Flight to Paradise

Immersion Playground

Book #3: Flight to Paradise

Chapter 19

Kate wakes up and lazily reaches for Mac, feeling for his presence.

Goddammit, he isn't here

, she fumes.

Mac is either going to have to start staying in bed longer or I'm going to have to start waking up earlier, because this waking up alone in the bed shit is going to have to stop.

She rolls out of bed and jerks on her clothes, not bothering to shower.

She arrives in the kitchen just as Mac and Bert come into the house. "Morning sleepyhead," Mac says.

"Feeding the horses?" she asks biting off a yawn.

"Yep. Ready for breakfast?" Mac asks bussing his mom on the cheek before crossing the room and kissing her more fully.

"Just juice, please," she groans, unable to face a large breakfast so soon after waking up. As Mac, Bert, and Cynthia talk about the upcoming day, she nurses her orange juice and tries to wake up. When the subject of taking Andi and Tim flying comes up, she perks up.

"Why did you tell everyone I'm a pilot? You know I can't fly the plane without you, not to mention I don't have a pilot's license."

"Having a pilot's license doesn't make you a good pilot just like having a driver's license doesn't make you a good driver. Kate, you

are

a pilot, you have the feel for it. You just need to have some training and pass the tests. But I'll be going along also... to help," Mac says with a grin.

After breakfast, first Kate, and then Mac, shower and dress, before wandering out of their room about nine, Kate feeling more awake and alert than before. He takes her to the stables and introduces her to the horses, Millie, Popcorn, Snickers, and Banjo. She seems particularly taken with Popcorn, an old mare, gentle and grey with age, so named because of a splatter of white spots on her rump.

"That's Sam's horse," he says while she strokes Popcorn's nose as the horse nuzzles her. "She's a good old girl, but she's getting on up there. She hasn't been ridden in a long time."

"Because she's so old?"

"That, and because she can't keep up for long. She's mostly a pet now." He looks at her for a moment. "She'd be perfect for you to ride, though. Have you ever ridden a horse? I'm guessing no."

She grins. "That'd be correct, but I think I'd like to try. I won't hurt her, will I?"

"No. Because you haven't ridden before we'll have to go slow, and we won't be gone for very long, which is why she would be perfect." He reaches over and strokes Popcorn down the neck. "I bet you'd like to go for another ride, wouldn't you old girl," he says to the horse.

The way Popcorn looks at Mac, Kate will swear the horse knows what Mac is talking about, though that's clearly impossible.

Isn't it?

"I'd like that. Which horse is yours?" she asks.

Mac points to the big brown horse with the blonde mane and tail. "Banjo."

"Popcorn I understand, but how did you come up with the names of the other horses?"

"Most of the time we just keep the name the farmer that raised the horse gave it. Unless we don't like it of course. Banjo is named that because he's a little high strung sometimes. I don't know about Millie. Just a name I guess. And Snickers," he pauses as he chuckles, "Snickers has sweet tooth and just loves chocolate candy bars. Don't you Snickers," he coos at the horse, patting it on the neck.

"Can a horse eat chocolate? I thought chocolate is bad for animals."

"It's not good for them, no, but one piece of candy isn't going to hurt her. Let's just say Mom has been known to slip her a bite of one every now and then."

"Snickers is your mom's horse?"

"Well, they're all Mom's horses, but I think Snickers, and Popcorn, are her favorites."

"They all seem very sweet," she says as she strokes Snickers.

"They're good animals. Banjo gets a little hard headed sometimes and has to be reminded who's boss, but other than that, they're good girls. And boy," Mac says, amending his statement for Banjo.

"Can we go riding before we go home?" she asks, warming up to the idea. Like nearly every girl ever born, she wanted a horse when she was little.

"Sure. We need to do it either today or tomorrow though."

"Why?"

Mac's face splits into big grin. "Because you're going to be sore, and trust me, you don't want to be sore for the twelve-hour flight back to Paradise."

"Why would I be sore?"

Mac grin widens even more. "Because everyone gets sore if they've never ridden a horse before. You won't know how to move with the animal, and she'll beat the shit out of you."

"Oh," she says, suddenly cooling to the idea.

"Don't worry, you'll have fun on the ride. It'll be the next day that you feel it."

She looks back in the stall to Popcorn, who seemed to be looking at her with pleading eyes, begging to be let out for one more ride. "Okay, let's do it. Maybe someday I can add horsewoman to my list of accomplishments."

He pulls her to him and kisses her quickly. "I wouldn't bet against you."

***

After lunch Sam arrives with Tim and Andi to pick up Mac and Kate to take them to the airport. "Ping me when you get back and I'll come pick you up," Sam instructs Mac.

"I will. This normally doesn't take long. We should be back in an hour or so," he says.

"Maybe Darren will be done by then and we can all meet back at Mom's," Sam says. Darren had been called out early this Sunday morning to deal with a sick cow.

While Mac and Kate pre-flight the plane, Tim watches studiously, taking it all in, while Andi prattles on about practicing

Mary Had a Little Lamb,

proud of the fact that she can now, usually, play it all the way through without a mistake. Kate is thrilled by Andi's progress and decides that tonight she and Andi are going to try something a little harder, Beethoven's

Für Elise,

which is easy enough for Andi to learn, yet hard enough to keep her challenged for a while after Kate leaves.

When the pre-flight on the

Beauty

is complete the four board the plane, Andi and Tim old hands at this, settling into their seat, buckling in, and donning their headsets while Mac and Kate work the checklist before starting the engines and motoring to the runway to prepare for takeoff.

"Everyone buckled in?" Mac asks without looking into the back.

"Yes, sir," Tim says.

"Here we go then," Kate says, advancing the throttles to their stops. Mac is actually controlling the plane but Kate's hands remain on the wheel as the Goose leaps into the sky, the half load of fuel making the aircraft feel light and nimble. They spend the next hour buzzing around the Kansas countryside, flying low over the Carter's house so Tim and Andi can see their house, and then doing same to Mac's parent's house, before gaining some altitude, Kate moving to the back so the kids can come up front.

Andi goes first so Kate has a chance to talk to Tim at length for the first time. Where Andi is a fireball of energy, Tim is more reserved, carefully choosing his words and making insightful comments. After talking with Tim, Kate is convinced she is looking at Mac, 25 years younger, Tim's way of speaking and mannerisms reminding her so much of Mac as to be eerie.

When Tim takes his turn in the front of aircraft, Andi rejoins Kate. "Ms. Kate, if we get to go to Grandma's later, can you teach me another song? It is a lot more fun to play a song than to having to do the scales all the time. That's so boring."

"I'm sure it is," Kate says sympathetically, "but you have to learn the finger positions in order to play."

"I know," Andi says dejectedly, "that's what Mrs. Lippen says. I wish you were my teacher."

"I'd be delighted to teach you to play the piano, Andi, except I live so far away. But yes, before I go home, I'll teach you another song. Do you know who Beethoven is?"

"Yes."

"Okay, good. I'm going to teach you how to play Beethoven's

Für Elise.

It's going to be much harder than

Mary Had a Little Lamb

, but I think you can do it, and when you get it, I want you to have your mom or dad ping me so I can hear. Deal?"

"Deal!" Andi says, sticking her hand out to shake on it, causing Kate to laugh in delight as she takes the girl's hand.

When Tim rotates to the back of the plane Kate takes her place at Mac's side. "Everyone bucked in?" Mac asks again, looking to make sure Kate's seat belts are tight. "It looks like some rough air ahead," he says dramatically.

She hears a pair of "Yes, sirs," in her headphone as she looks at him, wondering how he knows that.

"Oh no... hang on!" Mac calls, winging the plane over in a nice, easy 1g roll, before settling the plane into level flight again, Kate having to bite her tongue to prevent her from adding her own yelp to Andi's squeal of delight.

"That was awesome," Tim says, clearly not buying into the whole rough air thing, but grinning like mad all the same.

"Not buying the turbulence thing?" Mac asks Tim.

"No, but it was fun anyway."

"Oh," he says as if disappointed. "I guess I better unwind the plane then," he says just before rolling the plane wing over wing again in the opposite direction.

"Do a loop!" Andi calls from the back as the plane settles into normal flight again.

"Sorry, Andi, no can do. The

Beauty

doesn't have enough power to do that. A roll is the best I can do," he says before looking at Kate and grinning. "Kids, give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile."

"We heard that," Tim says.

"Oh, did I forget to turn off the coms again?" Mac asks rhetorically, still grinning.

***

Mac and Kate are just finishing securing the Goose when Sam arrives to take them back to Mac's parent's house. Darren is there, but he'll have to leave just after dinner to check on the sick animal for the night. That will still give them a few hours to visit before the hectic work week begins.

As they drive back Tim and Andi recount the story of the 'turbulence,' embellishing and exaggerating the story as they tell it.

"Were you two in the same aircraft as I was?" Mac asks from beside Sam. "I don't remember any of that."

Kate looks out of the window to hide her smile while trying not to laugh.

When they arrive at Cynthia and Bert's house, Kate and Andi begin to peck out Beethoven on the piano while Sam and Cynthia go about the task of preparing dinner. As she works with Andi, listening to the sounds of a happy family, Kate is in infused with a peace very similar to the peace she feels at Mac's home in Paradise, as if somehow, she belongs here.

After dinner Andi plays a duet with Kate of

Chopsticks

, gets through

Mary Had a Little Lamb

without a single mistake, and struggles through the first part of

Für Elise,

everyone applauding her effort and progress, Kate most enthusiastically of all.

After the impromptu recital, Darren states he has to leave. "Kate, I doubt we'll make it over to see you again before you leave, but I've enjoyed meeting you," Darren says shaking her hand. "Have a safe trip home."

"Thank you, Darren. I've enjoyed meeting you as well. You have a lovely family."

He smiles fondly at Sam and his kids. "Yeah, I guess I'll keep them."

"Kate," Sam begins, moving in to displace Darren. "It's been a real pleasure meeting you. I hope you can come back again," she says before taking Kate into her arms for a hug. "Take care of yourself and my idiot brother."

Kate is so shocked by Sam's actions and words she's left momentarily speechless as Sam releases her. "Uh, I'll do my best," she stammers.

"And you," Sam says sternly to Mac, pointing at him with her finger, "don't be stupid," she says before hugging him as well.

Kate watches Mac smile at some hidden meaning as he hugs his sister. "I won't. I know what I've got."

"Okay," Sam says releasing him. "So long as you do."

Kate can feel her tears threatening as Sam's meaning becomes clear. Tim shakes her hand, thanking her for the airplane ride today and inviting her back, the perfect little gentleman. Andi then moves in straight to a hug, holding her fiercely tight, thinking her profusely for the piano lessons, reaffirming her promise to have someone ping her so she can listen to her play Beethoven when she gets it right.

Kate doesn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she does both, touched by Andi's gratitude.

As the Carters leave, Mac pulls Kate into his arms, holding her loosely until the door closes behind them. "Your daughter has a lovely family," Kate says to Bert and Cynthia.

"We've been lucky," Bert says with a smile.

***

Monday morning Kate rises with Mac and helps him tend the horse, the weather bright, clear, and cold. After breakfast Cynthia and Kate go into Hays for shopping, returning with lunch and several packages of clothing for Kate, including a heavy riding coat, riding pants and boots, and a pair of soft leather insulated gloves.

After lunch Kate puts her riding gear on, modeling it for Mac, the form fitting riding pants making him think of doing a different type of riding with her, and making him feel like a slob in his jeans, flannel shirt and paddock boots.

Mac shows Kate how to saddle a horse, Popcorn getting antsy in her stall and putting her head down for Kate to insert the bit into her mouth. He then saddles Banjo, Kate watching how he mounts his horse, doing the same, Popcorn immediately walking to the paddock gate as if to get out before someone changes their mind.

Mac moves with an easy grace on his horse, having ridden for years, as Banjo prances around, enjoying the sun, cool air, and the exercise. Once they get out of the paddock area and into the field Mac falls in beside Kate, telling her how to control the horse, what the horse expects from her, and what she can expect from the horse. It takes several minutes before she feels confident enough to release her death grip on the saddle horn and relax, Popcorn being very tolerant of Kate's inexperience.

"Ready to try a trot?" he asks after she relaxes into the saddle.

Kate feels a rush of fear but resists the urge to grab the saddle horn. "Uh, I don't know? Am I?"

Mac laughs. "I don't know. We'll see. What you need to do is rise up on your legs a little as the horse moves, use them as shock absorbers, otherwise Popcorn is going to beat you to death," he says, moving up and down into a slight squatting position to show her what he means. "It looks awkward when we're just walking, but once the horse begins to trot, the motion of the horse will help you get into rhythm. Ready?"

"I guess," she says tentatively as he makes a sound, his horse picking up speed, Popcorn falling into pace beside. At first, she tries to sit in the saddle as she's been doing, but in moments she feels like her back is going to be driven through the top of her skull, the horse throwing her around and crashing into her ass. She rises up on her legs, using her knees to absorb the horse's moment, and while much more comfortable, she can tell her legs will quickly tire. She watches how Mac moves and tries to emulate what he's doing. She struggles at first, unable to get into the proper rhythm, but after a few crashing collisions between her falling ass and the horse's rising back to motivate her, she finds her rhythm and begins to move with the horse.

He watches her struggle, trying to sort out how to move. There is nothing he can do to help her, it's something she's going to have to figure out on her own, so he keeps the pace up, giving her time to work out her motion, wincing a few times as he sees several painful looking miscues between Kate and Popcorn. Suddenly, like flicking a switch, she smoothes out and settles into a sloppy but effective post. He smiles and shakes his head chuckling to himself. There doesn't appear to be anything she can't do.

They ride along for a time before she reigns in Popcorn, tired and needing to sit down.

Riding a horse is hard work!

"I need a break," she says as Mac wheels around and comes up alongside again.

"Okay. You were doing great though."

"I can see what you mean about being beat to death. I'm getting sore already."

He pulls up and dismounts as she does the same. "Let's walk a while then, it'll help."

They walk along for a time, talking, Kate working the kinks out of her tired muscles, Popcorn walking along just behind her with reins loose, like a well-trained dog. Mac stops at an apple tree, crawling up into the branches to reach a couple of late season apples. Hopping down, he cuts one in half with a knife he produces from a holder on his belt, and hands half to her. She's about to bite into it when he gives his half to Banjo.

"Oh, I thought it was for us," she says, pulling it down from her mouth.

"You can if you want. It's the same apples Mom uses in the pie, but I wouldn't recommend it."

She takes a tentative nibble of the sourest apple she's ever tasted, her face scrunching up as the full impact of the flavor hits her, causing him to laugh heartily.

"Someday you are going to learn to trust me," he says as she feeds the rest of the apple to Popcorn while he cuts the other apple in half, handing half to Kate and giving the other to Banjo.

"Why are the apples so sweet in the pie then?" she asks, giving her half of the apple to Popcorn, who nickers in thanks.

"With enough sugar, anything will taste sweet," he says as they start to walk again. "Remember that slightly tart under-flavor?" he asks rhetorically. "Now you know where it comes from." He looks around. "It's starting to get dark. You ready to ride again?"

She gives one more mighty stretch, leaning this way and that before putting her foot in the stirrup and swinging a leg over Popcorn. "Oof," she grunts as she settles in the saddle. "I thought I was, but now I'm not so sure."

He chuckles. "Just wait until morning, but if it makes you feel any better, I haven't seen Popcorn look this perky in a long time. She's having a good day."

She reaches forward and rubs her hand along Popcorn's neck, feeling a connection to the old horse she's never felt for an animal before. "I'm glad. I am too."

They walk for a ways before picking their pace up to a trot, Kate finding it much easier to get into rhythm this time. "Popcorn knows the way back, so don't worry, but I'll be back in a couple of minutes," he says before digging his heels into Banjo and tearing away at a full gallop.

She can feel Popcorn start to chase but she pulls the horse back, settling her into a walk. "No, no I don't think I'm ready for that yet," she says to Popcorn.

Good as his word, a couple of minute later Mac appears from around a grove of tree, up in the saddle, leaning into Banjo as the horse bares down on them with ears back, Popcorn beginning to dance slightly in excitement as her stable mate charges in and pulls up short, blowing hard, Banjo's breath steaming in the cold air.

"What was that all about?" she asks as he turns Banjo and begins to walk with them.

"Banjo. He'd have been a handful to get back in the stable if he didn't have a run to get some of the piss and vinegar out of him," he says, sounding slightly winded himself.

"Piss and vinegar?" she giggles. "Are the old women holding you up, Banjo?" she coos to the horse as it pants and blows.

By the time they reach the stable Banjo has gotten his wind back but seems more sedate than he has all day.

Probably because he's out of piss and vinegar,

she thinks to herself as she dismounts. She begins to unsaddle Popcorn, trying to remember the order Mac did things when he showed her how to saddle the horse. She finally manages to get all the equipment off the horse, even if she's sure she did it in the wrong order. As Mac brushes Banjo, Popcorn issues a happy sounding sigh. He stops brushing Banjo long enough to help her put the tack away, handing her another brush on the way out of the room.