Part 32

Later that night Aileen was laying in bed next to Vince, absently running her fingers through his hair as he lay across her stomach. She was thinking back over the day and how much she enjoyed the day.

“Vince,” she started, “I had a wonderful day. Fiona and Shae are wonderful.” Still caressing his head, “I can’t wait to meet your brother.”

Vince pushed himself up to lay parallel to Aileen. “You’ll love him. He is very easy going. Funny, though, no musical talent. He is a veterinarian.”

“What? You never told me. Maybe we should have been using his services,” she said.

“No. He is a small animal vet. He is actually afraid of large animals.”

“Well, he hasn’t met Joe,” she whispered snuggling in closer.

“That’s true.” Vince reached out to pull his fairy pixey close and drifted off to sleep.

****

“Fiona, your ideas are brilliant. How come you don’t do this for a living?”

“You would think. But I love my job. I am enjoying this too. I love this tiny castle.”

“I do too. Can we try to keep it as historical as possible?”

“Absolutely,” Fiona agreed.

For the rest of the morning they wandered from room to room making notes.

After Fiona left, Aileen made her way out to the studio.

She came up next to Vince and kissed him on the cheek. “Hey.”

“Mmm, sweetheart,” He whispered as he turned and kissed her.

“Joe and I are headed over to my aunt’s. We are going to practice some. Gotta keep up appearances. And I have a riding lesson to teach.”

“Awesome. Maybe when I’m done the pony and I can walk over and meet up with you. If the pony is willing.”

“OK,” she said giving her fiance one last hug and kiss, “I am off.”

Aileen went back up to the house to grab some coffee. As she walked out of the kitchen and into the main living area, she stopped to survey the room.

They decided to move upstairs. Become a bit more normal. She didn’t want to entertain in her bedroom, she thought to herself, chuckling. The master bedroom had wonderful windows with one facing the small stable and one facing the lighthouse. An ocean view if you will. Pretty awesome.

With Fiona’s help, Aileen managed to put in a few necessities. Some rugs. A beautiful tapestry. And she had movers lug that Mount Everest of a bed upstairs and the other bedroom furniture. They planned on maybe some kind of library situation in that corner of the house where the bed had been. Some shelves. Some chairs. 

The bedroom upstairs had a fireplace so they hoped that will help keep the heating costs down. And there was a bathroom upstairs that she fervently hoped she would never to have to climb out of, though she did think of putting one of those fire emergency ladders outside the window to see if Vince would notice. She smiled at her thought.

Since the wedding was next week, the items that she was going shopping for, along with Fiona and Aunt Eileen, would be a surprise for Vince. The reason for it, would not affect the fit of her dress, which they were going to pick up while out shopping tomorrow. Vince was going to be gone at a music festival and wouldn’t be home until a couple days before the wedding, so they would be able to get things decorated during that time. It was going to be a great surprise. 

Well, she thought, better get a move on. The rider that was coming wasn’t going to teach herself. She opened the enclosure gate and got Joe to the fence so she could climb up. Together they were off to the ranch.

“Hi, Aunt Eileen,” Aileen said in greeting as they got to the arena. She slid off Joe and walked over to her.

“Hi Sweetie,” her aunt said, hugging her. “Are you sure you are OK to be riding?”

“Yes. The doctor said so long as I take it easy. And I trust Joe.”

“Well, just be careful. Does Vince know yet?”

“Not yet. I was going to wait till the wedding. It will be my “wedding present” to him. Since he leaves for the music festival tomorrow, it will be perfect timing for the three of us to go shopping tomorrow.” The two of us walked to the parking area to meet the rider coming for the lesson. On the way, she put Joe in his paddock.

“Sandy, why don’t you grab Chester. He is in the stall at the far end. It is across from the tack room and there is a set of cross ties, while I get a horse to ride along with you.” She pointed in the direction the girl needed to go. She walked up to her next favorite horse her aunt owned, Ghost. He was an Appaloosa / Thoroughbred cross. He used to be an outrider horse that she picked up for next to nothing. He was very calm and steady. And she loved Appaloosas.

For the next couple hours, she coached Sandy in some of the finer points of dressage. She and her aunt were the next step in teaching before the clients went out on their own. They were slowly getting more well known. Soon the breeding side of things will be up and running. They only had Joe right now, but have been on the look out for another stallion to stand at stud.

Sandy and Aileen finished cleaning up the horses, putt them away and fed them. She walked Sandy to her car. "Goodbye Sandy," she said, waving.

Aileen walked into the kitchen after her student left. 

“Hey,” she said seeing them both in the kitchen, “smells good as always Uncle Scott,” she said as she sat down at the table after washing her hands.

“Sweetheart, you look tired,” Uncle Scott said.

“I am, but it’s a good tired. It was a great lesson.”

“Stay for dinner,” Aunt Eileen said.

“Thank you but no. Vince leaves early tomorrow for a couple days so I want to be home tonight. But I would totally take a rain check for tomorrow.”

“Of course. Do you have food to eat at home? I can pack you a to go basket?” Uncle Scott asked.

“If you don’t mind Uncle Scott, I would love some to go food,” she accepted. “I am going to go let Joe loose and I will be right back.”

With hugs all around and a time that she and Aunt Eileen agreed upon to meet here at the ranch to go shopping with Fiona, she and Joe headed home.

As Joe and Aileen were walking home, she patted his shoulder and said, “Joe. You are my best friend.” Joe replied with a snort and a whinny.

Placing her free hand on her belly, she said, “I am going to have a baby Joe.”

He turned his head and snuffled my stomach.

“So any riding I do, we do, I will have to take it easy. And I’m counting on you to be your awesome, cool, chill self.”

Joe shook his head up and down in agreement. 

She smiled.