19: Rescue

When I stepped through the door of the cabin, it fell silent. Kevin was the center of attention and just pointed to me.

"Whoa! Are both those hot girls your girlfriend?" one kid asked.

"Are you doing them both?" asked another. Crap. I knew something like this would happen but I didn't expect to be ambushed.

"Guys," I said. "We have to get ready for lights out in fifteen minutes. We can talk after we're all in our bunks." They all scrambled for their gear and were throwing clothes every which way while I took my toothbrush to the bathroom. It was like my word was law. I'd never had kids treat me quite like this, but it was sure a hell of a lot better than getting dumped in the water tank like I had on my first visit to the dude ranch.

I stripped off my clothes, all except my undershorts, and crawled into my sleeping bag just as the door of the bunkhouse opened and one of the staff yelled, "Sound off!" I was in the lower of the first bunk so I called out "One." It didn't take but a couple taps on beds for the rest of the guys to fall in and count off the twelve of us in the bunkhouse. "Keep the noise down. Lights off. Do not leave the bunkhouse unless it's an emergency. Do you all understand?" We responded and the lights went off and the door closed.

"Are you going to sneak out to see your girlfriends?" a voice said.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked. "My name's Brian."

"Yessir, Brian. Are you?"

"Okay, listen, guys. First of all, Courtney and Jennifer are really good friends who I met here at the dude ranch last fall. We came back to celebrate Jennifer's fifteenth birthday. We're friends, but we don't qualify as boyfriend and girlfriend and I don't 'do them.' Is that clear?"

"You mean we have a chance?" another asked.

"I doubt it, but if you are a gentleman and treat them as ladies, they'll be friendly."

"How do you handle two girls?"

"Well, I think you should ask Kevin that question. From what I observed, he was kind, talked intelligently about things girls were interested in, and sat at the campfire with Barbara and Leslie beside him."

"No shit? Kevin, you're a stud!" I could hear him groan.

"How about Rochelle? Are you going to do her?"

"You guys all like Rochelle?" I asked.

"That stuck-up bitch!" one growled in the dark. "She thinks she's queen and we should all bow down."

"Well, I probably don't have any more experience than most of you do, but I've got a lot of friends who are girls. It just worked out that way at school. They've taught me a lot. For example, if a girl is snooty and gets off on putting guys down, she's probably really insecure. It's an immature way of relating to other people. Guys who are mature don't pay any attention to it. We don't go out and try to put her down or brag about bagging her or try to destroy her reputation. She is who she is and we don't need to deal with it. Really, what do I care what she says when two really super girls who are mature enough to relate openly and honestly with a guy want to spend time with me."

"So have you been seeing a lot of Jennifer and Courtney?"

"No. We live in different towns. And to be perfectly honest, when we met they were a lot like Rochelle. We just had to work things out and quit putting each other down so we could become friends. Sometimes something happens and that's an easy thing to do. My sister who is four years older than me is still a bitch. I don't think she even knows it most of the time."

"So we should just ignore Rochelle?"

"No. You should treat her with respect just like you treat each other with respect. Be there if you are needed and don't respond to her bitchiness. Let me tell you something. As bitchy as my sister is, when my girlfriend broke up with me this spring, my sister cried and hugged me. It's a rule of life. You always try to treat people with kindness and respect."

I was done talking. I had intended to rip Rochelle a new one, but once I got talking, I just couldn't do it. Yeah, she was a bitch, but I didn't need to be a bastard.

I was up before anyone else in the cabin and dressed to go help with the horses. One thing caring for Gypsy and Princess had taught me was that horses can take away all the cares and concerns you can build up. You can be crying your heart out, like I was when Rhonda broke up with me, and just brushing a horse, like I did Gypsy, will soothe you better than anything in the world. I wasn't upset when I woke up Saturday morning, but I really looked forward to going from stall to stall and greeting the horses that would take all these kids out on the trail today—brushing and currying and picking their hooves and just being a friend to animals that would carry us around all day long and never complain.

Hal and Tim greeted me and I just picked up a curry comb and brush. Hal pointed to a stall and I stepped in to start brushing the little black mare. Like all the horses on the dude ranch, she was calm and mellow and leaned against me a little while I brushed her. Her mane was silkier than some of the horses. Manes and tails look great flying in the wind, but they're really a lot coarser hair than is on the hide. I came out of her stall and walked right into Jennifer and Courtney.

"Told you he'd be here," Jennifer said.

"I didn't argue," Courtney answered. "Hi, Brian. Can we help?" I glanced quickly up the alley between the stalls and no one was in sight, so I leaned forward and kissed Courtney on the lips. She jumped a little and then pushed forward to me. We broke off and I kissed Jennifer the same way. One thing with these girls, I had to be sure that anything I did with one, I did with the other. I wondered if Courtney planned to crawl naked into my sleeping bag. I got them brushes and we all went into the next stall to curry and brush. It didn't take long with three of us working on the same horse. Just before we left the stall, each girl came to me for another kiss. Then we moved down the alley.

We'd done four more horses with kisses after each one when we stepped out of the stall and into Hal.

"Oh! I expected to find you a couple stalls up yet," he said.

"Jennifer and Courtney came out to help. I didn't see you, so I just had them help me," I said. "With three on a horse, they don't take long to brush down."

"Well, why don't you take the last three on the right end, then? We'll be taking the horses out in shifts today. We can't handle thirty riders at a time very well. Tim and I will start saddling."

"Mr. Hal?" Courtney said.

"Come on, sweetheart. You know wranglers don't use mister. It's just Hal."

"Thank you, Hal. I don't know if you remember Jennifer and me, but we were here last fall when Brian had is fourteenth birthday. We were wondering if you could possibly take the three of us out on that longer lunch ride you took Brian on."

"Well, I know Brian rides frequently, but you two might end up with sore butts on that long a ride. What do you think, Brian?" They'd taken me by surprise. I'd just assumed we'd end up trailing with the kids.

"They learned an awful lot last fall, Hal. I'd be willing to keep an eye on them if we can do that ride. You know we're here to celebrate Jennifer's birthday this time."

"Well, we won't be able to leave until the third group comes in, so be ready to ride about eleven-thirty. Now get down there and brush those last three ponies."

Two of the last three ponies were our old friends Jubal and Jingo. The third was a palomino mare whose halter said "Lady." When I counted down the horses, and divided by three, I sort of thought these might be the three that we'd be riding today. Hal always seemed to know what was going on.

We washed our hands and then held them as we went to the chow hall for breakfast. Of course, we were the last to arrive because we'd been helping with the horses. We grabbed what remained of the sausage and eggs and Cookie put a biscuit and a ladle of gravy on each of our plates. There was only one table with places at it and we passed Rochelle's table on the way.

"Eww! You smell like a barn!" she said. Jennifer snorted.

"Horses," we all three said at the same time.

"You sound like a pig," Rochelle said. "Oink oink." Jennifer froze and I could see a tear in her eye. Courtney and I both wrapped an arm around her and led her to a table that hadn't been set. We sat with our backs to the rest of them. Our good mood was pretty much destroyed, but I wasn't going to give Rochelle the satisfaction of a response.

"Let it go," I said to Jennifer. She sat between Courtney and me. "She's a cruel bitch. But she doesn't mean anything to us."

"I love you, Jennifer," Courtney said. "Brian and I both know you have a beautiful laugh. Don't try to hold it in."

"I'm not laughing," Jennifer sobbed.

"Sure you are," I said. "What could be a better foil for her than for the three of us with our backs turned to her to be laughing our lungs out?" Jennifer turned to me and raised her eyebrows.

"I can't believe you thought of that!" She suddenly started laughing out loud.

"Oh, god!" Courtney said with a peal of laughter. "She'll think we're laughing at her."

"In a way we are," I said. "Did I tell you about my apology to the bullies at school?" I told them all about the time Kirby pushed me and I apologized loudly in front of the school and we laughed all the way through the story. The chow hall was empty when we finished breakfast and headed toward the corral. Hal was leading a group of six and Tim had another group of six still mounting up.

"Brian!" Hal called. "Those last three horses you brushed need to be worked this morning. Saddle them up and take them to the arena. The three of you work with them. We're going to put them through their paces on our ride this afternoon. But remember, no racing without a staff spotter."

"Yessir, Hal!" I shouted.

I thought we'd be left alone and maybe get some serious kissing in, but only twelve of the thirty campers were on the trail. Of course, when Hal made such a big production about us working the horses, a dozen of the other kids followed us into the barn to watch. I noticed that Larry, one of the summer staffers, was in the barn and just sat up on a rail to make sure nothing bad happened in the barn. I made Jennifer and Courtney take their own saddles to the stalls, but I didn't make them try to put them on. With the other kids watching, though, I talked through the process and showed how I pulled the cinch and off-side stirrup up over the saddle before I threw it over the blanket so they wouldn't get caught under the saddle. Jennifer and Courtney scrambled to get the blankets on their horses while I tightened up my cinch. Then I saddled each of their horses.

"Should we mount here so you can adjust our stirrups?" Jennifer asked.

"No. You never mount in the barn. It's a confined space and there are rafters and doors. You always want to mount where you've got plenty of room. Besides, we don't have their bridles on yet." The kids who were watching were more amazed at my putting a bit in Jingo's mouth than at the whole saddling process. Jingo, of course, was an old hand at this and took the bit with no trouble. He even lowered his head so I could slip the headstall over his ears. After all three horses were ready, we led them out of the barn and over to the arena. I saw Larry follow along behind and sit on the gate at the end of the arena. He motioned the kids who wanted to watch into the bleachers.

We led the horses toward the mounting block. Jennifer stopped short.

"I want to use that other method of mounting you told me about," she grinned. Courtney looked curious and watched us. Our horses were turned away from the stands so I figured what the heck. I stepped over next to Jubal and bent my knee.

"Okay, put your left foot on my knee and take hold of the saddle with both hands. When I say 'go' jump and pull yourself across the saddle." Jennifer turned three-quarters away from me and put her hands on the saddle and her foot on my knee. My knee was not nearly as high off the ground as the stirrup, so her seams groaned a little when she raised her leg, but didn't cry. She almost did, though, when I put my left hand inside her left thigh and my right hand on her butt. "Ready, set, go!" I said and launched her up onto Jubal's back. She looked back at me with her eyes wide and grinned.

"You guys are so bad!" Courtney whispered.

"You can use the mounting block, Court," I said.

"No way! I want what she had." I stepped around to the left side of Lady and gave the same instructions. Courtney took the position and I grabbed her leg and butt. "Wait!" she said before I could push her in the saddle. I froze. She wiggled her butt in my hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just ... wanted to enjoy that. Okay." I tossed her up to the saddle and she almost went over the other side. I adjusted the stirrups for both horses and then led Jingo to the mounting box and got on.

After we rode a little just to get used to being in the saddle, I started giving instructions, starting with, "Fasten your helmets." Then I called out different paces and turns. I pulled Jingo out of the line and watched them and told Courtney to take her hand off her leg. "Just relaxed and hanging at your side," I said. When we'd worked for about forty-five minutes, I heard the first group of riders returning and a bunch of kids ran out to switch places. In a few minutes another batch was in the arena watching us. I trotted over to Larry, who was still sitting on the gate.

"Uh ... Larry, you don't know me, but I'm Brian. Hal said not to do any racing without a staff spotter. I was wondering if you would spot us while I teach the ladies how to ride barrels."

"I wondered when you were going to get around to asking me," he laughed. "Make sure you take them through all the steps. You still need them to work on changing leads." A canter, which is a horse's natural running gait, has three beats. The first is the outside hind leg. The second is both the outside front and inside back hitting the ground. The third beat is the inside front hitting the ground and the fourth is all four legs off the ground. It's what you hear when people are trying to mimic a horse with clapping—or coconuts. The lead is based on the last beat, inside front. So if you lead right, you should be turning right. Leading left is turning left. In barrels, the horse has to make the first turn leading right. Half way across the arena from barrel one to two, he has to change back to the left lead. He stays on the left lead for the last barrel and tucks into a gallop home. A gallop is really only two beats as the two front legs hit and then the two back legs hit and propel the horse forward. It took me a few minutes to explain the lead changes to Jennifer and Courtney and how to cue them. By that time, most of the kids had gotten bored and left. I noticed that Kevin, Barbara, and Leslie were still watching. I had Jennifer and Courtney follow me around the barrels at a walk and then trotted through it. Larry came over and stood just out of the pattern between barrels one and three. That was the one place that a horse was least likely to pass, but was close enough that the spotter could rush to a thrown rider. Unlike gymnastics, the spotter can't really save a falling rider. He's there to administer first aid immediately.