Mine

Chapter Three "Taking the Plunge"

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters I made up!

October Fifteenth

I smiled as I saw Kit with Jason and Lynn. We hadn't seen each other in a few weeks since we had went separate ways for different rodeos. Kit was riding in California and Nevada, Dad was riding in the lower states like Texas and Louisiana but right before my birthday we ended up in Las Vegas for a smaller rodeo and I begged him to stay there for a few days as a birthday present. So, he obliged and it just so happened everyone else was around too.

Kit and Jason were actually in his hometown along with Lynn. He was taking a break between rodeos since there wasn't any real big ones for another few weeks. His hometown, Darton, was hours away from here but when I told him about my birthday, he made sure to come with Jason and Lynn. We had texting and calling each other every day usually we would call each other at night after competitions and when my dad was asleep.

Before he had left Arizona, we had spent every day—well night—together and had went out together pretending I was with Jason or Lynn. I felt bad lying to my dad but he just wouldn't understand about Kit. He wasn't trying to get in my pants, he wasn't trying to make a move, he hadn't even kissed me.

Kit's friend Katie Sterling had called me and was more than happy to help with my internship, she even offered to make it a paid internship although it wasn't required by the college. Her stables were approved by my college and everything was lined up. Now I just had to do it. I had been talking to Katie almost every day either on the phone or through e-mail. She was excited for me to do this and she understood it was going to be something completely new to me.

I was going to tell Dad tonight after the birthday celebration and try to leave for Darton next week. I wanted to get settled in while Kit was still around. I would have my own apartment at Sterling Stables and Katie already had a few clients that were interested in riding lessons. She would help me out for the first couple of weeks but then let me do it on my own. Honor would be with there, boarding for free, and in exchange I offered to help around the stables.

It would be pretty different for me since it was mostly an English riding stable. I knew how to ride both ways much to Dad's displeasure. He was strictly a western rider and believed it was best. I thought either way of riding was perfectly fine. They both took skill and determination. I had tried hinting at my dad these past few weeks about wanting to start an internship but I always got the same response. It's not the right time, just wait a little longer, too many important rodeos coming up, etc. That's when I had truly made up my mind.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and ran towards Kit. He caught me in his arms as I jumped and he laughed. "Missed me, did you?" I smiled brightly.

"I did." I was completely honest. "I hope I'm not alone in missing someone." It was my subtle way of asking if he missed me.

"I missed you too." Kit sat me down and then he kissed me. I felt his lips press down on mine and his arm around my waist and I kissed him back the best I could, my lips moving in sync with his. I could smell his cologne on him, something called Stetson, then the smell of horses and leather. He pulled back after a minute.

"I've been waiting since our date to do that." Kit grinned at my flushed face and shy smile. Jason and Lynn just shook their heads at us. I hugged Lynn and Jason. I had missed them too.

"Sorry I can't give you a kiss like that, the old lady here wouldn't like it too much." Jason joked, winking at me.

"Well this ain't no sister wives!" Lynn said smacking his shoulder with a laugh. "So, what do you have planned for tonight?" She turned to me. We started walking back towards the fairgrounds where Dad and I were staying in the RV. We stayed here so the horses could stay in the fairgrounds barn.

"I don't really know. Maybe go out to dinner?" I shrugged. "It's just my twentieth birthday."

"It's still your birthday!" Jason said, shaking his head. "Are you crazy?" Jason asked. "You're in Las Vegas, sin city! And you're over the legal age – except to drink. I say let's have a little fun."

I shook my head. "And do what? Gamble? See some strippers?" I suggested jokingly.

"Well seeing strippers would not be something I would be doing with you and Lynn." Jason chuckled. "I was thinking maybe we could hit a casino or two just give you a little taste of freedom."

"Maybe. We'll see how the night goes." Kit took my hand and kissed me again.

"Well I just know that you two should stay away from the wedding chapels." Jason gave Kit a playful shove.

Kit laughed. "We're not getting married; I promise you that." I rolled my eyes at Jason.

"We've only been together a few weeks." I added with a pointed look at him.

"Hey things get crazy in Vegas. You never know what will happen." Jason looked lovingly at Lynn. Oh my-!

"Are you two eloping?!" I gasped and they looked at me with surprise.

"We were thinking about it." Lynn admitted. "But we decided that we at least want to have some friends and family at our wedding, so no we're not eloping. But we are getting married in December."

"This is great!" I hugged them both. "I'm so excited for you!" Kit gave Jason a quick hug and gave Lynn a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you. Molly, I'm hoping you'll be one of my bridesmaids." It shocked me but I said yes. I would love to! Lynn and I started talking excitedly about wedding details while the guys talked horses. We all stopped in our tracks by the RV when I heard my dad call out my name.

"Molly!" Dad sounded a bit angry. I turned towards him.

"Hey Dad, look who's here!" I pointed to Jason and Lynn. "They made it just in time." Dad shot Kit a dirty look and I felt my heart sinking. He was going to get so upset over this.

"And Kit Ely." Dad tried to act friendly but his eyes were focused on our intertwined hands. I felt like I should let go but Kit just tightened his grip and squeezed my hand.

"Hello Mr. Parker. Good job on those wins down in Texas and New Orleans." Kit congratulated him and held out his other hand for Dad to shake. Dad took it grudgingly.

"Thanks Kit." Dad kept staring at us. "I'm a little more interested in what you're doing holding my daughter's hand." I groaned.

"Dad please." I said, wanting this to all go away. "Can we not make a scene? I'm twenty years old."

Dad crossed his arms and looked at me. "Since when have you been interested in dating?

"Dad, Kit and I get along great. I was going to start dating at some point." I pointed out to him. I was twenty. I wasn't a child anymore; I was a legal adult who could make her own decisions. "Could we please just go to dinner?"

Dinner was a bit of an awkward event. Jason and Lynn tried to keep conversation up with my father to keep him from commenting on Kit and I. Kit and I only showed minimal affection to each other as we ate. No hand holding, no kissing, just smiles and talking. We were back at the RV and having some cake when I started to think everything would be alright. Until Kit said, "Did Molly tell you the good news?" No, Kit! I shouted in my head. I had wanted to tell him by myself, when everyone was gone.

My Dad's eyes met mine. "What good news?" I took another bite of cake, looking down. "Molly, what do you have to tell me?"

"I found a barn where I could do my internship at. They want me to start next week." It was all silent around the RV.

"Is that right?" Dad asked quietly. "And when were you going to run this by me?"

"I tried to Dad. You kept saying to wait. Well, I don't want to wait anymore." I said, barely audible. Lynn threw me a sympathetic look. She knew how hard this was for me. "I need to finish my degree."

Dad took his plate to the sink, grabbed his hat and walked out of the RV. I sat down my fork and put my head in my hands, not hungry anymore. Kit reached over to me and I shook off his hand.

"I thought you had told him. You said you were telling him today." Kit sounded apologetic.

"I was waiting until after everything so it wouldn't ruin it." I whispered. Kit pulled me to him and held me. The celebration was over now. Jason, Kit and Lynn were driving back to Darton in the morning, they would be staying here in a hotel for the night. Kit stood in front of me while Jason and Lynn walked back to the car.

"Molly, I'm really sorry about that. I thought he knew." Kit held onto me. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad." I was quiet. Was I upset? Yes. Mad? No. "I just wish I had gotten the chance to tell him myself. He was already surprised because of you and me then that got thrown on him." Kit was smiling a bit. "Why are you smiling?" I asked, slightly irritated.

"The 'you and me' part." I couldn't help the smile that overtook my face. "I am just so happy that we can be out in the open now. I know we were only together that one week and we've been apart since then but I have this little bit of free time and I want to spend it all with you when you come to Darton next week. I want to spend it with you as your boyfriend, not in secret."

"And you will because it's all out in the open now." I sighed but didn't lose my smile. Kit kept smiling and kissed me.

"I want you to meet my family when you come. Mom wants you to come over for dinner one night." I felt nervous at his words. Meet his family?

"Already?" Meeting his parents were a big deal.

"Yes. Molly I want you to meet everyone. I want to show you off a little bit." Kit winked at me. "I've been talking to my mother about you and she wants to meet this girl who I always talk about."

I smiled but the nervous feeling stuck around. "Okay. I will but I'll be so nervous."

"Don't be." Kit told me. "My family is nice. My brothers might tease the hell out of you and me but that's the worse they'll do. Mom will want to know everything about you and Dad is pretty quiet. He probably won't talk too much."

"Well that obviously didn't pass on to you." I teased him giving him a light shove.

Kit scoffed, pretending to take offense. "Are you saying I talk too much?"

"No of course not." I winked at him. I sighed and looked towards Lynn's car. "You should probably get going."

"Are you going to be okay?" Kit was serious now. I nodded trying to reassure him.

"Yeah, I can handle a mad Dad. I'll be fine." I reached up to kiss him and he held onto me tightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow before we leave, okay?" I smiled and he waved bye as he walked away. I went back to the RV and cleaned up. I waited for my dad to come back, checking the clock every once in a while, and texted Kit. I must have fallen asleep because when the RV door slammed shut, I jerked awake. Dad stumbled towards the bedroom but stopped when he saw me curled up on the daybed.

"You betrayed me today, Molly." Dad's words were slightly slurred. Had he been drinking? "First you go off and get with Kit Ely, one of the man-whores of the rodeo circuit, and then you tell me you're leaving me."

Shock was running through me. "Dad I'm only doing my internship so I can finish my degree and get a job. I just want a place to call home, I'm tired of being on the road all the time."

"This is our home Molly!" Dad shouted at me. I flinched back. "Why can't you just be happy with what you've got?!"

"This life isn't for me, Dad. It's your dream, not mine." I choked out, tears rushing down my face. "I love riding and I love Honor but I don't like having to be on the move all the time, going from place to place, never having anyone besides you! What I've got is a wonderful opportunity to have a normal life and Kit has made this all possible—"

"WAIT! This was his idea?" My father raged. "Is that what you're telling me?"

"No—I was always going to do my internship. He just found someone willing to help me out. A friend of his owns a stable in Darton and she wants to help me out."

"So you're with him for what, a few weeks—Don't think I didn't notice the late night talks, his number all over our cellphone bills—and you're willing to abandon me to go stay with him?" My eyes widened. He had known this whole time?

"No Dad! He won't even be there; he'll be off competing. Kit just helped me out with the internship there because he thought it would help if I could have someone to go to. His family lives near the stables I'll be at. He knows I'm going to be alone there and is trying to make it easy for me."

Dad just shook his head. "Get out." I stopped, thinking I must have misheard him.

"What did you say?" I asked, hoping I misheard him. My Dad's head snapped up and looked at me.

"Get your clothes and get out!" Dad shouted at me. "If you want to go off and leave just like your mother up and left you, go ahead."

Hurt ran through me. My mother was a sensitive subject between us. "Dad."

"I thought I raised you better than that! But I guess you're just another disappointment like your mother. Get out and don't come back, I don't want to see your face." I grabbed my duffel bag and started throwing clothes into it while tears fell down my face. How could he say that to me? How could he be so cruel? I made sure to throw in Honor's papers in my bag. It was the only thing stating that I owned her myself if my dad tried to take her away. I was getting ready to walk out the door when his voice stopped me. "Are you really willing to throw away your life with me for him?"

I turned to look back at my father, the man I thought I knew. "It's not for him, this is for me. And I'm not throwing anything away, you are." I slammed the door shut and rushed to the barn. I didn't know where to go or what I would do. I sat in Honor's stall and cried. What the hell was I going to do?

…...

Maxine POV (During the last couple of weeks)

I smiled at my oldest son as he told me more about this girl Molly. She really had him smitten and I had never heard him talk about another girl like this, not even when he dated that Ashley girl in high school for two years. "It sounds like you're going to have to bring her to dinner one night."

"It wouldn't be until after she starts her internship at Katie's, she's still traveling around." Kit told me. "I can't wait til her birthday. She's going to be in Las Vegas so I figure I'll drive up and see her."

"That's a long drive." I commented as I stirred the spaghetti noodles.

"Yeah but I think Jason and Lynn are going to see her too so we'll just make a trip out of it and get a hotel room that night." Kit shrugged.

"Don't gamble too much if you go." I said sternly. Rodeo was enough gambling, with your money and your life.

"I won't Ma." I loved having Kit at home and this time he was staying for a few weeks. I had to thank Molly when I met her because I knew, from his words, that he was only sticking around for that long to see her and help her settle in at Katie's. From what he told me, she had never stayed in one place, she was always out on the road with her father.

I had asked him her age once but he had swiftly changed the subject and that worried me. She had to be younger than him and probably by quite a few years by that reaction. I didn't mind an age difference really but I worried about him being with him someone too much younger than him. Of course, it wasn't like he was ready to settle down so maybe a young girl would be better.

"You said she wants to be a riding instructor?" I asked as he texted someone. Probably her, I thought with a smile. Kit put the phone down.

"Yeah, she loves kids and really wants to work with them. I'm not sure whether she wants to do English or Western riding but I'm assuming Western because that's what she rides."

"Maybe but she is taking an internship at an English stable. Maybe she'll convert." I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Lord I hope not. I can't imagine her being some English rider. I'd support her in whatever she wanted to do but I just can't imagine myself at English shows or trying to keep up with her riding English." I laughed at Kit.

"English isn't too bad. Look at Katie Sterling." I pointed out. Kit shrugged.

"I guess. But Katie's nice." I shot him a look.

"What are you trying to say about English riders?"

"Some are snobby."

"Some being the keyword. But even some Western riders have their nose a little high." I told him as I drained the noodles. "Go call your brothers and your father. Dinner's about ready." Kit went off to do as I asked. I just couldn't wait for this girl to get here so I could meet her.

…...

Kit POV

I woke up to a knocking on my hotel door. I looked at the clock, it was two in the morning. Who would be knocking? I pulled my t-shirt on, not bothering with my jeans. If you were gonna disturb a man at two am, you were going to see boxers. I peeked out the peep hole and to my surprise, saw Molly. I undid the locks and opened the door immediately.

"Molly, honey, what are you doing here?" I pulled her into the room and locked the door back up. How had she gotten here was another good question. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy. She had been crying and she held tightly onto a duffel bag.

"He kicked me out." She said with fresh tears in her eyes. "He told me to get out and to never come back." She was obviously talking about her dad. I couldn't believe him. He was throwing his daughter out—well she'd be gone next week anyways—just because she chose to finish her college degree and get her own life?

"Oh Molly, I'm so sorry." She flew into my arms and started to cry again. I rubbed her back as she cried and I wished I could take away her pain. "Honey, he probably didn't mean it." I hoped not.

"He did!" She half wailed. I tried to soothe her. "He said I was just another disappointment like my mother and said that if I wanted to go off and leave like my mother did, that was fine." Such a low blow of him. I knew Molly enough that her mother was a sensitive subject and they didn't talk about her. I led her to the bed, mentally groaning that there was only one, and sat her down. I put her bag next to mine and helped her out of her jacket.

"Well let's try to get some sleep and we'll sort everything out in the morning okay?" I think she really needed some sleep. She was so upset and her being tired didn't help. Molly looked around.

"There's only one bed." She shifted uncomfortably. I sighed.

"I can sleep on the floor." I offered. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Molly thought for a moment.

"No I can't have you do that. Just promise me that-" I put my hand up to stop her.

"Molly, I'm not going to try anything. You are so upset and it's not what either of us need." I kissed her lips gently. "Now let's get some sleep and we'll see what the morning brings."

…...

Molly POV October 16th

The next day didn't bring much more. Jason and Lynn were updated on the situation, Kit was angry about it. I was just numb, I guess. I couldn't believe it even happened. The plan was that I would be going back to Darton with them. We would have to come back for Honor later. We didn't have a trailer or anything.

"Don't worry, I've already talked to a buddy of mine and the guy who manages the grounds. My buddy will feed and water her until we come back for her. He won't let anyone take her or do anything to her." Kit reassured me. So, we went to the barn to meet up with his buddy and I said goodbye to Honor. I worried about her but if Kit said his buddy would make sure she was okay, I believed him.

When we got back into the truck to leave for Darton, Kit pulled something out of his glove box. It was a little gift-wrapped box. "In all the commotion last night, I forgot to give you your present." I unwrapped it and it was a little velvet box. I opened it and in it sat a beautiful heart shaped necklace. In the heart was a girl and a head of a horse, the girl was touching the horse's face. Opal gemstones covered the top of the heart. Opal was my birthstone. "I saw the necklace and I knew you would love it. I custom ordered one with your birthstone in it."

I smiled and kissed him. I couldn't get enough of kissing him yet and I loved my gift. "Thank you, I love it." He helped me put it on and then started the truck.

"Are you ready?" He asked looking at me. I took a deep breath.

"As ready as I'll ever be." And with that, we started towards Darton.

…...

A/N: Hey readers! I know it's been a few months since I updated but I have updated every story I have and now I'm going to try to update a story a week. I just updated Saving You, Finding Moon, You Need To Trust Me and Savannah's Journey for those who read them. I'm on a roll here and I'm updating a story every few days. Lucky for my Phantom Stallion story readers I'm very much in the Phantom Stallion world and can't think much of my other stories because I went back and reread some PS books and I just bought(and finished in like 30 minutes) Terri's novella, The Protector. 99 cents on Amazon! I was a bit disappointed but at least it was little bit back into the world of Sam and the Phantom. It was just too short, I need more! I hope she keeps doing little novellas or special editions. I wish she'd do one with Sam and Jake dating! Lol, don't we all...You know what would be great? If the series was made into a TV show, like Heartland. I don't know how they'd do it but I would watch it whenever it came on.

Anywho, I'm going to try to start the next update for another story tomorrow. It'll probably either be Ripped Pictures or This Is My Life. I really want to get Ripped Pictures done this year. It's been almost 6 years now that I've been writing that story! Seth Ely might be apart of a new story when I start it. I probably won't until I finish RP or I'll write many chapters and then post.

Well thank you for reading, I hope you liked this chapter. I'd love to see some reviews! I'd love to know what you think about the story so far!

Thanks, Quinnandseth'sgirl15.