After some time, they finally looped back around and were on their way out of the woods when Applejack finally broke the silence. “Say... Would you be interested in a game of hoofball?”

“Hoofball?” he asked with half smirk.

“Yeah,” she replied with a nod. “There's usually a few ponies in the park who're up for a game or two.”

“Ah'm good fer a game,” he replied with an easy grin. “Ah'm sure it can't be too hard ta pick up.”

Applejack grinned and picked up the pace. “Well, come on then,” she said happily. “If we're lucky, there might be a group lookin' for a few extras to round out their numbers.”

Galen couldn't help but grin at her excitement. He wasn't sure what to expect about his date with Applejack, but this was a pleasant turn of events. He had been yearning on a subconscious level for some form of physical exertion and Applejack was definitely fulfilling his need. They exited the woods and into the light, a pleasant burning sensation from the sun invigorating them after their time in the calming shade. They didn't run, but they certainly didn't walk either as they made their way to the park. Applejack explained the rules of the game. As she gave him the rundown, it sounded a lot like rugby by and large, which he was quite familiar with as he played quite a bit of it while growing up. The only major difference was that they generally had smaller team sizes which was made up for by the specialized roles fulfilled by the different types of ponies on each team. The only downside was that there was no real format where a team could be formed entirely out of one of the tribes since there would be such a disparity in strength between teams who had ponies with unique talents that would lend them an entirely unfair advantage.

When they made it to the outer fringes of the park, they quickly found that Lero and Rainbow had been moping around the main expanse of the playing area, tossing around a well used hoofball during some mutual time off and quickly homed in on the newcomers like a predator honing in on some unsuspecting prey.

“Hey guys,” Lero said as he greeted them with a grin that was equal parts enjoyment and barely contained excitement. “What brings you two here?”

“This an' tha',” Galen replied with a chuckle. “Figured we'd find a nice game o' hoofball ta keep tha lazies away.”

“You know about hoofball?” Rainbow asked with an expression of growing excitement that the new couple couldn't help but chuckle at seeing. “Then what are we waiting for?”

“A couple more bodies ta fill out the sides, maybe?” Galen replied with a snort of amusement.

“Gimme a moment,” Rainbow immediately responded with a determined grin. “I'll find us a couple interested in joining us in no time.” Without waiting for their replies, she took to the air with a gust of wind and a blur of color as she went off in search for their future teammates.

“So, what's up with yew two?” Galen asked to keep any awkward silences at bay.

“Not a whole lot,” Lero replied with a wave of his hand. “Lyra's checking up on Alex right now and Twilight's busy with perusing some of the city's records since she's been wanting to write a book about the history of the town for a while now. You'd swear she was a mare born and raised here by how much she loves this place.”

“It don't matter if you were born here or not,” Applejack replied with a warm smile. “Home is where your heart is and she loves her home dearly. To be honest, Ah'm surprised she took this long ta start shaking the rafters and dustin' out the basement for all the old stories about this place...”

Lero couldn't help but blush slightly on Twilight's behalf at the praise as he laughed at her words. “I guess you're right there,” he replied after a moment. “So what are you two up to today? If I had to guess, it seems as if you're out for a date~” He teased with a smirk.

“Well, yew wouldn't be wrong,” Galen replied with a smile as he looked down at Applejack. “This little filly knows how to start a day off... Raced me all tha from tha farm an' through town ta Whitetail Woods.”

“Who won?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“It was a tie,” Applejack answered with a prideful smile directed up at Galen.

Lero whistled and grinned. “That's no small feat there,” he said with a laugh. “She's one of the fastest ponies in town, next to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie...”

Galen was about to tease Applejack a bit, but his attention was drawn away when he saw Rainbow trotting back to them with a pair of ponies in tow. One was a light gray pegasus mare with a straw blond mane, her eyes looking in completely different directions and tail while the other was a mocha coated stallion with a chestnut mane and tail. They soon came up to the others with easy smiles, Rainbow greeting them with an easy grin.

“Morning Derpy, Doctor Hooves,” Lero said with a bright smile. “So you two want to join us in our game of hoofball?”

“Yeah!” Derpy said enthusiastically. “Doc needs more exercise anyway and what better way than a little game of ball?” She finished by sticking her tongue out as she looked over at him.

Doctor flushed a bit at Derpy's teasing and chuckled. “Certainly,” he replied with a weak chuckle. “So what team will we be joining?”

“I was thinking Derpy could join Galen and Applejack's team while you could join ours since Lero and Galen can replace the unicorns on their teams,” Dash replied quickly.

“I'm not entirely sure about this,” he said quietly to Derpy who tossed him a sly little smile.

“Well, how about this...” she leaned in and whispered in his twitchy ear for a couple moments, causing Doc to blush from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears part way through her encouragement.

“I-” he cut off with a hoarse cough before continuing. “I'm perfectly fine with these arrangements...”

Dash cackled, Lero snickered and Applejack and Galen chuckled at the little show. “Seems like teams are settled,” Lero said as the two newcomers moved to stand with their respective teams. “What do you say we play to thirty points? No need for the bonus kicks since there's not many of us here, right?”

They looked between each other and either nodded or shrugged their approval before the all important question was asked by Derpy, “So who starts with the ball?”

Lero gave a cocky grin and tossed the oblong ball to Galen who casually grabbed it out of the air. “You guys can,” he answered as he started walking a bit away from them. Rainbow and Doc both moved to catch up with him in putting a bit of distance between the teams. Galen looked between Derpy and Applejack, getting confident smiles and nods from both before letting a wicked grin split his face. He tucked the ball into the crook of his left arm and took off in a crouched run while the two mares took off to keep pace. Derpy took off at an angle to put some distance between them, Rainbow Dash quickly taking to the air to keep her in check while Applejack put on a burst of speed to run interference with Doc. That just left Lero to deal with Galen which was fine by him.

Lero crouched down and lunged forward when he realized that Galen wasn't going to try to run around him and found the smaller mans shoulder slamming into his chest, knocking him back while he ducked and spun under Lero's right arm while backwards with a laugh, completing his spin half a pace away before darting off. Lero turned to try to tackle him, but slipped on his heel, letting Galen run off without so much as his tunic getting a tug. Rainbow Dash saw what happened and let off on her defense of Derpy in an attempt to halt Galen in his tracks. Galen saw her winging after him as he looked behind himself to see if any of the others were in pursuit. Just before Dash caught up with him, he hopped into the air, spinning himself as he let the ball loose just over the tips of her ears while bracing himself for her impact.

She had been distracted for a split second by his action and that let Galen have enough time to get his arm back in time for her to slam them both into the ground. They hit with a faint thud and quickly found their selves wrestling with one another, Rainbow to get free to chase the ball while Galen to keep her tangled up. Galen was surprised at just how strong she was and in the spur of the moment, he brought both hands up to either side of her barrel and began tickling her mercilessly. She let out an involuntary girlish shriek of mirth as his fingers danced up and down her sides, causing her struggles to lose some strength. He quickly wrested her into a headlock after a couple choice moments and pinned her to the ground with both back legs wrapped around one of her hind legs. She wriggled and squirmed, but couldn't get free.

From their spot, they saw Derpy (who had been very surprised to find the ball come sailing at her and almost letting it drop down on top of a Lero who was just getting up from his stumble) flew overhead with the ball clutched in her forelegs and landed in the goal area they had unofficially been assigned with a happy cheer. Everyone else except for Galen couldn't help but gawk as the usually clumsy mare scored the first points of the game.

“Tha's five fer us, right?” he asked the stunned pegasus in his grip. She could only scowl in reply as he let her get huffily to her hooves beside him.

“Yeah, but the game's far from over!” she said just before taking back to the skies. Galen got back to his feet with a wide grin at Derpy as she trotted over with the ball under a wing.

“That was amazing!” she said as he crouched down to take it from her grip. “I've never been great at sports, but it was like you just handed the ball to me and absolutely nothing went wrong!”

“Ah think we surprised 'em there, but Ah don' think Dash'll fall fer tha' again...” he said in reply, making Derpy's mood dampen slightly in exchange for a more serious one. “Think yew'd be willin' ta cover Leerah with me? Jackie's got some good legs on 'er, so Ah don' think Doc'll be too much trouble, but tha big guy'll give me some trouble if 'e gets by.”

“But you're so fast!” she replied as he stood up and started walking toward the opposite side of the area. They passed Lero and the Doc who gave the pair competitive stares that they completely ignored, much to their annoyance.

“Maybe, but 'e's bigger an' Ah don' fancy tacklin' 'im...” he said with a snort of amusement. “Ah may be fast an' agile, but Ah don' want a black eye on accident...”

“That would be pretty bad,” she agreed with a quick nod.

“So tha's what Ah'm thinkin' if yer game.”

“We can do it, no problem,” she said with an eager grin. He just gave her an equally eager grin and a nod. When AJ came over to the pair as they crossed the field, they gave her the run down on the game plan and she couldn't help but agree with his assessment. Dash was so fast that any ball given to her would be a sure way to score, so they should nip as many chances of that happening in the bud.

When they made it to the other side, Galen crouched down and held the ball upright in his hand about two feet from the ground and smiled at AJ. She shot him a cocky smirk as she sashayed her hips and tail as she got in position. She looked over her shoulder once to lock the balls position in her mind before bunching up and unleashing a full strength buck to the ball to return it across the field to the others. It rocketed so fast from his hand that Galen liked to entertain the thought that he heard a faint whistling noise. It crossed about a third of the field before the three of them were chasing after it while the others got into position as they tried to predict the high speed ball.

By a quick and unerring calculation, Doc shuffled himself to his right by a half step, held out his left forehoof and waited with a patient air. He watched, out of curiosity to see if Dash or Lero would manage to intercept the ball despite his best efforts. As it turned out, Dash was a few centimeters too high to grab it in a shallow swoop and Lero was a few too short when he jumped to snatch it out of the air. They turned to watch where the ball would end up and felt their mouths open with slack jawed astonishment as Doc seemed to casually grab the ball and tuck it to his chest in a perfect catch. “We had best get a move on,” he said with a competitive grin before matching his words to action with a spry gallop that sent a clod of earth sailing through the air behind him.

Dash and Lero quickly moved to action after him, moving slightly ahead to give him some cover. Then they made it to the halfway point and the aggressors suddenly found their selves with a conundrum as both Applejack and Galen focused on Doc while Derpy harried Lero to the best of her abilities. Rainbow, left completely open tried to double back, but Galen had anticipated as much and kept himself between her and any feasible passing angles Doc might have. After a half moment of indecision and confusion, Doc found himself on his back after a fiercely grinning Applejack shoulder tackled him.

“Ya got some fancy moves, catchin' mah return like that, but ya gotta be faster on yer hooves ta land some points...” she said with a chuckle as she moved off him and gave him a leg up.

“I must admit, your strategy proved far more effective than I imagined it would,” he replied. “I take it you gave up on guarding Miss Dash to provide a two person defense on whomever had the ball to prevent it being passed to her while the third plays interference on the other?”

“Tha' was mah idea,” Galen confirmed with a wry smirk. “If Dash gets tha ball, ain't nopony gonna stop 'er, but tha's only if she gets it...”

“Hey!” Dash half shouted as she pointed a hoof between the three of them. “What kind of game plan is that?!”

“The kind that works,” Derpy supplied with a grin and a giggle, making Dash flush and grumble at her sudden impotence.

“It's okay, love,” Lero said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “We'll find a way around it...”

Dash redoubled her spirit and nodded fiercely before growling, “Damn right we will...”

“Tha's tha spirit,” Galen said with a fierce grin of his own. “Wouldn't be any fun if ya jus' gave up like tha'...”

“Bring it on, buster,” Dash growled as her grin widened while a forehoof pawed at the ground. “We'll get the better of you before the end of this and make you eat some turf!”

Galen just laughed at that as he and the mares on his side got into position. He leaned down to AJ and whispered, “Try ta make 'im fumble or pass ta Dash... Ah'm sure we can get tha ball if 'e tries either. Derpy's good fer Lero, since it looks like she's a bit too unpredictable fer 'im...”

“Leave it ta me, sugar cube,” she said with a smirk that flashed sultry when she gave him a wink, making him chuckle and smile in return.

After resetting their positions, Lero crouched down with the ball held between his feet while both Derpy and Galen faced off against him as AJ took up a spot in front of Doctor Hooves. As quick as anything, Lero sprung up and backed off as he looked for an opening to pass. Lero, not one to be taken by surprise here, kept himself in a neutral position to see how their play would pan out. He noticed Turner give AJ the slip, but she quickly turned about and kept on him closely while Dash rushed ahead. His distraction proved to be his undoing as Lero pulled a deft rolling dodge between both Derpy and him, causing her to quickly turn to chase only to end up colliding with Galen hard enough for the two to land on the ground in an ungainly pile of limbs.

Galen tried to help Derpy get off of him, but by the time they'd separated from one another, Lero had caught up with Dash by the time AJ had caught up to him and passed the ball just as she lunged for a tackle. Dash, ready for his pass caught it without and problem and winged off to even the score. “Ha!” Dash cried from down the field. “How about them apples, huh?”

AJ only grumbled in response as she returned to her teammates and said, “Let's see if'n we can't make 'er choke on them apples o' hers...” From that point on, the fight got serious between the two teams as they fought each other for the lead. However, it was to be said for Lero's team that the familiarity between he and Dash was more than a match for anything Galen's team could fight against as they communicated with glances and slight gestures that gave nothing away, giving them the advantage to take the lead and the competition in the end. Twenty minutes after the start of their game saw a very sweaty and slightly winded group that settled down to cool off by the drinking fountain while they traded lighthearted jibes and taunts at each other for some blunder or compliments about a play they had done. By the time they finished cooling off, Derpy and Doc took their leave with her nibbling on his ear and him walking on stiff legs.

“So tha' was a heap o' fun,” Galen said as he lay propped up on the grass by his elbows while AJ lay sprawled on her side close by.

“That it was,” Lero said in reply as he took a lightly dozing Dash in his arms, smiling as he continued, “But it's time for this big baby's nap time.” Dash grumbled something unintelligible, making Lero and the others chuckle.

“Anyway, it's 'bout time fer us ta drop by Sugar Cube Corner fer lunch with Pinkie,” Galen said as he slowly got up and picked up his own pony partner, to her blushing embarrassment. Despite her protests, he settled her on his back as he held her in place by her flanks which sufficed to mute any further protests under an even deeper blush. “She's prob'ly wonderin' where we're at by now.”

Lero grinned at AJ's and Galen's modified mimicry and replied, “Wouldn't do to keep your other marefriend waiting, so I'll take my leave. Make sure to drop us a line and come over for supper sometime and we'll be sure to have something hearty grilled up for you. It's the least we could do for the excellent cookout you hosted the other day.”

“Ah'll be sure ta do tha',” Galen said with a smile and a nod. “Catch ya 'round town, mate...” With that, Galen made off for the heart of town while Lero took the long way around the edge of town back to his place. By the time they reached Sugar Cube Corner, the lunch rush was just finishing up and a certain perky pink pony popped up with a prodigious grin that only grew when she saw Applejack hitching a ride on his back. “Hey, Pinkie, how was work?”

“Pretty good,” she replied as peppy as ever while she reared up to give AJ a quick kiss on her snout and a warm nuzzle for Galen. As she pulled back, she caught a good whiff of Galen and he felt himself smirk a bit as he watched her eyes widen and dilate slightly at his scent. “Smells like you've been out having fun~” She finished with a wink that made his ears warm slightly.

“Had a game o' hoofball with Leerah and a couple others,” he explained while a crimson faced AJ nodded her confirmation from over his shoulder.

“I see...” she said with a smirk and a wink. “Well, in that case, feel free to go out and work up a sweat more often...”

Galen couldn't help but chuckle at that. “No need for all tha' when Ah got mah hands full helpin' AJ 'round tha farm an' even less after Ah'm open fer business. O' course, tha' don' mean gettin' clean can't be it's own special kind o' fun, right?”

Pinkie let out a slow giggle that had a sultry purr to it, her wide grin eager for when that time finally came about. She finally replied in a near whisper that had both Galen and AJ chortling, “As much as I'd like to keep this train of thought going, I don't think it would be a proper work ethic if I got so worked up that I were to tackle my stallion and beg him to ravage me in the middle of the store~”

“Save that fer his housewarming, Pinkie,” AJ replied out loud with a smirk as she took the edge of Galen's ear between her lips and ran the tip of her tongue across what she held. Please by the way he gave a little shudder, she let him go and gave him a little peck on his coarse cheek.

Pinkie's smile just widened with a twitch of her ears and a flip of her tail before she gave herself a shake. “Anyway, I'm sure you two could stand to rest for a bit and have something refreshing to perk you back up. Go ahead and find a spot and I'll be right back with something that'll set you right,” she said as she trotted off behind the counter and into the kitchen.

Suiting her words to action, Galen made his way over to a booth and carefully placed AJ down on one of the benches while he took the other. They didn't have much more time than for either of them to wipe some sweat from their brows than Pinkie had returned with a tray of turnovers and a trio of milkshakes. After passing around the shakes and setting the tray so they could all reach it easily, she slipped up beside AJ and gave her a brief hug before snagging a pastry and dipping it in her shake before downing the whole thing in one bite.

“So how's your day been, Pinkie?” AJ asked to start things off while Galen took a solid swig of his milkshake, eyes lighting up at the refreshing peppermint leaves that had been mixed in..

“Same old, same old,” she replied with an easy smile. “What about you two? Your day been going well?”

“Aside from gettin' trounced at hoofball, it's been pretty good,” AJ replied.

“Well, I'm sure Dashie wouldn't just roll over for either of you in any case,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “But you had fun at least, right?”

“Yeah,” Galen said with a smile directed at AJ as she grabbed a turnover from the plate and scarfed it down quickly. “It was a good bit o' fun. Now Ah'm lookin' forward ta seein' what AJ gets up to for a bit o' relaxin'...”

“Oh, it ain't nothin' special,” AJ replied with a wave of her hoof. “Ah normally just spend some time swimmin' or lazing by the shore of the pond in our orchard... Might bring a bottle o' hard cider or two along with me, but nothin' too crazy or fancy...”

“Sounds perfect ta me,” Galen said with an easy smile. “An' Ah'm sure we'll be there relaxin' fer a good while, so if Pinkie were to mosey on out there after she's done with work, Ah'm sure we'd be able ta accommodate her, wouldn't ya say?”

“Ah don't see why not,” AJ said with a smile and a nudge to Pinkie's shoulder.

“I don't think I'd be able to pass up an invitation like that, so I'll see you two there,” she said with a grin just before she slurped down a hearty swig of her shake. “I get off at four today, so I shouldn't keep you two waiting for long.”

“We'll be waitin',” Galen and AJ said in unison, expressions of surprise mirroring each other once again before all three of them burst out in laughter.

After finishing their late lunch, it was nearly two in the afternoon when AJ and Galen made it back to the farm. After talking about it on the way there, Galen went about hunting down a bucket to fill with ice and hard cider while AJ gathered a blanket and a few towels as well. After everything was gathered up, they slowly made their way through the orchard as a gentle wind blew across the treetops, scattering bright petals through the scented air. No words passed between the two as they made their way, instead enjoying the silence between them and the sounds of the orchard.

After a time, AJ led him off the path and through the trees and between a few hills until the small pond appeared suddenly, shining mirror bright in the afternoon sun. They made their way over to the big tree beside the pond and set up the blanket in the shade after Galen set the ciders by the base of it. After that was set up, Galen began kicking off his boots, letting them lay as they fell in the grass before pulling his tunic up and over his head, letting it fall beside his boots. AJ had only seen him shirtless from a distance and couldn't help herself as she bit her lower lip at the sight he made, darkly tanned skin and pale alike, taught over the bunches of muscles barely softened by a small layer of healthy fat. His shoulders, usually nothing to think about, rose up mightily when he stretched and shrugged them while his biceps looked like slabs of split wood stuffed under his skin. Both his front and back resembled nothing other than great slabs of living stone that glistened under the light coat of sweat on him.

“Appreciate tha view?” he asked with a chuckle while he struck a few cheesy poses that put his muscles on sharp display in the light. AJ's only reply was a nod as her face lit up in a blush which made Galen grin widely. Sitting down, he leaned back on his elbows and gave her a wink. “This ain't a museum, so ya can touch if ya want...” AJ couldn't help but give a little chuckle as she licked her lips before slowly walking over to him with an exaggerated sway to her hips. She turned around at the last moment and sat down on his lap with a little wiggle to make herself comfortable. She leaned back and put both her hooves up against his pectorals and kneaded against them gently, as she looked up at him from under the rim of her hat. Without warning, Galen relaxed and tensed his pectorals, causing her to experience a little jolt which made her eyes widen a bit and caused Galen to laugh. “Like what ya feel?”

“Sugar cube, by our standards, you are one fine stud and could have any number o' mares lined up fer foals when the season rolls 'round... Let's just say Ah'm glad ya didn't go off an' join a professional stable.”

“As much fun as that sounds, Ah'm pretty sure Ah'll be happier where Ah'm at,” he replied with a soft smile as he reached up and removed her hat while barely shifting his weight at all. Her hat landed without a sound in the grass and she felt her mane tie being fumbled with as he undid it, her hair finally cascading free down the side of her neck and lightly sticking to his torso. “Besides, an endless series of lifted tails seems a lot more work than spending at least ten hours a day in a forge...”

“Some would argue with that,” AJ replied with a little smirk.

“Well, if bits get tight, then you could negotiate my 'rental' rate,” he replied with a grin.

“Ah don't think so, hun,” she said with a possessive little growl in her tone as she nibbled along the edge of his jawline.

“So, Ah take it ya want a bit o' sugar from this block o' salt?” AJ let herself growl a little deeper as she looked up at him from where she lightly sucked at the corner of his jaw, reminding him of nothing more than a cat about to pounce on its prey. “Help yerself,” he said with a grin that dissolved into a small chuckle once she lunged up and locked her lips with his. The first thing he noticed about kissing AJ was that she was fierce, making no mistake about what she's after and he responded in kind to show he was no pushover. After a short time they broke apart with a huff, both licking their lips and tasting the flavor of the others lips while they maintained eye contact. This time it was Galen that let go a little growl as he reached behind AJ's head and pulled her in for another kiss, getting her to let go a little moan of pleasure as his fingers meshed and tugged through her mane.

This time, AJ opened her mouth wider than before and flicked her tongue over his lips which brought about his immediate retaliation as his tongue crashed into hers, causing her to moan deeply as their kiss deepened even further. After some time, they broke apart once again to pant for breath before colliding together once again. They continued to make out like this until they lost track of time, but when Galen felt AJ beginning to slightly grind her hips into him and that get a rise out of him, he decided to break things off.

“It's about time we cooled off,” he growled, voice low and gravelly from everything they'd been doing.

“No way, partner,” AJ replied as she nibbled along his sweaty collarbone. “Ah'm just waitin' 'til Pinkie gets here an' then we can all get down ta business...”

“What was all tha' 'bout testin' mah bed?” he asked with a smirk.

“Ah'm liable ta say buck yer bed an' ride ya into tha sunset today,” she replied with a grinding of her hips into his lap harder than before with a faint aroma beginning to make its presence known.

“Hey guys!” Pinkie called as she hopped out from behind the hill directly behind them. Galen looked over at Pinkie and gave her a bit of a bashful smile. “Did I come at a good time?”

“Well, that depends...” he started, but was put off when Pinkie started sniffing at the air after she came up next to the big tree.

“Uh oh...” she said with a slightly worried expression directed towards AJ.

“What d'ya mean, 'uh oh?'”

“Applejack's heat may be starting a bit sooner than we expected...”

“Right... Time for a dip, then...” he said as he picked up the increasingly affectionate mare in his arms and sprinted right to the pond without another word or even a chance for her to realize what was going on. Right when they were on the edge he turned, crouched and jumped so that he would hit the water first and fell under the water with a massive splash. They came up from the water spluttering and shaking water from their heads, Galen grinning while AJ was gasping for breath as her heated body cooled down. “Feelin' more like yerself, Jackie?”

“Lan' sakes! Warn a mare before ya go an' do somethin' like that!”

Pinkie laughter came rolling out to them from where she stood by the blanket. “It was for your own good, AJ!” she called after she got herself under control. “You just had your first heat flash of the season.”

At Pinkie's words, AJ flushed a bright crimson and buried her face in the crook of Galen's neck and shoulder. “It's okay, AJ,” Galen said as he gently rubbed her withers, causing her to shiver as her wet fur stuck up only to be smoothed down a second later. “Ah figured ya'd appreciate me givin' yew a dip rather than spoilin' your first time in a surge of hormones. That bein' said, Ah may have ta ask the fellas workin' on mah place ta put a fire under their tails an' push things ahead a bit unless ya want ta wake up yer family with a ruckus...” He finished with a joking half grin as he gently pulled her back so he could look her in the eye.

“Ah reckon you're right, but will ya be able ta cover tha overtime?”

“Remember tha' whole bit 'bout tha loans? Well, part o' tha' was to ensure Ah had enough ta get by on fer a year so Ah could build a customer base, but with a bit o' extra effort, Ah'm sure Ah can make up tha difference if we can get it up even a week sooner...”

“Ah'll chip in some ta help out too since it looks like Ah'll be spendin' a good share o' mah time there with ya...”

A sudden splash of water followed by a sudden bout of giggling announced the arrival of Pinkie to their conversation. “And I can help out too, since we're all in this together,” she said with an eager grin and a glowing blush. “Or well, Galen's gonna be in us as the case may be.” She amended with a giggle before sticking her tongue out.

“You two ain't gotta help me out like this,” he replied with a kiss to both their noses. “Ah appreciate the sentiment, Ah really do, but this is somethin' Ah gotta take care of... Just like Ah gotta take care o' tha two o' you...”

“Any reason why?” Pinkie asked as she tilted her head curiously...

“Just me bein' me, Ah guess yew could say...” he replied with a smile directed at her. “But if ya wanna make it up with some homemade sweets, Ah wouldn't be able ta say no ta tha'...” He ended that with a wink that got her giggling.

“I would say something about cooking for you in nothing but an apron, but we don't normally wear clothes anyway,” she replied with a giggle as she stuck out her tongue again.

“True... But Ah'm sure yew'll figure somethin' out ta knock me on mah can...” he said with a knowing smirk. “Hopefully somethin' with a bit less gunpowder an' confetti this time?”

“Oh, come on!” Pinkie mock groaned, “That was one time!”

AJ and Galen both burst out laughing with Pinkie joining in a moment later, splashing her two lovers in mild retaliation which quickly escalated into a full on splash fight. After some time, they were spent and waded back to the shore to dry off, Galen taking off his belt and pants to relax in nothing but his boxers. At both mares' blushing looks, he grinned and said, “Please, ladies, try ta hold yerselves back...”

They both mumbled something incoherent, but still sidled up to him before Pinkie slowly pushed him to the ground with a gentle kiss while AJ lightly traced a hoof along his muscles. Once he was prone, the two mares shared a kiss and draped themselves over a part of him. “Oh yeah, Galen?” Pinkie said in a light tone of voice, speaking of amusement at what she was about to say.

“What's tha'?” he asked as he fought off the drowsy mood that seemed to be taking them all.

“If AJ tries to get frisky with you again, I give you permission to goose her with an ice cube to her mare bits,” she replied, barely managing to hold back her laughter until the end which only redoubled when AJ gave an undignified squawk at her words. At that, they all laughed themselves out and dozed in the shade until the sun was nearly set before waking up to fold up the towels, blanket and a bucket full of mildly cool water and undrunk ciders. After walking Pinkie to the edge of the farm and parting with a kiss from both of them, AJ and Galen made it back to the farm without incident. After putting their supplies in their designated places, Galen left AJ at the top of the stairs with a slow but firm kiss that promised things to come if she could only wait. One thing that she knew for sure, being a farmer for all these years, was how to wait for something good and with that thought, she fell asleep with an eager smile on her face.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the year long delay... Been distracted by work and other cloptastic stories I've been writing Xb I'll try to get back to this on a regular basis...

That being said, the next chapter will be Galen's day with the CMC Hope you're ready for one helluva ride