Diamond S Ranch

39-Days of Firsts

for: WillowBsq, poppyy97 and KourtneyB

Sunday morning started off gray and drizzling...again. Elle found Jake in the barn saddling up Major. She climbed up onto the wooden door at the stall he was in, peering over the top. 

"Hi." She called out, trying to start the day out on the right foot. She was kind of on a mission.

"Good morning." Jake replied back as he heaved the leather saddle over the top of Major then began securing it onto the back of the large horse.

She watched him work the straps and buckles and then reach for the bridle.

"Um, Jake?"

"Yes."

"How you feeling today?" She asked sweetly.

"Ah....good." He replied casting her a cautious look.

"Did you sleep good last night?" She asked.

He chuckled, "Yes, I did." He didn't add how he didn't have a roommate that hogs the bed or that he was wondering where all this was going. 

"Now, don't say anything right away, hear me out first. Okay?" She preceded, waiting till he stopped what he was doing and acknowledged that he was listening to her.

"Okay." He said tentatively, thinking to himself, here it comes.

She inhaled deeply then in one breath she blurted out her request. "Can I go shopping with Lillie and Meredith today Meredith's stepmom is going with us and will be with us all day, so we won't be alone....please, please, please?" She rushed on making sure he knew they would not be left alone.

Ah, thought Jake there it is. "No." Jake simply said as he returned his attention to getting Major ready for a ride.

"Ugh...why not?" She cried out. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was upset with his answer.

He stopped and looked at her, staring at her over the back of Major. She instantly took that steely blue stare of his and that tick in his jaw to mean he was not going to answer that question. It wasn't like she didn't already know the answer anyway.

 "Whatever." She huffed as she dropped down off the gate. 

"Don't go anywhere." He called out from inside the stall, "You're with me today."

Elle rolled her eyes and kicked at the dirt floor. This is so stupid she thought to herself. She took out her phone and texted Lillie. Well, really all she did was send her the thumbs down sign followed by like ten angry emoji faces. She knew Lillie would know exactly what that meant. 

Jake opened the stall door. Elle shoved her phone into her back pocket and glared up at him. He ignored her attempts to make him feel bad for saying she couldn't go.  As he led Major out of the stall she started wondering if she was going to end up having to ride with him all day like she did with Zach. She was really hoping not. 

"Come with me." Was all he said as he and Major started walking towards the barn doors and then on out into the yard.

She followed behind as he led them towards the corral where Elle saw Juniper was all saddled up just standing there all alone in the corral. Elle was confused. Juniper was the one she usually rode on when they were giving her riding lessons. Was Jake giving her riding lessons today? Like, right now?

Jake opened the gate and walking in, draped Major's reins over one of the corral posts, motioning for Elle to join him. Dragging her feet, she walked in.

She liked Juniper, she was buckskin appaloosa, with a beautiful tan coat and dark mane and socks. Elle only knew all that because Zach had told her all those things about Juniper the first day she rode her.  It was him and Kaison that gave her, her very first lesson, with one or both of them taking turns to helping over the last few months.