The Lackluster Birthday
"Just when I think the views on this ranch can't get any better, they do," Jack sighed, shaking his head as he looked from the ridge down over all 600 acres of the ranch.
"Remember this view right here, right now when everything about the ranch is giving you a headache," Lisa nodded to him, a smile hiding as she said it. Jack glanced her way with a nod and a slight chuckle.
"Course I've been looking out over the point," he nodded again at her, his eyes now trained on her. "View this way is pretty great too."
Lisa sighed as she rolled her eyes, pulling on their joined hands. "You still love to flirt after all these years."
He shrugged, "Hard not to." With that comment, he winked at her, and Lisa dropped her head in a chuckle. "You did look like an old pro out there on that cattle drive, driving that wayward cow back to the herd. I was impressed."
"Learned from the best," she grinned at him. "I'm glad we got to do that as a family. We need to do that more often."
"It was a great idea," he nodded and continued, gesturing with their clasped hands, "but why that should surprise me, coming from you, I don't know. You realize it was your birthday, and for the one dedicated day a person could ask for something for themself, you asked for something for the family."
"Well, it was for me too," she smiled at him. "You are forgetting that I can and do enjoy this cowboy stuff. Granted," she shook her head from side to side, "I'm not going to barrel race or rodeo or anything like that. No, give me a polo match any day," she grinned, "but I do appreciate ranch life. I love doing things with you just to spend time with you. This ride today is perfect. It's about the only time we get to truly be alone, and," she gave him a warm smile, "some privacy is nice every now and then, even if we are just up her staring out over this magnificent land."
Jack nodded, but he eyed her, "Not just up here for the beautiful views of the land and the lady," he winked, and Lisa chuckled again, "but," he let go of her hand momentarily and reached into his small saddle bag. Lisa tilted her head, inquisitively, and she smiled when Jack produced a small, wrapped gift. "It was your birthday, and I did promise to make up for the lackluster birthday party. I'm sorry we were all so distracted with everything that was going wrong from the deal going south with Heartland Beef to the gazebo burning down."
She made a face at him, "Oh, Jack, I told you, it was a lovely birthday. I know everyone had other things on their minds. I didn't expect total dedication to me," she chuckled. "That's never been my style. Now," she pointed at him, "just be glad it wasn't Tim's birthday or we wouldn't have heard the end of it." The two both started laughing, but Lisa quickly recovered with a nod, "The cake was beautiful not to mention delicious, and you didn't have to get me anything." Jack handed her the gift, as she smiled warmly at him.
"Now, what kind of a statement is that?" Jack rolled his eyes as she accepted the gift. "Of course, I got you a gift. I'd be a terrible husband if I didn't. I mean," he made a face, "I kinda am a terrible husband most of the time."
"Oh, stop," Lisa swatted at him while she juggled the gift and her reigns. "Hmm," she looked at the small box and grinned at Jack, "I know this gift isn't a goat."
Jack laughed at the memory and the time he had bought her a goat to go with her racehorse. He nodded at her with a continued chuckle, "Not a goat. I hope you like it."
"I already do," she said with her head in a high nod at him. "You picked out something for me. Now, let's see." Lisa wrapped her reigns around the saddle's horn to open the gift. Jack waited patiently as she did. Her expression turned to total surprise as she opened the small box.
"Jack, this is beautiful," she said with a warm smile at him as she shook her head. "I love it."
"You always have the most beautiful matching jewelry, which never outshines the beauty my wife is," he winked at her, and again, Lisa chuckled as he flirted with her. "I checked your jewelry box for a color you didn't seem to have a lot of, and I saw this nice orange-brown topaz set at the jeweler. You wear a lot of browns, and I thought the necklace and earrings looked very much like you."
Lisa nodded as she listened to him, looking at her new jewelry set the entire time. She reached over to clasp his hand, just far enough out of reach she couldn't lean over to kiss him. "Thank you. I love it, and yes, you are right. I have a lot of bright colors, but nothing like this. You know, still today, one of my very favorite pieces is that silver, oval shaped necklace you got me after we got married. I wear that all the time."
"I know," he nodded with a smile. "I enjoy seeing you wear it and am glad you still like it. I guess I don't have the worst taste."
"Why would you think that?" Lisa frowned at him and then with a teasing look, gestured to herself, "You did pick me."
He chuckled but gestured at her, "I think it's safe to say you picked me." Lisa started to laugh and nodded while she shrugged her shoulders.
"All goes back to enjoying the cowboy stuff. I enjoy the cowboy too."
"Now who is the one flirting?" Jack nodded at her. Lisa closed the box, securing her gift, and she handed it back to Jack.
"I have no comment on that," she winked at him. "Would you put that back in your saddle bag? Thank you again. I really like the set."
"You're welcome, and a very happy birthday again, even a couple days later now," he said with a nod. "Just a little closer in age to me."
Lisa closed her eyes and shook her head, "You do realize the number goes up for both of us? You don't plateau out once you reach a certain age, and I just continue to catch up to you."
"I can think what I want," he said with almost a smug look at her, and she just shook her head and then grinned. Both grew quiet again as they looked out over the land.
"It really is beautiful here," Lisa sighed. "I'm so glad we rode up here today."
"I am too," Jack nodded, adding, "not to mention you're a much better riding companion than Tim."
"I'm happy for Tim, for everyone really, the wedding went off so well, all things considered," Lisa commented. "He and Shane have come a long way, but Tim's come a long way with you too."
"He has," Jack agreed. "Hopefully, Shane and Chloe won't be strangers around here. I told them they were family and always welcome."
"As I would have expected and you should," Lisa said, squeezing his hand.
The comfortable silence descended on them again, both just enjoying being together and the view from the ridgeline. Jack finally sighed and shook his head.
"Alright, what is on your mind now?"
"Nothing," Jack shook his head again.
"Jack," Lisa tugged at their hands.
"Looking out at all of this," Jack told her, knowing anything less than telling her what was on his mind wouldn't work after all these years, "I was just thinking about Heartland Beef. You and I talked about how one day we would have to start scaling back our business operations. I know you have done that some with all of your travel to France. If this mess with Heartland Beef is how I have to start scaling back, well, I suppose it's not a bad way to do so. I love working this ranch, raising cattle and all, but I know I can't maintain it forever, and Tim can't carry the load himself. So, if this isn't meant to be with our beef production, I will eventually be okay with that, with taking care of the ranch and doing more like this with you, spending time outside, riding the range, as we both enjoy doing."
"I would be okay with that too," she stiffened the grip on his hand, smiling at him. She raised their hands, pointing toward him, "Don't forget to add more trips to the fishing cabin. If we do start to scale back with the beef production winding down, we can spend more time at the cabin with that outdoor kitchen you promised me." She smiled brightly at him, and he dropped his head with a low chuckle.
"That I did, and yes, I think that is a fine idea, more time at the fishing cabin, just you and me. You know," he looked at her again, his eyes locking on hers as he continued, "none of that is sounding too terrible. It all involves less time with Tim and more time with you."
She shrugged with a small grin, "I've tried to tell you that all these years, Cowboy." Jack chuckled too, nodding in agreement.
"As much as I hate to leave this view, if we head back, we can finish out your birthday celebration."
She narrowed her gaze at him, "We have," she gestured with their joined hands. "My birthday was lovely, complete with a family party, cake, cattle drive, this gorgeous ride, and a beautiful gift from you."
"That bottle of wine we have been saving has our name on it," he said with a small nod at her. "You and I have a date on the porch to drink it this evening. Plus," he leaned toward her, "there's still that delicious cake. That sounds like a pretty good way to wind down your birthday."
"Well, I would agree," she smiled, pulling their hands up and kissing his again. "That does sound lovely. Promise me, though," she eyed him and gestured to where they were, "we will do this again soon. I really enjoy this, just riding up here, nothing fancy. In my even older age, as you have pointed out," she leaned toward him, clearing her throat with a grin, "I don't need much, just time with you."
"We can ride up here again the next beautiful day, and if that is tomorrow, so be it."
"Okay," she nodded, and the two dropped their hands, both focusing on their horses again. They took one last look at the view and turned the horses to head back home. Lisa noticed Jack shift and almost wince as they started to ride.
"You okay?"
He put up his hand in defense, "I'm fine, just feeling that arthritis kicking up again." He frowned at her and dropped his head slightly, "I never thought I'd say this, and tomorrow I still might deny it, but that fancy saddle you tried to get me to keep long ago might be helpful right now."
Lisa burst out laughing as she reached over and patted his knee, "You know I'd order it in a heartbeat if I actually thought you'd use it. I'm sorry your arthritis is bothering you. We don't have to ride tomorrow if it is."
He eyed her, "Now, that is something I will never turn down, a ride with you, so don't even suggest it, just as I'm not about to miss out on a lovely evening, stargazing from the porch with cake and a bottle of wine, oh, all of that, with you," he winked at her.
Lisa sighed as she shook her head and chuckled, "I'm aware of my limitations with you, as in I can't buy you that saddle even though it would be very useful for you, but," she held up a hand and waited for him to look at her. She then grinned, "I do have a very nice heating pad that can do wonders for your arthritis, so Cowboy, add that to your list for the evening-a lovely evening on our porch with wine and cake, but you can also enjoy that heating pad."
He started to laugh and shook his head, "Not a word to Tim. I'd never live it down."
She grinned at him, "If you haven't learned after all these years, I'm loyal to you, Cowboy, so not a word to Tim. Plus," she winked and continued, "might have to share that heating pad. As you pointed out, I'm not getting any younger, and I'm sore from all this riding too."
The laughter from the two seemed to echo as they rode back toward the ranch. The sun dropped lower in the sky, illuminating the silhouette of the two riders on two horses, heading home.