An Unexpected Stop

Story by Quillhog on SoFurry

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#1 of Bridger Cross Country

When things change at home, a Mustang from Oklahoma heads out to see the world he's been missing. The world he finds isn't the one he was looking for. Written 2014.


The blue sky and shining sun gave a cheerful outlook to the day as the bright brown mustang morph drove his rented red Mustang convertible into the small California town. He wasn't sure quite where he was and he didn't care. He had no place to be, but free.

Three years ago, he had been a slave on a farm in Oklahoma, knowing nothing but work and the mares that were brought to breed. His family was together and their owners were more like family than masters, so he was happy with his life then; it didn't seem bad. Who could complain about a life with no worries?

When morphs were declared equal to humans and owners were forced to compensate them for back pay, they were suddenly wealthy. Like most small farmers with slaves, the Campbells couldn't afford to pay a cash sum. His family had accepted the farm as compensation and allowed the humans to stay on to help run it.

Then, the government demanded taxes on the income and they had to sell off a lot of the equipment to cover it. The farm was struggling, but with six horse morphs and eight humans determined to survive together, he was sure they would be fine.

As much as he had enjoyed his life, he knew it wouldn't be the same. He wanted to get out and see what he had been missing, so his father gave him a chunk of money and let him go. His big plan was to circle America, starting with the West Coast Highway, then find a way to see Australia and the birthplace of morphs. It was a long way to go, but he had no deadlines. His life was as free as the breeze.

He suddenly slammed on the brakes as a red furred morph kid with a huge tail stepped into the road. He put the car in park, pulled off his seatbelt and jumped over the door to see if he was going to end his trip early, in jail, "Oh manure! Are you alright?"

The little critter was just standing beside the car with his little paw on the corner, "Well, this shouldn't be stopped here. You know they tow cars parked in the crosswalk."

The horse towered over him at over six and a half feet, "I'm sorry. I thought I hit you."

"Nope, but you're still in my way."

He stepped back to let the kid go by, "There you go, you can get around."

The little one slid his paw along the car towards the front, "Of course, there's an end to this wall somewhere."

"Are you blind?"

"That would be why I'm feeling for the end of your car."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Where are you going? I'll take you there." He picked up the kid and put him in the car, then did the same with the cart of books he had been pulling and hurried around to get behind the wheel.

After some flailing in the air, the red furred morph held tight to the side of the car as it soon started moving, "What the shell are you doing? You don't just pick people up like that! And now you're kidnapping me?"

"I'll drive you wherever you're going, it's no trouble."

"I was just trying to get across the street. The bookstore's right there."

"Oh," he turned the car around and headed back, pulling up in front of the bookstore. "Here we are." He got out and ran around, then pulled the kid out of the car, resulting in more flailing.

"Stop that! What did I just tell you about picking me up?! Put me down!"

He set him down gently, "Sorry. I won't do it again. Let me carry your books for you."

"No. I'm fine, just give me my cart," he swung his arms around, looking for the handle, but instead found a thick thigh, covered in smooth fur.

"Its the least I can do for all the trouble I've caused you."

The little one swallowed, trying to hide his sudden nervousness, his paw still on the muscular leg and wondering what else was attached to it, "Fine. Just show me to the bookstore."

The horse ducked as he entered and carried the cart to the counter.

The blond man there greeted them with a smile, "Well hey, Chessie. Who's your friend?"

"I'm not really a friend, I'm just helping him out."

Chessie gave a scowl that could bleach fur.

"Well, if you stopped to help, you're friend enough. I'm Tin," he offered a hand to the horse.

"My name's Bridger Ulysses Mustang," he shook the hand firmly.

"That's quite a name and quite a grip to go with it."

"Sorry about that, you can call me Bridger."

Chessie spoke up, "I'll call you BUM, as in pain-in-the."

"I'm trying not to be."

"Well, you're failing miserably, now get out of the way," he put his paws on the big thigh and pushed, lingering just a bit.

Bridger stepped aside and Tin gave him a confused apologetic shrug.

"I heard that, just trade out my books so I can be done with this clod-sdale."

"I'm a mustang morph, actually. What exactly are you?"

"Annoyed."

Tin answered instead, "He's a red squirrel and kind of a local celebrity."

"Really? What does he do?"

"He hears every word you're saying," Chessie grumbled.

"Well, he was the first furry born in our town and kind of became our mascot. Didn't you see his picture on the sign?"

"I wasn't really paying attention."

"Yeah, that's why you almost ran me over."

"I said I was sorry about that and I'm trying to make up for it."

"Well, stop trying."

Tin tried to change the subject as he scanned the books from the cart, "You don't seem like you're from anywhere near here."

"I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. When they abolished morph slavery, I left."

"Oh. We didn't do the slavery thing here in Cali. We like our furries."

"What's a furry?"

Tin laughed, "Well, you are."

"I'm a morph."

"It's just our word for it."

"Oh. Okay," the horse tried to let the new word sink in.

"So, what are you doing out here?"

"I'm on a tour around the US."

"Oh, are you with a band?"

"No, it's just me."

"So, you're famous or something?"

"No, it's just a personal thing. Get out and see what's out here."

"Ah, gotcha. See the world, make new friends. Hi, I'm Tin," he offered his hand again with a wink.

The horse shook it again and laughed, "Bridger."

"Have you been to Muscle Beach?"

"Somebody else suggested it, but it wasn't for me."

"I'm surprised. You're built like a wall."

"It's just from working the farm. Lifting weights just to lift more weights and brag about how many weights you can lift seems pointless to me."

"I bet the ladies liked you."

"A few, but no mares."

"You should broaden your interests. Try something other than horseflesh."

"I've thought about it, but humans are so small."

"Oh you'd be surprised what some of us can take."

"When you two are done flirting, can I get my books?"

Tin smirked, "Why so grumpy today, Ches? Something crawl in your fur?"

"Yeah, a horse sized something."

"Well, I didn't pull them yet." he looked up at Bridger, "Why don't you help him out. His braille section is right behind you."

Ches groaned, "Come on, Tin. I'm trying to get rid of this plug."

"Just let him help you and he'll feel like he's paid you back."

"Fine, let's go, farm horse," he started for the books, but slammed his face into Bridger's belly. He started to get mad, but when he brought his paws up to push him away, he found two large orbs between those tree-trunk thighs.

Bridger started to push the squirrel away, but remembered his promise. He stammered with how to tell the squirrel to stop handling his balls in public. He looked to Tin for help, but the shopkeeper was trying not to choke on a laugh.

"Holy nuts! They're huge!" The squirrel couldn't help lingering to get a better image of the horse's equipment, even through his shorts.

"Uh, yeah, do you mind not touching them?"

Ches removed his paws and stepped back, "Sorry, just getting a good look."

Tin finally burst into laughter, "Oh man. I don't think I've ever seen a furry blush like that. You were beet red, man! Oh man, wish I had a camera on that side of the counter. I'll get your books for you, Ches." he continued laughing and snickering as he made his way around the counter.

The squirrel tried again to apologize, "I'm sorry. It was an accident. I just..."

"It's okay. I'm sorry for bothering you so much and picking you up and almost killing you and everything. I'm just gonna go," he started for the door.

Ches thought a moment, wrestling with his emotions and deciding to at least be the pleasant image for the town he was supposed to be, "Hey, wait a bit."

The horse stopped at the door, unsure of whether he wanted to stick around and be friends with the kid that just grabbed his balls.

The blind squirrel took a few steps and offered his paw as high as he could, "I'm Chester Crimson."

Bridger delicately took the little paw and brought it down a little to shake it, "Nice to meet you, Chester. I'm Bridger."

"Welcome to Copperdale."

"Thanks," he stepped outside, leaving the squirrel behind.

"Here you go, Ches," Tin brought the squirrel's cart to him with the new books in it. "I'll see you next week and no more running in front of cars to catch balls."

"Yeah, see you later, Tin." He ignored the joke and the tone suggesting his other faux pas and pulled his cart out the door.

"Oh, manure."

He recognized the odd exclamation, "Bridger? What's wrong?"

"I just saw my car ride by on the back of a truck."

Chester laughed, "You parked someplace you shouldn't have."

"Maybe," the horse gave a heavy, huffing sigh, "Now what am I going to do?"

"Why don't you come back to my place and I'll make a phone call for you. I know a few people in this town."

Bridger snorted a laugh as he thought of the squirrel's picture on the town's sign , "A few?"

"Come on, it's just across the street."

The horse took small steps to stay behind the little squirrel, resisting the urge to pick him up and run to the other side. He ducked inside and followed him upstairs to a small apartment. Ches opened the door and walked in to the dim room ahead of him, "Um, is there a light in here?"

"Oh yeah, sorry. The mayor gave me a lamp. I think it's plugged in by the door somewhere over there."

He found it and turned it on, then looked around. The furniture was all smaller than normal and looked to be built just for the four foot squirrel. He decided the biggest place to sit was on the bed and did.

Ches had parked his cart by the table and was already on the phone, "Hey Clark, it's Chester. ... Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, a friend of mine just had his rental car towed while he was helping me in the bookstore. Can you do anything about it for me? ... Yeah, right outside my place. I think it was a convertible. ... Oh, well that's convenient. Can you get it before they lock it up? ... Great. ... Oh really? That'd be amazing. ... So about how long? ... Great. See you in a couple hours, then. ... Yeah, you too. Thanks."

"Well, that sounded good."

Ches turned around to face his guest, "Yep. Called right down to the impound and your car was just coming in. Clark said he'd catch it before it gets into the system and bring it by on his way home."

"But he doesn't have the keys."

"He drives a tow truck."

"Oh. So a couple hours, then?"

"Maybe three. He gets off at five, then needs to hook it up and drive down."

"Okay, so what can I do for three hours?"

"Well, I can show you the town."

"So, a personal tour?"

"Yeah, but first, I want to get a good look at you," he walked to the bed and held his paws out.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to touch your face, so I can see who I'm talking to."

"Huh, okay." He took the little paws and pulled the squirrel closer to reach.

Ches put his knee on the bed and gently felt Bridger's long face. He followed it up, leaning closer to reach his ears and soft mane and found himself pressed against the horse's muscular body. He thought about his knee close to those huge balls and tried to push the dirty thoughts from his mind, "You're big."

"Not as big as my father. He's 6'10"."

He leaned on the firm chest to step down, then bent over and leaned around his body, "Where's your tail. I want to see what it's like."

"Um, it's short. I keep it trimmed, so it's less hassle."

The squirrel's paws found the short tail in the middle of the horse's firm backside and tried to stay focused on innocent thoughts.

Bridger brought his hands up to push back the fan of fur that was suddenly in his face, "You've got a very fluffy tail."

"Yeah. It's kind of a squirrel trademark, so I can't trim mine. I've got to be the perfect squirrel image as the town mascot."

"It's nice," he brushed the fluffy tail against his face and smiled, then found himself rubbing it against his neck and running his fingers through it.

Ches lay on the muscular thigh, enjoying the attention to his tail, and slowly slid his paw around to find those big nuts again. He wanted to find out if the rest of the equine equipment was just as big. He didn't even care if Bridger minded; he just wanted to get his paws on it. He found a bulge just above them, throbbing and straining at the horse's shorts. He followed it and stroked it. He squeaked as Bridger suddenly pulled the base of his tail and pushed him off his lap.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

Ches smiled, "I do. You were enjoying yourself."

"I... was enjoying your tail. I'm sorry. It's your tail."

"You can enjoy it some more, if you want," the squirrel turned around and stepped back between the horse's legs, letting his tail lay against the big horse's chest.

Bridger grabbed his shoulders and held him still, "You're not a kid; are you?"

"Depends on your definition. I'm twenty-two."

"Oh," he lost his first argument to get the squirrel to stop.

"How old are you?"

"I'm nineteen."

Chester turned around with a laugh, "So, you're the kid."

"I... guess so."

He ran his paws over those firm abs, pushing the horse's thin shirt up, "Shall we continue playing?"

"But I'm not gay."

"You don't have to be. Your body's enjoying it, just go with it," he stroked over the bulge, hoping to get a better look.

"I've bred lots of mares; and liked it. I've got at least a dozen colts out there somewhere."

"That's great, but you look like you need some relief now and I can help you."

"I'll be fine."

"Really?" he opened the horse's shorts and his throbbing erection sprang out, ready to go.

Bridger gasped in surprise and relief, leaning back to get away from the squirrel that was now hugging his throbbing cock. It was easily the size of the squirrel's arm with a head bigger than one little paw.

Ches threw off his shirt and let his paws explore the horseflesh before him. He had never seen a penis so huge. Even the muscle boys couldn't match this new plaything.

Bridger lay back on the bed, tilting his head to fit. He closed his eyes and told himself that it's not gay if he doesn't want more. He imagined the last mare he had; she was a beautiful gray and wanted him desperately. She had thanked him for saving her life. He suddenly wondered if her owner would actually have killed her if she didn't get pregnant from him. He had certainly done his part, filling her two, no three times, before they took her away. He hoped she was okay, but those thoughts were keeping him from finishing. He opened his eyes to clear his head and saw the fluffy red squirrel wrapped around his shaft, his tail coiled around the base. The look of bliss and desire on the little guy's face brought it all back and he gripped the sheets as he came.

Ches felt the base of the horse's cock pulse and lifted his chin to let the first blast splatter on his neck, then leaned back to hose his chest with the gushing cream. He loved the feeling of so much liquid lust all over his body. He rubbed it all over his belly, then slipped his paws into his pants and coated his own little stick. He wanted more, but he was pretty sure the horse would be running for the door after being molested by the first person he met in town. He reached out for one more feel of that big, flared head, but it was gone. He found the balls, but above them was just a full sheath.

The mustang stared at the ceiling, wrestling with who he thought he was and what he had just done. His balls felt like they were still tingling. He always enjoyed pumping his juice into the girls and felt satisfied, but this time was different. He was a little afraid to admit that he actually liked it, but he was still reveling in the echoes of pleasure.

"Well, you packed up quick."

He lifted his head and looked down to see his new rodent friend resting his chin on his balls and gently petting his pecker pocket. "Yeah, um, it'll come back when I need it again."

"So, are you okay?" The squirrel stood up and stroked the big thighs on either side of him. "I mean, you're not running for the door or anything."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just..." He looked at the little squirrel between his legs and thought about the intense pleasure that those tiny paws had just brought him. He realized that the red fur of the rodent's chest was wet from his horse cum. He chuckled as he imagined what it must have looked like with his hose soaking the little 'furry.' He told himself he would keep his eyes open next time. Next time? Yeah, he could enjoy that. "I guess, I made a mess of you."

Ches moved his paws to his front and smiled as he rubbed his wet fur, "Yeah. You must've had a lot built up in there."

"Naw. That felt a little smaller than usual. I think I was nervous, but I could probably do that again sometime."

The squirrel looked excited, "Really?" His tail twitched wildly as he thought about getting drenched in the horse's cream. He reached out and found those big balls again, eagerly stroking to get that monster shaft to come out again.

Bridger sat up and caught those eager little paws. "Um, maybe not right now. Give me some time to ... recover. Right?"

"Oh, right. Definitely. I should go get cleaned up. Then we can go out and get something to eat while we're waiting and I can introduce you to some of the folks around here." He bounced out of the horse's lap and stripped off his shorts as he hurried to a corner with a wall of glass bricks that separated a shower. The water came on and he continued talking as he rinsed. "Andre's probably out by now; and we can say hi to Benji; and Cauffer, he'll like you. You already met Tin, but maybe Dizz will come by the bookstore later."

The mustang looked around the room while the squirrel chittered excitedly. He got up and walked around the table, trying to clear his head. A sudden noise caught his attention and he turned to see the squirrel's tail being blown dry by a fan sitting on the floor while he continued to talk.

Ches turned the fan off and flicked his tail. "So, what do you think? Pasta okay for dinner?" He jumped on the bed and suddenly drooped. "Bridger? Aw, scrotes, he's gone. Great job, nuthead. Molested by the first fellow furry he met in town, he probably couldn't get out fast enough."

Bridger couldn't let his new squirrel friend believe he had run him off, "I'm still here."

"You are?" The fluffy rodent straightened himself up and hopped off the bed, his little balls bouncing as his growing erection showed his excitement plainly. "Where did you go?"

"I, uh, was just walking around to stretch my legs."

Ches hurried to the table to be closer to the horse. "Right. You've been driving all day. You don't want to be sitting."

"Well," Bridger tried to interject, but the squirrel kept talking.

"We can go grab something portable and I'll take you on a walking tour of the town. I may not be able to see it, but I know everything about it." He grabbed a book from his cart and headed for the door.

"Shouldn't you put some pants on before going out in public?"

The squirrel stopped at the door and spun around, his hand finding his stiff stick hanging bare. "Uh, yeah, thanks." He scampered across the room, tossing the book on the table and quickly grabbing clothes to get dressed.

Bridger watched in amazement, "I thought you couldn't see."

"Yeah, I'm 100% blind from birth. Why?"

"Well, how do you get around so easily without running into things?"

"Oh, this is my house. I know where everything is. Mostly." He searched around the floor.

"You just ran past everything and threw that book right into the middle of the table."

"I did? Cool." He pulled his wallet and phone from his old shorts and put them in his new pockets.

"Do you have sonar or something?"

Ches laughed as he walked back to the table, "No, but that'd be cool." He slid his paws over the surface until he found his book and laughed, "Right in the middle, huh? I wonder how many times I've done that. Come on. Are you ready to go?"

"Um, could I use your toilet?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry I didn't offer sooner. It's right by the shower." He heard the horse's heavy footsteps as he walked to the toilet. "I guess you can see it. This isn't a very big apartment, but it suits a little squirrel like me." He stopped talking and listened in awe to the powerful stream, wondering what the full force of the stallion's ejaculation would feel like. The sound subsided and he shook himself back to the present, "Uh, yeah, like I was saying, we can go down to, uh..." His thought faded as he was stuck with the image of his mustang friend hosing him with cum.

"Ches?"

The squirrel jumped at the horse's voice suddenly beside him. "Sorry. Let's go." He hurried to the door and opened it, waiting for his guest.

"Ches?"

"What's wrong now?"

"I think you're the one that needs help now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, um, you're not hiding your excitement very well"

"What?" He reached down and found that his erection was severely tenting his pants. He tried to shift his shaft down one leg, but it wasn't cooperating, "Guess my baggy pants would have been a better idea, huh?"

"Do you need some relief before we go out?

"Oh, no, I don't want to make you do that. I get that it's not your thing."

He couldn't believe what he was offering, but he felt guilty leaving the little guy like that after all he had done for him. "It's okay. You helped me out and now you're in need. It's the least I can do."

Ches almost lost it right there, but he definitely wanted to let the horse play with him if he was offering. He shoved the door closed and ran across the room. He came back with a towel and handed it to his big friend as he pulled off his clothes once more.

Bridger stared at the naked squirrel, "So, um, what do you want me to do?"

"Oh!" Chester climbed on a chair and sat on the table, pulling his big tail around in front of him. "Well, I was enjoying it when you were playing with my tail. Your hands are pretty big; I don't know if you could do anything else for me."

"Did you want to sit on the towel?"

"No, we'll use that to clean up after, so you don't have to take a shower."

The horse looked at the big towel and wondered how much of a mess the little squirrel could make. "I, uh, the rest of my clothes are in my car. Maybe I should take these off before we get started."

"Good idea." Ches thought of that monster of a masturbator being free again and squirmed with excitement.

Bridger nervously watched the blind squirrel as he undressed, still wondering if the rodent could actually see him, but his already excited expression didn't change. He put his large hands on Chester's shoulders and the smaller morph jumped. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting it, yet." He held out his fluffy tail and Bridger took it cautiously.

"You just want me to hold it?"

"You can stroke it or pet it or whatever you were doing before. It felt good and you seemed to like it, too."

"Okay." Bridger ran his hands along the fluffy tail, watching the long fur puff back out with each stroke.

"Yeah, that's good." The little squirrel started stroking his erection, obviously enjoying the attention to his tail.

The horse stepped closer and brushed the squirrel's tail across his chest. His short, bristly fur let him feel the tickly sensation and he liked it. He pulled the tail up to brush it across his face, but he was just a little too tall and accidentally tugged it.

"Oh, would you like me to turn around? I can do this." Before the stallion could object, the squirrel was on his knees on the table with his tail raised to the horse's face.

The mustang rubbed the end of his nose along the long, fluffy tail. The feeling reminded him of a beautiful blonde mare that he got to spend three nights with. He loved rubbing his nose along her neck to feel her luxuriously soft mane. Her long tail was just as soft and felt wonderful against his belly as he held her close.

"Oh! Hello!"

Bridger opened his eyes and found he was hugging the fluffy tail and the squirrel was now hugging the large erection that had slipped between his legs. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, just go with it. I knew you liked my tail. This can be good for both of us." He started rubbing his own stick along the larger shaft.

The horse closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the soft tail again, this time aided by the squirrel's body stroking along his erection. The fluffy softness caressing his chest and face fed his arousal and soon he was pushing into the undulations on his shaft. He remembered the mare's passionate moans as he pushed his fingers through the long hair and they echoed in his ears as he thrust.

Chester was in absolute bliss as he held onto the sliding shaft beneath him. He moaned as each thrust stroked his own stick and the horse's hips banged against his rear. The tender caresses on his tail sent tingles through his body that made each pistoning push even more fantastic. He kissed that flared head as it came forward and soon he was squirting his cream in orgasmic joy with his tail twitching each pulse. He squeaked and hugged tight as he rode the wave of pleasure

Bridger felt the squeeze around his throbbing cock and the tightness drove him to the edge. He grabbed the hips in front of him and thrust hard, only a moment of warning before he burst forth a gush of orgasmic release.

The squirrel gasped once at the sudden thrust and again as the first spray hit his chin. He tried to cover the gushing head, but each powerful pulse pushed past his paws and plastered his fur. As the stallion's shaft slipped away, the squirrel was left in a puddle of cum on the table, both morphs panting in ecstasy.

Bridger sat down in a chair and caught his breath as the squirrel on the table began to laugh, punctuated by occasional squeaky giggles. "What's so funny?"

Ches tried to catch his breath. "I thought I'd ...clean this up ... with a towel, ... but this is enough to swim in." He wriggled on the table, smearing the mess around.

The horse chuckled, "I told you I usually make a lot more."

"And I knew you liked my tail." The squirrel flicked his tail about to tease him.

"Yeah. It's nice." He thought about the blond mare and wondered what happened to her. "Looks like you could use another shower."

"Should I bother or do you want to go again?"

"No, no. I'm good for now." He couldn't believe he had just let this squirrel he just met, stroke him off for a second time.

The squirrel crawled down from the table and ran his fingers through his cum-coated belly fur. "I really am a mess. Could you clean up the table while I rinse off?"

"Sure." Bridger grabbed the towel as the squirrel headed for the shower. He was a little amazed at his own production; he had never really seen it spilled like that. It was always important to get it all in, whether it was a mare or a container. The towel was quickly soaked, but he found another and finished cleaning up. The water stopped and the fan came on. He watched the fluffy tail waving as it dried and smiled to himself.

Ches turned off the fan. "Well, that was..." A double honk from outside cut him short. He hurried to the table and found his shorts to pull out his phone. There was a missed call, but he jumped as it suddenly started ringing. "Hello? ... Oh, that was you, okay. ... Oh yeah? Great. ... Yeah, we'll be down in a minute." He hung up and chuckled. "Apparently, he left early just to bring your car by and we missed his first call while you were enjoying my tail."

"Me? You were enjoying yourself pretty well, too. What should I do with these towels?"

"There's a basket by the shower for laundry." The squirrel pulled his clothes on quickly and found his book, then bumped into the horse coming back to the table. He felt along the stallion's bare thigh and found his large balls hanging free. "Well hello there. While I enjoy the view, you might want to get dressed quick. He's unloading your car now."

"Oh, right." Bridger grabbed his clothes and pulled them on as the squirrel waited by the door. "Okay, I guess I'm ready."

Chester sniffed, "How did you manage to stay so clean?"

"Practice, I guess."

The squirrel flicked his tail and headed out. Down on the street, he found Clark resetting the bed on his truck.

"There's the rascally rodent. Keeping out of trouble?" He wiped his hands off with a rag, then patted Chester's shoulder.

Ches took the hand and shook it. "Not today. I've had an adventure. This is Bridger, he's a farm horse on a tour to see the world." He gestured over his shoulder to the horse that should be there.

The 5'7" driver looked up as the stallion stepped forward with his hand out and cautiously offered his own hand, "Wow. They make 'em big where you're from. How are you liking Cali?"

Bridger shook the man's hand with a smile, "Oklahoma. I've only been a little ways through, but Ches here has shown me more today than my whole trip so far."

"Well, yeah, he's an eye opener. Bet he told you he runs the place."

"He didn't say it, but he seems to know everybody."

"Yeah. We tend to get a new mayor every election or so, but Chester has been here for twenty years. So anyway, here's your car. This is a safe parking spot; that is not." He pointed across the street to where the horse had stopped earlier.

"Yeah, I figured that out when it left without me."

They both laughed.

"Hey, Clark. Are you installing cars here, now? I usually see you taking them away." A 5'11" man wearing an apron walked up to them.

The driver greeted the new man with a handshake "Hey, Vince. Yeah. This one belongs to Bridger, here. He's a friend of Chester's"

"Hey, Chester. Man, your friend is huge." Vince gave a glance to the squirrel, then stared at the horse.

Bridger extended his hand and the man shook it.

Chester finally got a word in, "I've been trying to get him around town to meet everybody."

"Well, we've got a good crowd building and I've got some fresh cashews if you'd like your pizza."

"That sounds like a great idea!" The squirrel smacked Bridger's butt, making the horse tense in surprise, and the two men laughed.

"I don't think he's quite ready for your level of friendliness there, Ches. You should at least warn him that you prefer sausage; unless you already figured that out." Clark smacked the stallion's chest with the back of his hand.

"No, I, uh, what?"

The men laughed again and Clark patted Bridger's shoulder, "You're alright. Enjoy your evening. I'll see you later, Chester."

"You're not coming?" Vince looked offended.

"Nah, Tina already started cooking and I'm supposed to pick up some cheese. Besides, I'm not parked legally, so excuse me while I haul my own ass out of here." He hopped in his truck with a wave and left.

Chester excitedly led Bridger with Vince to a restaurant a few doors down the block. The dining room was about half full with humans that all turned to look at the large horse as he walked in.

Bridger felt a little nervous. A situation like this could turn bad quickly back home, where many farmers resented morphs, blaming them for their financial troubles. He hesitated, but the squirrel pulled his hand along and Vince took them to a table in the middle of the room with a bowl of nuts in the middle, then headed for the kitchen. The horse felt uneasy as the center of everyone's attention, but they all seemed curious rather than spiteful.

A man not much bigger than Chester slid up beside the squirrel and tapped his arm, "Hey C, who's this?"

"This is Bridger. He's passing through on a tour around the country.

The man stretched across the table to offer his hand. "Oh hey, I'm Tuck."

Bridger shook the man's hand and nodded politely, then noticed someone standing beside him. He looked up to notice a tall man smiling and offering a hand, so he shook it.

The man spoke quietly, "I'm Simon, call me Si. It's nice to see somebody my size around. How tall are you?"

"Well, my license says I'm six foot eight, but I think they underestimated."

"Oh, I know. My doctor has me at six-two, but the DMV only gave me six-one. They probably need their eyes checked. Hey, would you mind standing up, so I can see?"

"Uh, sure. No problem." The horse stood up and the man grinned up at his ears, then turned to a table by the wall. "Hey, Hellen, get a picture of this. This is great." He wrapped his arm around Bridger's shoulders and posed as a brown haired woman with a large belly got up and pulled out her phone to take a picture. While they posed, he caught some of Chester's conversation with Tuck.

"Come on, I can't believe you haven't gotten touchy with him, yet."

"That doesn't matter."

"Look at him. He's big all over. I mean he's a horse. Ya gotta tell me if he's hung like one."

"No I don't."

"Well, he's gotta be bigger than me."

"No challenge there."

Si waved for another picture and stepped in front of the horse to pose again, then turned around and put his hands on Bridger's chest. "Thanks. You have made my day. I'll let you get back to your meal before our squirrel grabs your nuts."

Bridger blushed and hoped nobody noticed as the man went back to his table and took his wife's phone to look at the pictures. He sat down and tried to regain his composure as he turned to Chester.

Tuck grabbed the squirrel's shoulder again, "Hey, has he met Green, yet?"

The fluffy tail twitched, "No, we, uh, haven't had much time since he got here. He met Tin and we came here."

The man laughed, "Tin? What'd you think of that toon?"

Bridger felt on the spot again, "He, uh, seemed nice."

"Yeah? He was probably working, then. You should see his suits." He tipped as Chester shoved his shoulder, laughing as he righted himself, "Alright, fine, but he's still a toon for running a bookstore."

"You ever want to touch my tail again?"

The man was defeated, "Right, books are great. You win. I'm gonna see what Green's up to." Tuck got up and pulled out his phone as he headed for the door.

"Sorry about that."

Bridger didn't get a chance to respond, as another man sat down at the table with them, dressed head to toe in leather, but was interrupted as Vince stepped between them to set a large pizza on the table.

"Here you go, Ches, jalapeno and cashew, enjoy." He hurried back to the kitchen as the place was getting busier.

Bridger looked at the pizza in front of him, "That's, um, interesting."

"It's good. Try it." The squirrel eagerly picked up a piece and took a bite.

The horse was hesitant, but tried a piece, anyway. "It's different. I've never had nuts on a pizza before. I usually like green peppers and mushrooms."

The man that had joined them laughed. "Well, you'll get more familiar with nuts if you hang around Chester."

"You got a problem with my nuts, Dram?" The squirrel waved his slice of pizza towards the voice.

"No problem at all." he turned to the horse and offered a hand. "Cadram Oliver. I've got a leather shop up the road. I would love to get you in there and suit you up."

"Bridger." He shook the hand. "I'm not staying long. I've got a long way to go."

"What's the point of traveling if you don't stay anyplace long enough to see anything? We're more than just 'the squirrel town' No offense, Ches."

"None taken. There's lots to do here. I was going to take him over to meet Benji and Cauffer, but it got late."

The man's laugh sounded suspiciously sarcastic, "Yeah, I'm sure they'd love to take him to their place."

"He was just going to meet them."

"Yeah, like introducing a mouse to a two headed snake. Have you seen...? Nevermind. You'd be better off showing him to Dizz."

"I thought about her, but I don't know how to contact her outside the bookstore."

"She may be a western movie nut, but at least she can be respectful, I think. Look, just enjoy your meal and see who comes in. At least you're safe enough in a crowd."

Chester nodded and took another bite of his piece of pizza.

Bridger picked up another slice and was about to bite it when he felt something on his tail. He looked behind him and down to see a small girl playing with the short tuft.

"You're really big, why's your tail so small?"

A woman hurried up to pull her away, "Don't bother the nice horse, Setty. I'm so sorry, she just got away from me."

Bridger put down his pizza and turned around in his seat, "It's alright" He held out his large hand to the girl and she spread both of her little hands on top of it. "Have you ever seen a horse before?"

Her mother answered for her, "She just loves animals. We took her to the zoo and she got to pet some goats, but they didn't have any horses there. She has lots of plush animals and other toys. I'd like to take her to a ranch, but I want to wait until she gets a little bigger."

He half ignored her and focused on the little girl with a soft smile.

"I've only met Chester. I like his tail, too, but mom says he doesn't like me touching it."

"I didn't say that. I said it's rude to touch people without asking first."

The girl drooped, "I'm sorry."

Bridger put his hands on her small shoulders, "It's okay, but you should at least say hi and introduce yourself."

She looked up and smiled, then held out a hand, "Hi, I'm Setty."

He gently took her little hand in his larger one and shook it slowly, "Nice to meet you, Setty. I'm Bridger."

When he let go of her hand, she sprung forward to hug his middle. Her mom started to object, but Bridger smiled and put his hands on her back to return the hug. She looked up at him with a grin, "Can I ride you?"

"Setty!"

Bridger chuckled, "I'm not that kind of horse, but how about this." He reached down and put his hands on her sides, then stopped as he remembered Chester's objection, "May I pick you up?"

She nodded eagerly and he lifted her into his lap. She hugged him again and held tight. "You're a nice horse."

"You're a nice girl." He looked up at her mother, then noticed a big woman walk in wearing jeans, a plaid shirt and suede vest, and a cowboy hat.

"He is here!" She squeed, then caught herself and looked around. "Ohm'gaw." She hurried back outside as Dram started laughing.

"That was Dizz. I'll go get her and get this over with." He got up and walked out.

Despite her objection, Bridger lifted Setty out of his lap and put her back on the floor, then smiled and waved as her mother pulled her back to their table. He turned back to Chester, who was leaning on the table, looking dejected. "Are you okay?"

The squirrel sighed, "Yeah. Just thinking maybe it's not such a good idea for you to meet Dizz, but it's too late now. I'm sorry."

He put his hand on the squirrel's back and rubbed, "It's okay. I think I can deal with somebody liking me."

"Maybe." He flicked his tail, annoyed with himself.

Bridger looked back to the door in time to see Dram half pushing the cowgirl through the door. Once she was in, she nervously looked around at all the people she had just embarrassed herself in front of and nervously walked towards Bridger, with some prodding from Dram. When she got close, he stood up and she just stared at his face with a look of awe.

"Dizz, this is Bridger." A sarcastic smile grew on his face as she just stared at the horse morph in front of her.

He smiled and put out his hand, "Nice to meet you, Dizz."

She ignored his offered hand and reached up to touch the side of his face.

Bridger held still and glanced at Dram, who was holding back a laugh with a crooked smile.

She stroked his nose, then slid her hand down his neck, smiling as his ear twitched. She followed the shape of his shoulder, bringing up her other hand to admire his muscular arms, then caressed his chest as her smile grew past her face. "You ... are ... just ... perfect, aint'cha? Amazing, fan-tastic, just a beautiful stallion." She slid her hands over his firm belly, then turned her attention to his thick thighs. "Such a wonderful flank. Oh, and a trim tail." She grabbed his tail and he clenched reflexively, making her jump back in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I've made a fool of my ... self." She looked around, remembering the other customers, then covered her face with her hands. "Oh, lordy."

Dram caught her attempted escape and escorted her to a seat as he laughed, where she planted her face on the table. "Come on, have a seat, you'll live."

Chester caught Bridger's arm as he sat down, "What did I miss?"

The horse put his hand on the little paw, trying to think how to explain it, then gave up, "I'll tell you later."

Dizz popped up and started hitting Dram with her hat, "How could you let me do that?"

He laughed and dodged the last one, "It was funny."

She reshaped her hat and stuffed it back on her head, then sighed and glanced at the big horse next to her with a nervous smile. She offered her hand, "Hi, I'm Sandra Dean, but folks usually just call me Dizzy."

The horse shook her hand with a disarming smile, "I'm Bridger Ulysses Mustang, but you can call me Bridger."

Chester snorted a laugh.

Dizz scowled, "What's so funny, fluff 'n stuff?"

"Hey." Ches returned the scowl, "I was just thinking that when he first told me his name, I was going to call him BUM."

"Well, he does have a nice one." She leaned back to look behind the horse and Bridger shifted uncomfortably.

"That's not how I meant it. We didn't get off on the right foot."

She leaned over and put her hand on the horse's arm, "If the squirrel is bothering you, you can come back to my place and I'll show you a good time."

Vince interrupted again with another pizza, "Here's a mushroom and green pepper you might like a little better." He shuffled the contents of the table to fit both pies, then hurried back to the kitchen.

Dizz reached for a slice, "Oh boy, I'm starved. I can't handle Chester's nuts on my pizza."

"What's wrong with my nuts?"

Bridger shrugged and pulled a slice of the new pizza, "I like your nuts."

Dram choked on his drink as a waitress brought Dizz a beer.

Ches ignored the reaction, "Really?"

"Well, I already ate half of 'em"

Dram stood up as Ches checked the pizza, "Excuse me, I need to get going before I," he cleared his throat, then offered his hand to the horse. "Nice meeting you, Bridger. Offer's open. Come by anytime and I'll get you wrapped up right."

Bridger shook the man's hand, "Maybe someday. I didn't mean to stop here, but I think it's on my list now to come back."

"Great,see you then." He left, shaking his head, and found somebody outside to talk to.

"Wrapped up? Why would you want to put leather over this fantastic coat you've got?" Dizz stroked his arm and he left it on the table for her to pet while he picked up another piece of pizza.

"It's been a busier night than usual. I'm pretty popular, but you're getting lots of attention."

"It's just because I'm the new guy in town."

"Jealous, fluffy nutter?"

Ches grabbed a nut from the bowl and threw it at her.

"Why don't we pack up what's left of this and get you out of the spotlight?"

Bridger picked another piece of pizza as the waitress brought Dizz another beer. "I'm okay with it."

A small hand tapped his arm and he looked beside him to see Setty smiling, "I've gotta go. Can I have another hug?"

"Absolutely." He pushed his chair back and scooped her into a hug, then pulled Ches from his chair to join.

"Oh! Who's this?"

"I'm Setty, Mr squirrel."

"Oh. You sound like a girl that jumped on my tail a few weeks ago."

"You remember that? I said I was sorry."

"Do you still like my tail?"

The young girl nodded.

"I think that's a yes, Mr squirrel" Bridger translated.

Ches pulled his fluffy tail around and let the girl hug it.

Setty smiled as she rubbed her face in the fluffy tail and giggled.

"Alright, that's enough. Come on, Setty," her mother interrupted.

She sighed and hugged Ches, who was only a little taller than she was. "Thank you Mr squirrel."

"Call me Chester and you can hug my tail anytime. Just let me know it's you."

"I will, Chester." She hugged him again, then turned to hug the horse. "Bye Bridger. Hope I get to see you again."

"Maybe I'll come back after I finish my trip."

"I hope you do. Bye. Bye." She waved to both morphs and everybody else in the restaurant as she left with her mother.

Bridger chuckled, "She could be mayor some day."

"Could be next election, the way this town is." Chester found his seat again.

Dizz thanked the waitress for another beer, then pointed it at Bridger, "Wow, good with squirrels and kids, what a stud."

Ches smirked, "You should hear about his life on the farm."

"Ooo, I'd love to." Dizz leaned over the table and smiled at the horse expectantly as she drank her beer.

Bridger smiled nervously. "Well, most of it was pretty boring. What I think Chester is referring to is something that isn't polite to discuss in public.

"Oh, well, let's get you out of here, then." She finished her third beer in one gulp and set it hard on the table as she stood up. "I have got to hear these stories." She tugged on the horse's arm and he stood up, then she lost herself in his muscle, stroking the short fur on his thick arm. "Mmm, I'll never get tired of these."

Bridger looked at the woman on his arm, then at Chester, "What about the bill?"

The waitress hurried back with a box and packed up the last three slices for them, then waved them off that the bill was paid. Bridger took the box from her and gave her a nice tip, then they headed out.

"My bike's right over here, but it won't hold both of us."

"We can take my car. There's room for all three."

Tuck pushed off the wall and hurried over, "Hey Ches, Green can't come out. He's in the middle of something. What are you guys up to?"

"We're going to Dizz's place."

Tuck stopped following and looked at the cowgirl, "Uh, okay. You guys have fun with that."

Dizz leaned close to Bridger, "He don't like me much. Not a fan of the country girl. Poor city boy."

They walked back to the convertible and Bridger nudged Dizz off of his arm, then hopped over the door to sit behind the wheel. "Get in and tell me where we're going?"

Dizz slid her fingers along the hood and down the side as she admired his ride, then noticed the model, "Hoo-ee, nice wheels you've got here. Did you pick 'em on purpose or was someone tryin' t'be funny?"

"Well, I wanted a convertible and it was either this or a two-seater."

"Good choice. We'll just call it fate and enjoy the ride." She hopped over the door into the passenger seat.

"Hey Bridger!" Chester was standing with his paw on the car.

"Get in." Bridger smiled.

"I would if I knew how. Could you help me out?"

The horse leaned close and whispered, "Do you want me to pick you up?"

The squirrel smiled, "I don't mind it so much now."

Bridger put his knee in the seat to reach over the door and pick up the small morph.

Chester gasped and hugged the thick, familiar arms as his feet left the ground, a little disappointed when he landed in the back seat and they left.

Bridger turned around and strapped himself in, then turned on the car and turned to Dizz, "So, which way are we headed?"

"Straight on, just one turn and yer there."

The Mustang started down the road as its Mustang driver watched for pedestrians.