(thank you Abby for the use of Nick!)

Sarah Jo, Toni and Suz were all at a corner table finishing off their Chinese food and giggling over the men in their lives. After they were done eating, they had planned on going for a moonlit horseback ride.

As she took another eggroll, Toni rolled her eyes and said, "I hope Nick can forgive me for not getting him some takeout this time. He loves this place!" All three of them laughed.

"Suz, I'm really looking forward to going riding. It's been a LONG time since I've been on top of a horse," Sarah Jo said as she cleaned up the last little bit of her lemon chicken.

Suz kept looking around at the decorations...thinking about Gaston and Kiara. "I'm so happy that you guys could come since we all have such busy schedules! If we aren't working, our men seem to be plastered to our sides." Suz told them, thinking about how Gaston wouldn't let her out of his sight.

"Yeah...sometimes they do get overprotective. So this is our night to kick back and take it easy. Suz, I really hope that Gaston's horse is as gentle as you say, or you're going to be picking me up out of the dirt!" Toni laughed.

"He is as gentle as a lamb, since Gaston had never ridden before he moved here." Suz reassured Toni, laughing and at last feeling really good.

"I hope so. Maybe if I talk to him nicely, he'll be patient with me," Toni smiled.

Sarah Jo chuckled. "I know the feeling about having guys plastered to your side, ladies. Duende and Dani were my constant shadows up until I moved in with them. They have actually given me a little more time to myself since then," she said as she giggled. "Do you realize it's been over 90 years since I've ridden?"

"Oh, wow! Star likes to go at a fast running walk, but don't worry, he won't run away with you," she told Sarah Jo.

"I'll be fine, I'm sure," Sarah Jo said. "Well, shall we go hit the saddle?" And with that they all got up, paid their bill, and headed off toward the stables.

"Toni, if you bribe Grand, he will be your best friend. I have a stash of carrots just for him. Let's go! I for one am ready to get back in the saddle!" Suz said, as she gathered her backpack.

"Great....I'd better take a few of those carrots with me," Toni replied, making a mental note for when they got there. The three ladies giggled and laughed all the way from May-Ling's to the stables across the bridge. Silas had been expecting them, and had the three horses all saddled up and ready for them.

"Oh, look at Satan, would you!" Suz laughed as he reared up, showing off his beautiful coat. Silas cussed under his breath at the horse for fear the ladies would get nervous. "I swear your horses are very gentle. It's just this big fellow here!" Suz smiled, patting Satan on the neck as she got on while he sidestepped the entire time.

Toni looked just a bit nervous as she watched this display, and then she was shown Grand, Gaston's horse. He whinnied softly and nuzzled her hand for something to eat; she produced one of the carrots she'd brought with her, and fed it to him. Satisfied with that, he stood patiently waiting for her to mount.

Sarah Jo easily swung up onto the bay Walker stallion named Star and gathered up the reins. She stood still and waited while Silas helped Toni to mount.

Toni made it up into the saddle, and thanked Silas for his help. When she was settled and had the reins in her hand, she nodded that she was ready to go when they were. They all left the stable yard at a walk, and headed toward the meadow. Satan kept prancing around for some reason until they got beyond the stable yard.

Grand, bless his heart, seemed to take no notice of his stablemate's antics, instead just continuing to walk along, for which Toni was very grateful. The stallion Sarah Jo was riding was much better behaved also; Grand seemed to sense he had a novice rider on him, and was being extra good.

"I am so happy the horses are behaving so well. Oh look, a rabbit!" Suz exclaimed, as she noticed a bunny hopping down the trail. Grand lifted his head and whuffed at the little creature, then went back to his silent stride.

"Mamma Kat had a nice, calm mountain pony that she taught me to ride on," Sarah Jo explained as she reached forward and affectionately slapped Star on the neck. "Don't think I ever sat in a saddle until I was 15. Always rode bareback. This horse would be a dream to ride that way, he gaits are so smooth!"

"I didn't even sit on a pony till I was 10, at the local pony rides. When I was about 20, a friend of mine took me horseback riding one time, and that has been it until now," Toni recalled.

"Oh! I started riding as a young child, but I had to ride side saddle when company was present. My cousin taught me how to ride astride to my grandpa's dismay. Tante Kat is a good rider. Toni, you have a natural seat," Suz told Toni, as she watched Toni ride. Grand had been a perfect choice for Toni even though he was 17 hands, which was much taller than the average horse.

Toni smiled, "Thank you, Suz. You were right, he really is a wonderful horse. Gaston must be very proud of him." She patted Grand's neck, and he lightly shook his head in acknowledgement.

"Ready to try a faster pace, or do you want to just keep it at this speed?" Suz asked the other gals. The trail they followed led up to the river, which they followed beside until it flowed out into the ocean. As they turned the horses onto the sandy beach, Satan tried to speed up on his own accord. Toni decided to try a trot, and it took the slightest touch from her to set Grand to a gentle trot, one she could easily handle.

"You are doing a great job! I will be back in a minute!" Suz informed them, as Satan took off into the night.

Toni turned to Sarah Jo, whose horse was doing a smooth running walk beside her, and asked, "Did that horse just run off with her? Do you think she'll be all right?"

Sarah Jo's nudged Star into a gentle rocking horse canter, so slow and easy that he stayed right beside the trotting Grand. "Lean forward onto the inside of your thighs," Sarah Jo suggested to Toni. She stared off into the growing dark. "She's a good rider, she'll be ok." In a few minutes, they could hear hoofbeats on the beach. Then in the moonlight, they could see a silhouette of Satan and Suz before the moon disappeared again. Toni did as she said, and soon the two horses matched their strides, going along and waiting for Suz to join them again.

"Sorry. Satan has this notion that if we are on the beach, it is gallop time. It's better to let him run for a minute or two and then stop him," Suz informed them as she rode back up to them. They all pulled their horses back to a walk and continued along the beach, letting the horses walk in the shallow water of the sea at times.

When they reached a secluded part of the beach far away from the Kimmie Estates and Sims City, the girls decided to take the saddles off the horses and go swimming with them in the deeper water.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Suz yelled, as she stripped down to skin and rode Satan into the water. A pile of clothes and 3 saddles soon rested on the shore, as the women rode the horses in the water.

Grand seemed to be having a fine time, whinnying and tossing his head, and occasionally splashing Sarah Jo's mount, who just nickered but otherwise ignored him. It was fun to dash around in the waves, the horses' muscles rippling under the bare skin of their legs.

"WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?" a male voice called out from the beach. Toni looked up and saw Nick trotting on foot toward them, a grin on his face! She smiled and waved to her love, who was followed by two other also grinning men.

When Duende got close enough to make out the girls state of *undress*, he grinned at the naked Sarah Jo, who stuck her tongue out at him. All three of the guys were trying their best to see through the darkness. It was obvious the girls were skinny dipping but it was hard to make out details.

Suz yelled in surprise as someone captured her, pulling her off the horse; spinning around, she discovered an already naked Lou. "LOU! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in awhile." Suz declared as Lou pulled her close for a kiss.

The other men, getting into the spirit of things, also shed their clothes, and were soon seated on the horses right behind their ladies, as they cuddled them close. Needless to say, the ladies didn't mind.

The three couples cavorted around in the water for a while, each woman enjoying the feel of her man's naked body pressed up against her back. Lou had helped Suz get back on board the horse and had then vaulted up himself.

But fairly soon, the feel of a particular part of their bodies prompted them to ride the horses back onto shore. Suz laughed as Lou whispered in her ear. Leaning back against him, she whispered back, "We can't in front of my friends." To which Lou responded, "I don't think that is a problem, since we have been left completely alone," finishing with a deep consuming kiss. The other two couples had ridden off without them noticing, to secluded little coves nearby.

Toni and Nick had no such problems with conversation, as they got off Grand as soon as they reached their destination. Then, hidden from prying eyes, they proceeded to lay down and start kissing passionately; this, of course, soon led to other things.

Sarah Jo steered Star away from the others, Duende's hands caressing her body as they rode. Reaching their own secluded spot, he jumped off and pulled her down to the ground beside him. After tethering Star, he laid her down on the sandy beach and covered her naked body with his own while they kissed and made love under the moonlight.

After quite awhile, the three couples, leading their horses, gradually came back to where they had all left the clothes and saddles on the sand, and dressed and started getting ready to go back. Riding double again, they slowly made their way back along the beach, as the beautiful canopy of stars shone down upon them.