All-nighter

Any apprehensions are shoved to the back of Tal's mind, getting them out of the way so he could just enjoy this time with Ryan. Did she know how blessed he felt? He'd never dreamed of holding her in his arms like this. He'd only wanted to right a wrong and make sure she knew she was worth more than she'd been treated before. But in turn, he'd been given a chance of his own. A chance at a relationship. A chance at mutual feelings. A chance at calling Ryan his girl. A chance at falling in love.

The passion is slowly brought down a notch by several slow kisses until Tal pulls back slightly. His heart beat like a drum inside his chest, his pulse racing as he tried to catch his breath. Smiling, he runs a finger down the side of Ryan's face. "You're the best," he whispers. She treated him so differently than other women had. He'd been backstabbed, left and made fun of. But not with this. Not with Ryan.

Sighing deeply, he grins as Ryan moves up and down with his breathing. "I need to get going..." He scrunches his nose, proving he'd rather stay here. "Holly will never forgive me if I get home too late."


Eric follows Ashlee's gaze to the spare bit hanging on the wall. "Oh yeah - that's a bit. There are many different kinds."

Standing, he goes to retrieve it and bring it back, handing it to her so she can feel it. "Those holes in the top are where the bridle connects to it.... then down those shafts at the bottom is where the reins go. That hard bar in the middle - that goes over the horse's tongue in its mouth."

He points everything out as he talks. "A bit is used for maximum control of the horse. Their mouths are very sensitive. Imagine if you had one of these in your mouth - you'd feel every little move, right? That's how it is with the horses. During training, the horse discovers that when the bit is pulled back with the reins, it's uncomfortable - he'll learn that when he stops, that pressure is released so in turn, he'll remember when someone pulls on the reins, he's supposed to stop. The bit can be used for steering too, although with western riding, steering often comes from laying the reins over the horse's neck. At a faster or more urgent pace though, yes, the bit can pull a horse's head around. When you control a horse's head, you control the entire body."

Eric grins a little, not even realizing he'd fallen into teaching mode. "This bit here is harsher than some because of those shafts - it provides more leverage, and, in turn, more power. A rider has to be careful using one like this."

He leans down and rummages through some leather, pulling out a bridle with a different bit. "Now this one... see, it's got two big rings - that's for both the bridle and the reigns, and the bit, see it's hinged in the middle. It's a much gentler bit, but you use it the same way."


Reese grips Angelica's hand, walking with her back outside. Once to his car, he pulls his cell phone off his belt and gives it a good look. Popping the trunk of his car, he tosses his phone inside and shuts the lid again. "Okay. Now it's truly hooky."

Grinning, he slides in behind the wheel. He didn't know why he was doing this. It was far from his norm. As a matter of fact, it went directly against his usual behavior. Maybe he was just so utterly tired of the daily grind that he was willing to do anything just to break out of it for a while. Maybe work was so overwhelming that he needed a short escape just so he could breathe for a while.

A while later, he was getting out of the car again, but this time they were at the little beach on the lake. Leaving his jacket in the car, he rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt, leaving it tucked into his jeans. Waiting for Angelica's hand again, he heads of at a leisurely pace towards the water. Stopping in the gritty sand, he looks down at his shoes, then over at Angelica's shoes. Glancing up, he catches her eye, a new grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. And within seconds, his socks and shoes were off, his toes burying themselves in the warm sand.


"Friday." Zach's eyes light up. "I've got off work too so that's perfect."

Accepting the napkin, he can't help the little bit of surprise on his face. She was actually giving him her number? Cool.

He grins and folds the napkin to slip it into his pocket. "How about... we meet at Brookshire and do that first, then... see what else we want to do that day? I don't know about you, but my preferences change day to day." He chuckles and finishes off his drink.

Glancing at his watch, he grimaces. "You know, I gotta be to work in a couple hours." Laughing though, he shrugs. "Guess this was as good a reason as any for pulling an all-nighter though." He bites his lip. "Thanks... for hanging out. It hasn't been easy for me, making friends."