Love Rides a Chestnut Horse Ch. 11

"I did no such thing," he looked aghast as he loosened Leo's saddle so the big horse could breathe.

"You did, too!" Her laughter echoed around the farm as she slid down as well.

He scoffed, "oh please."

She kissed his cheek lightly and smiled up at him. "It was sweet. Thank you, but don't do it again." She turned and walked into the house, and he swatted her backside as she walked away. She watched from the kitchen window as he took the horses to the barn. She carefully frosted the cake and looked up as he came in. She held the knife out to him so he could clean it. He smiled as he took it, happily licking off the remaining chocolate frosting.

"Yummy," he smiled, handing it back to her.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she looked over at him as she took it to wash. "Can you go down into the basement? Doc loves bourbon and there should be a stash down there -- unless of course Daddy drank it all. I haven't been down there in a while."

"Sure, baby," he stood from his chair. He opened the door, walking into the dim basement. As his eyes adjusted, he looked around and saw lines of bottles on shelves on the far wall. As he took a step forward, his boot hit something and he stooped down to see what it was. He picked up a small wooden horse, the carving on it intricate and detailed. He thought back to the carving knife Bella had used earlier, which had belonged to her father. As he looked up from the one in his hand, he saw many other toys scattered around the floor. There were trains, dogs, and people. He picked them up one at a time and laid them carefully on a table along the wall. He shook his head at the work that the old man must have done down here over the years.

Something to his left caught his eye and he glanced over under the stairs. A small, but sturdy cradle and crib were stored there and he shook his head in surprise.

"You ok down there?" Bella called from the top of the stairs.

"Yea, I'll be up in just a moment," he looked back over at the bottles of bourbon on the other side. He smiled wide as he picked one out and trotted upstairs with it, blowing off the dust as he went.

"Find any?" she looked up as he entered the kitchen, closing the basement door behind him. "Or did he drink it all?"

"There's actually a ton down there," he replied. "This one was bottled about twenty miles from where I grew up." James pointed at the label as he walked over to show her that it read 'Heaven Hill Distillery, Frankfort KY.'

She smiled, "that's good. Weird, though. I mean, he was always down there. I just figured he was drinking."

"I also found a cradle and a bunch of toys," he said in passing.

She looked over at him, confused. "You found what?"

"A cradle," he looked back at her. "And some carved wooden toys. Weren't they yours?" "The cradle might have been," she shrugged. "But I never had any wooden toys."

"Oh," he shrugged. "Well, maybe he was making them for someone else?"

She shook her head. "Who knows what he was thinking?"

James pulled the top from the bottle and poured a little into a glass. He sipped at it carefully, and smiled.

Bella grinned at him. "Good?" she asked.

"Incredibly," he smiled. He held out the glass. "Want a sip?"

She laughed and wrinkled her nose. "No, thank you. I tasted that once when I was little -- it was gross."

"It's probably not good for the baby, anyway," he shrugged, sipping it again with a sigh.

She glanced up at the clock and then down at her outfit. "My goodness, they'll be here soon and I look a fright. I have to go and change."

"Change, huh?" He gave her a wry look. "Now that might be something I'd like to see."

She laughed, "Now that's not necessary."

"Oh," he wrapped his arms around her. "But it is." He scooped her up into his arms and carried her up to their bedroom. He set her down on her feet and watched as she stripped off her riding clothes. "My bride is the most beautiful woman in the world."

She smiled over at him as slipped on a clean corset, turning so that James could lace it for her. He ran a hand up her bare leg and then grabbed the strings, placing a hand at her back. He pulled them tight, wincing at her gasp.

"Well done," she smiled.

"Too much?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "It's fine. Just don't squish our son," she smiled.

With that, he loosened the strings up a little and tied the strings. She pulled a simple dress over her head and turned around for his approval. James stripped down himself and changed into a clean pair of pants and a pressed cotton shirt.

Belle smiled, "you look so handsome."

"And you look beautiful," he kissed her cheek lightly and smiled at her blush.