Tennessee Summer

Knight

I pulled up to the ranch around eleven-thirty it was a Saturday and I knew dad and Stiles would be out either busting broncs or reading cattle for the sale. I could see some people around the corral out by the barn, it was made for breaking horses.  I could see daddy up on a young filly and a few more bucks later she had simmered down to a steady walk.

Daddy jumped down and handed the reins off to a ranch hand nearby. I got out of my truck and shut the door, causing a few people to look my way. One of those people being my brother Stiles, he jumped down off the corral side and ran over to me pulling me into a hug causing my feet to come off the ground.

"I missed you too little brother" I chuckle, he set me down, "well I'm not really little any more sissy," he says and I take note that he indeed was now a foot taller than myself. "I see" I laugh and hug my daddy as he walks up, "Hi daddy" I smile, "Hello sweetheart, I didn't know you were coming in," He says, but his eye's shine with happiness that I'm finally home.

I haven't been here in four years, I left here for college with a broken heart and a warning from my grandfather that if I had returned that I wouldn't see a cent of my inheritance. As my friend Stella said before we left California, (It's time to be big girls Ady, go home see your dad and brother I know they miss you as much as you miss them). I believe she was right, "I wanted to surprise you guys" dad and Stiles chuckle, "It's great to have you home kiddo" daddy kisses my forehead and helps me get my things from my truck.

"Is that all you got?" Daddy asked I nodded my had, "but your apartment was full of stuff" Stiles exclaims like I didn't know how much crap I clustered up in four years. "And I brought home the things that are most important, everything else I donated or sold," I say then turn back to my father. "How is he?" I asked my dad about my horse, I raised him from a foal while in high school. I left for two weeks one summer and when I came home he jumped a fence, and two gates when he heard someone say my name.

So now when I come home no one says my name until after I have greeted him. "Better than he was when you called eight month's ago, I hired a new ranch hand about two months after we spoke when Nathan quit and moved to Utah with his new wife, Knight took a liking to Derek right off which is weird since he doesn't really like men other than myself, Stiles and Scott" he tell's me. 

"Well I'm grateful for Derek then, I was really worried about him, I wish I would have never let granddad treat me the way he did. I'll go out and see him in....." I was cut off by a loud squeal coming from the barn lot. Lydia was standing just outside the barn doors and just seen me. "Oh my god, Oh my god" you could hear her chanting. I knew she was going to say my name and dad, I and Stiles tried to keep her from it, TRIED being the keyword.

"OH MY GOD ADELYN STILINSKI  you finally came home" she squeals just as she reaches me, "Lydia how many times have we said do not say her name when she's been gone a long time," Stiles tells her, she looks around at us confused. "Five, Four, Three, Two, One" I countdown and when I get to one a loud neigh could be heard a crossed the field and what sounds like a bucket being kicked over, followed by "knight, whoa boy" followed by the tale tell sounds of galloping a crossed the field. 

"UH OH, Ady I'm so sorry" Lydia apologizes, I waved her off and stood out in the middle of the driveway, and as expected Knight jumped a fence and then a gate, while a man trailed behind him trying to get him to stop. He stopped alright, right in front of me. He buried his nose in my chest and just nuzzled me for a minute, then walked around me five or six times to make sure I wasn't hurt.

"I'm so sorry ma'am, he just got away, I don't know what's gotten into him," this handsome man said as he came to a stop a few feet away from me and knight, who was sniffing every inch of my hair. "No worries, this isn't the first time and if Lydia had remembered the rules, Knight wouldn't have gotten away" I laugh as I rub Knight's snout with my hand and give him a kiss.

The man looked confused for a moment when he got a look of recognition on his face. "Oh you must be Adelyn" he say's, I nod "Yes and please call my Ady it's what I prefer," I say and reach my hand out to shake his, I knew knight wouldn't allow it I just had to see. "Derek" the man say's taking my hand and shaking it gently. "Huh, that's a first," I say looking at knight who neighs as though he were laughing. 

"I'm sorry, but what's a first and is he laughing?" Derek asked, just as daddy walks up. "Knight never lets any man, but me, Stiles and Scott touch Ady and yes he is laughing" daddy answers for me and laughs. "Why is that?" Derek asked, "because Ady is for all intent and purposes is Knight's mother, she raised him when he was a tiny little colt after his mother died" Daddy answered.

"In his eyes, no one, but daddy, Stiles, and Scott were worthy enough to touch me while he is around," I say and hand Derek, Knights lead. "Knight I'll ride you later let me get cleaned up," I say, he neighs and nods, then follows Derek back to the barn.

I watch them walk away my eye's never leaving Derek's back, "OOOHHHH look's like Ady fancies Derek Hale" Lydia laughs. I shove her with my shoulder, "Well at least it's not my best friends brother that I fancy" I say in a sing-song voice before taking off into a fun for the house.

"Adelyn Renee get back here" I hear her call from behind me as I ran through the front door smack dab in the middle of my uncle, "Opp's sorry Uncle Chris," I say and back up. "Running from Lydia, Adelyn?" he asked knowing full well I was. I just nod, "I'm sorry about Vicki, I wanted to come home so bad, but my professor made it impossible saying she wasn't blood-related I couldn't leave" I was rambling.

"It's fine Ady, I knew you didn't like her anyways, I really wasn't expecting you to fly all the way home for her" he says, "I would have come home for you and Ally, Vicki may not have been my real family, but you two are" I explain. My real Aunt, Allison's mother died during childbirth and Ally never met her mom while I had eight years with her.

"How is Ally?" I asked, "About as well as you are," he said with a laugh, now I'm confused. "What do you mean?, I thought her and Vicki got along," I asked, "I did too and Vicki thought so too, but Allison hated her stepmother as much if not more than you did," He tells me, huh who would have known. "Wow, where is she?" I asked, "In your room, rummaging through your closet," he tells me with a grin.

I dart off up the stairs, "Allison Argent get your ass out of my closet" I say as I walk through my bedroom door. "What are you doing here?" she asked, "Ah I live here," I say being a smart ass. "Oh you know what I mean, I thought you'd never come back here," she says. I laugh, "that's a long story cousin," I tell her and then sit down next to her on the floor.