LOVE LASTS FOR ETERNITY
Chapter Fourteen

Rose's POV

The next morning, Jack, Honey, and I went for a walk around the town. It was a lovely place, with an old-fashioned feel to it. The people were amazingly cheerful and friendly, too. They nodded and smiled at you even if you hadn't set eyes on them in your life. Loose dogs darted everywhere, not a single one with a vicious bark. Honey seemed a little nervous and leaned against my leg as I walked, but was obviously a little more at ease with these country dogs. Near the town center, there was a booming market with huge crowds of people rushing around, pushing, shoving, desperately wanting to find the best bargains on hand. From every possible angle, there were market stall owners calling out into the crowds. Things like, "Eggs! Get 'em while they're fresh!" and "Homemade pies! Freshly baked at a bargain price!" I couldn't get enough of it. It was a place like nothing I had ever seen before. There were no posh carriages or cars, no busy, congested roads, no posh, well-known department stores, no fancy restaurants where you paid a dollar for a small salad. I was relieved to see that there were no hoity-toity posh people prancing past in fancy designer suits and dresses, sticking their snotty noses up at the poorer people. This seemed to be a place where everyone was equal and no one thought themselves above anyone else. That is, except for the dreadful Mr. Thompson.

We walked past the grocery store to see the man himself leaning over the counter, yelling at the clerk, appearing to be complaining because his brand of food wasn't at the very front of the shelves. He was saying that he wanted his food to sell out and be in demand as much as possible so he could gain enough money to purchase the large plot of land next to his. I rolled my eyes. Jack was right. Mr. Thompson could have a good long chat with Cal.

Jack showed me where everything was in the town, and the more I saw, the more I liked it. Around midday, Honey began to whine, and at one point, she lay down on the ground and refused to get up again. She was tired and hungry, and to be honest, so were we. We decided to head back to the boarding house for lunch.

Mrs. Ryan had been distraught at hearing about Tommy's death, but had soldiered on valiantly with her duties, preparing meals, cleaning, and such. I admired her for that. I didn't know what I'd do in her position. When we got back, she served us sandwiches, home-baked bread with butter, and a bowl of meat scraps and leftover vegetables for Honey.

"So, what do you want to do this afternoon?" Jack asked as we ate.

"I'm not sure," I replied, thinking. "Maybe take a walk?"

"Sure. In fact, I've got a good idea of where we could go."

"Where?"

"Wait and see. I know you're gonna love it, though."

I'd always dreaded surprises. They always made me so hyped up and excited. I hurriedly finished my meal and helped Mrs. Ryan with the washing up--she'd tried to refuse my help, saying I was a guest in this house, but I'd insisted I still needed some practice at everyday jobs.

Finally, after everything was finished, I went upstairs and changed into a more comfortable outfit for walking, and we set off for wherever we were going, Honey trotting at our heels.

We walked through the town, and soon, the buildings and houses became sparse. We walked down a long, winding stone pathway, lined with fields containing either crops or animals. Jack stopped at the gate to one of the paddocks. It contained a large black horse, peacefully eating the grass and swatting flies away with it's tail. I wondered what was so special about this horse. We had passed many on the way here.

"Jack? Why are we here?" I asked.

He smiled. "Remember when I told you about Thunder, my horse?"

I looked at the horse again. So, this must be Thunder! Jack was right. He really was pure black, and amazingly tall.

"So, this is Thunder?" I asked, to confirm my suspicions.

"Yep. That's him. Come on. Let’s go see him." Jack unlatched the gate and walked through with Honey following after him. I was a little apprehensive.

"Er…are we allowed in there? Doesn't the paddock belong to someone?"

"Yeah. We're allowed. I know the guy who owns it. I met him last night. Come on."

I followed through the gate and Jack shut it again. We walked over to Thunder, who gave a snort when he saw us. I was a little nervous around him at first. Not scared, as such, but just a little nervous at his obvious power and strength. Jack stroked his nose and Thunder nuzzled him back. The he stepped towards me and sniffed my face with his soft nose. I liked the feeling of his warm breath on my skin. It felt so soft. I stroked his nose and marveled at the soft feeling of his skin. I'd never thought of a horse as having a soft feeling to it. It felt wonderful to touch. I ran my hand along his smooth, glossy back and felt his strong muscles. I wondered what it would be like to ride him.

"Do you want a ride?" Jack asked me.

I was taken aback. "Really? You mean, now?" I asked.

"Yep, now. You said you wanted to ride like a man. This'll be good practice for Santa Monica," he joked.

"Er…I don't know..."

"It's okay. He's perfectly safe. I rode him with Honey last night. Even she didn't have a heart attack."

I considered. If our nervous puppy felt safe on the back of a horse, why shouldn't I?

"Well, all right, then. Where's the stuff?"

Jack looked puzzled. "What stuff?"

"You know, the saddle, reins, and stuff."

Jack laughed. "You don't need all that to ride a horse. Just ride bareback. It's a lot easier. Come on. I'll help you."

He showed me how to support my hands on Thunder's back to hoist myself up. He demonstrated how to jump up and swing your leg over, but I had some difficulty, having only ever ridden sidesaddle. But I was determined to get it right, and eventually, I was balanced on Thunder's back with one leg on each side. It felt odd sitting in that position. Mother would have a heart attack if she could see me now!

Jack handed Honey up to me and I set her in my lap, gripping her leash tightly. Then he climbed up behind me and showed me how to hold onto Thunder's neck with my arms. He explained how to tell the horse to go by tapping his sides with my heels. I did so gently, and suddenly, we were galloping through the fields.

It was the most amazing feeling. Once I'd gotten used to the rhythm of Thunder's movements, I found it to be the most magical thing in the world. It was like flying. It made me feel so free. I didn't want to stop.

Of course, we had to eventually. We dismounted and let Thunder graze for a while. He seemed a bit tired after galloping around the large field. We sat down on the grass while Thunder grazed, while Honey trotted around, sniffing the grass, the plants, and tasting everything she could see.

"So, how do you like horseback riding?" Jack asked me.

"I love it!" I replied delightedly. "It was amazing. I thought it would just be like riding sidesaddle, but at a different angle. This was ten times better than riding sidesaddle."

"Glad you liked it. So, what do you think of life here?"

"I love it much more than I ever loved life in Philadelphia. Why?"

"Well, depending on what happens, would you like to make the move here permanent?"

At first, I was a little taken aback by the question, but then I realized I would love it.

"That sounds like a great idea! It's the perfect place to live. It's quiet. It's surrounded by nature. I can't think of a bad thing about the idea."

"So, you'd really like to live here?"

"Jack, I can't think of a better place to bring up a family."

Chapter Fifteen
Stories