Fall Rejuvenation

Gloria didn't feel like going out on a rugged ranch week-end, but Sharon, her best friend, talked her into it. Sharon had even gone so far as to fall down on her knees and plead, retorting how wonderful the crisp fall mountain air would be, giving them both a much needed sense of rejuvenation.

"The leaves are such a brilliant color in fall, Gloria. You'll love the panoramic views. And who doesn't like those muscular horses, and I gotta say, the instructor's supposed to be a real hunk." Sharon insisted, not going to accept no for an answer.

"Alright already, just shut your yap." Gloria groaned, placing both hands over her ears. Her dirty blonde curly hair cascaded over her face, shielding a distasteful expression of disdain.

"Great! How about this Saturday? The riding ranch is only an hour away." Sharon beamed. "We'll have such a great time."

"I said alright already, stop selling it." Gloria said.

Gloria realized Sharon, her long time friend had been through so much with her, especially after the horrible loss of Jim, her fiancé, a year ago in the fall. Jim had languished in the hospital after the accident as she sat by his bed, gazing at red and gold leaves falling off the trees, until just before the last one fell, Jim left to join them. Gloria didn't think she would have made it through all the indescribable anguish without Sharon's unending support and listening ear. Lately though, Sharon kept steering conversations towards her getting back out there, saying Jim wouldn't want her to remain alone forever, and maybe it was time to start living again.

"You can't stay in this apartment every night. You know I adore you, but you're cutting into my love life." Sharon said with a snarky grin. After five years of being in a happy marriage with two active toddlers, sometimes she was thinking of searching for bunk beds for her bedroom, or moving into another room. Two active boys were enough.

Gloria grinned. "You know you love that guy, bunk beds my big foot. But I'm not ready to deal with nasty meat markets, crazy bar scene, or go mess around on those lying dating sites. There's nothing but jerks out there, there was only one Jim."

"Again Jim wouldn't want you to be alone, that was his last wish." Sharon murmured.

Fall rejuvenation was one thing Gloria guess she really needed, especially after the many nights of sobbing herself to sleep. So on Saturday, dressed in jeans and new boots, she jumped in the car with Sharon and quickly found herself sitting for the first time on a trembling swayed back, muddy gray colored horse, sneezing in erratic spurts from the tendrils of hay irritating her nose. She sat there waiting to feel the rejuvenation.

"Isn't this great?" Sharon squealed, bouncing around on top of her equally swayed back horse.

"Real great. I'm just loving it." Gloria said sarcastically, swatting at a repulsive, considerably large horse-fly, buzzing around with agitation near her ear.

"Alright there ladies and gentlemen, just listen to these few instructions, and we'll be heading off, rolling upwards. You can call me, Phil; since that's the name my parents have been calling me since I was born." A male raspy voice chuckled, standing there in front of them.

Sharon and Gloria slowly inspected the owner of the voice, intently scoping him out. Standing in front of them was the male owner of Chestnut Farms, outfitted in faded well fitted jeans and a pair of black chaps. His broad chest enhanced his red flannel shirt, and a lopsided cowboy hat topped his sun-kissed face, along with a pair of dreamy mud-brown eyes peering underneath, as he spoke with a pair of smiling lips.

"Hey this is looking great to me. Crisp, fresh Fall air, and a fresh male to drool over. Sharon whispered to Gloria, licking her lower lip, admiring the riding instructor.

To Gloria, he appeared to look as well worn as the horse she was straddled on, though it seemed to suit him, a rugged look. She assumed he was probably bored out of his skin, as she listened to him ramble through various instructions, ones he probably repeated umpteen times already. Observing, she noted how easily he eased his way through the horses, pausing to adjust several saddle straps until he stood right next to them.

"Alright you two ladies, you seem ready to ride. Um, I see you have Lester." His eyes momentarily caught Gloria's, causing him to slow down his memorized speech. Shifting his eyes away he continued, "Well, Lester here is a calm horse, but he tends to be a little too lazy. He likes to admire the fall view. You might have to urge him on, like this."

Gloria felt his hands graze her leg as he moved down to her boots, pressing one gently inwards. Feeling slightly lightheaded as she looked down at his hands, she contributed it to the allergy sneezing attacks.

"My name's Phil. And don't forget to shout out if you need any help. Ah, just remember my warning about Lester here." After gently patting the horse, Phil stepped away, turning back a moment to meet Gloria's runny red eyes again.

"Figures, his horse looks like the only one who'll make it up the trail." Gloria smirked, catching Sharon's eyes eying Phil as he saddled up. Sneezing, she gripped the reins tighter when Lester started to lurch forward. "Hey you're married, why are you looking at that guy so intently?"

"Married, not dead!" Sharon replied, giggling like a little girl.

Gloria admitted to herself when they started riding that the crisp, clear, fall air indeed felt rejuvenating. Her eyes miraculously started to clear and her nose stopped running and itching. They rode along the mountain trail, plodding slowly, heading up towards the peak. Phil's voice offered a short commentary about the valley area and the various artifacts that could be collected at the peak. The plan was to stop and rest there for a picnic lunch, already packed in their knapsacks. She found herself relaxing, listening to Phil's calm raspy voice.

"And this trail has been used for about one hundred years, never changed. This time of year the fall colors are spectacular, at their rainbow peak." Phil's back stood tall in the saddle, guiding the horse easily with one hand on the reins while carefully monitoring the group's ascent. His eagle eyes managed to keep a keen observation on Lester and his rider.

"Look, he's watching you Gloria." Sharon hissed, a little too loud for Gloria's comfort.

"

Shh! Of course he's watching. He wouldn't want anything to happen to his precious, lazy swaybacked horse." Gloria leaned in with her knees, urging the slowing horse upwards. "Giddy-up there."

The strong scent of a horse's natural urge drifted up Gloria's nose, making her sneeze again, which caused Sharon to crack up in hysterics, making it difficult to balance upright in the saddle.

"Real funny!" Gloria snarled. "I hope your butt lands on the ground."

"Ladies, are you alright?" Phil cantered back, slipping alongside Gloria. "Lester here isn't giving you any trouble, I hope?" He asked, admiring Gloria's teary eyes and red tinged nose. "Don't tell me, you have allergies?"

"I'm fine." Gloria insisted, though she rubbed her nose.

"Alrighty then, you know where I'll be." Phil galloped back to the head of the line.

The mountain peak was soon in site, with Lester trudging along. The rest of the group had by now passed her by, and Sharon desiring a faster trot also had left her side. Gloria couldn't wait to get off the dragging horse and rest her muscles, especially her leg muscles from the constant, "clinging on for dear life" grip. Fall rejuvenation wasn't anywhere in site for her she thought, grimacing, measuring the distance to the peak with her eyes, and hoping it would miraculously shorten.

The path narrowed as they drifted along. Gritting her teeth, Gloria started to beg Lester to hurry on. Lifting one hoof after another Lester plodded on, not even stirring up a breeze, and now she was losing sight of the last rider in front of her. "Come on Lester, a big juicy bunch of carrots is in it for you, if you move your old lazy bones." She offered, pleading for a faster pace.

Suddenly, Phil was by her side again. Their horses touched, and Lester stopped dead in his tracks. "Trouble huh?" Phil questioned, wearing an amiable encouraging smile. "Listen, hand me over your reins. Sometimes Lester has to really be urged upwards." Gripping the reins and cooing and cajoling, he urged the horse up the pathway.

Gloria's hands were numb from the tight grip she held onto Lester's reins. She rubbed them, sighing deeply. "I pleaded with him too, but he wouldn't listen." As they moved along, she detected the musky aroma of his cologne as their thighs brushed against each other with the close quarters of their horses.

"I said he could be real stubborn." Clucking softly, Phil guided the horse up to the peak, eyeing Gloria from underneath his lopsided hat shading his eyes. Finally arriving at the peak he assisted Gloria off the saddle silently, his hands lingering around her waist a moment before swaggering off to assist the rest of the group.

Sharon chatted on and on about the wonderful ride while Gloria remained quiet, nodding every few minutes or so. She devoured her sandwich, not believing how hungry she felt. Shifting her eyes towards Phil, she observed him easily converse with a group of giddy enraptured women, but noticed he appeared to meet her gaze in return.

"You're all so lucky to have chosen this week to ride. The fall leaves are at its peak, so make sure you snap the view into the valley. I never get tired of seeing it, and you'll be glad you captured it." Phil encouraged the women.

When it was time to saddle up again and ride back down the mountain, Gloria couldn't get Lester to budge a step. She coaxed and coddled until she was finally practically in tears, but Lester just whinnied, remaining still as a statue. "You sway back, stubborn beast!" Gloria finally shouted in expiration, throwing down the reins.

Again Phil appeared by her side and grabbed the reins, but even his gentle persuasion couldn't trigger Lester to move. "Well, sometimes Lester's really stubborn. I'll have to leave him here and come back later for him. I'm sorry miss, but you'll just have to ride back down with me." His muddy eyes met Gloria's, making the statement, giving her no chance to balk.

"Well, if it's the only way I can get back to the safety of a four wheel vehicle that will move." Gloria agreed, allowing Phil to assist her up onto his saddle right behind him, after he tied Lester's reins to a tree.

Gloria's gingerly wrapped her arms around Phil's waist as they trotted along. She shivered, with her heart racing a bit, as they made the trip down. Not a sneeze came out of her. She found herself leaning into Phil's broad back, feeling the vibrations from his raspy voice commentary on the picturesque view around them. She gazed around, experiencing a fresh sense of awe.

"Phil, it's like we're in another world up here. And the trees below look like they're a marvelous fall landscape portrait, with individual colors painted for each leaf." She offered when Phil had a lull in his tour guide speech.

"That's why I fell in love with this area, especially since I moved up here a little over two months ago and took over the management of this ranch." Phil explained how he was out of the country serving in the military for the past four years, and just returned six months ago. "Since I'm an outdoor person and love working with horses, my life here is almost perfect. And Fall's my favorite season in the mountains."

"Oh." Gloria just listened, admiring his decision to follow his dream.

Their ride back seemed to end rather quickly. Again Gloria felt Phil's hands around her waist when he assisted her off of his horse.

"Sorry about the problems, miss. Err, what is your name again?" Phil asked, leading his horse back to the corral as the others followed. "I'm so darn forgetful at times. Give me a horse's name and I'll remember, but with people..." His voice broke off as he shifted his eyes away, tilting his head down.

"Gloria. And it really wasn't such a problem. In fact I truly enjoyed the ride, the great fall view, and even Lester's upwards trip." She realized she was outright lying about some of the trip, wearing a broad smile with two fingers crossed behind her back. Still somehow she did feel rejuvenated.

"Listen, I feel I owe you something for your trouble. Maybe you'd like another trail ride? And it'll be on me this time." Phil offered.

Stiffening at the thought of climbing back on a horse's back again, she stuttered, "I...don't...think I could..."

Phil interrupted her, laughed, and offered, "How about dinner then? There's a real ranch style barbecue tonight. I insist!"

Gloria met his muddy eyes directly, stifling the sneeze she felt coming before she warmly replied, "That I wouldn't mind, but this time, no Lester." Things seemed to be rolling upwards, especially viewing his returned equally warm smile. Trading cell phone numbers, her hands trembled slightly from the vivid anticipation she was experiencing. A warm shiver eased down her spine and reluctantly she slid her hand out of his enveloping grasp. She didn't understand why she accepted Phil's offer but somehow couldn't refuse.

Sharon stood to the side wearing a smirk as she eyed both of them. Over Gloria's head she caught Phil's eye and secretly winked. Phil happened to be a good friend of her husbands. He had mentioned when Phil returned from the service, he'd probably be a good match for Gloria when she was ready to get back out there. She couldn't wait to inform him he was right, feeling completely confident this trail ride was a complete Fall rejuvenation for her friend. Maybe even an upward move in a romantic future. She believed Jim would feel happy about his friend's matchmaking intervention, knowing his promise was kept. And fall would feel rejuvenated once again for Gloria.

Much later that night, after the barbecue, and after Phil had taken Gloria home, Phil strolled to the barn carrying a large bunch of carrots. "Hey there, Lester pal, thanks for cooperating today, I owe you a big one." He stroked the horse he had since childhood, remembering when he trained Lester to step really slow for competitions, and also remain totally still for the showmanship observation. Today it all paid off.

"Well you enjoyed yourself, didn't you?" Sharon asked Gloria.

"Yeah, it was definitely fall rejuvenation. Thanks friend." Gloria said. She smiled at Jim's photo, adding a silent whisper, "And thanks my love."

The End