by ae
Hurry up, Nan,” Nat urged, thrusting up the small hammer she had just beckoned for.
“Just one…There,” Nan made sure the mistletoe was secure before hopping down from the buckets. As her feet touched the floor, the wobbly ‘stool’ tumbled over, making a loud, disturbing ‘crash’.
“I ken hear Nick comin’. Hurry, help me with these buckets,” Nat bent down to begin stacking them up.
“We don’t have time to pick ‘em up. Nick will see us! Leave ‘em and he’ll just think that Penny did it, ” Nan gazed up at the mistletoe she had just nailed above the mare’s stall.
“Fine, but we don’t have all day,” Nat grabbed her arm and managed to hide them both behind bales of hay before Nick walked in. “That was close. What did ya keep lookin’ up at the mistletoe for? Nick coulda seen us,” he whispered questionably, looking over at Nan.
“I just wanted to make sure it ain’t gonna fall. ‘Cause if it did, Nick woulda seen it, and known we were up to somethin’,” she explained, lowering her voice. “Now we just have to hope that Mrs. Jo gets out here soon,” Nan crouched low, peering out a small whole as she watched Nick talk to Penny.
“Thought I ‘eard somethin’,” Nick chuckled, walking up to inspect the buckets scattered across the barn floor. “Been havin’ some fun?” He asked the mare, bending to stack them up again.
Penny pulled up her head and thrust it over the stall door, whickering loudly for attention.
“Jus’ a sec, gotta clean up yer mess,” he said out loud, leaning to push the last bucket into place. “Thare, now I’ll pet ya fer a second.”
Penny sighed, resting her head on Nick’s shoulder as he stood rubbing her silken neck.
Nan’s eyes opened wide.
“Oh no! He an’ Penny are standin’ under the mistletoe, not he an’ Mrs. Jo!”
Nat swung his head around, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth. “Shh! He’s gonna hear us, Nan!”
“What are we gonna do?” She asked in alarm.
“We can’t do anythin’,” he pressed a finger to his lip.
“Well, what have we here?” A voice called merrily from behind, startling everyone.
Nan and Nat turned around guiltily, assuming they’d been caught. But when they opened their eyes, no one was looking down at them. Instead, Jo had walked in and noticed Nick with Penny.
“Why Nick, you and Penny are standing under the mistletoe,” her eyes twinkled as she looked over at Nick.
He choked back. “Mistletoe? Ya mean I gotta kiss this horse er, Penny?”
Jo tipped her head, resting a hand on her hip.
“Let me think…Oh, I don’t think a quick peck on the cheek would hurt anybody,” she teased him.
Nick let out a long sigh, and with a dreading expression, leaned over and placed a kiss on Penny’s muzzle. “There, I done me duty,” he stepped back, giving her a rueful glance.
Jo laughed softly. “Who ever thought you’d be under the mistletoe with a horse…?”
“Not me,” Nick pulled off his hat, running a hand through his long hair (which could kinda use just a tiny little bit of a trim. :)).
Jo laughed again and smiled. “Well, shall we begin our lesson?”
Nan suddenly gasped, louder than she meant to. “Nat, they’re leavin’! We gotta make her kiss ‘im!”
“Shh… Okay, we just ‘ave to think of somethin’,” Nat furrowed his brows, racking his brain for ides.
“I know!” He clapped his hands together, looking over at her. After a second of explaining, they set out with their plan.
“Told ya I’d win, Nan!” Nat called, facing the doorway as he ran out from the bale, hoping to make it look as though he had just come in.
Nan jumped out and followed suit, luckily before Jo and Nick turned to see what was going on.
He continued to walk backward, pretending to not know that Jo was standing a few feet behind him. With a last leap, he turned around, bumping into Jo, who then was thrown back against Nick.
“Jo…” Nick reached out his arms to catch her although he knew she wouldn’t fall to the ground.
Nan stopped, trying to keep the broad smile from showing on her face.
“Mrs. Jo, Nick, you’re standin’ under the mistletoe!”
Jo flushed, quickly pulling away from Nick. “Under the Mistletoe?”
“Guess that means ya gotta kiss her, Nick,” Nat smiled from where he stood, trying to act casual.
Nick raised a brow in curiosity. “Kiss ‘er, huh? Well that might not be so bad,” he winked.
“K-kiss me? Really?”
He shook his head. “Yup. After all, ya made me kiss a horse.”
“So I did…” She murmured, closing her eyes as Nick gave her a soft kiss.
“Ya know what?” Nick asked, pulling away.
“What?”
“That was much better ‘n kissin’ yar horse.”
Okay, a kiss from Max is one thing--he's pretty much a member of the family. But Penny? Now that we weren't expecting! We haven't seen much of her since "Philanthropy," so we're glad to see her get a little love!
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