AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The storm is going to hit soon,” Luke said as he came down the path with Anthony by his side. “The property is secure. No one is on the grounds.”
“No one needs to be out in this.” I looked to the darkening skies. “You two should head inside. Grace made lasagna.”
“What about Emmie?” Anthony asked.
“What about her?”
“Is she eating with us?”
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t.” Anthony had become quite fond of Emmie in the past few days.
“She’s in the stables,” Anthony said. “Drawing pictures of the horses, but she’ll be okay.”
What is it with that girl and those horses?
“Do you want me to go get her?” Luke motioned toward the shed. “I can take the golf cart.”
“No, by the time you get that out and started, I could be at the stables.” I waved. “We’ll wait out the storm there.”
“Be careful,” Luke said.
“Tell Emmie I said hello,” Anthony called after me.
I took off running just as the raindrops began to fall. It was a cold rain, fitting for late October. The autumn air mixed with the scent of the wet trees and grass. This had always been my favorite season. The changing of the leaves, the chill in the air, and the way summer slowly faded into the background to make room for something new, something fresh, and something uncharted.
Emmie. Didn’t she represent those things to me too? From the moment I found her, change had been on the horizon. Her life had been altered far more than mine, but I felt the shift in my routine. Minor things like sharing my bed with a woman I had yet to be with. Leaving the club earlier than usual because I wanted to see her.
There were also bigger consequences for bringing her into my life. If it was not for her presence, Caleb wouldn’t be a factor. I wouldn’t have provoked him by attacking one of his men, but sometimes people had to pay for their actions. Fuck the consequences.
As I came around the corner to the front of the stables, Emmie slammed into me.
“Oh!” She gripped my biceps. “You scared me.”
“What are you doing out in the rain?” As much as I liked her holding on to me, I ushered her back into the building, taking in her wet jacket and water-stained jeans. “You’re soaked.”
“So are you.” She pushed her damp hair from her face. “I was trying to make it back to the house before the storm.”
“You weren’t going to make it.”
“What are you doing out here?”
“Looking for you.” I shut the doors, blocking the wind. “I didn’t want you to be out here alone.”
“I didn’t realize how fast the storm would approach.” She pointed to the bench where she had left one of her drawing pads. She was rarely without it since I had given it to her. “I thought I could get a few sketches in before it started raining.” She shivered. “I lost track of time.”
“I’d give you my jacket, but I don’t think it would be much help.” I motioned beyond the horses. “Follow me.”
We walked through the stables and to a room in the back. I forced open the old door, and widened it so she could enter.
“What is this?” She looked around the open space with the large overhead windows. The rain pelted down, making it seem more violent than it actually was.
“It used to be an apartment for the stable hands. When I bought the house, I stopped using it.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t think anyone should sleep out here with the horses.”
When I glanced at her, she smiled. It was a quaint sitting room. Maybe she would like to use it to do her sketches, but I’d much rather have her in the room next to my office.
