A/N: Chapter 2 is finally here, my old beta reader had to drop out due to wonky and irregular internet connections. Big thanks to jonesfandomfanatic for stepping in and helping me. I have two more chapters already finished, and they will get out in speed when they are finished being beta-read. I still don't know how long this will be. But I have found a sort of plot road to travel down on with this, I can't wait to share it with you all.

Remember that I have NO idea how reality TV is made, so I hope you can look beyond any glaring mistakes. Neither do I know anything about horse jumping contests and how the leagues are run in the US.

This is mainly fluffy with some extra added fluff in the form of a little puppy. Hope you like what I'm doing with this. Enjoy

Chapter 2

Killian parked his truck and jumped out. He walked down the street to where the crew van was located. Today they would film on location because the Nolans were scheduled to help out at a local animal shelter. It was a big fundraiser event with a fun fair, activities, and raffles. There was also the possibility of adopting one of the animals. Killian knew that the family did these goodwill things from time to time, wanting to help the local community as much as they could.

He walked over and began sorting the cameras along with Will. He'd gotten to know the guy well in the past three weeks they'd been working on this production together. The other cameraman was a jokester and had a witty mouth, but Killian liked him well enough.

"Ready to be out in the wild again?" Will asked with a chuckle, and when Killian looked at him with a curious frown he explained. "Last week you were a bit out of your element at that jumping contest." Will laughed and Killian cringed as he knew what incident Will referred to.

Emma Nolan had been a contestant at a statewide horse jumping competition. It was paramount that she won as she wanted to go higher and reach the top nationwide. Killian knew from the in-between confessional interviews that Emma aimed to be part of the US Olympic team going to Paris in two years.

The crowd had been big and it had been a struggle maneuvering around the throng of spectators while also keeping his focus on the family he was filming. So at one point he'd missed a low-cut hedge and tumbled backward over the small shrubbery. To his luck, it was loose and soft dirt behind the hedge. So thankfully it was only his pride that had been hurt.

He glared at Will and mumbled, "Shut up you wanker." He tried to suppress the blush rising to his face as he remembered how Emma had jumped over and helped him up. It wasn't her place to do so as several of the film crew had already been heading for him. But for some reason, she'd come to help him get up without breaking the camera and equipment he carried around. Killian could still feel the ghost of her touch on his arm as she'd asked if he was okay. He'd nodded and adjusted his cap trying to hide the flush of embarrassment from her eyes. To his luck, her parents had called for her and he could find his equilibrium again so he was able to continue to film.

"Well, this time it's not as large as the jumping contest," Will mumbled and chuckled. "Just watch out for any low-cut hedges."

"Get lost," Killian grumbled and glanced around trying to see if everyone else was ready. Annabelle Tink was talking furiously on her phone. As the production coordinator, it was her job to make sure that they could film on locations outside of the Nolan property. He finished getting his gear ready and walked over to his brother who looked at Tink with a small frown.

"Anything wrong?" Killian asked and looked at the petite woman speed-talking into her phone.

"Nah, nothing Tink here can't handle." Liam waved him off and turned to look at Killian. "Are you ready?" His brother lifted a curious eyebrow and smirked.

"Aye, I'm ready." He hefted the camera closer and nodded toward the building. "Do we get a tour before we start?"

"The director will come out shortly," Liam said and turned his focus on Tink who'd finished her phone call. "All good?"

"That was nuts. Some city officials were giving us hell over the permit, but it's all good now." Tink motioned for them to follow her inside.

The crew all walked inside and got a tour of the shelter. They were told where the Nolan family would be during their visit. The director was a friendly elderly man who apparently had been working at this shelter his whole life.

Killian took note of the layout of the building and he had to smile when they entered the area where they kept all the animals. The noise level was astounding. He knew they'd have to crank up the wireless microphones so they would be able to pick up the voices of the Nolans. He also made a mental note to where they could make good shots of the family as they moved through the shelter.

Once outside again, he saw that the Nolans had arrived so he and Will got ready to begin the filming. The agenda of the day was to show the Nolans the shelter and have them help around the place. At one point, Killian and Graham were assigned to follow Emma and her brother to the puppy pens where they would help feed the little pups.

Killian made sure to be cautious where he stepped, and as he filmed Emma speaking with the shelter worker he glanced at Graham who was making sure the sound came through. Graham gave a thumbs up as the noise level rose when the small pups saw that they had visitors. Killian managed to swing his leg over the small fenced-in area to get a better angle of the conversation Emma was having with the worker. His feet dragged along the floor making sure that he wouldn't step on one of the little dogs.

While filming he rarely paid attention to what they spoke about. His focus was on getting the right angle of the shot, capturing the moment in a way that would show the story they wanted to tell. Suddenly he felt something nudge his leg, and when he glanced down he saw a pup sniffing out his shoes. The little dog looked up and Killian was met with a gaze of amber eyes. He had no real idea what breed the little guy was but he might detect some german shepherd. Trying to keep his focus on the filming he ignored the continued nudges of the little pup. But suddenly it started to jump up his leg and gave out a happy yapping sound. It clearly wanted his attention.

Emma had also seen this as she shifted her focus from her conversation to what happened inside the puppy pen. Her eyes lit up in a smile when she saw Killian being ambushed by the little puppy. "You got a new friend there, Jones?" She laughed and lifted her leg to enter the puppy pen too. "Oh, ain't you a precious little gem." She crouched down close to Killian who had tried to keep his camera focused on her but gave up as she was now so close to him. They would have to make some sort of cut away with this and pick up on her conversation with the shelter worker.

"Aye and a persistent little one." Killian chuckled and crouched down next to the little guy. He ruffled the soft fur of the puppy, and the happy little yap it gave out showed him that the pup was happy for the attention. The area was filled with perhaps twenty or so puppies, but apparently, this little one had fallen for him. He could see that Leo had found a corner where several dogs seemed pleased to soak up his attention, Killian made a mental note to try and capture some of the action there as well.

"She seems quite taken with you, mister." The shelter worker said from her position outside the pen. Killian smiled at the woman as he kept rubbing the fur of the little pup.

"You could adopt her," Emma said, and when Killian looked at her in surprise she smiled. "I mean look at this cute face. Who can resist such puppy love." Emma nuzzled her face into the pup's neck and this had the puppy yapping in happiness again.

"I've never had a dog." Killian scratched behind his ear and looked between Emma and the shelter worker, then his eyes landed back on the little dog who looked up at him with her dark amber eyes.

"That won't be a problem," the shelter woman said. "Give it some thought and we'll be happy to help you figure it all out. We have some collaborations with several dog trainers in the area and we can give you their number."

Killian nodded in understanding, "I'll think about it." He turned his focus on the puppy again, "You sure are difficult to resist." He scratched the dog under her chin and she closed her eyes in pure bliss.

"You're a natural with this girl," Emma said, interrupting his musings. He was very tempted, but right now he also had a job to do. He looked at Emma and realized they were very close to one another, so close he could see the specs of gold in her green irises. Taking a fortifying breath he shook himself out of the trance he'd found himself in. They were out in public and Emma was off-limits. It was his job to film Emma and her family, it could never be anything else.

Killian cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "I'll give it some thought." Then he nodded to the shelter worker who watched them with a knowing smile on her face. "You go on ahead and continue your talk, I'll continue filming." He shifted his gear around and got ready to film. He glanced at Graham who'd been on the outside of the pen. The other man's brow wrinkled in a frown that Killian couldn't decipher.

Emma gave the little pup one final pat and moved to stand outside the pen and she shifted her hands through her hair and gave a small chuckle. "Okay let's pick up where we left off." The shelter worker nodded and the two women continued talking about the work they did there.

Killian panned his camera over the puppy pen and focused on Leo who was still playing with a few of the puppies.

The next segment was him filming the two siblings working along with the worker, feeding the puppies, and cleaning up dog poop. This had Leo wrinkle his nose and the teenager made a few gagging noises much to the delight of his sister.

While filming, Killian had moved around the puppy pen mindful of where he stepped. Every time he looked down he realized that the German Shepherd mix had followed his every move. She was a pretty little thing and Killian tried to keep his thoughts away from any puppy adoptions, at least while he filmed.

Hours later they had wrapped up filming and the crew had said their farewell to the Nolan family, letting them take off on their own. Killian hung back after packing up the camera gear. He rubbed his hand through his hair before he tugged his cap over his head again. When Liam approached him he smiled. "So that went well."

"Aye, I hear you didn't trip over anything today," Liam said and nudged his shoulder with a laugh.

"Haha." Killian laughed nervously. "Well, one little pup did try to trip me over at one point."

"Yeah?"

"Hmm." Killian rubbed behind his ear, then shrugged, "I think it wanted me to adopt her."

"Will you?"

"I don't know. I mean I have the space out in my cabin for a dog, and it could be a nice little companion for me." Killian mused as his mind kept thinking about the little pup that had seemed so keen on getting his attention.

"Whatever you choose I'm sure it will be perfect for you," Liam said with a smile.

"Yeah?"

Liam nodded, "You have closed yourself off from the world out there in that cabin of yours."

Killian looked sheepishly at his brother. He knew he'd secluded himself from any social life, but he kinda wanted it that way. His life had dived down a dark hole when he lost Milah, and he had not been in any place or state or mind to be more social than what various filming jobs had given him. However, now somehow things have changed because this little pup has wormed her way into his heart.

"Aye," he sighed. "I know, but I think things might be different, I don't know." He shrugged, then glanced back at the shelter. "I might go in and have a chat with them."

"You do that, brother." Liam clapped his shoulder, "I'll see you in three days when we shoot at the Nolan ranch again."

"Aye." Killian waved to his brother and headed inside. At the reception desk, he found the same young woman who'd walked around with Emma and Leo.

When she saw him she smiled knowingly at him."Here to adopt a pup?"

"I might." Killian rubbed his neck. "I have no idea how all this works, and I've never had a dog, so I'm not sure if you want me to adopt a pup just like that."

"It won't be just like that," the woman said with a smile. "We have some puppy training courses that we offer our families who adopt a puppy for the first time." She reached below the counter and pulled out a pamphlet. "Here you can read more about the process of adopting a pup for the first time."

Killian walked over and took the pamphlet. "Thank you, I'll take a look at it."

"Should I sign you up for that little Golden Shepherd mix that seemed to like you so much?"

"Aye, that might be my first choice." Killian smiled, remembering how the little pup had sniffed out his shoes and whined when he didn't pay attention to her. "She did seem quite taken with me. Does she have a name?"

"You can name her anything you want. Right now we just call her Jane, but you can name her anything." The shelter worker explained while she started to fill out the initial adoption interest form. "This here is just a sort of reservation for you on that dog. Once you've made your choice we will make the official adoption papers."

"Thank you."

"May I ask where you live?"

"I live in a cabin out in the woods, near the ocean, so I'll have plenty of space for the dog. I imagine if she is part German Shepherd she'll get big."

"Yeah, a mix of German Shepherd and Golden retriever so you should expect her to be big." She finished the paperwork. "It sounds like you have the perfect place for that little girl to grow up in."

"Thanks," Killian said and tapped the counter. "I just hope I can get it all sorted out with all the puppy stuff."

The woman found another pamphlet and handed it to Killian. "Here you can read up on how to keep a puppy safe in your house."

Killian took the pamphlet and said, "I'll give it some thought and come back tomorrow."

"You do that. Have a nice day."

"You too." Killian waved goodbye and walked out of the shelter. The day had certainly been quite eventful. Perhaps he would become a puppy owner, something that he'd never imagined would be part of his life. But that little pup had stolen his heart the second he'd gazed into those golden amber eyes. Thinking of another pair of eyes that had captivated him he smiled as he found his truck. Emma's green eyes flashed before his eyes. The young woman had been captivating his thoughts from the first day he'd met her. She might be this high-profile celebrity who also was a badass horse jumping contestant, but she was so much more in his mind. He knew that he was attracted to her, in ways that he knew his brother or their boss, Regina Mills, would never approve of. Given how his predecessor had bollocksed it all up trying to get closer to Emma. Killian had no idea what Walsh had done specifically but he knew that it had to have been something unacceptable for him to lose his job like that. Killian knew Emma was off limits but his heart and soul found this notion hard to heed and he kept dreaming of green eyes when he fell asleep that night.

THREE DAYS LATER:

Emma had finished her breakfast and carried her plate to the sink. As she looked out over the driveway she saw that the film crew had started to roll in. Her eyes sought out the truck she knew Killian usually drove in, and when she spotted a large animal crate on the flatbed her heart jumped. He adopted the dog.

With a stupid smile on her face, she rushed to the mudroom and found her riding boots and put them on. She would be training with Savy today and also had a few things she needed to tend to in the stable. When she opened the door she saw that Killian had parked the truck under the large oak tree nearby, giving shade to the back of his pickup.

Emma felt her heart flutter in her chest as she saw him jump out of the vehicle, she had no idea why she acted so silly around this man. He was sweet and shy and not someone who would usually catch her attention when she was out for a night of fun with her friends. Someone like him would never frequent the bars and nightclubs she and Ruby visited.

He was dressed in a plaid button-down shirt and dark jeans that hugged his behind in a captivating way. Emma shook her head, trying to focus on something else. A small bark pulled her attention to the crate he was currently looking into.

When she got closer she could hear him speak. "Hold your horses' girl, I'll get you out in a second." Emma could see Killian reaching for the hatch and pulling out the fluffy little ball of a puppy. Emma smiled when she recognized the little German Shepherd mix that had taken a liking to him the day in the shelter.

"You adopted her!" she exclaimed and came closer.

Killian whirled around and his surprise was replaced with a huge smile when his eyes landed on her. "Aye, I did, she sort of picked me, as you remember." He held the pup in his arms and the little dog twisted her head and licked his cheek.

"Ain't you just the sweetest little thing," Emma cooed and walked over and rubbed the puppy behind her floppy ears. The pup yapped in happiness and panted while leaning her head into Emma's hand.

"She certainly gives me a run for my money," Killian said, and Emma realized that she was standing very close to him. She smiled sheepishly as she stepped back and rubbed her hands on her thighs.

"Yeah?"

"It's lucky that I live out in the woods, I have plenty of space for this little girl," Killian explained.

Emma wasn't surprised to hear that he lived out of the city. He didn't seem to be the kind of man who wanted to live in the crowded city.

"Where do you live?" She tilted her head and smiled at the puppy that made a small disgruntled whine.

"Just north of Boston, around halfway between here and Boston," Killian said while he reached into the flatbed, and found a leash. He clicked the hook to the puppy's collar then he placed the little puppy on the ground. "I hope you don't mind me giving her a walk here on your land?" He looked a little nervous.

"Nah, no worries, as long as you keep her in the kennel while you film I'm pretty sure my parents are okay with this." She waved her hand in the air. "You know we have two Australian Shepherds, they are friendly enough."

"Aye, I know." Killian began walking down the small path that led to the forest behind their house. He glanced at his wristwatch, "I have ten minutes before we start filming."

"Oh yeah." Emma followed him, hoping he didn't mind her company, when he glanced wearily at her she asked, "Are you okay with me joining you?"

"Aye." He rubbed his neck in that adorable way he always did when he got a little nervous. "I don't mind," he said, glancing behind him. "I just worry that my boss might not like it."

"Your brother?"

"Him and Regina Mills." He shuddered, and looked ahead of him as if he tried not to look at her too much.

"I've met her a few times. She is kinda intimidating." Emma laughed, then paused, she suddenly knew why he was so skittish around her. "Look what happened with Walsh was crazy and creepy in all the wrong ways."

He stopped walking and looked at her with surprise. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I don't really want to talk about what happened, he was a creep."

"So I've heard. I'm sorry you had to experience that." Killian watched her warily as if he was trying to assess how she felt about him walking here alone with her.

"You're a nice guy Killian, don't worry." She reached out her hand towards him but thought better of it since they were still in plain view of the house.

"Thanks." He rubbed behind his ear again, giving her a sheepish smile, and his eyes flickered to the house behind them. "I just don't want to lose my job."

"Don't worry, you won't lose your job. I've seen some of the footage you've captured already. You're good at what you do." Emma shrugged. "I think Mrs. Mills would be crazy if she were to fire you just because you talk to me like this. There's no harm in talking, right?"

"Aye, I suppose not." He smiled and she spotted a dimple form beneath his scruff. Blinking in surprise, her mind wondered how it would feel against her palm. She shook her head and tried to focus on something else. A small yap from the pup pulled her from her reveries.

"So what's this little sweetie called?" She crouched down and petted the little fluff ball.

"Jewel," Killian said and when she looked up at him he shrugged. "I mean her eyes do resemble amber-colored gemstones."

"Hi, Jewel, what a sweet name your daddy gave you." She smirked when Killian coughed in surprise when she said the word daddy but kept her eyes on the puppy. "Are you being a good girl?"

"She's surprisingly easy," Killian explained and shrugged. "Well only a few indoor accidents so far, I've only had her for two days."

"Good call, bringing her with you," Emma said and rose to her feet, brushing off her hands on her riding pants. "Such a young pup should not be alone for longer periods."

"Aye, Liam agreed to have me bring her along, but once she's older she'll be better at being alone in the daytime, while I'm at work."

"Do you have any backup plans?" she asked "I mean if you're going out for longer," she explained, when he lifted his eyebrow in confusion. "I mean, I know you guys will follow my journey to the Olympics in the next few years, and there will be nationwide competitions that I'm going to be part of."

"Oh aye, I've found a dog sitter nearby, who has a spot available." Killian began walking again when Jewel started to yap impatiently. They shared a laugh at the little dog's antics, and when Jewel found a stick twice her own length Killian shook his head. "You seem so bright and clever, little one, but that stick is too big for ya." But the dog didn't want to let go so Killian let Jewel drag the stick along with them.

"She is very sweet," Emma said, her eyes darting between Killian and the little dog. It was nice just hanging out with Killian. He really was a nice guy, and she hoped that he'd be on set for a long time. Deep down she wanted to get to know him, but she understood his trepidation about them being seen alone together. She knew her life was always on display in the media. It had been hard when she'd been a teenager, but now she had found her own place in life. Finished college last year and now she worked all her hours to become the best horse jumper in the USA. She'd been part of the junior league team years back, and while she attended college she'd put her training on hold, or at least taken it down a notch.

They walked back to the house and Emma followed him to the truck where the rest of the crew was getting ready to shoot today's footage. When they were spotted by his brother Emma noticed Killian's shoulders tense up and the brother did frown a bit when he saw them together.

"Hello, Mr. Jones, all set for today?" Emma asked in a cheerful voice.

"Aye, Miss Nolan we certainly are." His eyes shifted to Killian who had crouched down and tried to calm down his pup. It was far too exciting with all the people around them now.

"Yeah. I just ran into your brother back there and I saw the sweet little puppy. I just had to go say hello." Emma gave an explanation, hoping that the older Jones would understand.

"Alright," Liam said with a nod, his eyes still trained on his brother who had walked to his truck, where he secured Jewel in her crate. "We'll come to the stables in five minutes."

"Awesome, see you there." Emma waved to the crew and gave one last glance towards Killian who she realized had his eyes focused on her now. She felt heat wash up her neck and she rushed to gain more distance between herself and the nosy big brother. God, she hoped that Killian wouldn't be in trouble for speaking with her like this. She knew that she wanted to get to know Killian much more than just him being behind the camera. What she saw in his deep blue eyes intrigued her in a way that no man had ever done. It was crazy to think that a man she'd only just met could occupy her thoughts as much as he did. She knew they both had to be careful while they were out in the open. The gossip news would have a field day if they picked up on the fact that the USA's horse-jumping darling was flirting with a cameraman. Shaking her head she tried to turn her focus on this afternoon, and the exercises she needed to run over with Savy. But her mind kept seeing those blue eyes and she wondered what else she could learn about Killian Jones.