by Simon Archer
“What she said!” Bev said into the microphone.
The audience roared with laughter. I never expected her to come out of the gates with a joke. I looked around our table. Kennedi was laughing so hard she was almost doubled over. Theo was beaming proudly at his wife and blew her a kiss when she glanced down at him. Bev caught his kiss and placed it on her cheek, then smiled back at him before continuing her speech.
She took the time to thank anyone and everyone who had any part in the creation, development, or operation of Belavi. She even thanked past servers and busboys. Each person at our table was mentioned, and the audience was told how we contributed to her and Ellie’s success. Then she thanked the audience and the award organization for voting them Best Restaurant in the West.
When she was done, there was a small buzz around the room. Everyone was talking about how generous and kind she was, and how they wish they were doing business with her. When Bev handed the microphone back to Ellie, the two of them stepped to the front of the stage and bowed. Then everyone in the room stood and started clapping. They kept clapping and whistling until both Bev and Ellie were off the stage and back to our table.
Theo leaned over and kissed his wife and whispered something in her ear. She looked at him and smiled lovingly. Kennedi stood and hugged Ellie before she sat down. Rosie, Krysta, Kennedi, and Ellie immediately fell into giggling conversation about how great her speech was. Just then, a waiter showed up and put a tray on the center of the table. I glanced around and saw that each table in the room was receiving the same tray. It was piled high with Ellie’s famous turkey wraps for the guests to enjoy. As everyone started eating, they were looking over at Bev and Ellie, smiling, and nodding their compliments.
The rest of the evening was filled with various guest speakers, entertainers, and food samples. By the time the event host gave his final speech thanking everyone for coming and congratulating the award recipients, it was well after ten o’clock. It took twenty minutes for our group to make our way back to the limo because of all the aspiring chefs and restaurant owners who wanted a slice of Bev and Ellie’s time and advice.
When we finally did make it outside to the limo, Kevin was waiting to open our doors for us. We climbed inside and took our seats. I could almost hear an audible sigh from all of us as the car started moving, whisking us back to Theo and Bev’s house. I was always amazed at how such events could leave people exhausted at the end of the night when technically all most of us did was sit, chat, watch, and eat. Exhausted, we were, however.
The ride back to Theo’s house seemed to take half the time as it did to get to the event. Charlie, Leah, and Macy left in the limo. Ellie stayed at the house with Theo and Bev because she and Bev wanted to work on some recipes in the morning. So, Kennedi, Krysta, Rosie, and I headed back to our house. The four of us went in through the kitchen door and gathered around the island. The girls never went to bed before I did. While Kennedi poured me a glass of water, I sat on one of the stools nearby.
“Krysta, Rosie,” I started. “Kennedi and I will be gone for a good portion of tomorrow. Do either of you need anything before we leave?” I saw Kennedi look up, puzzled. Both Rosie and Krysta started shaking their heads.
“I’m going to work on projections for the new manufacturing plant,” Krysta told me.
“And I’m going to be at our current plant, making sure it is set up for when the heating pads go online,” Rosie informed us.
“Sounds good, girls. We will see you tomorrow afternoon in that case,” I told them. Both of them took it as a dismissal and headed off to the apartment they shared. I turned to see Kennedi still staring at me.
“What?” I asked innocently. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Where are we going tomorrow?” She had a huge smile on her face, and I could see she was about to burst with excitement even though she had no idea what I had planned.
“You will have your answer tomorrow!” I told her as I stood up. “I’m going to bed. Are you coming?”
“Really?” Kennedi rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to tell me?”
“Nope. Do you know how hard it is to plan something without you knowing I am planning it? I’m not giving you a single hint!” I told her, laughing.
Somehow, I’d managed to avoid any questions from her about my plans for this week. If she had asked, I would’ve had to let at least part of the cat out of the bag because, being the human lie detector that she was, there was no way I could get away with a fib, even if it was told in an attempt to surprise her. I held out my hand as she puffed up in mock-frustration. She took my hand, and we headed to bed.
It was a very satisfying feeling knowing she had zero clue what tomorrow had in store for her.
8
“Put the blindfold on,” I told Kennedi while we stood outside, preparing to get in my 4Runner.
“Why?” Her eyes showed her confusion through her excitement.
“Because I don’t want you knowing where we are going until we get there,” I replied as I took her hand and put a bright purple blindfold in it. “Now, get going so we aren’t late!”
“I could just close my eyes, you know,” she protested.
“Blindfold, or we are staying home!” I crossed my arms and planted my feet. She looked up at me with one eyebrow hiked up like she was trying to read my mind.
“Fine, but can I get in the car first?” She had put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. I knew if I actually wanted to get us on the road, I’d have to give just a little.
“Yes but hurry up already!” I opened her door for her, and she climbed in. She latched her seatbelt and turned to stare at me.
“Are you--”
“Yes!” I shouted playfully before she could object to the blindfold again. She reluctantly put it on and leaned her head on the back of the seat. I closed her door and rounded the car to the driver's side. I got in, fastened my own seat belt, started the car, and slammed the accelerator to the floor. The car lurched forward. Kennedi yelped and put her hands out to find the dash so she could hold on. Her tail wrapped around the seat.
“What are you doing?” she yelled. “Is this blind four-wheeling or what?”
“No, just a little fun!” I turned the steering wheel, and the 4Runner flipped around in a u-turn.
“Clark!” Kennedi screeched.
“Okay, okay,” I laughed. “I’ll calm it down a little.” I let off the accelerator, but only slightly. We had straightened out and were flying across the desert road leading away from our house. The surprise I had waiting for Kennedi was thirty-five minutes away, but we were scheduled to be there in thirty.
Twenty-five minutes later, I pulled the car through heavy iron gates and drove down a long driveway to a log cabin house. The house looked like it had been built in the 1800s. Smoke was coming out for the large chimney, and there was a porch that wrapped completely around it. When I stopped the car, Kennedi’s head started turning from side to side like she was looking around.
“Just one more minute, and you’ll be able to see,” I told her. I turned off the engine and got out of the car.
I went around to the other side of the car and opened the door. I reached in and took hold of her hands and gently helped her step out of the vehicle. Once she was clear of the door, I closed it. I turned both of us towards the log cabin. An older woman with long gray, braided hair and sky-blue eyes came out of the cabin and walked down the porch steps. As the woman got closer, Kennedi’s hand started to tighten around mine.
“Who is that?” She sounded on high alert.
“She is part of your surprise,” I answered. I waited until the woman was a few steps in front of us before reaching up and untying Kennedi’s blindfold. She blinked against the bright sunshine and then focused on the woman.
“Hello there! My name is Clara. You must be Clark and Kennedi!” Clara’s voice was deep and throaty but not unfeminine. “Welcome to Triple Bar Ranch.”
“Hi, Clara. I
t’s great to finally meet you in person,” I started. “you are right. This is Kennedi. She’s never done anything like this before!”
Clara reached out, and we shook hands. Her hands were calloused, and I couldn’t help but note that she was much stronger than she initially appeared. She couldn’t have been taller than five-foot-four, but she gripped my hand harder than some men I knew. When Clara let go of my hand, she reached her hand out for Kennedi. Kennedi looked her up and down a couple of times and then looked at me. I nodded to let her know that it was okay for her to accept Clara’s offer of a handshake. The two shook hands, and Kennedi looked at me once more.
“What is it that I haven’t done before?” Kennedi asked me.
Clara stepped up next to Kennedi’s left side and tugged on her arm a little bit. Kennedi turned, and Clara outstretched her arm, gesturing for Kennedi to look out into the distance. I watched closely as Kennedi looked up, and her mouth dropped open. I followed her gaze. Off in the distance, about 30 yards away, was a fenced off horse pasture. On the other side of the fence was an entire herd of horses grazing leisurely.
“I’m guessing those horses had something to do with what you haven’t done yet!” Clara said, smiling. She was also watching Kennedi’s face.
“Clark! Are we going to get to watch the horses today?” Kennedi yelled out, the pitch in her voice increasing with excitement.
“Oh, honey!” Clara started. “You are going to be able to do a lot more than watch them!”
Kennedi’s heads snapped towards me, a questioning look on her face.
“Would you like to ride one of them?” I tilted my head and looked at her.
The question in Kennedi’s eyes turned to blind excitement. She immediately started squealing and clapping and bouncing up and down. Clara took a step back, looking at her like she might be going into a seizure of some sort. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That is what she does when she’s excited about something,” I told Clara.
“Oh! Well, that’s good then, because I was wondering if our day was over before it started!” Clara joked.
“Clark! Do I really get to ride on one of those? They are so beautiful!” Kennedi squealed. She turned to Clara and grabbed both her hands. “Are all of those horses yours? Are you really going to let me ride one of them?” Clara chuckled and smiled at Kennedi.
“Honey, they are all mine, and you can ride as many of them as you like!” Clara said, full-on laughing now.
“What do we need to do to get started?” I asked Clara. She walked over to stand between Kennedi and I and looped each one of her arms through ours.
“Come on into the house for just a minute to get geared up and then will head out to pick up our horses.” Clara started walking, and we walked with her. Kennedi kept looking at me above Clara’s head. The smile she had on her face was one that I looked forward to every minute of every day. Her innocence, combined with her gratitude, made for a beautiful mixture of emotion on her face.
Clara let us up the porch steps and open the door for us under the house. I had to blink a couple of times for my eyes to adjust to the dim interior. The house had an open floor plan, so we had walked it directly into the living area. It was decorated like something out of an old cowboy movie. The furniture was made of worn leather, there were fur rugs on the hardwood floors, a fire blazing in the fireplace, and wool blankets hung over the back of each of three large lounging chairs. The only other light aside from the fireplace came from a black wrought-iron chandelier hanging down in the middle of the room. It looked like it was an original piece, used with candles, that had been converted to allow for the use of electricity. There was a faint cinnamon scent all throughout the house.
“Follow me,” Clara told us as she walked left through the main living room. She let us into a smaller room that did not have a door on it. The walls were covered with riding gear hanging from the walls. “I’ve marked the ones that are y’all’s sizes. Pick out what you would like to wear, and you can change in the bathroom next door.” She pointed at the side wall, indicating the bathroom was just on the other side.
“Sounds great,” I replied. “Thank you. We will be just a couple of minutes.”
“Take your time. We have all day!” Clara turned on her heel and walked out of the room. “Meet me by the front door when you are ready,” she called back over her shoulder. I turned and looked at Kennedi. She was staring, wide-eyed, at the shells on the wall where Clara had told her the appropriate size clothing was. She glanced over at me.
“What do I pick?” she whispered in awe. She slowly reached out and started flipping through the stacks of button-up shirts in front of her.
“You can pick whatever it is you like to wear today,” I told her. Seeing that she still looked somewhat dazed by her surprise, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her. “What is your favorite color today?”
“Blue,” she whispered. “Blue like Clara’s eyes.”
“Then how about you try on that blue shirt right there,” I suggested. I reached in front of her and pulled down a plaid, button-up shirt, and tucked it into her hands. She tilted her head up and looked at me. Her green eyes were like pools of the brightest waters I had seen off the Mexican coast, and they were full of gratitude. I leaned down and kissed her softly.
“Let’s get changed so you can meet your horse,” I whispered in her ear.
When she nodded, I unwrapped myself from around her and quickly picked out my own clothing. I had worn the pair of jeans that I would be riding in from the house, but I did change my shirt and boots. I opted for a white and gray plaid shirt and black cowboy boots. Kennedi decided that she liked the blue shirt I had picked out for her, so she matched that up with a pair of light blue jeans. I had talked to Clara about the customization Kennedi would need for her jeans, and Clara had made certain there were five altered pairs of jeans for her to choose from. Kennedi topped off her outfit with a pair of dark brown leather cowboy boots, and a white, woven cowboy hat. I grabbed a black felt hat for myself, and the two of us walked out to meet Clara.
“You two look pretty spiffy!” Clara told us when she saw the two of us. “I had Stan make sure that the stable horses were watered and ready to go.” She walked up to Kennedi and took hold of both of her hands. “Are you ready to pick out your riding partner?” Kennedi still looked like she was in a daze. Her head tilted slightly to the left.
“Isn’t Clark my riding partner?” she asked. Clara laughed and turned around, leaving Kennedi out the front door by her hand.
“Clark is your riding companion. Your horse is your partner,” Clara explained. I followed the two of them as Clara led us back down the porch steps. She turned right and started walking in the direction of the pasture. Tucked back on the side of the house was a huge barn. I was surprised at myself for not having noticed it when we pulled in.
“Am I going to be riding one of the horses I saw in the field?” Kennedi asked Clara.
“These horses are from the field, but they are not the ones you saw when you pulled in,” Clara started. “I brought in a few that I thought you would like in particular based on what Clark has told me about you.” Kennedi looked back at me and smiled.
“Are you familiar with cat girls?” Kennedi asked Clara.
“Not even a little bit,” Clara answered.
“Oh,” Kennedi said. “Well, most cat girls can download knowledge about how to do things. I don’t do that. Will I be able to learn how to ride in one day? I do learn quickly.”
“From what Clark tells me, I have a feeling you will be a natural,” Clara told her as we reached the barn. She pulled the heavy doors open and led the way in. Once again, I had to blink to adjust to the dimness of the interior. Once my eyes were acclimated, I could see that we were standing in a long hallway with horse stalls on either side.
“The eight at the other end are the ones I would like you two to meet.” Clara pointed to the other side of the barn. The three of us walked dow
n to meet the horses. I hung back to watch Kennedi’s first interaction. Clara showed her to a stall on the left with a beautiful chestnut-colored horse standing in it.
“Now, this is Wicker. Walk up slowly so that you don’t startle her,” Clara instructed. “Give her a couple of seconds to check you out, and she will decide if you are allowed to touch her or not.”
Kennedi approached Wicker slowly like she was told. When she was face-to-face with the horse, she stood very still. Wicker sniffed and tossed her head up in the air just a little bit. Then she moved forward and nudged Kennedi's shoulder with her mouth. Kennedi looked over at Clara for an interpretation of the horse's behavior.
“She likes you! Go ahead and pet her. Go slow and rub from between her ears down to her nose.” Clara spoke softly.
I started to get the feeling like we were in the library when I noticed how calm the barn was inside. Kennedi reached up and started petting Wicker. She looked over at me, and I could see the joy wash over her face. Then I saw her excitement build, and before I could warn her not to, Kennedi squealed with happiness.
“She let me pet her!” Kennedi’s voice took on a pitch that had taken even me time to get used to.
Wicker immediately threw her head up, huffed, and backed into her stall. Kennedi jumped back and pulled her hands into her chest like she had just touched a hot stove and burnt herself. A slight hint of panic flooded into her eyes, and she looked at me.
“Kennedi! Kennedi! My dear!” Clara said quickly. “Wicker’s ears are more sensitive than ours. And you have to remember the horses are prey, not predators, so they startle easily when it comes to sound and motion.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Wicker!” Kennedi said softly. She looked at Clara with sad eyes and asked, “Will she be okay? I did not mean to scare her.”
