Chapter 6
Emma's Graduation
Mine, Ruby, and Belle's graduation party pretty much included the whole town. Mom went all out and cooked all of the food herself, and had dad and all the uncles hang up lights and decorations.
"Ah Ms. Nolan, glad to see you, Ms. Lucas, and Ms. French graduated." Regina comes over and sits down from talking to the Humbert's.
"Yes, it's nice to hear myself think for once." I say sitting on the edge of the back porch.
"It's quite the party you have here." She notes. "Don't pound the drinks too hard tonight Emma." With that she gets up and leaves with a curious smirk on her face.
"Emma…" I look up to see Graham standing in front of me. He stands there looking dumbfounded at me, like he didn't expect to see me.
"Hey…it's… been awhile." He says cautiously.
"Yeah it has." I say not knowing how else to answer him. It's been over a year since I last saw him. He still has the same sun tanned face, though he did grow a little taller and his beard has finally come in.
"But, wow Emma, you look great." He holds his arms out to me and I hesitate a moment before I stand up and tentatively put my arms around his back.
"I've missed you, I've been wanting to tell you to just forget about the letter but-"
"Emma!" I hear Ingrid calling for me and I hurriedly let go of Graham and turn to walk away. He puts a hand on my arm and looks like he's about to say something.
"Hey it's fine, don't worry about it." I say before he can say anything and try to give him a small smile. I rush over to Ingrid whose standing with Killian by some of the tables set up for food and drink.
"So you finally made it." Aunt I says with a gentle smile. She pulls me in for a hug and I don't hesitate.
"It's nice to see you again Ms. Nolan." Killian gives me a friendly smile.
"Killian." I nod to him.
"So Emma, now that you're back are you going to start looking for your own place or…" Ingrid starts to prod.
"I'll probably just crash the summer here." I say indicating to my parent's house. "And then maybe find a place in town with Ruby or something. Dad's going to start handing over the horse business to me but we're going to be partners. He should have some more time for his hay business next year."
"That sounds great Emma! I'm happy for you. If you ever need any help finding an apartment in town just let me know." She says placing a hand on my arms. "Oh Killian you're free to do what you want you know, you don't have to stand here."
"Oh no, I enjoy listening to Ms. Nolen when the opportunity arises." He says with a broad grin.
"Oh Emma! There you are!" Red comes up to me holding a bottle of what looks like lemonade but with the way she's acting, it's probably spiked.
"Found you something good." She whispers in my ear and hands me the bottle.
"Only because you've had too much." I smirk at her.
She pouts at me before noticing Killian. "Oh hey Killian." She says linking arms with him.
"Oh not this again, Killian would you mind taking Red to go see Belle, tell her the wolf is out."
"Ah, sure no problem…"
"She'll know what to do." I assure him.
He starts leading Red through the crowd of people looking for Belle. "God help him." Ingrid says and we both start laughing.
"So what does that mean Emma?"
"Oh, don't tell mom but that's the code for 'Ruby's had too much to drink so go sober her up'. Just something we made up in college."
"And Belle gets that job?"
"Well when I try to…" I start.
"Let me guess she has two people to deal with." Ingrid smirks at me.
"In my defense I can hold my liquor better than her." I say taking a long gulp of what Ruby gave me.
"You know he still asks about you." Ingrid says with a more serious tone.
"Who?" I ask not having a clue to what she's talking about.
"Emma! Come here a sec'." I heard my dad holler for me.
"I'll talk to you later." Ingrid says walking up to the house.
The next morning I wake up to Ruby laying on me poking me in the forehead. I groan trying to push her off of me. She rolls off of me and gets up.
"What are you doing? I thought you went to your own house last night." I ask stretching out trying to wake up.
"Waking you up duh!"
"Yeah I got that but why?"
"Oh yeah, dad said he couldn't get you up earlier so he told me to."
"What time is it?" I try looking at the clock on the wall rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
"It's eleven." She states simply.
"Holy shit! Why didn't anyone wake me up earlier! I have to go feed the horses!" I say jumping out of bed.
"Hey relax it's already done." Red says holding me from running downstairs. "Besides you wouldn't want to run out there in your underwear." She smirks at me. "Especially with Killian down there."
"What!" I yell. "What is he doing here!" I ask bewildered scrambling to put on cloths.
"Shhhhh! They're going to hear you if you don't keep it down!" Red says siting on the attic steps to the rest of the house.
"Oh my God why didn't you tell me he was here earlier!" I start freaking out.
"Oh? Nervous to see him?" She asks with a smirk.
"No! He's just never been here in the morning especially without Ingrid." I turn away from her to put on a sports bra and underwear.
"Cute birthmark." I hear Red say.
"Don't look at my butt, you perv."
"Who says I was?" She asks innocently. "It does cover a lot of your back."
"Shut up!"
"Anyways, put on jeans and socks." Ruby states.
"What are you, my mother?" I tease.
"Yes, now do what I say."
"Yes ma'am."
I grab a hunter green ribbed tank and follow Red down the stairs. "Aren't you gonna put that on?" She asks.
"Yeah once I get my belt on, nobody's gonna be up here anyways." I state.
"You mean Killian isn't gonna be up here." She teases.
"He has no business up here."
When we reach the bottom we head down the hallway but before we get to the steps to go down the bathroom door opens and Killian walks out. "Oh…umm."
I turn around surprised by the voice and I see Killian's eyes wide as dinner plates by seeing me topless. I scramble to put my tank on. "Oh…um, what are you doing up here?" I go from being surprised to demanding.
"I- uh- your dad was using the bathroom downstairs and your mom told me to go up here." He says with trouble keeping his eyes from roaming on me.
Red just cracks up laughing. "Shut up!" I snap at her and that just makes her laugh harder. I push her down the stairs and I try to compose myself before walking into the kitchen.
"Morning honey" Mom calls from the other side of the island putting eggs on a couple plates.
"I think we should change your name to Sleeping Beauty." Dad messes up my already wild hair.
"That would suit her wouldn't it?" Killian agrees walking into the kitchen like our encounter didn't just happen a minuet ago.
"Ah Emma I hope Red told you Killian was here." He says looking a Red.
"Relax old man I told her and we ran into him upstairs." She says playfully punching his arm.
"Ok you two sit down eggs are ready." Mom try's to use her motherly tone.
We all take seats at the island and Killian ends up sitting next to me with Red on my other side. "So why is he here anyways?" I ask.
"Emma! Don't be so rude." Mom scolds.
"It was just a question." I state.
"I asked him to come along with us today." Dad says with a mysterious smile.
"Where are we going?"
"To look at some more horses. Killian mentioned he wants more experience looking for horses and working with them so I thought it'd be a good idea to bring him along." Dad says.
"I would've gotten up earlier if you told me that."
"I know but I wanted you to sleep after the party, it isn't that far anyways."
"So what are we looking for this time? Breeding stock or Training?" I inquire.
"Breeding stock. So let's hurry up and get going." Is all he says before returning to shoveling down his eggs. Great breeding stock, just what Killian needs, more excuses to act like a flirt.
Dad loaded up the truck with the long gooseneck trailer. Apparently we're all going. Just what I need, to be that close to Killian for God knows how long.
"You know if you get tired I don't mind you resting your head on my shoulder." Killian finds me in the trailer hanging up hay nets.
"Who says I'm sitting by you." I say sarcastically.
"I do." He says in a matter of fact kind of way.
"Cocky little shit." I say under my breath. I turn around to find Killian standing less than a foot from me.
"Trust me love when I'm cocky you'll know it." He murmurs under his breath, slowly backing me up. His gaze is intense as his steel blue eyes roam over my face.
I feel the cool steel wall on my back break me from the daze of his eyes. "What are you doing."
"Just enjoying the view." He says with a shit eating grin.
"Humph!" I push him back and step out of the trailer.
Sure enough I end up siting in the middle between Killian and Red. I feel him glancing at me often and I try to keep up small talk with mom, dad, and Ruby.
Eventually we reach a large farm around Charlotte with fences running in both directions. When we get to the main barn a man comes out to greet us.
"Ah you must be David that I spoke on the phone to." The man says.
"Yes, and you must be Jacob."
"Yes I am, owner of this fine establishment. And who are these three lovely women you brought with you?" Jacob says.
"These are my two daughters Emma and Ruby, Mary Margret my wife, and her sister's farmhand Killian." He says proudly. He always calls Ruby his daughter and Ingrid mom's sister. It's funny how old habits never die.
"Lovely meeting all of you. So if you'll follow me I'll show you the few colts we have for sale here." He says walking into the barn.
"Colts?" My eyebrows raise at my dad.
"Ha Ha did I say breeding stock? I mean a new riding horse for you." He says with the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face. "Happy Graduation kiddo."
"Oh Dad you didn't have to do that." I say giving him a hug.
"Of course I do you're my baby girl." He says kissing the top of my head.
"Dad!"
"Hey what about me!" Red pouts.
"Yeah you too." Dad brings us in a group hug. "Okay well off you go I'll be there in a minuet."
Ruby, Killian, and I follow Jacob into the barn where he has five Shire colts in stalls. "This first guy is fourteen months old and comes from Dancing Jupiter and Dream Big XXL. He's super friendly and has great conformation for pulling." Jacob starts telling me all about each of them.
"So what do you think Emma?" My dad asks me my opinion of them.
"Well I can tell he really loves all of his horses so that's good. He's right about their conformation too. I do want to see their personality, maybe free longue them." I say stroking one of them.
"I think that'd be a good idea, why don't show Killian how you bond with them." Dad more or less tells me than asks me.
"Killian! Front and center!" I call to him.
"Yes, love?" It only takes him a few seconds from talking to Jacob to get to my side.
"I think I'm going to free longue them to see how their personalities are and you're going to learn how to bond with them."
"There's only one filly in here I'd like to bond with." Killian says with a flirtatious smile.
I just huff at him and ask Jacob if I could free longue them. He gives me the okay and I take out the first colt they call Bruno. "Hey boy, you're such a friendly fella." I say sweet nothings to him as I lead him to the arena.
"So what are we looking for?" Killian asks me as I let the colt off the line to roam the arena.
"Just in general what he does, like if he's curious of things, or shy, or bold. I also want to see if he'll come up to me just out of his own curiosity."
"Hmmmm." Is all he says.
The first four colts all wander around the arena, a couple of them coming up to us after a while and one spooked at a bird that flew in. We only have the nine month old to look at.
"I've never seen a Shire this color before, what would you call him?" Killian asks me.
"Probably a maximal sabino, just because of the few patches of white and the blue roanish color to him." I'm relieved that Killian is focusing on horses more than flirting. I let the colt go and watch as he checks out both of the doors before coming back to me.
"Looks like you have a friend." I say as the colt goes over to Killian and tries to nibble on his hair.
"Oi you quit that mate." Killian says brushing the colt off of him. He whispers something in his ear and pushes him towards me.
"He certainly has a lot of character." I state to Killian.
"That he does. So do you know what you're going to do?" He asks me with curiosity in his eyes.
"Yes."
