by J.M. Cagle
“I said the exact same thing to Joey and April last night.”
“And what did they say back?”
“That everyone has a story to tell.”
Their eyes met, and all of a sudden, Bobbi could feel the butterflies she had felt driving into Nottinghamshire make an appearance. Chris was silently staring at her for the longest time, and then he slammed his mug down, in a way somewhat reminiscent of the Thor movie Tommy had taken Bobbi to see a few years ago.
“If I’m going to do this, we need something a lot stronger than coffee! Grab your coat, let’s go.”
* * *
The bar was full of people Chris apparently knew but, to Bobbi’s surprise, he took the corner table furthest away from everyone. Within seconds, the room began to empty until they were the only two left.
Chris laughed; his smile so beautiful that Bobbi knew, had she been standing, her knees would have given way. He looked up at her, his green eyes meeting her brown ones just like they had that first day they’d met. Bobbi felt a heat grow between her legs as Chris leaned in towards her, his eyes never leaving hers for even a second. And then, without warning, he kissed her.
It was soft at first, his tongue skillfully parting her lips. Bobbi let out a moan, encouraging him to become more forceful. She reached up and ran her hands through his hair, grabbing hold of it and pushing her own tongue deeper into his mouth to explore. Chris pushed her back into the seat, leaning over her.
Possessing her…
The dream woke Bobbi up in a hot fluster. She spread herself out across her bed, taking deep breath after deep breath until she felt her body cool. Sitting up, she ran her hands through her hair, the thoughts of the previous evening with Chris running through her mind.
He had become steadily drunker as he let her in on his secrets. There was a vulnerability she had never seen before, in him or in any other man. She had almost cried when he told her about how the love of his life had fallen for his brother, William, and how his death a year after he had joined the army had led to her committing suicide. But before long, their talk had switched from tales of heartbreak to laughter, and meaningless conversation that made them laugh uncontrollably.
There was a faint knock at Bobbi’s bedroom door before April popped her head around the side. She hadn’t realized it, but the idea of Chris had made her entire body ache for his touch. Despite knowing that April wouldn’t be able to physically see it, Bobbi felt the need to hug tightly onto a pillow as she invited her in.
“I thought you might like some coffee,” April said, slipping into the room and putting a steaming hot mug on Bobbi’s bedside table.
“Thank you, that’s really nice of you,” Bobbi replied with a smile. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had brought her coffee in bed, or anything else for that matter.
“I’ll be leaving you to it, then.”
“No! Stay! Please.” April stopped abruptly and turned to look at her housemate. “Stay and talk with me for a bit.”
“Really? You’re not sick of me, yet?”
Laughing, Bobbi shook her head. “Definitely not.” She patted the bed and waited for April to perch herself down on the end with her own mug.
“I heard you went out with Chris last night. He’s not bad when you get to know him, don’t you think?”
“He’s nice. A little rough around the edges, but nice.”
“I’m glad that horrible display at the party didn’t put you off. Chris has had it tough. He reacts badly sometimes, especially when it comes to relationships.”
“What do you mean?” Bobbi leaned forward and took a sip of her coffee, in hopes that April wouldn’t notice what an interest she was taking in a man she barely knew.
April nodded with a sad smile. “Have you ever heard of Barnes Ltd.?”
“Yeah, I know Barnes Ltd. It’s a London law firm that’s recently expanded into America. My stepfather had dealings with them a few years ago.”
“That’s the one! Chris owns it.”
Bobbi nearly choked on her coffee. “What?”
“Barnes Ltd. is owned by Christopher Barnes, our Chris. He started it as a way to get away from his family’s legacy.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The Barnes family is one of the wealthiest families in all of the United Kingdom, lovey, second only to the Royal family themselves. Chris was a billionaire before his voice broke! But with it came a price. Every woman Chris has ever dated has only had eyes for his family’s money. Eventually, he grew tired of it. He became a lawyer and started his own law firm. He was only 26 at the time, one of the youngest lawyers in the world.”
“But he lives here. How can he be a lawyer in London?”
“Oh, it’s not that far a drive; just under 3 hours. He lives here but has an apartment there, which he stays in if he’s working a case.”
“So that’s why he doesn’t trust anyone. He thinks that they’re all after him for the money.”
She received a nod in reply. “And that’s why your story affected him so much. Don’t take it personal, will you, lovey?”
Now Bobbi understood. The love of his life had wanted his brother, despite being with him, and the string of women that followed had only been in it for his money; of course hearing about her one night stand with a married man would anger him.
April jumped off the bed at the sound of knocking on the front door.
“I’m not even dressed!” she exclaimed in panic, pulling her nightgown tightly together. “It’s only 7am! Who on earth could be here at this time?”
Bobbi laughed. “Don’t worry about it, April. I’m decent enough. I’ll go and open the door.”
“Would you? Oh thank you, lovey!”
Checking that her hair didn’t look too bad, Bobbi made her way down the stairs, pulling the door open just as Chris was about to knock again. She laughed when his hand fell straight through the open doorway.
“Shit! Hi,” he said, smiling with embarrassment.
“What are you doing here so early?”
Chris looked her up and down, raising an eyebrow at the leggings and t-shirt combination she had chosen to wear to bed last night.
“Love what you’re wearing. It’s a tough style to pull off, but you’re doing it justice.”
“Once again, what are you doing here so early?” Bobbi tried to suppress a smile she knew would provoke him into continuing, which would then cause her body to react. The thought of her body reacting reminded her of her dream. The kiss. His lips on hers, his tongue exploring her mouth, possessing her completely.
“I’m here for you.”
“What?” Bobbi snapped out of her daydream, confused.
“Go get into something you can get dirty.”
“Why? What the hell are you talking about?”
Chris rolled his eyes and pushed Bobbi towards the stairs, shutting the door behind him. “It’s a surprise. Now go, brush your teeth and put on something you can get dirty in! And while you’re up there, tell April it’s only me and I’ve seen her looking worse, so tell her to get down here and I’ll make breakfast.”
* * *
Chris’ surprise turned out to be a trip to one of the nearby stables. Bobbi listened intently as he explained how Loxborough was too small to house any of the 7 famous Nottingham riding schools. But it was still home to numerous stables and farmhouses that often bred and trained the horses used in them.
“That’s all very fascinating, but why are we here?”
Laughing, Chris beckoned her to follow him. Bobbi followed him towards a field full of horses of all breeds and sizes at the end of the stables.
“Hey girl!” Chris stroked the magnificent brown mare with a white muzzle that approached him. She was strong with sloping shoulders and thick hair covering her ankles like flare-leg trousers. “Bobbi, this is Sakura. She’s one of the oldest horses here and, between you and me, the most beautiful,” he winked and Bobbi couldn’t help
but smile.
“She is beautiful,” Bobbi replied, making sure to still keep her distance.
Chris grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her towards Sakura. Putting her hand beneath his, they stroked the horse together. A jolt of electricity went through Bobbi, but Chris didn’t appear to notice.
“Sakura’s a Clydesdale.”
“A what?”
“A Clydesdale,” Chris repeated. “She’s a breed of draught horse from Scotland. You might know them as draft horses instead.”
“Work horses, bred for heavy labor and stuff, right?”
“That’s right!” The butterflies in Bobbi’s stomach transformed into tiny gymnasts somersaulting around when she saw Chris’ impressed face. “But she’s not who we’re here to see.”
“Then who are we here for?”
Grabbing hold of her hand, Chris took her further into the field. “Major! Shadow!” he called out. Two pure black stallions galloped over towards them. Bobbi admired their long, thick wavy manes and tails. “According to Arthurian legend, Friesian horses were used to carry the Knights of the Round Table. They’re a graceful breed.”
“They’re amazing.”
“You approve, then?”
Bobbi nodded. “Very much so. They’re stunning.”
Chris smiled. “In which case, meet Shadow,” Chris moved Bobbi’s hand onto the horse on the right and let go. “Shadow, meet your new owner.”
Shocked, Bobbi stumbled backwards at the words. “New owner?”
“Yep. Shadow belongs to you.”
“To me? Chris, I can’t afford a horse! All my money goes on rent and bills with April.”
“Don’t worry about the money; I’ve taken care of it all. Shadow is yours. Call it a gift.”
“I – I can’t – I can’t accept –”
“Yes you can, and you will,” Chris replied. “All the local families in Loxborough have horses, even April and Joey share a horse. Tequila, he’s down there,” he nodded to the far corner of the field where a brown horse was eating grass. “It’s kind of like a Robin Hood County tradition. Haven’t you wondered where April goes in the afternoons?”
All of a sudden everything seemed to fall into place. April would go to work at the café in the morning but not arrive home for at least three hours after the end of her shift.
“Chris, if this is about the other night, at the party…”
“Enough, Bobbi. Shadow’s upkeep is pocket money for me! If it’s that much, you can, I dunno, name a character in your book after me or something.”
“Shadow,” Bobbi whispered. Overhearing it, Chris smiled. Bobbi began to shake her head in doubt. “I don’t know how to look after a horse, Chris. I don’t even think I can tell the difference between him and Major.” She looked from Chris’ horse to her own and then back again. Both, in her eyes, were identical.
“You’ll learn the differences with time, just like you’ll learn how to look after him and how to ride. I’ll teach you, but for now,” he passed her an apple from his pocket. “Feed your boy and bond with him.”
Bobbi gave the apple to Shadow. A smile spread across her face as he began to eat it. “Shadow,” she repeated. “So, how does this work then? Owning a horse?”
“Well you’ll need to learn how to look after him and how to ride. Why have a horse if you can’t have some fun riding, right? I can teach you. We can meet here for two hours at, say, 10 a.m. every second morning? What do you think of that?”
“Sounds like a plan, Mr. Barnes!”
* * *
As planned, Bobbi met Chris at the stables every second morning continuously for six weeks. She was learning so quickly that Chris often felt the need to tell her how natural she was, and how mad Shadow was about her. In truth, she had fallen head over heels for Shadow, too. He was the single most beautiful creature she had ever laid eyes on, and his naughty habits always made her days shine a little brighter. On more than one occasion, while she attempted to clean out his stable, Shadow would throw hay onto the ground, watch her pick it up, and then do it all over again, making her laugh for the longest time.
“Good job riding today,” Chris said as they walked back from the fields. They had taken the horses out riding today, so they were coming home a little late and fairly muddy. “The only thing you need to remember is to keep your knees in and your feet tucked into Shadow while you ride, that’ll make sure you don’t fall off if anything happens.”
“Knees in, feet tucked. Got it,” Bobbi replied with a smile.
“So how’s your book coming along?” Chris asked. “Made a dent in it yet?”
“Not yet. I haven’t even managed to finish sketching out the plot.”
“What genre are you going for?”
“I was thinking semi-historical. A girl moves to a place with historical significance and accidentally unleashes its past horrors. Sounds ridiculous, I know…”
“You’re right, that sounds terrible!” Chris laughed. “I thought writers stuck to what they knew.”
“Write something inspired by my life?”
Chris shrugged. “Why not? Or the life of someone you know. LA must be filled with people with juicy stories.”
“Yeah, there are a few,” Bobbi laughed.
As they reached the cottage, Bobbi stopped in her tracks. Confused, Chris turned to look back at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“That pile of luggage on the porch…”
Chris looked over his shoulder at the various suitcases stacked neatly next to the swing. “What about it?”
“I’d know that luggage anywhere.”
Bobbi made her way hesitantly over to the door and, upon finding it open, entered her new home. As she had expected, Gem was bent over the kitchen island watching April make a cup of tea.
“Gemma?”
She screamed when she recognized Bobbi’s voice, practically throwing herself on her best friend, and sending her tumbling backwards and right into Chris, who had caught up and was now entering the cottage.
“Bobbi! O. M. G! It’s so good to see you!”
“Yeah, you too, Gem,” Bobbi replied, standing up straight and throwing Chris an apologetic look.
He waved his hand in response and smiled. “So, who’s this?”
“Chris, this is –”
“Gem Owens, Bobbi’s best friend from LA!” Gem finished, shaking Chris’ outstretched hands. “And who are you, stud?”
“Chris Barnes, I’m one of the Nottinghamshire folk that have attached themselves to your best friend, unfortunately for her,” Chris added with a wink that made Bobbi’s gymnasts return.
“Lucky her.”
“More like lucky us, I think.”
“I’m going to go… clean up,” Bobbi said, excusing herself from the room.
As soon as she was out of her friends’ eyeline, Bobbi, desperate for a few moments alone, ran the last few paces up to her bedroom. As she threw her phone and keys down on the bed and ran her hands through her hair, April snuck into the room behind her and shut the door.
“Are you alright, lovey?” she whispered, watching Bobbi pace up and down like an animal trapped in a cage.
“How long has she been here?”
“Arrived a little after 9 a.m., got the taxi driver to stack everything on the porch out there and then… made herself comfortable.”
“I’m so sorry, April. I didn’t –”
“Hush now, Bobbi. There’s nothing to apologize for. You weren’t to know that she was going to fly down to Nottinghamshire of all places.”
“Bobbi?”
Bobbi quickly began to peel off her muddy clothes, throwing on a clean sweatshirt just as Gem entered her bedroom.
“O. M. G., Bobbi!” she squealed when she saw her. “That Chris is sex on legs! Is he single?”
April froze, surreptitiously glancing over at her housemate. Bobbi might not have openly admitted it, but April knew that there was something growing between
Bobbi and Chris. It was becoming more and more obvious as each day passed.
“Chris?”
“Yeah, Chris! Christian Barnes, the sexy man downstairs! I think I should date him. He’s single, right? Hook a sister up, Bob.”
“It’s Christopher, and no, I don’t think Chris is looking for a relationship at the moment,” April interrupted.
Gem stared at her blankly for a few moments and then shrugged. “Perfect, I’m not looking for anything serious either.”
The look of desperation on Bobbi’s face turned quickly into a smile not even Gem would realize was fake.
“You’ll never change, will you, Gem?”
“Never!” Gem replied with a grin. “So. Chris. You're going to talk to him for me then, wing woman?”
“Of course!”
“Bobbi you’re the best!” Gem squealed as she gave her a huge hug. Breaking off, she began to inspect Bobbi’s sweatshirt. “That is the single most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life!”
“It’s a sweatshirt, Gem, not a snot covered rag.”
“Might as well be a rag! Why the hell were you covered in mud anyway?”
“A lot has changed since I left LA, Gem.”
“Well why don’t we get back down to that coffee? Apparently they don’t do lattes here,” she gave April a disapproving glance before continuing, “and you can tell me all about everything. Including that good looker downstairs.”
* * *
“So, how long is your friend in town for?” Bobbi stared down at her beer in silence and shrugged. “Wow! I’ve never seen you so excited before!” Still silence. “Roberta Jefferson, if you don’t answer me, I’ll have to take matters to the extreme and tell everyone that you think you’re finally ready to come clean!” Bobbi looked confused, but remained silent. “We all saw you at Joey’s party. We know that you’re madly in love with his Dad. It’s no shame! He may be in his 70s, but I’m sure Joey won’t mind calling you Mummy.” Bobbi burst into laughter. “That’s my girl!”
The gymnasts in Bobbi’s stomach began a new show, more vigorous than ever before. My girl, the words echoed in her ears. She shook the thoughts out of her head. “I can’t believe you called me Roberta. Not even my Mum calls me that.”
Chris smiled. “Why not? I like the name Roberta. Then again,” Chris stretched out on the seat, “you’re more of an LA Princess than a Roberta. Too caught up in your own business.” Bobbi rolled her eyes. “So, Princess, what’s wrong?”