ooooh, a date?

[Cody Branson]

True to his word, he had called her after he had left the mall, and again earlier that week, just to hear the sound of her voice. The week had flown by; his mother had loved the jeans “he” had picked out for her and the others that Jalen had picked out for him. His client’s horses were trained and had already been picked up, but some surprise guests had come in from a local girl trying to sell her horses, and he had bought them; three mixed-breed trailriding horses and one large Cleveland Bay who had some Shire in his blood. After stabling the horses on Saturday, he had taken a shower, dressed up nicely, and gone to pick up Jalen.

Now, with her sitting in the front seat, a smile was on his face as he drove with the window rolled down, the engine purring and not sounding like it was dying. His hand itched to hold hers, but he would have plenty of time to do that later. The wind ruffled his hair as he drove, the satisfying crunch of the gravel making him smile wider. He stopped in front of the house and got out of the truck, walking around to open the door for her.

“Here we are, Haven Ranch,” he told her with a smile, gesturing to his property. “My pride and joy.” At the sound of his voice, the new horses he had purchased came running to the fence and nickered to the blonde girl. Cody smiled at all three of them as his baby girl, Jackie, came barking off the porch and stood in front of Jalen, wagging her butt. “This is Jackie, she’s like my right hand.”

[Jalen August]

It had been sweet to hear Cody’s voice on her phone the couple of times he did call. How could she not pick up when she saw his name blink on her screen. Jalen hadn’t seen JD in such a long time. He was somewhere in the back of her mind, but Cody was at the forefront. It was nice that he knew where Hammel was and even where the dorms were. He picked her up right on time, and she hopped into his truck without hesitation.

Wearing sunglasses and jean shorts, Jalen had her hair down – as usual. A light white sweater was draped loosely over her shoulders, a light green tank top underneath was snug against her body. She grinned as broadly as Cody did when they hit the road, “Hey handsome,” she said, buckling in. He didn’t need to know that she was wearing a black bikini under her clothes. That could be for later. She would just have to see how things planned out. For now, she would enjoy the breeze in her hair, and even though her toes were wrapped in socks and running shoes, she could still feel them wiggling with glee.

It wasn’t often that she ventured onto gravel roads, and the sight of a lovely house against the vacant open space made Jalen gasp. Letting Cody take her down, Jalen smiled. “It’s beautiful here...” She said, captivated. It was exactly how she thought it would be... She loved quiet places. Glancing at the horses, Jalen gulped and held her smile, but her eyes showed the fear she had for them. Being brave would not work here, especially if the horses could feel her emotions and promptly report them to Cody.

At the sound of barking, Jalen turned her head sharply and grinned broadly. “A puppy!” She said happily, kneeling down once Jackie got a little bit closer, ruffling the dog’s ears as her face was licked repeatedly. “I think she likes me,” Jalen said with a giggle, laughing even harder as the multicoloured dog pushed her to the ground and sat on the blonde happily. “Little help please?” She managed to laugh out.

[Cody Branson]

He could see the fear in her eyes, but the fact that she was still here and appreciated the beauty of his home warmed his heart. He grinned when Jackie took control of the situation, diffusing the tension. He shook his head at his dog’s playfulness and whistled sharply, making Jackie look up at him. He pointed towards the house and she jumped off Jalen, trotting back towards the house. Cody grinned and offered his hand, helping Jalen up.

“There ya go,” he said, smiling down at her. The wind caressed his hair, ruffling it and putting it into his eyes, which matched the open shirt he had on over the white wife beater underneath. “Now, the menu for tonight includes homemade sandwiches, chips, all the fixins’, cold drinks, and maybe a dip in the pond,” he told her, walking towards the barn. Inside the open door stood a tall dark bay gelding with a blaze on his face, looking at Cody with kind eyes. He was tacked up with a large saddle on his back and a whicker basket hanging off one of his flanks. Cody patted his neck and looked at Jalen.

“This is Tank,” he told her, smiling as the gelding fixed his eyes on the girl and nickered softly. ”She’s pretty, boss,” he told Cody in that sound, and Cody chuckled. “He’s just a big sweetheart, and he will be our mode of transportation tonight. Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.” He winked at her.

[Jalen August]

Taking Cody's hand in hers, Jalen was surprised at how easily he helped her stand. "Thank you," she said, brushing herself off. Was she really that light, or was he just that strong? Watching Jackie bound away, the blonde grinned up at the man. Today would be fun.

Letting him lead her to the barn, Jalen couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. "That sounds delicious. Is it all homemade?" She teased, looking at Cody as the wind toyed with his hair. I'd love to do that... Jalen thought to herself, trying to get her mind on other things. Like how thankful she was to have worn runners instead of highheels, or her tall black leather boots.

Upon reaching the opening, Jalen reached out and held Cody's forearm a little tightly. Well, it probably didn't feel very tight to him... Anyways, this time she did it because she was staring at the massive horse who had a basket hanging over his body. "Tank..." She uttered, a gulp ensued. Transportation. Good, no problem. Jalen gripped the boy's arm a little tighter. "You're only doing this to get me to hold you closer," she tried to joke, but the nervousness she felt was seeping through her usual nature.

Jalen didn't move, taking in the horse, she just couldn't get past how big his eyes were. Really, all they were saying was 'approach me' and the blonde couldn't get herself to do so. "Hi Tank," she said, trying to get used to the fact that she would be on him in a matter of moments. She never really understood the fear she had of horses - she couldn't remember falling off of one before.

Taking a few timid steps forward, Jalen brought Cody with her, and she got close enough to the horse to touch it lightly. It huffed and she drew her arm back into her body. "He's not gonna bite me, is he?" She asked with total sencerity. Did men enjoy putting her one the spot so she was completely vulnerable? She didn't feel unsafe, and that was because Cody was with her, and she trusted his abilities - superpowers, and his love for the animals. Feeling her adrenaline pumping, and her heart in her chest, Jalen told herself that this was a new adventure, and sometimes on adventures, you had to be brave.

[Cody Branson]

From his experience with Jalen just the week before, and seeing her now, Cody knew that this was a side of the girl that she normally didn’t show. Sure, he liked the flirtatious, sexy confident side of her, but this side, this vulnerable side to her, it made him feel something hot in his chest to know that she trusted him enough to show him this side of her.

When she tried to joke, he smiled and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. “Perhaps,” was all he said, when he was really wanting her to see why he loved working with these animals. He watched as she interacted with Tank, following her when she touched him. Tank huffed, probably wanting a more firm touch, and she pulled back faster than he could blink. Shaking his head, he stood behind her and took her hand, laying both of their hands on Tank’s neck, his atop hers, and began showing her how to stroke him.

“Tank knows better than to bite someone that I like,” Cody murmured in her ear, blonde strands tickling his cheek as he spoke. “He likes firm touches, and since he’s already scented you, he’s enjoying this. Look at his face and tell me what you see.” Cody flicked his eyes upward and looked at Tank, smiling at the gelding. His head was currently drooping, eyelids falling over his eyes as he enjoyed being stroked.

[Jalen August]

A blush rose to Jalen's face as Cody brushed her knuckles with his lips. At least those were softer than his hands. A sheepish grin momentarily crossed her face before fear ensued, and the blonde glanced back at the horse before them. The only reason she was blushing was because of how afraid she was, right? No need to mistake fear of the horse as attraction for the boy. The two were often confused. Yet she couldn't ignore the rush she felt in her head when he stood behind her and guided her movements, his breath traveling down her neck in a way that gave her goosebumps. It was riveting, and moment she soon wouldn't forget.

Letting her lead him, Jalen started to get a feel for the rhythm of the stroking, and instead of feeling Cody's hands under hers, she began to pet Tank on her own. "Good boy," she said in that baby voice women often used when attending to children or small animals. But the horse was no small animal, and while Jalen knew this, she couldn't help the smile that broke across her face from the creature's pleased nature. "He looks fairly content," she diagnosed, looking at Cody for clarification. This was so not her element...

Patting the horse affectionately, Jalen was starting to warm up to him. "Be happy I'm even standing next to him," she said carefully, glancing at Tank's eyes before looking at the spot her hand was on his neck. Looking at them still made her nervous. Being around the animal would take some getting used to, but she was calming down considerably already - she didn't feel the need to latch onto Cody anymore. Pity for him, really.

"So where are we taking him?" Jalen asked Cody, referring to the horse they stood next to. "We're not gonna be too heavy for him?" She asked suddenly, not wanting to hamper the animal more than it already was. The blonde was also assuming that they were both riding Tank, but since there were no other horses around, she doubted Cody would let her attempt to ride a horse - which would wind up being a huge failure.

[Cody Branson]

Cody kept standing where he was, subtly easing his hand off hers, until she was stroking the horse on her own. He smiled as she spoke to Tank, then smiled at her when she looked at him. “You’re doing fine,” he told her gently, stepping out from behind her to tighten the straps on the saddle. At the first feel of movement, Tank blinked his eyes and raised his head to look at Cody, then turned and touched his nose to Jalen’s shoulder in thanks for her caresses.

“There’s a pond here on the property, it’s not far from here,” he said in response to her question, tightening the girth. Tank huffed and shook his head as Cody grabbed the bridle off the pommel and slipped it over the horse’s head. “The water’s clean, and the horses are in different pastures, so we won’t be disturbed…except for Tank, of course, but he’ll probably be grazing away from us.” Making sure the fastenings were snug on the horse, Cody turned away from Tank and looked at Jalen.

“No, we won’t be too heavy for him,” he replied, smiling. It was cute that she was worried for his horse. “Horses can carry up to four times their body weight, so both of us on his back, plus the tack and the basket, it’ll be like he’s wearing a blanket.” He held out his hand to her. “Now, you can sit in front of me while we ride, or you can sit behind me. Which one will it be?”

[Jalen August]

Jalen stood quite still as Tank moved his large head to nudge her shoulder, and once the action was over, the blonde audibly let out the breath she had been holding. He didn't bite her, so that was good. The girl smiled at the horse, give the side of his head a good pat, watching Cody tighten up the saddle. She decided that being a horse would suck immensely.

"That sounds awesome," Jalen said happily, watching Cody work. He probably wasn't even aware of his movements, they just seemed so natural to her. He made working with horses look easy - like he did it in his sleep. She was looking forward to being out in the open again, and away from this enclosed barn. "I bet Tank's looking forward to the open space as much as I am," she said, shuddering. And if Tank decided to charge, well, she doubted he could swim as fast as she could.

Stepping up beside Cody, Jalen used his hand as leverage along with the stirrup to situate herself in the middle of the saddle. It wasn't her first time on a horse, and getting up was the easy part. There was no way in hell that she would be able to ride a horse on her own though. Jalen always felt a tad bit majestic when she had been persuaded to ride a horse with someone - corny, yes. Looking down at Cody, the blonde couldn't help but let her smile broaden, even though Tanks heavy breathing was unsettling. "I'm taller than you now," she said in response to his question.

"I don't really care if you sit in front or behind me, so long as you have control of the reins," she said to him, putting her faith in him. If he screwed up now, it would be hard to trust him again, especially when she was around horses - something she was afraid of. Jalen's flushed cheeks were a testament to how she truly felt, but she was too stubborn and brave to get off the horse now, even if she was uncomfortable. Life's about growing... she told her, looking ahead of her at the open barn door they soon would be going through. As long as Cody was with her, everything would be perfect.

[Cody Branson]

He helped her mount the large horse and grinned up at her. “Yes ma’am,” he replied to her as he took the aforementioned reins and led Tank outside. The horse ambled after him slowly, stopping for a moment as Cody grabbed his hat hanging near the door and put it on his head. Once outside, Cody mounted up in front of Jalen, settling comfortingly in the saddle. He took her arms and wrapped them around his waist.

“Keep them wrapped around my waist, or you’ll fall,” he told her gently, taking the reins in his one had and laying his free hand on her arms around his waist. Clucking his tongue, he moved Tank out towards the open gate, and past the gate into the open pasture.

Once Tank’s hooves hit grass, Cody smiled and let Tank go through his paces, trying to impress the girl riding behind them as they went through a ring of trees and emerged in a meadow bordering the pond, the sunlight making the water sparkle. He smiled and turned Tank so Jalen could see. “We’re here,” he said before making Tank draw closer to the pond. He dismounted and offered his hand to Jalen.

[Jalen August]

Watching the man's movement, Jalen thought his cowboy hat suited him rather well. Too bad she hadn't thought about bringing one for herself. Hopefully she wouldn't burn too badly or anything. Holding Cody tightly, the blonde scooched up on the saddle to be closer to him, but not too close. They were going to be jostling around after all, and she didn't want to be knocked off. Still, she was holding onto him for dear life, and they were barely moving at all.

The open land was breathtaking, and Jalen was distracted enough by it to loosen her grip on Cody. Still, she could feel the boy's strength under her hands. Whatever hard work he was doing around here, it sure was keeping him in shape, and she was loving it. At one point, when they were passing through a thick of trees, Jalen reached out to touch the leaves as the passed, plucking one off the branch. It was just a leaf, but Jay had always been a hands on kind of girl, and she wanted to take in the amazing surroundings completely.

Green turned into gold quite gently, and Jalen had no words for it. Everything was so vastly different here compared to Hammel, and she knew she was going to miss it here as soon as Cody dropped her back off at school. It wasn't too far of a trot, but Jalen could feel her ass hurting already - another thing she didn't like about horses. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be..." She admitted, her hand in Cody's as she dismounted.

Instead of being helpful, Jalen was peaking into the basket full of goodies and extracted a jug of lemonade. "Sweet," she said, glancing at the juice before digging around for a cup to pour it into. "I think you forgot the cups Cody," she said, continuing to rummage through the picnic he had set up for her. Truly she was getting ahead of herself, but she was thirsty as hell and that ice cold lemonade was looking mighty delicious - if only there were some damn cups around for her to have some.

[Cody Branson]

He chuckled as he helped her down, knowing that she would be feeling sore for a while. He let her go and tied Tank’s reins around his neck while he went to the basket. Seeing Jalen there, he laughed and shook his head, swatting her hands away. He unhooked the basket and held it while he grabbed the blanket underneath.

Cody pulled the blanket apart and showed her a glass hidden within the folds of the blanket. “Here you go,” he offered, taking the jug and pouring her some before moving to lay the blanket under a tree. Tank ambled off to graze and Cody sat, unloading the basket and laying out all the goods. Feeling a little warm, he shrugged off his overshirt and looked at Jalen.

“You hungry?” he asked, smiling up at her as he took his hat off. “I mean, I packed everything we need.” He looked down at the spread; bread, lunch meat, mustard, mayo, lettuce and cheese and pickles, chips, drinks, and all that. Would she even like all of this stuff?

[Jalen August]

"Fine," Jalen said, even though Cody had only laughed at her. Taking the lemonade with her, the blonde paraded away from the boy and near the water. It looked cool, crisp, but most importantly: inviting. Looking back, the boy was handing her a glass and she took it eagerly. "Thank you," she said, grinning at his innovative nature. She was going to pour herself a cup, but he had snatched it away from her, but she didn't mind. Was she really going to complain about being pampered? Sipping at it, she sighed. This was the life. Beautiful place, handsome boys - it was better than she thought it would be.

Helping the boy smooth out the blanket before settling in, Jalen peered over her cup as Cody undressed. Peeling her eyes away from him, a smirk appeared over her delicate lips. In that wife beater and hat... Man, that could make any girl melt into a puddle of goo. But then the daydreaming ended as he started speaking to her - not that she minded the real thing over what her imagination was making of him.

"Starving," she said, putting her empty cup down on the ground. Jalen scooped up the chips and pickles and ate one of each. "I can't choose which one I like better..." She said, pretending to think hard. She made a tiny sandwich, the chips being the 'bread' and the pickle the 'patty'. The blonde loved snack foods, even though they weren't always healthy. Shoving the mini-sandwich in her mouth, she made a happy noise. "I have found perfection," she said, glancing at Cody. He was going to officially label her insane any moment now.

"Let me make you a sandwich," she said to him, reaching over to get the various food items. Bread, mayo, lettuce, cheese, and what she thought must've been sliced turkey, formed a delicious sandwich by Jalen's hands. She presented it before Cody. "Hope you love it," she said, looking up at him to smile. She was having fun, and he needed to know that. It was his idea to come here, and it was a good one. Jalen looked back down quickly, and busied herself making another sandwich. "So, does your mom live here with you?" She asked curiously, her hair shielding her face from both Cody and the sun as she looked down to make her sandwich before the ants decided it was theirs.

[Cody Branson]

He chuckled over her bubbly behavior, watching as she made him some food. When she had said perfection, she had looked at him, but he wasn’t sure if she was referring to himself or the food. He poured himself a glass of lemonade and refilled her glass, sipping as he watched her fingers flit like a hummingbird with the food.

“Thank you,” he told her, taking a bite of the sandwich. It was delicious, but Cody reached over and grabbed the mustard and poured some on his sandwich. He winked at her. “The sandwich is delicious, but you forgot the mustard. I love it anyway.” He smacked his lips in good humor and kept eating, just finishing his sandwich when she asked about his mom. Taking a drink of lemonade, he sighed and looked at her.

“No, my mom doesn’t live with me,” he told her, smiling because she hid her face from him. “She lives in town, though, taking care of family affairs, and her family pays for her to travel to Kentucky and Vermont and Montana where we all have family ranches or races at the racetracks. So she’s kind of the liaison of my family.”

[Jalen August]

Oh she had meant him, but that kind of corniness was reserved for dating couples - something they weren't. Looking at Cody, Jalen only laughed at her mistake. "Can't believe I forgot the best part," she said, looking at her own sandwich. "Pass that over will ya?" She asked, putting mustard on her own sandwich. How could she have missed that? Taking another bite from her sandwich, Jalen was satisfied - it really did make a huge difference.

She smiled as Cody spoke about his mum. "Sounds like she likes adventure," Jalen said, secretly thinking that herself and the woman she had hand picked jeans for. "So you have the whole house to yourself," she said with a smirk, looking at the boy carefully. She wasn't trying to imply anything by it, but how he took the remark was up to him. Being alone was just appealing to Jalen. She only ever had her own room at home, and with being at school most of the year, roommates had basically become another set of limbs for the blonde.

"You didn't bring dessert?" She asked, pretending to be disappointed. The sun was beating down on the two of them, but it wouldn't burn. It would be setting in a couple hours, and Jalen secretly hoped she wouldn't have to go back to dorm until much later. Looking over at Tank, the seventeen year old couldn't help but smile as he grazed. Looking at Cody, the blonde was speechless for a moment. He looked like some sort of god, the sunshine bouncing around him like some kind of natural spotlight.

"Uh..." Jalen uttered, instead of actually saying what she wanted to. "Er, so what other horses do you have at the ranch?" She asked, trying to hide her embarrassment by drinking more lemonade.

[Cody Branson]

He nodded to her observation, finished his drink, and leaned back on his arms, muscles rippling with the movement. “My mum loves to travel and explore. She was out riding in the Rocky Mountains when she met my dad, and a few months later they were married.” Look at their relationship now; they barely spoke to each other, even though his father still loved his mother. “She was one with the horse when she rode. The way she moved with the horse, the way she sat…if she didn’t have powers, one would have guessed she had the ability to melt into the horse herself.” He chuckled and shook his head, looking at her.

“As to the house, yeah, you can say I live there by myself. Unless you can count Jackie,” he joked, winking at her. Sometimes the house got too lonely, and he wished that he had someone living with him. When she mentioned dessert, he opened a small part of the basket and withdrew chocolate chip cookies that he had made, bagged in small baggies. He offered her a couple bags, knowing she would like them, and put the others away.

He leaned back and smiled at the sky, looking out at the water. “I have Tank, the colts, Nimrod, some mares and some stallions,” he told her. “I wouldn’t bore you with all of their names, since they’re used for training and breeding. Besides Tank, I have three other riding horses and Tinker, the big Draft horse that was in the back paddock when we pulled up. He’s like a giant puppy.”