Mine

Chapter 16 "Time flies"

Disclaimer: I only own my made up characters!

Thursday, April 18th

"You're sure you'll be okay driving by yourself for that long? This late into the evening?" Katie looked worried as I loaded up Princess, the last horse to get on the trailer.

"I'll be fine, I've slept most of the day. I'm going to be stopping a few times for the horses to get out and stretch their legs. I've already found mapped out the rest stops along the way. If I get tired, I'm going to stop there, lock the trailer, and sleep before continuing on." I reassured Katie.

"Well how about you don't go alone?" Katie and I turned at the voice. It was Nate.

"What?" I said, confused, wondering what he meant and what he was doing here.

Nate held out his arms. "Me. I'll be your road buddy. I took some time off from the store. It'll be great."

Katie smiled. "I would feel better if you had someone with you."

"You just randomly took time off from the store?" I asked dubiously, my hands on my hips, wondering if this was a set up by Katie or Kit. Both were worried about me driving to New Mexico myself.

Nate shrugged. "I knew you were taking a trip to New Mexico. I took a chance that maybe you'd let me come along. You wouldn't keep your best friend—other best friend," Nate corrected as Katie raised her eyebrows at him, "from going on a road trip with you, would you?"

I shook my head with a laugh. "No, I wouldn't do that. I guess you can come."

"Sweet!" Nate tossed his duffel bag into the backseat. Nate shook another bag at me and put it up front. "Snacks for the road, courtesy of my Mom."

Katie and I shared a look. "Well at least you'll have company on the way down."

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes before walking towards the truck. I stopped at the driver's door. "I'll call you when we stop. You call me if there's any issues."

"Ditto." Katie said pointing at me. "Good luck! Drive safe."

We waved at Katie as we left the stable yard. We were headed to New Mexico.

It turned out having Nate along was a lot better. He helped navigate, made it easier to stretch the horse's legs, kept me energized, and provided snacks.

As we sat at a rest stop right past the New Mexico State line, I texted Katie. Finally in New Mexico. Have a few hours to go. Princess and Bailey are doing well.

So glad to hear! I can't wait to see you guys compete on Sunday. I think Princess will do great! Katie replied.

Katie would be able to watch from Darton as part of some sports package, she got a channel that had even small shows on it. The show we entered would be broadcasted.

"Ready to go?" Nate asked as he got back in the driver's seat. I nodded.

"Let's finish it." I shut my door and we were on our way.

…

Friday, April 19th

We had just finished getting the horses settled in the barn when I heard my name. I turned and smiled as I saw Kit walking fast towards me.

Kit lifted me off my feet when he got close enough and I laughed as he squeezed me. "Missed me, did you?"

"So much." He said, putting me down, then kissing me. "God, these two weeks have felt like forever."

"I know." I said with a smile as I was snuggled into his arms. "But I'm here now."

"And you brought my brother." Kit raised his eyebrow at Nate. Nate grinned.

"I needed a break from the store—so I thought I'd come, check out New Mexico."

Kit nodded. "Well I was thinking we'd grab some breakfast. What do you think?"

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day." So Nate, Kit, Jason and I went to breakfast together. We talked about Kit and Jason's event this weekend, my two events.

"Nervous?" Jason asked, taking a bite of his waffle. I shook my head.

"Not really. A little bit with Princess, just because she and I are still getting used to each other. She's a great jumper but I did fall off her last week."

"You fell off her?" Kit turned to me in shock. I guess I had forgotten to tell him about it.

I shrugged. "Yeah, she balked at a jump. I wasn't prepared and over I went." I laughed at the memory. "The girls were all watching so they got a kick out of it."

Kit winced. "I hope she doesn't do that to you this weekend."

"Me too. God, that would be awful." I took a drink of my orange juice, wincing at the thought. It would be so embarrassing to get thrown or fall during a show.

Later that night, Kit and I settled comfortably on our bed as we prepared to watch my favorite new show: Hart of Dixie. I had started it months ago, Kit had started watching it with me while he was home though I had to promise not to tell anyone about him watching this "girl" show. I rolled my eyes at the thought. Cowboys.

Nate was in the room next to us. Kit insisted that we have separate rooms. Nate snorted, muttering something under it his breath. I didn't catch what he was saying but something like "not like anything good is happening in your room."

The last episode had ended with the main character—Dr. Zoe Hart—missing her boyfriend Wade's performance in Battle of the Bands. He had lost and had left the bar with another woman.

I couldn't believe it as Wade loved Zoe and had wanted so badly to be with her. I knew he had been a bit of a…womanizer in his past but he had seemed to change with Zoe. But I was giving Wade the benefit of the doubt—maybe he hadn't cheated.

Two of the favorite young characters—Tom and Wanda—were getting married. "They're so weird, but so cute together." I commented to Kit as we cuddled in bed.

He chuckled. "That's what makes them good together."

I winced as Wade told George—a friend of both Wade and Zoe—that nothing had happened with that girl, she had a dead battery in her car and needed a jump. "C'mon George! You don't believe that do you?" I groaned and Kit rubbed my back.

…..

Kit POV

I had to ask myself if this episode was a sign. I had been watching Hart of Dixie with Molly since she found the show and fell in love with it. Sure, it was a "girl" show but she enjoyed it—and she watched my stuff with me—so I watched it with her. It made her happy.

But this episode…I grimaced as the girl in the episode realized the truth. Her boyfriend had cheated on her.

Towards the end of the episode, they were sitting on a bench together and they both knew that she knew. "Zoe, please say something. It's eerie when you don't talk." The guy said to his girlfriend.

"What do you want me to say, Wade?" She asked, a lone tear streaking down her face. I felt Molly's hands tighten on mine as she watched.

"Baby, I want you to tell me you'll forgive me. Please forgive me. Because I will do, I will do anything to make this up to you." He said to her desperately, pain on his face. I took a deep breath as I watched. Was this bound to be me and Molly?

We watched the rest of the episode—Wade and Zoe breaking up, Wade getting punched by his ex-wife for what he did, his friends angry that he hurt Zoe.

I looked down as I heard sniffling. Oh hell, Molly was crying. I turned off the tv and Molly looked up at me. "Baby, why are you crying?" I asked her, wiping a tear off her cheek.

She nodded. "I just—" She broke off as her voice caught and gestured towards the TV. "Zoe loves Wade so much—and I know Wade loves her. How could he do this to her? I know they're fictional characters but it just makes me so sad." Molly hugged me tightly. "I'm so glad that would never be us."

That was it. I made up my mind. I needed to tell Molly. Soon. I couldn't propose to her without her knowing the truth and there wouldn't be a chance to start repairing things if I didn't confess. It would come out sooner or later and it'd be best if it came from me.

"Molly, listen, there's something I need to tell you—" I was interrupted by Nate coming through the connecting door of our rooms.

"Hey, I wanted to see if you guys wanted to watch a movie…" Nate trailed off as he saw Molly crying. "What's wrong?"

Molly laughed and wiped at the tears on her face. "Nothing's wrong. I just got done watching an episode of my new show and the characters broke up. The boyfriend cheated. I—I feel too much for fictional characters. That's all."

As they started talking about potential movies, I sighed. Then a text from Tia came in.

When you have a moment, let's talk more about the Molly's surprise graduation party. I have some ideas!

Tia and I had come up with the idea together to throw Molly a graduation party since she wasn't actually attending her graduation ceremony. I rubbed my forehead. Okay, I should definitely wait until after that. It was only a few weeks more.

Molly turned to me. "Oh—you had something you wanted to tell me! Sorry, I got distracted."

I gave her a smile. "It can wait." I guess it'd have to wait. I had waited this long to tell her, it could wait a bit longer.

….

Saturday, April 20th Molly POV

I was grinning as I made Honor slow down as we approached the alley way. We had a great run—our first one back too!

We made second place and I was happy. It had been awhile for the both of us.

I quickly cooled Honor down and put her back in the barn with the others. I didn't want to miss Kit's ride.

"Great job, Molly!" Nate said with a smile as I sat next to him in the stands.

"Thanks, I'm really happy with the way Honor performed. It's so great to be running on her again." I smiled back at him.

"Let's see if Kit can do good tonight with you in attendance." Nate grinned and I rolled my eyes.

"He'll do great—I'll even bet you that he's gonna win." I said with my own grin at Nate.

"What's the terms?" Nate rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"If I win…" I tried to think of something good and then I thought of something great. "If I win, you have to try riding English. Maybe even attempt a jump."

Nate stilled for a moment but then grinned. "You're on. And if I win the bet, you're…you have to go skydiving with me."

I gasped. "Skydiving? I give you something like riding English and you give me skydiving?"

Nate chuckled. "In my eyes, it's the same thing. Crazy."

I rolled my eyes before turning back to the arena. Kit had better win this round.

We watched as Jason rode a score of 89, Justin a 88, and waited for Kit. A flash of heat zipped through me as Kit's eyes found me in the stands and he gave me a wink before getting into the chutes.

A moment later, the chute was opening and the bronc was bursting out. Kit held on as the bronc gave a hard buck and twisted. His shoulders strained against his shirt as he tried to stay aboard. I knew that bareback bronc riding was one of the most physically demanding sports in rodeo and man, did I love watching Kit ride.

The buzzer went off at eight seconds and he bailed off, grinning my way as the score flashed: 93.

It was one of the highest scores tonight. We'd see if it held. Glancing at Nate, who grinned at me, I sure hoped it held.

I leaned over to Nate. "I'm making a bathroom run—be right back."

Moving through the crowd, I found the bathroom. I had just finished up and was about to leave the bathroom stall when a few girls came into the bathroom. My hand was on the lock when I heard Kit's name.

"God, did you see how good Kit Ely looked out there tonight? Talk about a hot combination." One of the woman laughed and through the cracks I could see three woman standing there at the sinks. I recognized one of them as a fellow barrel racer I'd met before. The other two I didn't know.

"It's too bad he's taken. I heard he's dating one of the barrel racers we saw tonight. That Parker girl, I think." Another girl sighed as she dusted off some dirt from her shirt. The other two girls shared a look—one of them being the barrel racer. "What?"

The first girl shrugged. "I mean it's just a rumor…but I heard that he hooked up with some buckle bunny back in February. I wasn't sure if the barrel racer and him were still together but I saw them together today. So she either doesn't know or it wasn't true."

My breath caught at her words. There it was again—I remembered back when I confronted my dad about Tia being my mom, when he saw that I was upset, he thought it was something with Kit, a rumor that he had heard and thought was true. I had dismissed it because I was more worried about Tia and my situation than his words.

But now…now here it was again. A rumor. About Kit. One that would upset me.

"Oh man. That's awful. I wonder if it's true." The third girl said as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Do you think it's true?" The first girl asked the barrel racer. She shrugged.

"It gets lonely on the road sometimes. Things happen." One of the other girls scoffed at her words. "What? I'm not saying I condone it, I'm just saying it happens."

"Poor girl." The first girl murmured as they left the bathroom.

I left the stall, going to the sink. I washed my hands robotically, going through the motions.

Looking up, I saw myself in the mirror. I was pale and my brown eyes stood out against my skin. I rubbed my cheeks, trying to get some color into them.

As I walked back to the stands, I thought about the conversation I'd overheard. Was it true? They said February, which lined up around the time that the whole drama with the girl and the picture.

But Kit…Kit had promised me that it was nothing. Nothing had happened.

I flashed back to the episode of Hart of Dixie last night—Wanda's mother's words when she was speaking about Wanda's dad cheating on her that told Zoe how she knew Wade had cheated. He was too sweet, too accommodating.

The days—hell the weeks—following Kit coming home, how sweet he was. How he told me he was in love with me, staying home from the rodeos, and then…creating a future together.

I had thought it was sweet—but was it just sweet or did it mean something more?

Shaking my head, I cleared the thoughts out of my head. I couldn't think about this now.

Nate glanced over at me as I sat down. "Long line?" He joked and I realized I had been gone longer than I should have.

I smiled, trying not to let anything show. "Yeah, long line."

"Well you got lucky." Nate grumbled as he gestured towards the boards. "Kit won."

My smile became real as I realized what this meant. "I won the bet? You have to ride English?!"

He laughed good-naturedly. "Yeah, I have to put myself in that small saddle and jump, just for you." Nate stood up. "Now let's go find Kit."

…

Kit POV

Something was up with Molly. I first noticed it when she and Nate came to find me after I was done competing. She hugged me, but it was as if she was holding back. She seemed distracted as we went to dinner—well really a late meal after the rodeo—and she sat next to Nate. That had confused me, Jason, and Nate.

Nate made a joke about their bet and how he now had to get himself into an English saddle all because I won.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel. Molly walked by Nate, talking with him. Jason raised his eyebrows at me. I shrugged. I didn't understand what was going on myself.

Nate and Jason waved at us as we stopped at our room. Molly pulled out our key card and opened the door. Immediately she seemed to head towards the bathroom.

"Hey." I grabbed her arm to stop and made her face me. She glanced at me for what felt like the first time since the rodeo ended. "What's going on, Mol? You seem to be a little distant."

She shrugged. "Sorry, I guess I'm just thinking about tomorrow. Two horses to ride. My mind is just kind of….thinking a lot."

I pulled her to me and slid my arms around her waist. "You sure that's all it is? I didn't do anything to upset you, did I?"

She smiled at me, but somehow it didn't feel like her usual smile. "No, you didn't do anything. I just want to grab a shower then you can grab one after me if you'd like."

I leaned down to kiss her and she pulled away. Something went cold in me. "Sorry, I'm just so sweaty. I really want to grab a shower."

I let her go and she went into the bathroom. My eyes roamed to her phone that she had put down on the table.

No, no I couldn't look at her phone. There was no reason to look at her phone. Molly was probably just tired and distracted like she said.

But something was nagging at me. This wasn't normal Molly behavior.

I glanced at the bathroom door. I heard the shower turn on and the curtain move. She must be getting in.

I sat down in a chair by the table. Molly's phone sat there, like a beacon.

Would it hurt to see if there was something on there that had bothered her? Would it help me know how to help her?

Feeling as if I was doing something wrong, I unlocked her phone. We both knew each other's passwords.

I smiled for a moment as I saw her background—a picture of us at the girl's pizza party after their first show. Molly was sitting on my lap and smiling brightly. I had my arms around her and I was smiling up at her. It was a good picture.

I hesitated for a moment. Should I really be doing this?

I was only looking to see if something had upset Molly. That was it.

Looking at her apps, I found her texts. There was a recent exchange between her and Katie.

Molly: Hey, can we talk?

Katie: Sure! I'm out with Glen but I'll give you a call when I get home?

Molly: Okay, thanks. Even if it's late, please call.

Katie: Is everything okay? Did something happen?

Molly: I just need to talk with you, that's all.

I could see there was a few texts with Hope & Tia (mainly about the time for her shows tomorrow and where to watch), some texts between Molly and my mom, but only the conversation with Katie was concerning.

What did Molly need to talk about with Katie? The show tomorrow? Her concerns about Princess? Something else?

I put Molly's phone down and went to the connecting door to Nate's room. Maybe he knew something. I knocked on the door and he called "Come in!"

Walking through the door, I saw him lying in bed watching a movie.

"Hey, I, uh, wanted to ask….did something happen with Molly this evening? She's been acting….strange." I said taking a seat near the end of the bed.

"Yeah, I noticed. I thought maybe you two had a fight between the time you went to check the horses and the time you got to the diner." Nate said with a shrug.

"No, she didn't really talk much." I told him, thinking of how she seemed to be rushing through the feeding, eager to get out of there.

Nate thought for a moment. "I mean, she went to the bathroom after you competed, she was gone for a while…and when she came back, she was pretty quiet."

I gave a slow nod. "Alright, well maybe I'll get it out of her. She says she's just tired and distracted but I don't know, something feels off."

I said good night to Nate and went back to our room. Molly was standing there, wrapped in a towel, going through her bag. Hoping she didn't pull away, I slid up behind her, wrapping my arms around her towel covered waist. She leaned back against me and put her arm around my neck.

"Love you." I murmured to her, kissing her neck.

She was quiet for a moment before she answered. "Love you too, cowboy."

Maybe I was just being paranoid.

Molly glanced up at me. "Why don't you go take a shower? I may have saved you some hot water."

I smiled down at her. "I'll make it quick." I kissed her lips this time and she gave me a small smile.

Maybe things were okay.

….

Molly POV

I sighed as Kit went into the bathroom. I knew he noticed something was wrong but I was afraid to confront him about the rumors. About what the barrel racer had said. What if it was true?

Just as I was finishing getting dressed, Katie called. Grabbing my phone and the hotel key, I stepped out into the balmy night.

"Katie, hey."

"Hey Molly, what's going on?" Katie asked, sounding concerned. I wouldn't tell her what was said—I didn't want Katie to hate Kit without me knowing anything concrete.

"How's everything there?" I said, chickening out of saying anything.

"Fine. But there's something up with you, so let's talk about that." Katie replied gently.

I sighed and then blurted out, "Do you think Kit would ever cheat on me?"

I could hear Katie's sharp intake of breath. "Molly, where is this coming from? Has something happened?"

"It's just a question." I answered, watching as some people walked across the hotel parking lot.

"That kind of question doesn't just come out of nowhere…" Katie said, sounding worried. "Are things okay with you and Kit?"

"I guess so." I mumbled, thinking of the girl's words from earlier.

Before Katie or I could say anything else, the door to my room opened. Kit poked his head out and saw me on the phone.

"Ah, Katie, I have to go. But thanks for the advice for tomorrow. I'll talk to you then." I rushed the words and then ended the call before Katie could answer. "Hey, you're finished already?"

Kit nodded. "I was worried when I didn't see you."

I got up off the ground and came into the room. Kit got into bed and after I hooked up my phone to the charger—and put it on silent—I did too.

Not wanting to make Kit any more suspicious than I knew he already was, I snuggled into his side. I had to admit, even with my concerns and doubts, it felt so nice. I loved being in his arms.

"You know, Jason was saying to me that when his and Lynn's house was finished, we should come visit. Stay with them." Kit told me, rubbing my back gently.

I smiled and nodded. "That would be fun. It's been a while since I've been to Montana and it would be nice to be there just for a visit."

"It would be nice, especially for you and I to just hang out with our friends, no rodeos or anything like that." Kit leaned down and kissed me. "Might give us some ideas about our house, whenever we get to that point."

Normally, this would make me beam in happiness, but all I could muster up was a half-smile. All I could think about was that conversation I overheard. What if we never got to that point—what if our future was in jeopardy?

…..

Sunday, April 21st

I could not be distracted. I could not be distracted. I repeated to myself as I warmed Bailey up. His class was coming up and this day was already not going well.

I had overslept, couldn't find my truck keys for quite a while, and then got to the barn to find that Princess had rolled in manure.

Panic had swept over me, just a bit—maybe more than a bit—as I thought about how much time I had before Bailey's class. I didn't think I had enough to bathe her.

Thankfully, Kit had stepped in. "I'll bathe her and bring her over once we're done. I'll drop you and Bailey off at the showgrounds then I'll come back and finish up."

He had done exactly that too. Princess tied to the trailer with her bucket of water and hay net. She wouldn't be able to roll in any manure.

My distraction had Bailey knocking a pole on one of the warm up jumps. I grimaced, knowing it was all me. If I was unfocused, Bailey would be too.

It gets lonely on the road. Things happen.

I shook my head as the words played in my head again. Stop it, I ordered myself. You can't think of anything but riding.

Kit held onto Bailey as I walked the jumping course before my class started. It would require my attention. This was different from his schooling shows. The jumps were higher, the turns just a bit tighter.

I was in the first ten competitors. There were ten after me. I wished I was more towards the end but I couldn't help that.

Bailey was a true blessing. He went over the course like he'd been doing it all his life, like a true pro.

I was beaming as we accepted our first place ribbon. Katie would be so happy—I was so happy too!

Nate helped cool Bailey out so I could start on Princess. She snorted at me and nuzzled me as I gave her a quick brushing. Kit had done a really good job on her bath.

"Now, if you could just try to knock it out of the park like Bailey did, that'd be great, little girl." I gave her neck a quick rub with my hand. She moved her head up and down as if she was saying yes.

I went through the motions of tacking her up before going to walk her course. It was pretty much the same—except she was at a lower height than Bailey.

I was more nervous with Princess than Bailey. Princess would require my full attention and still, she may balk at some of the jumps. If she refused, we'd be faulted. I needed to keep her from doing that.

"You okay?" Kit asked quietly as I grabbed Princess's reins. Were my nerves showing?

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It'll just be a different ride on Princess. I've really got to focus."

Kit gave me a kiss quickly. "You'll do great, I know you will."

My smile was shaky, I knew, but I tried. "Thanks. See you when I'm done."

Princess and I walked over to stand by the arena railing. I wanted to watch the other competitors in this class.

When it was our turn, I took a deep breath and asked Princess for a trot. I concentrated on the jump ahead and Princess popped over it easily as she did the next two. So far, so good.

We turned towards the fourth jump, a fake brick wall. I gave her encouragement and Princess jumped high enough not to hit any of the fake bricks.

I was feeling confident in our performance so far and I was happy. Maybe this would go well.

As I thought that, two things happened. Out of the side of eyes, I saw the girls from last night in the bathroom. It gets lonely on the road. Things happen. My focus shifted for just a moment as the words replayed in my head.

That was all it took. I felt Princess' muscles bunching up—and not to jump. Because my mind had lost focus, she started to balk at the double oxer.

Her hindquarters slid down as if she was a reining horse and I tried to keep my seat.

It didn't work.

….

Katie POV

"Oh no!" I gasped as I watched Princess tuck her hindquarters in and balk at the jump. Molly wasn't prepared and tried to keep herself in the saddle.

I heard the gasps around me—the kids at the barn had come over to watch—and watched in horror as Molly flew over Princess's head before slamming into the jump poles taking them down with her as she slammed into the dirt.

I held my breath as I waited for her to get up. I could see officials rushing out to her as she laid unmoving on the ground.

A sigh of relief rushed through me as she sat up slowly, waving off the medical team.

Princess was caught and Molly took her reins from the person. I watched closely as she walked out. She didn't seem to be limping or holding anything.

Probably just got the breath knocked out of her.

I looked at the two groups of kids. The eight/nine year old's and the thirteen/fourteen year old's. "Hey guys, she's okay, see? She's walking off the course. She's okay." I said reassuringly to them as I met Glen's eyes.

I motioned for him to keep an eye on the kids and he nodded. I needed to find my phone and call to check on Molly.

…

Molly POV

I tried to take calming breaths as I walked Princess off the course. Tears sprung to my eyes and I squeezed my eyes shut, not allowing them to fall.

I had fallen, yes. But I was okay. It had knocked the breath out of me but nothing broken or sprained. I was okay.

It had scared me. Flying through the air, hitting the poles, slamming into the ground.

My last fall hadn't been that bad. I had just kind of slid off Princess last time. This time, she had balked too hard.

"Molly!" Kit's shout came through the crowd as he rushed towards me. Tears flooded my eyes again—not because of the fall but because of what I had seen, where my mind had gone before the fall.

Instead of stopping, I kept moving towards where the trailer was parked.

"Hey!" Kit stopped me and looked me over. "Are you okay? Shouldn't you get checked out by the medical team?"

I shook my head, trying to blink back the tears. "No. I'm fine, really."

Concern shone in Kit's eyes. "Baby, you hit the ground pretty hard. Are you sure?" He noticed the tears shining in my eyes. "Molly, you're crying."

"I just need to get back to the trailer." I half-said, half cried. I pulled myself out of his arms and rushed off, towing Princess behind me.

That night, after I had gotten the all clear for Princess and I both, we went back to the hotel.

Soreness was starting to set in and I wasn't surprised. I had flown off a horse, hit the poles and then the ground. I was going to be sore.

Kit, Nate, and even Jason were treating me as if I were a spooky horse. They had all been at the trailer, watching in confusion and wariness as I untacked Princess while tears rushed down my face.

They had asked if I was hurt—no. Did I need to see a doctor—no. They were honestly a bit confused and I didn't blame them. I had never cried after a fall before. Not my own falls anyways.

Nate and Jason seemed happy to let Kit handle me. They went off to their own rooms as Kit took me into our hotel room after the horses were settled.

I sat on the bed and stared blankly at the wall. What was wrong with me?! Why did I feel as if there was a sea of emotions rushing through me, drowning me, leaving me unable to do anything?

"Hey." Kit crouched in front me and put his hands on my legs. "You okay baby?"

I shrugged. I didn't want to speak. He reached up to gently touch my face. "Let me help you get out of this outfit and into the shower. A hot shower will help your muscles some."

I didn't say anything so he grabbed my boots, helping slide them off gently before pulling my socks off. He pulled me up off the bed and started unbuttoning my blazer.

I let him do it, feeling numb. The jacket slid over my shoulders and down my arms. He tossed it on the table and looked at my face. "You want to do your shirt and pants or you need my help?"

Instead of answering, I unbuttoned my top. I tossed it on top of the jacket and slid off my breeches, throwing them to the table.

Kit's eyes watched me intently as I stood there in nothing but my underwear and bra. He winced at something and his hand reached out to touch my back. "You're already starting to bruise on your back."

His hand was warm and gentle as he traced the parts that were bruising.

Maybe if I…Maybe I just needed more of him.

Stepping towards him, I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. He was surprised, I could tell, but he slid his hands onto my hips, careful to avoid my back.

As I tried to deepen the kiss, Kit pulled back. He leaned his forehead against mine and sighed. "I think you should go take a shower."

I stepped back, frowning. "You don't want me?"

Kit groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking at me and speaking. "Of course I want you, Molly. But you're hurt, you're upset, and I think you need some rest. I don't know what's going on with you right now, but being physical is not the way to go."

I nodded stiffly and grabbed my towel before heading for the shower.

…..

Kit POV

What was going on with Molly? Had the fall scared her into tears? Had it shaken her that badly?

She had been so quiet ever since the fall. Jason, Nate, and I had watched in shock as she cried while untacking Princess. She kept saying she wasn't hurt, she didn't need a doctor, but I didn't understand what was wrong.

I had made her let me look over her before we left the showgrounds. She didn't seem to have a concussion—her pupils looked normal—she could move everything around just fine.

I could see the looks that Jason and Nate had been giving me on the ride back to the hotel. We went different ways, them going to their rooms, leaving me to help Molly through her emotions.

It freaked me out as she sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall. How she let me take her boots off, her jacket, and then she had just stripped down in front of me. Not that I hadn't see her in her bra and underwear before—not that she hadn't been just in a towel last night—but it wasn't normal for her.

There was something more going on. Something more than just the fall and whatever it was, it had happened last night.

My phone buzzed and the caller ID read Home. "Hey Mom." I knew it was her before I even answered. They probably watched the show from home too.

"Kit—is Molly okay? We saw the fall, waited to call since we figured you all were dealing with the horses and all." Mom's voice was filled with concern. "God, she really flew off that horse."

As I sat down, I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. Good. A nice warm shower should help Molly both physically and emotionally.

"She seems to be okay. Nothing broken or sprained. She's a little…shaken up." I admitted, rubbing my forehead. A headache was coming on.

"I would imagine she is. It looked bad on the TV, I'm sure even worse in person." In the background, I could hear my brothers and father talking. "Can I talk to her?"

"She's in the shower right now, hopefully easing her sore muscles." I told her, concern still growing inside me.

"Oh, that's good. Well tell her we're all thinking about her back here in Nevada and maybe tomorrow, if it's not too late when she gets home, I'll swing by and see her."

"That's a great idea, Mom." I said genuinely. It would help to have my mom talk with her, fuss over her. I winced at the thought of Molly leaving. Something was going on and I wanted to get it out of her before she left. I probably wouldn't. If she hadn't said anything by now, I doubted that she would before she left.

"Well I love you honey. Give me a call tomorrow too, okay?"

"Will do." We said our goodbyes before hanging up and I heard the water turn off in the bathroom. A minute later, Molly appeared in her towel, steam following her out.

"Feel better?" I asked as she walked my way. She nodded as she grabbed clothes out of her duffel bag. "I was gonna order a pizza. That sound good to you?"

She nodded again before walking back to the bathroom. I sighed but then got up to find the brochures for the local pizza places on the nightstand.

…..

Molly POV Monday, April 22nd

The ride back to Darton had been a quiet one. Nate seemed to understand that I was lost in my thoughts and didn't press me for anything. We had switched seats halfway and I was driving now. Only thirty minutes until we were home.

I was exhausted. Physically and emotionally. I just wanted to sleep, to be alone for a little bit with my thoughts.

As we were saying our goodbyes to Jason and Kit, I could tell Kit was worried. He didn't want me to leave but I insisted that we had to get going. When they thought I couldn't see, Nate and Kit had exchanged a look ending with Nate nodding.

I was glad it would be too late to do anything when we got home. I wasn't ready to see everyone yet and handle all the questions about my fall, about this weekend.

"Hey, don't worry about dropping me at Three Ponies. Quinn is going to meet me at Sterling Stables. I didn't want you to have drive past the stables. I know you're tired." Nate said, sitting up and stretching. He had been sleeping for the last few hours.

"Oh, well thanks. I do appreciate that." I said sincerely as the sign for Sterling Stables came into view. When I pulled into the stable yard, Drew, Katie, and even Julio were waiting.

"Look at our winner!" Katie came and gave me a hug as I got out of the truck. I smiled at her and shook my head.

"Winner and disaster maker at the same time." I joked as I pulled back from her hug.

Katie gave me a sympathetic look. "It happens to the best of us. Princess is going to need work before her next show. We've got to get her out of that habit of refusing a jump."

"I mean, if she doesn't make it as a jumper, she might have a career as a reining horse. Did you see that slide?" Nate chuckled as he passed us leading Honor. I could see Julio and Drew had grabbed Bailey and Princess as Katie and I talked.

Katie and I laughed at his joke. "He does have a point." I told her, following them.

"Thanks Julio." I smiled at the head groom as he put Bailey into his stall.

"No biggie, Molly. You've been driving a while. I'll have a chance to put you back to work tomorrow morning." He winked at me before patting me on the back. "Good job this weekend. Get some sleep."

We waved to Julio as he left to go to his apartment on the other side of the stable yard. I noticed headlights turning into the stable and recognized Quinn's truck. I looked at Nate.

"Thanks so much for riding down and back with me. It was fun, having you along." I moved to give him a quick hug. He returned it gently—still worried about my back.

"Thanks for letting me go. Shoot me a text tomorrow, okay?" Nate gave me one last squeeze, waving goodbye to Drew and Katie as he headed for Quinn's truck.

Drew, Katie, and I talked for a bit about the horses, the show, and training options for Princess before Drew said goodnight and went up to the main house.

Katie turned to me. "So tell me—how do you really feel?"

…

AN: Hey readers! Another update. I'm kind of really into this story (probably b/c I've been reading a lot of PS: Wild Horse Island which Kit is one of the characters) and one of my other stories at the moment so I'm taking advantage and writing as much as I can. I apologize to readers who are waiting for other updates. I will get them done for you!

What do you think of the chapter? A seed has been planted in Molly's head—will it grow or go away? Kit's about to come clean—but will he get the chance? Let me know your thoughts in a review!

To my reviewer(s):

Jessica (aka Jmils11): Thanks again for always reading and reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed Hope and Molly's ride, seeing them as sisters. I think Joe is getting on everyone's nerves at this point (lol) but he's gotta serve some purpose. I thought the comment about the Ely brothers was too funny to pass up lol.

I hear ya about Bree's Challenge and I will get you an update! While I was in the middle of trying to write this chapter, I had some ideas for that story, jotted them down so when I went to write BC new chapter, it would help. I'm trying to make the most of this weekend (it's Friday). Though I'm going to be honest and say there's one more chapter coming for this story before I switch up. Then I'm back to updating my others which need it.

Thanks again for reading, all!

Always,

QuinnandSeth'sgirl15