My Good Luck Charm

Chapter 2- Emily

I jump into the ute and start the engine, immediately turning on the heating. It's freezing at five in the morning, and still dark. I turn the headlights on the passenger car door opens. Lachy, the incredibly tall fourteen year old boy I work with, winds down the window and then closes the door. He jumps on the step outside and grips the handle that's inside, through the window.

"You alright kid?" I ask him and he leans down to smile and nod at me. I nod back and then lean my own head outside my window and shout to the thirteen year old girl sitting in the tray of the ute.

"Ready to go Carly?" I call to her and she slaps the side of the ute, the signal to go. I grin and push the ute into drive and manoeuvre my way down to the paddocks, constantly checking to make sure that Carly hasn't bounced out and that Lachy is okay outside.

When we reach the first gate, Lachy jumps down and runs forward to open it. He pulls I riding whip from his boots and starts to wave it around, herding the horses out of the way. There seems to be a smaller number of horses than usual, but I shrug it off. Maybe they aren't as hungry this morning.

Once Lachy is out of the way and cleared a path big enough for the ute, I drive in and Carly starts kicking hay out the back. The hungry ponies take chase and I drive in a circle so that they get a decent feeding before beeping the horn to tell Carly that that's enough, and also letting Lachy know that we're on our way back to the gate.

I drive through the gate and idle patiently, waiting for the red head to close the gate and take position outside the car again.
One down. Eight to go. I think to myself as we drive to the next paddock gate and repeat the process again.

---

I pull into the ute's parking spot behind the feed shed and turn it off. It's five to six now, and the sun is just peaking it's head over the horizon to try and warm up the cold land. It isn't doing a good job yet and I shiver now that the heating is off.

Lachy jumps down from the step and jogs around to help the tiny thirteen year old down. I smile at how sweet he is and climb out of the car. Carly and Lachy come around to me and I give them a smile. Lachy smiles back, but Carly is frowning a little.

"What's up kiddo?" I ask her and she looks up at me.

"It's just, there didn't seem to be as many horses in the paddocks as usual." She says. So I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Carly's right." Lachy agrees and it must be true for Lachy to actually break his usual silence. I frown too, but then shrug.

"They just mustn't have been hungry enough to chase the ute." I reply. I can tell that neither of the kids are convinced, I don't even know if I believe myself, but I can't come up with another reason.

Lachy and Carly follow me across the cobblestone holding area to the stable block and enter the office.

Lachy and Carly stay at the door, even after two weeks of working here they're still intimidated by the head stable hand. I look at Kieran who is doing some filing in the corner of the room. He is almost six foot four and has both arms covered with tattoo sleeves. And he's built like a brick shit house, but he is also a big softy. He is incredibly kind, and his wife just had a baby yesterday so he should be in the best mood. Lachy and Carly have nothing to worry about.

"Hey Kieran. Paddock feeds are done." I say to him. He looks up and smiles.

"Good job guys. Even without Georgia you got it done in record time." He says. I roll my eyes at the tardiness of my best friend. She is always late on Saturday mornings unless she's slept over at my house on the Friday.