by Vivi Holt
Parker groaned, rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and blinked at his brother. “Huh?”
“The colt’s gone.” As he said it, Eamon felt the grief he’d been suppressing well up inside him. He loved these horses – they spent every day caring for, loving, protecting, feeding them. He’d watched as this foal was born only a week earlier. It’d been an amazing experience, one he wouldn’t soon forget. Every foal that had been born since he arrived was special to him, every one precious. And now one was gone.
“Oh man.” Parker squeezed his eyes shut and took a quick breath. “Poor little buddy.”
“Let’s head inside,” grunted Eamon. “This floor ain’t made for sleeping on. We’ll deal with the colt later.”
Parker nodded and they trudged back to the ranch house. Eamon’s heart ached as though it was filled with heavy stones. Two losses this morning – and one definitely wasn’t coming back. What about the other?
Chapter 11
Emily stared at her phone. It blinked on with a buzz as the plane pulled to a stop at the gate. She was home.
She’d texted Ma Ma before she left to let her know what time the plane was meant to arrive in Boston. Her mother hated to wait for delayed flights. Her reply had been terse – they’d pick her up at the airport. She replied that there was no need – she wanted to head back to her apartment, and a taxi would be just fine. No response.
She didn’t stop at baggage claim – she’d only brought carry-on luggage, something she’d taken to doing after an airline lost her checked bag on the way to an important conference in San Jose. It was her first time presenting, and she’d packed her presentation, her outfit, jewelry, everything she needed in that bag. They found it and got it to her, but barely an hour before her presentation. No more checked bags for her, not unless the trip was going to be longer than a week.
She hurried through the throngs of people, through duty-free shopping, past clusters of cafés and fast food restaurants. A man dressed in a black suit stood by the exit with a sign in his hands – EMILY ZHU.
Emily glanced around. There was no sign of either of her parents anywhere nearby. She sighed. They hadn’t come to get her, just sent a driver. She wasn’t surprised so much as disappointed; they hadn’t seen her homecoming as important enough for them to make the effort, after not seeing her for three months. Even though she dreaded hearing their thoughts on her current life situation, she missed them in her own way and had looked forward to seeing them again. She’d hoped they’d feel the same way.
She raised a hand, indicating to the driver that she was who he was looking for. He smiled and led the way to the car. All too soon, they pulled up in front of her parents’ expansive house. She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Time to face the music.
* * *
The fan in the living room turned slowly overhead. Emily tipped her head back against the plush sofa back and watched it spin. The only sounds were the ticking of the grandfather clock against the far wall and the whir of the fan, but they were soothing to her frayed nerves.
“So you are saying there is now no position at the Brigham for you?” barked her father.
She lifted her head and met her father’s gaze. “That’s right, Ba Ba.” She’d called him “Ba Ba” ever since she was a child, but the name didn’t seem to fit anymore.
“What about Reagan?”
“As I said, I turned them down because I thought I had the job at the Brigham.”
He shook his head and put his hands on his hips, a purple flush creeping up his neck. “And Emory?”
“Same.”
He took a quick breath, his nostrils flaring. “So you have no options left?”
Here it went. “Well, I’ve accepted a job in Tifton, Georgia …”
He interrupted her. “Where?”
“It’s in southern Georgia. There was a practice there that needed a GP …”
His voice sounded strangled. “A GP?!”
“Yes, Ba Ba, a GP. I know you don’t approve, but I’m really looking forward to it. I think it will be good for me to get some general skills, improve my bedside manner, my diagnosing. And I’ll still be doing some surgery at the local hospital, so I won’t get rusty. I know it’s a setback, but I don’t think it’s the end of the world.”
His eyes widened and his lips formed a thin, straight line. “You don’t? How you can stay calm about this? This is your career! Don’t you understand that?”
Emily’s mother Julie bustled into the room. “Now, now … let’s keep our voices down. We don’t want Kimberly and Harold to hear us yelling at one another.”
Emily rolled her eyes. Heaven forbid the cook and the butler hear the family arguing. Her mother would sooner have her hair plucked out one strand at a time than find the help gossip about them.
Her father walked over to the fireplace and rested his hands on the mantle, staring into the cold hearth. When he spoke again his voice was measured. “So what are you going to do about it, then? I assume you have a plan.”
“Yes, I do. The GP position is only for a year, and meanwhile I’m applying all over the country for next year’s intake. I’m hopeful I’ll get a more favorable position. In fact, I think it will look good on my resume to have such a diversity of experience.”
His eyes narrowed and he studied her as though he didn’t recognize her any longer.
“Ba Ba, I’m happy about this. I want to do it. Why isn’t that enough for you?”
He slapped the mantle, hard. “I have given you everything,” he intoned in a deep rasp. “The best schools, the best of everything. I have worked so hard with the purpose of giving you the best life possible. And now I find that you are squandering it.”
Now she frowned. “I’m not squandering anything. I’ve done my best. It isn’t my fault that …”
“Have you seen Lee lately?” Mother interrupted, as though she and her father weren't having a heated argument at all.
“What?” Emily’s mind raced to make the connection. What was her mother talking about? Surely she couldn't be referring to the pediatrician she'd set Emily up on a date with four months earlier?
“You know, Lee Ng. The two of you went on a date before your father and I left for London.” She smiled and sipped the glass of champagne she’d been nursing since Emily arrived at the house from the airport an hour earlier. “Have you seen him again since then?”
“No, Mother, I haven’t seen Lee. We had one date, we didn’t connect and that was it. He called a few times, but I didn’t call him back. He was a nice man, but not for me.”
Her father strode from the room, and flinched at the sight of his ramrod straight back. She hadn’t seen him so angry in a long time. Hopefully he’d calm down with a bit of time and distance. Her heart pounded and her armpits were drenched with sweat. She knew it would be tricky explaining her situation to her parents, but she hadn't imagined just how badly they'd react. And now her mother had jumped directly from conversations about her career meltdown to asking about her love life. Could it get any worse?
“Really?” Mother continued. “I thought the two of you would be perfect together. You should give him another chance. After all, the clock is ticking.” Her mother pointed to the clock against the wall and forced a smile.
Emily swallowed. She should make some kind of excuse, and head to her bedroom.
“No, Ma Ma, he just wasn’t right for me. I want someone genuine, fun, strong and considerate. I want him to be exciting, adventurous, handsome and good.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “You live in a fantasy world, Emily. Where do you expect to find someone like that?”
Emily grinned, as a dawning realization welled up inside her. “Actually, I already have. His name’s Eamon and he’s all those things and more. I think he might be The One.”
Ma Ma tipped her head to one side and studied her daughter. “Eamon? Who is this Eamon? Where did you meet him, at the Brigham?”
She shook her head. “No, I met h
im at Hazel’s wedding. He’s Hazel’s brother-in-law and works on the horse ranch he and his brothers own down there.”
Mother’s eyebrows arched and her eyes widened. “He’s a rancher? A … cowboy? You’re seeing a cowboy in Georgia?”
Emily nodded, bracing herself.
“I forbid this. You cannot do it! You will break your father’s heart. First you toss away your career and now you throw yourself at a cowboy? What do you intend to do, live on the ranch and cook and clean while he rounds up cattle?” Her mother’s tone was loaded with contempt.
Emily felt tears welling in her eyes. She cared for Eamon and wanted to be with him, and her mother was working hard to make her feel ashamed of it. “I already told you what I intend to do,” she replied angrily before she could stop herself. “You should try listening.”
Ma Ma reacted like she’d been slapped. “Don’t you dare talk back to me!”
“Why do I bother talking to you at all?” Emily ran from the room, taking the stairs two at a time to the second floor. The staircase wound upward, regal marble with a cedar banister that shone in the morning sunlight. With a sob, she burst through her bedroom door, flung it shut behind her and launched herself onto the soft queen-sized bed in the center of the room. As she cried into her pillow, she remembered the warmth of Eamon's embrace, and the softness of his kisses. She'd been so happy. And now, that feeling was well and truly gone.
* * *
Eamon lay on his back in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He’d slept only two hours since stumbling out of the stables and into the house, without even the energy to change out of his soiled jeans and shirt. At least he’d thought to kick his muddy boots off by the front door. The heat of the day was already permeating the house, and a trail of sweat trickled down the side of his face. He really had to get someone out to look at the HVAC before Dalton and Hazel arrived home today. Otherwise, Dalton would think he was slacking.
As he lay there, the memory of what took place that morning before sunrise hit him once again and he groaned. He rubbed his face and sighed deeply. Emily was gone. And so was the colt.
The phone in the kitchen began to ring and he groaned again in response. With a grunt, he lurched to his feet and ran out of the room in his socks, reaching the phone just as the answering machine kicked on. “Hello? Hello?” he heard Dalton call.
“Hey, Dalton,” he responded sleepily, rubbing his eyes again and attempting to focus.
“Eamon?”
“Yep. It’s me.”
“Are you seriously still sleeping? It’s eight in the morning.”
Eamon rolled his eyes and frowned. “No, I’m not sleeping, I’m answering the phone. What’s up, bro? How’s the honeymoon?”
He could hear Dalton’s smile through the line. “It’s great – we’ve had the best time. We’re looking forward to getting home and starting our lives together, but we decided to stay in Destin a few more days. I just wanted to let you know we’ll be home Tuesday instead of today. Is everything okay there?”
Eamon frowned. He was glad his brother was so happy – and that he had more time to deal with the HVAC – but he didn’t want to answer that question. “Yeah, of course. Everything’s good …”
Dalton’s tone changed. “What’s going on? You sound upset about something.”
Eamon sighed and settled into a kitchen chair. He never could hide anything from his big brother. “Um … well, we lost Maggie’s colt this morning. I’m sorry, Dalton – Parker and I did everything we could.”
On the other end of the phone, Dalton whispered something to Hazel before coming back. “I’m sorry to hear that, Eamon,” he finally said. “But it’s not your fault – I’m sure you did your best. Did you get the vet out?”
“Yeah, Will said it was a heart defect – nothing he could do that made sense. So I made the call to just let him go.”
“You did the right thing, Eamon.”
Eamon took a breath as relief washed over him. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d wanted Dalton’s approval. “Thanks, Dalton. And the HVAC unit finally went – I made a couple runs at it myself, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, so I guess we’ll just have to call in a pro.”
“Smart move – some things have to be left to the experts. Anything else?”
Eamon wasn’t sure if he should bring up Emily. He’d promised her he wouldn’t tell Hazel about her new job or apartment, but she hadn’t said anything about keeping their relationship secret. And he could really do with some brotherly advice. Parker had been no help – he’d just shrugged and mumbled about women being a mystery. “Actually, I met someone …”
“Oh? Who is she?”
“Emily Zhu. You know, Hazel’s bridesmaid –”
“Woo-ee! Ha ha – I knew you two hit it off. I told Hazel, but she didn’t believe me. So – what happened?”
“We spent some time together while she stayed here and we got on really well. We had fun together. But now she’s telling me that we can’t keep seeing each other because her parents – they wouldn’t approve, or think I’m good enough for her.” Eamon choked on the words, his chest tightening. Just saying it out loud made it hurt even more.
“I’m sorry, man. Would you like some advice?”
Eamon nodded, then pushed out a single word around the lump in his throat. "Yes!"
“She’ll come around. If she really cares for you like you think she does, in the end she won’t worry about what her folks think. She’ll follow her heart. At least, that’s been my experience … you know, watching all those Dr. Phil episodes in my spare time.”
Eamon felt the lump in his throat shift as he laughed along with his brother, the tension broken. “You really think so?”
“Yeah, I do. And if she doesn’t, she’s not right for you. Because you’re a great guy and she should know that.”
Eamon blinked hard. Sometimes his brother really knew the right thing to say. “Thanks, Dalton.”
“You’re welcome. Now get an A/C guy out there – I don’t want to come home to an oven.”
* * *
The musty scent of hay and horse manure greeted Eamon. The stables were his favorite place to spend time. He even loved mucking out the stalls, which Parker and Dalton hated. The physical activity gave him something to do, but the mindlessness of it allowed him time to think. He took the pitchfork off its hook on the wall and set it end down on the floor with a clang.
“Eamon?” Parker called through the side door. The stables had been tacked onto the side of the old barn, almost as an afterthought, and a single door joined the two buildings.
“Yep?” Eamon replied. What was Parker doing? He’d thought his brother was still asleep in the house. They’d both been exhausted after spending the whole night with the colt. Parker walked in, a grin on his face, one cheek smudged with mud or dirt and his dark brown hair standing on end. “What have you been up to, brother?”
“Just working on Dalton’s motorbike – thought I might take it out for a ride, but it wouldn’t start.” He rubbed his chin. “Any ideas?”
Eamon chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, wish I could help. But I'm still trying to figure out that dang HVAC, and I'm running out of time. Dalton'll be back next Tuesday."
"Tuesday? I thought they got back today." Parker leaned against the wall, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, I guess they're having too good a time. Dalton called a few minutes ago to say they're staying on."
Parker leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Must be nice. Hey, I see Emily left.”
Eamon frowned and stabbed the pitchfork into a mound of soiled hay. He tossed the muck out into the yard, then dug the fork back into the hay for another load.
“Where’s she headed?” asked Parker.
“Boston. But she’s coming back Friday to move into her new place.”
“Oh, so it’s not over?” Parker’s eyes narrowed.
“Honestly, that’s up to her. I don’t want i
t to be, but …”
Parker grimaced and ran a hand over his face. “Sorry about that, bro.”
“Yeah, well, apparently I’m not what her folks had in mind for their daughter. So she’s running scared.” Eamon shoveled another forkful of hay into the yard, grunting with the effort. He didn’t want to think about Emily. He needed a distraction.
Parker seemed to sense it. “There’s a monster truck rally tomorrow night in Albany. I was thinking I might go. Wanna come?”
Eamon set the pitchfork on the ground and leaned against it, one foot balanced on the curve of metal. “Yeah. Actually, that sounds perfect. I really need to get out and have some fun.”
“That settles it, then. We’ll go see some really big trucks crash into each other.”
Chapter 12
The new apartment was smaller than she remembered. Emily stood in the center of the living room and turned around, her eyes narrowed. Or maybe it was just that all her things filling the space made it seem as though it was closing in on her.
She set her hands on her hips and surveyed the boxes and furniture. Thankfully the movers had pushed the furniture against the walls so she was able to move between rooms. But there was a lot of unpacking to do. She started with the kitchen, unpacking plates, bowls and silverware. She set a vase on the kitchen counter, recalled she’d seen some flowers in the garden downstairs and wondered if she could sneak a few once she was done unpacking. There was nothing like fresh flowers for making a place feel like home.
While she worked, she thought about her parents in Boston. After telling her mother about Eamon, she’d hidden in her room the rest of the night, sobbing into her pillow. But the next morning her parents seemed ready to put their differences aside. They didn’t say anything about her career or love life all day, and even took her to lunch at her favorite restaurant, which was owned by her father’s cousin. They always ordered traditional Chinese food, stuff not listed on the menu, and it was always delicious.