ribbon!"
Bending down, Jessie positioned a large pair of scissors over the ribbon, and Ali reached up to grip the handles, Jessie's hands covering hers. With a little movement, the two of them pressed down on the scissors together, and the blades sliced through the ribbon, allowing it to flutter in two sections to the ground.
Jessie spoke again over the cheers, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the town's new riding school!"
"So you'll be pulling down the old stables?" Buzz asked. He was standing in front of the main doors to the new school, talking to Woody and Bo now the ceremony was over. However, there were still a fair amount of people milling around, and Jessie had gone off to converse with some of them, in the hope it would drum up some business.
"They're probably going to need to go. We'll need the land space there for the extra cattle," Woody agreed, casting a glance around as Jessie now ran back up to them.
"Ten pupils already signed up, Buzz, can you believe it?" She panted for breath, obviously giddy with excitement. Buzz stared at her for a moment.
"I'm sorry? Ten?" He whipped the clipboard Jessie was holding out of her hands, and glanced over it. His facial expression registered shock, and then delight as he hollered in joy. He shoved the clipboard into Bo's hands, and picked Jessie up in his arms to swing her around, drawing some attention from the nearby crowd still outside the school.
"Hey, I don't remember you getting this excited when Mr Baron quadrupled his order for the milk products two months ago," Bo nudged Woody and her husband turned away from the other pair with a laugh.
"I didn't need to, I seem to remember getting excited at the initial purchase order!" He reminded his wife, and Bo smiled, thinking of the telegram they'd received that morning five months previous, when she'd run all over the farm searching Woody out.
"I guess this means this is it," Jessie finally stopped to catch her breath. "We're going to have a whole new life."
"I guess it is. Only thing is, I can't believe I'm losing the best farmhand and my best stable girl." Woody complained.
"You mean the only farmhand and stable girl you ever had," Jessie corrected Woody, as Buzz wrapped an arm around her waist. "Anyway, we'll only be here in town. We're not completely abandoning you."
"This horse riding business could work out well, though. I also think it's about time I got back into dealing with sheep, rather than letting you all have the fun," Bo commented, flicking the pages of notes she had been forced into holding.
Woody looked around at his wife with a serious look on his face and pried the clipboard from her fingers to pass back to Jessie. "Bo, I'll be hiring some of the men from the town to labour for us. You're not doing anything, not in your condition."
Buzz and Jessie glanced from Bo and Woody to each other with a smile, remembering the news they had received three months previously, on arriving at the farm for their daily chores. "How much longer do you have to go?" Jessie inquired, and Bo blushed.
"Just over five months, now."
"Not even starting to show yet," Woody remarked, planting a kiss on Bo's cheek.
"No, not for a while yet. I just hope I'll be alright when the day comes," Bo worried aloud, and Jessie stopped her by laying a hand on the blonde woman's forearm.
"Don't fret about that, Bo. If you need me or Buzz, we're not even that far away, we'll only be at the cottage."
"How is living out of wedlock going?" Bo asked slyly, and Jessie flinched, remembering Bo's missionary work for the church.
"Don't start." She mumbled, dropping her head and blushing furiously. "It wasn't my idea for Buzz to give up his lodgings here in town!"
"I'm not starting. If you recall, Woody and I lived together before we had our civil ceremony." Bo reminded Jessie, and the redhead's temper deflated a little.
"Well…in answer to your original question, Bo," Jessie steered the conversation back to a safer topic, "Buzz and I….well…" Jessie glanced up again at long last, tripping over her words. "Well, that is…..we're saving our money that we get from the forthcoming pupils….to put towards a ring."
"You're going to….? Oh! Jessie!" Bo beamed, finding the meaning in Jessie's words, and stepped forward to give the redhead a hug.
Woody grinned at Jessie's admittance, and held out a hand to Buzz. "Congratulations, pard'ner. Never thought I'd see the day you two finally took the plunge!"
"Thanks." Buzz accepted the handshake and took Jessie into his arms as she stepped back to his side. Leaning down, Buzz tipped Jessie's chin up and planted a kiss onto her upturned mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck, responding in kind. After a moment or so it became apparent to Woody and Bo that they weren't going to be breaking away from each other anytime soon.
Woody turned away. "Oh, this isn't awkward in the slightest," he grumbled softly, and Bo grinned, watching the couple.
"Oh come on Woody. We were like that once."
"No, Bo, I think we kept it private," Woody whined, and Bo rolled her eyes.
"But look at them. They were made for each other." She nudged Woody, who turned back to see Jessie pull back and gaze up longingly at Buzz. Despite himself, he gave a little smile at their nearness, so much different than last year when he was sure he'd never see Jessie reveal her feelings for the farmhand, despite what Buzz might have felt for her.
"Hey, how about a snap for the local paper from the four of you?"
The sound of another voice from nearby made them all look around. There, with his tripod and camera set up, was the hired photographer, who had turned up to take a picture for the town newspaper.
"Ooh, yes, I have to get a newspaper clipping of this for the scrapbook!" Jessie exclaimed, pulling Bo into position next to her on the right and grabbing at Buzz with her left. As Woody moved into position to the right of Bo, the photographer called, "Smile!"
The camera clicked, and the resulting photograph showed four very happy people in front of the brand new horse riding school, named simply for the young woman in charge.
Jessie's Roundup.