Flying Change

Chapter 7

Hey guys! So sorry for the late update, feel free to moan and groan! Please vote and comment and message me and all the usual. Really hope you enjoy it! 

xx Shan

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Chapter 7

“I could take a later flight if you needed or…”  I trailed off seeing Phillip’s scowl next to me.

“No its fine, go, we’ll manage. I’m only allowed to see Dad at two anyway.”  Jake said running a hand through his hair looking stressed. “Besides you’ve had this trip planned for ages.”

I didn’t reply. We were standing outside of Dance’s stall watching as he picked listlessly at his hay and coughed again. It was not turning into a good day. First off, the truck had had a flat, then one of the youngsters who was off to the sport horse sales had refused to load, making the truck even later and kicking one of the grooms in the process. As well as that a few of the competition horses seemed to have picked up a respiratory bug and to top it all off one of the broodmares had been in the turnout with her foal and had somehow had a horrific fall, fracturing her stifle forcing us to put her down, leaving the foal orphaned and in need of a surrogate. It never rained but it poured.

“Hey,” Kristina’s accent cut through our brooding silence and we all turned to greet her. Jake visibly relaxing in her presence. It had been two weeks since Ritchie had been admitted to hospital and what a rough two weeks it had been.

Jake had coped admirably, somehow juggling dealing with his dad, running the stud, a distraught sister, investors, buyers, and god knows what else. He had spent as much time as possible at the hospital and we tried to rally around him, spending many an evening sitting in grey linoleum clad waiting rooms. I was fairly certain it had been during one of these vigils that Kristina had made her move. They had officially become an unofficial couple, something that a few of Jake’s friends at the farm were battling to stomach. Most especially, Val and I. Kristina had become more of a thorn in the side than a helping hand. It wasn’t that she was bad at anything especially. It was just that she made more work than she did and the concept of being a team player was alien to her. When she spent more time looking in the mirror and taking selfies than she did mucking in, it tended to grate on the nerves of others.

“I thought you would have left by now?”  She asked looping her hand around Jake’s back and looking at Phillip and I.

“Our flight’s only at one.” Phillip answered for me as Jake turned to answer a call.

“Oh,”

She was cut off by a violent, “shit!” from Jake. “The tractor’s broken down.”

“Come on, I’ll come help you, I have a half an hour or so…’’ Phillip broke in, laying a hand on Jakes arm and giving him a look that read, ‘cool it’.

“Lexi can wait for the vet and Val will be back soon. It won’t matter if we’re a little late for our plane.”  He smiled and Jake smiled gratefully back as they set off towards the other end of the barn and I let myself into Dance’s stall to check his vitals, hoping Kristina would take the hint and bug off. No such luck.

“So, are you excited to be going to Phillip’s?” She chirped. “God knows I envy you a holiday, it’s such hard work here…” She drawled and rolled her shoulders melodramatically.

I rolled my eyes and clenched my teeth against the retort I had ready. “Yeah,” I replied shortly.

“I mean when I was in Florida, we didn’t even have to saddle the horses, or turnout or anything. Really the riders should be looked after a bit better, I’m really not cut out for mucking stalls.”  She grumbled rubbing her shoulders theatrically. “I should talk to Jake about it.”