Laurie Salzer - A Kiss Before Dawn

by Laurie Salzer

  After checking the time on her cell phone for the tenth time that minute, she decided to take the dogs for a walk. The pond had just recently frozen over. Until the ice thickened enough to support the dogs’ weight, or the pond warmed up enough for swimming in the spring, she would avoid hiking that trail. Instead, she chose a path that led to a stand of white and yellow birches growing near the peak of the mountain on her property. She often took the dogs there.

  She walked at a brisk pace and enjoyed the musky smell of the leaf-covered earth. By the time she reached the top, she was breathing hard and forced to shed a few layers of clothing. She caught her breath and surveyed the surrounding scenery. Although the leaves had long since fallen, the sharp contrast of the white and green bark of the trees against the blue sky was striking.

  While the Labs investigated a deer trail and Sadie hunted rabbits, Chris sat down on an uprooted tree with her back resting against the root bundle and let her mind wander. A hawk flew high overhead, and she chastised herself for forgetting her binoculars. During the hawk migration in the early fall, her binoculars were constantly strung from her neck in case she might be lucky enough to catch sight of a Golden Eagle or Peregrine Falcon. Large kettles of Broadwing hawks, Harriers, and Redtails commonly flew over as well, as they migrated to warmer hunting grounds.

  She remembered one clear night when, guided by a full moon, she’d hiked up here to watch a meteor shower. She had brought a wool blanket for herself and the dogs to lie on. While searching the sky for shooting stars, she heard what sounded like puppies overhead. The soft cooing turned out to be a huge flock of swans directly above her flying south.

  The dog’s excited yips brought her mind back to the present. She watched them zigzag through the leaning goldenrod, with their noses to the ground. After putting her fleece and down vest back on, she pulled up her collar against the constant cold wind.

  A covey of grouse flew up, no doubt flushed by the dogs. As she watched, the grouse disappeared on fast-moving wings into a thicker part of the woods. Other than the occasional raucous caw of a crow, nothing else stirred.

  Chris closed her eyes, tilted her head up, and let the sun warm her face. This was her idea of heaven, to feel as one with her surroundings. Even as a child, she took every opportunity to escape to the outdoors. Sometimes she and her dog didn’t return to the house until dusk, but she never worried since no one ever missed her.

  She opened her eyes and took a last look around. It was time to head back to the farm. The mare’s tails that had floated in since she’d arrived didn’t escape her notice. If the temperatures stayed in the thirties, it would rain. Up here, however, the ground would be snow covered by this time tomorrow.

  As soon as Chris started down the trail, the Labs joined her. She was halfway down the mountain when a little brown and white streak passed her. Sadie never hesitated as she ran toward the barn at breakneck speed, apparently eager to feast on the rabbit she’d caught.

  “You’re a sick little dog, Sadie,” Chris called. She couldn’t hold it against her, though. Jack Russell Terriers were bred to hunt. She considered herself lucky that Sadie never went into holes to chase her quarry, since she’d heard numerous stories of Jacks getting stuck underground and perishing before their owners could find and dig them out. Thinking about losing a dog in those circumstances made her shudder.

  She and the other two dogs were fifteen minutes from the barn when Cedar and Casey stopped to listen. The cocked their heads and looked at Chris with their tails wagging.

  “Go ahead, then, I know you want to,” she told them. The Labs spun around and were gone in an instant as she muttered, “Traitors.”

  Mary Jo had recently taken to bringing dog treats with her. So of course, being the food fiends they were, the dogs would be stringing ropes of drool from their jowls by the time they found her.

  “It serves her right,” Chris said to herself. “She’s going to have frozen drool all over her by the time they’re done with her.” But it secretly pleased her that the girls liked Mary Jo so much.

  As she came out of the thick canopy of pines, Chris stopped short when she came face-to-face with Mary Jo. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she said.

  Mary Jo stared at Chris who was sure her cheeks were red from the cold and her hair tousled by the wind. “When the dogs came busting out of the woods, I didn’t figure you’d be so long,” she said. “I got tired of waiting and followed your tracks. Wanted to make sure you weren’t lost or something.”

  “Thought you’d try and rescue a damsel in distress, did you?”

  “Well, yeah. Seen any up there?” Mary Jo made a show of peering past her into the woods.

  Chris looped her arm through Mary Jo’s. “Come on, we have work to do. The damsels will have to wait.”

  Mary Jo let Chris turn her around, and they walked in silence for a few moments, Chris enjoying her company. Suddenly conscious of Mary Jo’s closeness when their hips brushed together, Chris let go, and plunged her hands deep in her vest pockets.

  “By the way, dinner’s on me tonight,” Mary Jo said.

  Chris glanced over. “Is that right?”

  “Yup, I figured since I’ve eaten here so many times, it was my turn to cook. So I stopped and bought a couple of steaks on my way here.”

  “That sounds wonderful, thanks.” Chris smiled, genuinely pleased.

  “Oh, I can be very nice, Martel.”

  Chris threw her head back, laughing. “I bet you can, Cav.” She’d caught the teasing note in Mary Jo’s voice.

  “Cav?”

  “Yeah, short for Cavanaugh, dummy.” Seeing Mary Jo’s confusion, Chris explained, “I know you said all your friends call you MJ, but I don’t want to call you what all your other friends do. Besides, I think ‘Cav’ fits you better. It’s easier to say anyway. Do you mind?” Chris didn’t wait for an answer. She glanced away from Mary Jo, purposely looking in the direction of the barn as they continued walking.

  Mary Jo didn’t answer right away, but Chris caught her smile when she glanced over. “No. I don’t mind at all,” she said.

  When they got to the front of the barn, Chris paused. “Why don’t you go ahead and groom Ramquette? I’ve got to change out of these sweaty clothes. Otherwise I’ll get cold standing around.” She started toward the house and called back over her shoulder, “Take the girls in with you.”

  “All right, I’ll see you in a bit,” Mary Jo said to Chris’s back as she watched her jog to the house. She started into the barn and looked toward the tack room just in time to see a flash of white disappear inside.

  “I was wondering where you’d gotten to, little dog,” she said, but when she walked through the doorway, there was no sign of Sadie. “You’re going to have to play hide-and-seek by yourself. I have a horse to train.”

  Deciding she’d probably get warm grooming Ramquette and working in the ring, Mary Jo took off her parka and threw it on top of one of the saddles.

  When Chris returned to the barn, Mary Jo was almost finished grooming Ramquette. Chris stood outside the stall door, watching. “About ready?”

  “Yup, just have to clean out her feet.” Mary Jo gazed appreciatively at her work.

  The frequent grooming made Ramquette’s liver coat shine and highlighted the dapples on the mare’s haunches. Mary Jo pulled a hoof pick out of her pocket and lifted each of the horse’s hooves to scrape out bedding, manure, and dirt. As she straightened up, she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Chris, who hadn’t taken her eyes off her since she’d arrived.

  “Ready,” Mary Jo said.

  Chris reached through the bars of the stall and handed her a halter and lead rope. Uttering her thanks, she put the halter on Ramquette’s head and clipped the lead to the bottom ring of the halter. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Chris slid the door open for her and stood back as Mary Jo led the mare into the aisle. “You’re going to need this.” She picked up a long whip from the floor. />
  Mary Jo followed Chris down the aisle and into the ring. Small particles of dust floated in the sunlit air, probably from bird activity in the rafters. The quiet plodding of hooves and boots were the only sounds.

  The round pen was at the other end. By the time she reached it, Ramquette was already anticipating the impending exercise. She began to prance next to Mary Jo as soon as her hooves hit the sand.

  “Easy there, girl.” Mary Jo hoped to calm the mare down, but to little avail. Her nerves began dancing in time with the horse’s hooves.

  Chris opened the gate and waited until Mary Jo and Ramquette passed through before closing and securing it. “Go to the middle of the pen and wait for me,” she said. Having locked them in, she joined her students in the center. “Okay, take the halter and lead off and let her go.”

  Mary Jo did as instructed and watched as the horse calmly moved away from her to the outside of the ring, then stopped and looked at them.

  Chris took the head gear from her and walked back to the gate where she hung the equipment on the other side. When she returned to Mary Jo, she handed her the whip. “Ready? I hope you’re as excited as I am. I love to watch horses figure out these lessons.”

  Mary Jo shifted her gaze from the horse to Chris. “I guess. I’m just not sure what to expect.” Preoccupied with getting the horse from the stall and into the pen without incident, she hadn’t noticed Chris’s change of clothing until now. “Is that your horse-training getup?” she teased.

  “Actually, yes. I don’t like clothing that hangs loose. I want my movements, and therefore my signals to the horse, to be as clear and precise as possible.” In addition to her flannel-lined jeans, Chris wore a black mock turtleneck and a tight turquoise wool sweater with an Aztec design across the front.

  As Chris walked toward her, Mary Jo was fascinated by the soft swell of breasts glimpsed beneath the sweater. She made herself look into Chris’s face. Chris had a half smile as she moved to Mary Jo’s side. “Okay, Martel, I’m all yours,” she said. How Mary Jo wished that statement were true!

  “Let’s get started then,” Chris said. “First thing you need to understand is personal space. Ramquette is already in hers, over by the wall. I like to give the horse a personal space of about five feet out from the wall. Everything else is your space. Questions so far?”

  “No.” Mary Jo shook her head.

  “Every movement you make should convey something to the horse. Sort of like asking her a question in the form of pressure, using body language. You maintain the pressure, asking over and over, moving closer into her space, until she answers correctly. She may try different things to guess at what you want, but the pressure, your asking, doesn’t get released until she does what you want. Timing is extremely important. As soon as she does what you want, immediately reward her by stepping back into your space, thereby relieving the pressure. In a sense, you ask and ask until she gets it right. Then you go on to a different question.”

  “Won’t she get tired from doing all that running around?”

  “No, her brain will get tired before her body does. You’ll see.”

  “So what’s with the whip? I don’t have to hit her, do I?”

  “God, no, the whip is merely an extension of your arm, kind of like a pointer for a chalkboard. You’ll never touch her with the whip, unless of course she charges you.”

  Mary Jo gulped. “Charges me?” The embarrassing memory of being charged and knocked down by Chris’s horse earlier in the summer flicked a raw nerve. Horses had knocked her down during college, but someone had always been close by to assist. She tensed, and an involuntary spurt of adrenaline kicked in.

  “Don’t worry. If you do it right, she won’t get frustrated enough to charge you,” Chris said, showing no emotion. She put her hands firmly on Mary Jo’s shoulders. “Cav, look at me. I’ll be right here. You need to relax. This won’t work unless you’re calm. Your movements won’t be as fluid and exact as they need to be.”

  Mary Jo forced herself to regain control as she concentrated on Chris’s touch. She watched the pulse in Chris’s throat above the turtleneck. It was strong and even, and Chris’s face was relaxed as she stared at her.

  “You can do this. I know what you’re thinking, and this is the best way to get over what happened this summer,” Chris said, giving her a little shake, and letting go. “Okay, breathe deeply, that’ll help.” Her attention returned to the horse. Ramquette stood patiently looking at them, and her ears twitched back and forth. “Now, I want you to walk a few steps toward Ramquette, raise the whip, and cluck to her. If she moves off, lower the whip and back up to the center again. Always face her full on, focusing your eyes on her hip. That’ll motivate her to keep moving.”

  Mary Jo did as instructed, feeling awkward but delighted when the horse began to walk close to the wall. She returned to the center of the ring.

  “Good,” Chris said. “I’ll be right behind you so I won’t be in your way. I want you to walk to her again and get her into a trot. The first part of this exercise isn’t new to Ramquette. When she first came here, running was all she knew how to do. I had to teach her to slow down. It’s up to you to teach her how to trot and canter instead of full out gallop.”

  Mary Jo walked toward the horse and tried to do what Chris had told her, but Ramquette bunched her hindquarters and took off in a gallop, bucking and snorting in alternate strides.

  Looking helplessly at Chris, Mary Jo said, “Shit! I didn’t want her to do that, did I? What should I do?”

  “Lower the whip, and just stand here quietly,” Chris said in a low voice.

  Chris walked to one side of the wall and barely avoided Ramquette as the mare charged by. When Ramquette began a second time around the ring, she approached the mare with her arms spread wide. Ramquette slowed to an easy canter, turned, and trotted to Chris. The mare’s eyes were wide with white showing all around her irises.

  Ramquette stopped in front of Chris and stood trembling and blowing. Her nostrils flared wide and red. She let Chris rub her face, apparently listening to Chris’s soft words. Ramquette lowered her head, snorted, and relaxed. A soft expression returned to her eyes.

  Mary Jo stood rooted in place like a statue. Chris gave her a reassuring smile and shrugged. “Okay, no big deal. Let’s try something else.” She gave the horse a pat on the shoulder and rejoined Mary Jo.

  “I’m sorry.” Mary Jo felt completely deflated and devoid of enthusiasm.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Chris said. “She needed a good blow out anyway. Now she’ll be able to think without all that energy buzzing around in her head.”

  Mary Jo was aware of Chris walking behind her. She felt Chris’s nearness and her breath on the back of her neck.

  Without warning, Chris’s left arm came around to the front of her waist and pulled her close. Mary Jo felt breasts pressing against her back and strong thighs against the backs of her own legs as Chris’s hips pressed to her rear. She gasped and very nearly let out a moan as Chris’s body molded to hers.

  “I’m going to shadow you, so you need to relax. My movement must be your movement,” Chris said quietly into Mary Jo’s ear. She put her right hand on Mary Jo’s elbow and followed Mary Jo’s arm down to her wrist. “You hold the whip, and I’ll move your arm. Try to feel me, anticipate how I’m going to move and in what direction. I want you to see what I see. Watch the horse’s ears, eyes, and what her body is telling you. Got it?”

  Mary Jo could only nod, having lost her voice completely when Chris slid an arm around her waist. She was so aroused, she wasn’t sure how much longer her legs would hold her up.

  “It’s almost like dancing close in a slow dance. You anticipate your partner’s movements.” Chris pressed her right leg harder against Mary Jo’s, urging her to take a step. In response, Mary Jo walked slowly toward the horse. Chris raised the whip and clucked. Ramquette moved forward, turned an inside ear to the two women, and watched them as they backed away.

&nb
sp; Mary Jo forced herself to focus and responded to Chris’s cues in more ways than one. As they moved together, she made herself concentrate completely on the horse. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and her breath quickened as her body conspired against her. She fought her rising desire as she and Chris continued to move as one. How easy it would be for her to lean into Chris’s arms, she thought, and give in to the passion that threatened to consume her.

  After an agonizing five minutes, Chris let her go, a good thing since Mary Jo couldn’t concentrate any longer. She and Chris had worked together and urged Ramquette into a trot and then a halt, without any further incident. The horse was done, and so was Mary Jo.

  Chris cleared her throat. “That’s enough for today.”

  Mary Jo gazed at Chris, happy with their progress but struck once more by how much she wanted her.

  Chris turned her head to the side, but Mary Jo caught a glimpse of the desire on her face as she moved away.

  Her legs still weak, her pulse pounding hard, Mary Jo almost staggered to Ramquette while Chris went to open the gate.

  As Chris walked toward the main barn with Mary Jo following, she said over her shoulder, “Go ahead and put her away. I’m going up to the house to put another log on the fire. I’ll be back in a few to start chores.”

  “Okay.” Mary Jo was grateful that Chris left her alone a few minutes. She needed time to gather her wits after what had just happened between them. And something did happen. No doubt about it. She hadn’t mistaken the lust in Chris’s eyes when she’d let go of her waist.

  Mary Jo was almost finished cooling out Ramquette when Chris came back. She avoided eye contact, and Mary Jo sensed that she still needed some time. She said idly, “How about I go up and start dinner while you feed?”