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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 12:32:55 GMT -8
"I could talk to them and see when the best time for them to come out would be. I know that Lauren just found out she is pregnant with her second child a few days ago. She has a few doctors appointments this week," Austin announced as he grabbed the basket that his grandmother had lent him. "I didn't put this together. It was my Gran. She wanted to do something for us so that I only had to worry about getting Twister ready for today. She insisted even though I told her I could get it ready." He then opened the basket as he pulled out some homemade potato salad, fried chicken, veggies, and some other sides that Elizabeth Woods made. He then reached into the basket again to pull out some jars of strawberry shortcake for the both of them and some silverware. As for drinks, his grandmother had put in some of her famous strawberry lemonade in a wine bottle. She had also provided some glasses to drink out of that had been wrapped in the cloth napkins.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 12:36:36 GMT -8
Chloe took a bite of fried chicken. "oh, well tell her i said congratulations. Poor thing is going to have to deal with a puppy and a new baby, doesn't sound very fun." Chloe said. When she finished eating, she lay back on the blanket and looked up towards the sky. "hey" She said. "that cloud looks like a duck." she said, pointing to the cloud that was shaped like a duck. "you see it?" she asked. "oh, and that one looks like an ice cream cone" she said, almost laughing. Chloe sighed. "I miss my dad" she suddenly said.
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 12:51:24 GMT -8
"You can tell her yourself. She said she wanted to meet you once we get back to the ranch," Austin said as he took a bit of some potato salad. His gran was a good cook and loved to send leftovers to both Austin and Lauren. She had learned to cook as a young girl and had taken an interest in learning to cook. "My Pop will also be there. He was just taking my truck to town to grab some feed from the feed store." He then set his cowboy hat on the ground next to him as he laid back on the blanket and placed his arms behind his head. He kept quiet for a moment as he thought about what to say about Chloe missing her father. He had to let her know the truth about how he felt about his parents death. "It never get's easier. It's like a part of you is gone forever. But yet, you know that they are no longer suffering anymore. They are happy, if you know what I mean. I have always wondered what my life would be like if my parents didn't pass away. Would life be the same? Would Jason..." He stopped as he realized that he had said his brothers name without thinking. Good going, shithead, Austin thought to himself.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 12:56:53 GMT -8
Chloe nodded. "yea" she said. Gazing up at the clouds again. She closed her eyes for a moment, not hearing what Austin said. She sighed and sat up. "I would like to meet your grandparents." she said, standing up. "Besides, if we let those two eat any more grass, they wont want to walk back." she said jokingly as she walked over to Beauty and mounted her. "Good girl" Chloe said, patting Beauty's neck. When Austin mounted his horse she looked at him as they walked. "ya know, I was thinking." she said. "we've been together for like a week or two, are you ever going to ask me to be your girlfriend?" Chloe stopped. Why did I just ask him that question? I'm such an idiot. She thought, kicking Beauty into a trot to catch her up to him. "forget what I said." she suddenly said. "it doesn't matter"
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 13:21:26 GMT -8
Austin pulled back on the reins when Chloe asked him when he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend. It was complicated for him to think about. He wanted to make sure that she was the right person for himself. When she told him to forget about it, he gave a sigh of relief. He didn't know how to answer her question properly. "Chloe, I know you are curious about whether I am going to say we are actually dating right now. I can say yes to the dating part...but I will let you know when I am ready to actually call you my girlfriend. I hope you can understand that," Austin said as he gave Twister a squeeze to get him moving forward. "Until then...think of it as friends with benefits right now." He then urged Twister into a trot.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 13:26:49 GMT -8
Chloe stayed in a walk until Austin was far enough away to not hear her. "friends with benefits?" she scoffed. "what kind of man does that?" she says to Beauty. Beauty turned her head to look at Chloe and she nickered. Chloe laughed and leaned down to hug her equine friend. "I know I'll always have you." she said, kissing Beauty's neck. "alright, lets go" she said. She kicked Beauty into a canter and easily caught up to Austin. She saw a log a few feet away and knew Beauty loved jumping. "i'm going for it" she said. She kept Beauty at a good pace, but when they got up to the log, Beauty refused and threw Chloe off. Chloe fell onto the other side of the log. She looked up at Beauty. "what was that?" she said to her, getting up and grabbing Beauty's reigns to get back onto her back
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 13:40:09 GMT -8
Austin watched as Chloe was about to jump, but her horse refused. To him, she looked a little tense when she decided to go for the jump. Though he knew next to nothing about jumping, he knew that the horses could sense tension in their rider. "Are you okay?" Austin asked as he trotted over her and dismounted so that he could help her up. Was it something thing that he had said that upset her? Austin felt a sudden pang of guilt roll over him as he looked at her.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 13:43:07 GMT -8
"yea" Chloe said. "she's just not in the groove of jumping right now I guess." Chloe said, rubbing her neck. "hey, when's your next flight?" she asked as they headed back for Austin's place. She gazed up at the clouds again and thought of her father. "Ya know, my father got me this horse." she said. "I'd always wanted a horse since I was little, and on my 13th birthday, he surprised me with her." she said. "she lives at Molly's parents ranch." Chloe said. "as Molly and I don't actually live on a ranch." she laughed slightly.
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 14:17:10 GMT -8
"I'd figured you had her at a luxurious stable with you riding English. But that shocks me," Austin said as they continued towards the main part of the ranch. He could see the back of his house as they got closer. It was situated about a 1000 feet from his grandparents place, which gave him a little privacy when he needed it at night. It also gave his grandmother space for her rose garden next to their house. He then watched as his truck pulled up to the barn. It meant that his grandfather was back from town with the feed and shavings that they used for the stalls for the horses.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 14:21:47 GMT -8
Chloe dismounted when the arrived back at the ranch. She rubbed Beauty's nose. "I'm going to text Molly, see if she can head over. It'll take her an hour" she said with a laugh. "But, do you have a place I can keep Beauty's tack in the meantime? and Maybe a halter so I can turn her out for a bit?" she asked, taking off her saddle and putting it on the fence. She then took of the bridle and hung it on the hook. "or maybe I could just leave her here. Either one, she has friends at Molly's parents ranch, so I think she would like it better if she went home." chloe said, grabbing one of her brushes and brushing Beauty down
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 14:29:55 GMT -8
Austin looked at Chloe and gestured to the tack room. "Go ahead and put your tack in the tack room. You can grab it once she get's here," Austin announced as he dismounted from Twister. He could see his grandfather as he came out of the feed room. "Pop, do you need any help?" Austin asked as he walked into the barn to grab a halter for Chloe and to untack Twister so that he could put him in his pasture once the gelding had a wash down to get the sweat off his back and sides.
"I can get the shavings out if you want to get the feed bags," George Woods announced as he pulled a bag of shavings off the tailgate of the truck. "Is this the girl you are seeing?"
Austin looked over his shoulder at Chloe and smiled. "Yeah, Pop. This is Chloe. Chloe, this is my grandfather."
"It is nice to meet you, ma'am. Austin has told us about you and we wondered when we were going to finally meet you," George announced as he shook Chloe's hand.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 14:34:01 GMT -8
"hi" Chloe said, shaking his hand in return. "Austin speaks very kindly about you too" Chloe said. "let me just put Beautys tack away" chole said, grabbing her tack and putting it in the tack room. when she returned she looked at Austins grandfather. "do you have a field I can put Beauty in until my best friend gets here to pick me up?" She asked, grabbing Beauty's lead rope and leading her twoards Austin and his grand father. "She needs to get some energy out." Chloe said
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 14:38:15 GMT -8
"You can put her in the pasture next to the driveway. It's small enough for two horses in there. We usually keep a mare and foal out there, but we do not have any foals at this moment," George announced as he pointed to the pasture that was next to the driveway and in front of the main ranch house. "Austin, would you mind helping me?"
"Yeah, Pop. Let me get Twister untacked and in his stall. i can give him a hose down when we are done," Austin announced as he lead Twister to his stall and began to untack him.
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Post by Abbster on Oct 27, 2023 14:44:15 GMT -8
"Thanks" Chloe said as she lead Beauty over to the pasture. She took off her lead rope when she was inside and closed the gate. Chloe stood on the inside with Beauty. "you wanna do some liberty work?" Chloe asked her. Beauty neighed. "ok" Chloe mounted Beauty from the ground and kicked her into a trot, and then a canter, and finally a gallop. She pulled back on her mane slightly to slow her down. "good girl" Chloe said. Then, she backed her up a bit. Beauty backed up and when Chloe got off, she started running in a few circles, Beauty close behind. "woah" she said. Beauty stopped. Chloe looked Beauty in the eye. "Good girl" she said, raising her arms up to make Beauty rear. "atta girl." She took the lead rope and tapped Beauty until she lay down. "good job" she said, rubbing her neck. "ok, off you go" Beauty got up and went galloping away. Chloe left the field and stood on the fence watching her
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Post by AlaskaAirGirl on Oct 27, 2023 16:36:23 GMT -8
Elizabeth Woods made her way outside with a basket of freshly washed blankets that she wanted to hang on the clothes line to dry in the sun. As she set the basket on the ground, she spotted someone standing at the fence of the pasture near the driveway with a horse that she did not recognize. Walking over, she gently tapped the girl on the shoulder. "You must be Chloe, I presume?" Elizabeth asked. "Austin has told us a lot about you. I was hoping to meet you soon."
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