“What is it?”
She was startled out of her thoughts by Norman’s question.
“What is what?
“Your dream?”
Her dream? Amy took a moment to decide how to answer. She hadn’t really told anybody the full details of her dream. She always tended to brush it off with a flippant comment and change the subject. It felt different with Norman, though. Suddenly she wasn’t afraid to share things with him. In fact, she wanted him to know. Wanted him to see what she saw, sitting here now, in the deepening dusk, she wanted him to know what it was they were working towards.
“It’s going to be a sanctuary.” Norman didn’t say anything, just raised one eyebrow in inquiry, urging her to continue.
“Well, when I say sanctuary, I mean I want to look after animals. Rescue them, take care of them and provide them with a safe space. Not only for the animals though for me too. I would love to be as self-sufficient as possible. Grow a vegetable garden, have eggs from the chickens, who knows, maybe even milk a cow. Not that I know anything about milking cows. I guess I’ve still got a lot to learn.” She took a sneak peek at Norman and seeing that he wasn’t laughing at her, felt comfortable enough to carry on.
“It’s a two stage dream, though. I want people to be able to visit also. My uncle used to grow strawberries here and I want to continue that. See those fields?” Norman looked out squinting into the darkness, but he’d already been looking out at those fields every day this week. Wondering about the faded brown plants he could only just make out. He nodded slightly and Amy continued her story.
“They were full of strawberries, rows, and rows of the plumpest, juiciest and sweetest berries you’d ever tried. One of the jobs I’m going to need your help with is digging up all the old dead plants and fertilizing the fields ready for planting a new crop. I’m going to bring those fields back to life, but rather than sell to the big supermarkets and restaurants like my uncle, I’m going to open a ‘pick your own’ farm. People can visit and fill their baskets with as many strawberries as they can carry.” On a roll now Amy let the words spill out of her.
“I’m thinking about also having a field for pumpkins and gourds. That way at Halloween I can have a pumpkin patch that people can choose their Jack O’Lanterns from. Maybe even build some kind of tea shop. A place where they can refuel, using produce from the farm, but that is getting way ahead of myself.”
Amy stopped, suddenly aware of how much she’d been talking and a little self-conscious. Did he think her silly? Was he bored? “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get carried away.”
“What?” Norman looked at her intensely and Amy lost herself for a few seconds in his deeply serious, deeply gorgeous eyes. “There is no need to be sorry. It’s wonderful to see somebody so enthusiastic. I was swept up in the dream right alongside you.”
Amy blushed “Really?” It’s the first time I’ve really spoken about it to anybody. I was expecting to be told it was a stupid idea.”
“Oh Amy, there’s nothing stupid about it. You have this huge farm that needs to start earning its keep and you have a number of wonderful plans to ensure that it does. I have no doubt that you’ll succeed.”
Amy had already felt a thrill go through her at the way he’d said her name but for him to then be so complimentary about her plan, it made her feel like she was glowing. It was her turn now to reach across and take his hand.
“Thank you so much. It honestly means a lot. I…” She paused not wanting to sound too contrite or needy. “I also wanted to thank you for all the help you’ve given me so far. It has already made a world of difference.” His hand felt warm under hers and the electricity between them was palpable. She took a breath as she realized that he was looking at her with the same desire that she felt. The urge to reach forward and kiss him was almost overwhelming, she unknowingly bit her lip and Norman’s eyes darkened. Suddenly feeling awkward and unsure of herself Amy felt the best way forward was to break this intense atmosphere between them.
“To think, I was worried about you being a serial killer or something and nearly turned you away.” She smiled to show she was partly joking. “I’m glad that you actually turned out to be a nice guy, I’d started to think that they were becoming more of a rarity.
Norman tried to dampen down the guilt building up inside of him, now was the perfect time to come clean. To tell her his story and how he’d worked on his dream, but something stopped him. He’d really enjoyed listening to her and seeing how alive she was when she spoke about the farm and her plans for it. He’d really meant it when he’d said that he was swept up in the dream with her and if he was being entirely honest with himself, it had been a long time since he’d felt that enthusiastic about anything. No, he wouldn’t tell her yet, maybe it was selfish but he wanted to enjoy this evening for a little longer.
“Well, I promise you I’m no serial killer and I certainly try to be a nice guy. Hopefully, I’m succeeding at it. Sounds like some guy really did a number on you. What happened?”
Amy looked down into her now empty hot chocolate mug. “It’s going to take something a lot stronger to get through that story. Fancy a whiskey?”
After going to the kitchen for glasses and the whiskey bottle they’d decided to move into the living room. Amy had settled herself into one of the big soft lounge chairs and sat with her legs curled up underneath her. Norman was comfortably ensconced on the sofa with Rollo next to him. His big head resting easily on his knee. Amy had been taken aback at first by Rollo’s instant adoration of Norman but seeing the dog so taken with him had eased some of her initial misgivings and now the two of them were virtually inseparable. She watched as Norman gently stroked the soft white fur. He had such lovely hands, his fingers were long, but not too delicate and despite all the dirt, rust and cracked paint they’d had to deal with today, he’d still managed to make sure his nails were trimmed and clean. She looked down to her glass and gazed into the pool of amber liquid, trying to work out where to start from.
“You're right, of course. I did get my heart broken but not just by a man.” Even now, after all, this time, it wasn’t an easy tale to tell and Amy had to admit to herself that she was a little embarrassed.
“Paul and I had been together forever. High school sweethearts and all that. Anyway, it was my 25th birthday when he proposed. At the time, it felt like one of the best days of my life. He took me to our favorite restaurant for a birthday dinner and had asked the staff to hide the ring in my dessert. When I found it he got down on one knee in front of everybody and promised to love me forever.” She smiled with a faint hint of bitterness. “Fool in love that I was, of course, I believed him.
When we got home later that evening one of the first things I did was ring my best friend Sam, I remember her screaming with joy over the phone and we both dissolved into a fit of tears and giggles before spending a good couple of hours discussing initial thoughts for the wedding, by the time we’d finished my ear was burning from having the receiver against it for so long.” Amy smiled sadly, it had been a long time since she’d been able to relive that memory. Even now she still missed her friend.
“Anyway, a few weeks before the wedding, well two weeks to be exact. I went over to Sam’s to surprise her with an early bridesmaid gift. We both had keys to each other’s apartments so I let myself in as usual and there was Sam naked, on top of my fiancé.”
Norman sucked in a breath, he’d had a suspicion that was where the story was headed, but even so, it was difficult to hear and understand. He’d only known Amy a week and he’d already seen how sweet and loving she was. You only had to look at how she treated Rollo and Tabatha to know that she had a kind nature and learning her plans for the farm had cemented that opinion for him. How could two people who were supposed to love her, treat her like that?
“What the hell were they thinking?”
Amy was slightly taken aback by the anger in his tone but also slightly flattered.
“That was exactly w
hat I asked them when I’d calmed down a little. Apparently they weren’t thinking. They’d had a couple of “moments” before but always managed to resist.” Amy shook her head, aware of the sarcasm in her voice.
“But that’s all in the past now. Needless to say, there wasn’t a wedding, well not for me anyway. I found out 6 months ago that they got married. Not that either of them told me, I haven’t spoken to them for 2 years. I found out when a mutual friend put a picture from the wedding on Facebook.” A single tear escaped and rolled softly down her cheek. “If I’m being completely honest I miss Sam more, sometimes when I had a funny story about Rollo or I wanted to vent about the court case it was her I wanted to share it all with. I haven’t really had a best friend like her since then. Not sure I ever will.”
Amy was jolted out of her melancholy by as the clock out in the hallway softly chimed 12am.
“I can’t believe that’s the time. All that hard work you’ve done today and then I make you sit here while I talk to you. I’m sorry, I’m exhausted so you must be too.”
Talking to Norman had been very cathartic, it had been a long time since she’d shared so much of herself with one person and it had left her feeling tired and her heart ached with the slight pain of vulnerability. Would he judge her now? She had bared her soul to him and the idea of him dismissing it had her scared. She knew that come tomorrow morning, refreshed and ready for a new day she’d be a lot better at believing that she didn’t care what anybody thought of her, but now in the middle of the night and slightly tipsy from the whiskey it mattered what he thought. It mattered a lot.
“You didn’t talk to me. I wanted to know. In fact, it’s rather humbling that you shared all that with me, it couldn’t have been easy.” Trying to stifle a yawn he softly pushed Rollo off his knee and walked towards her chair. “I suppose you’re right, it is late and I am tired but I’ll stay if you feel you don’t want to be alone.”
Amy was touched by his offer. “Thank you, but no it’s fine. I’m going to bed myself now anyway. You go and get some sleep, I have another busy day planned for you tomorrow.”
Bending down, Norman lightly kissed the top of her head. “If it makes you feel any better I think both of them were jerks and you deserve so much more than them.”
Chapter 5
Norman straightened up, trying to ease the pain in his back. Clearing the strawberry fields by hand was proving to be much harder work than he’d anticipated.
Looking over towards the farm house he took a moment to savor the evidence of all the hard work put in over the past 6 weeks. The house was now shining white in the sunlight. Fully restored and freshly painted, it stood proud, not only as a reminder of its previous glory but also as a beacon of hope for the farm’s future endeavors.
Six weeks, Norman sighed to himself. He wasn’t sure how he’d ended up staying here for so long. What had started off as a two-week break from his life had somehow kept getting longer. He was under pressure now though to return to work. Mark had been bombarding him with calls and e-mails, apparently some of his clients were also starting to worry and questioning if he was ill. Whilst he knew that he’d have to go back to work eventually he had to admit that there was a part of him that wanted to stay. Sell his half of the real estate business to Mark, get rid of the castle, come clean to Amy and then ask if he could work here permanently. He could even ask her if he could buy a share in the farm. He would be able to instantly sort out her money problems and get the farm fully up and running so much quicker. A few nights this week he’d found himself awake, lying in the dark and thinking about how to go about explaining it all to her. Would she understand?
He was brought out of his musings by a white flash. It was Rollo bounding towards the field. That meant that Amy was making her way back also. It was a hot, dusty day and they were both in need of refreshment so she’d headed back to the kitchen to prepare a picnic lunch and, hopefully, a big bottle of water.
He smiled as she reached the abandoned tractor. The plan had been to drive it up to the fields to start clearing them but it had almost instantly broken down. Norman had taken a look at it but he was no mechanic and didn’t have a clue what he was looking for, so they’d made the decision to clear out the dead plants manually. They’d only been working for a couple of hours and Norman was already exhausted.
***
Five minutes later Amy and Norman were sat on a picnic blanket enjoying a lunch of fresh bread, cheese and a few tomatoes that Amy had managed to pick from the beginnings of her vegetable garden.
Considering he’d been used to fancy lunches of wagyu beef, truffles and $200 bottles of wine, he’d found that he really had a taste for the more simple pleasures. A few times now Amy had caught him trying to steal a slice of bread fresh out of the oven. He couldn’t begin to imagine how wonderful everything would taste once she was even more self-sufficient.
“That was perfect, just what I needed to help me keep going the rest of this afternoon.”
Amy looked slightly concerned. “I’m not sure if that’s going to be possible. I was listening to the radio in the kitchen and apparently there’s a storm heading our way.”
Norman looked up at the clear blue sky and scoffed. “Really? Look at that sky. I’m sure we’ll be finished and back indoors before there is even a grey cloud in the sky.”
Thirty minutes later Norman was looking up at the sky and regretting his words.
“Ok, ok, so it looks like I might have been wrong.” He was cut off by a rumbling of thunder and Amy letting out a quick squeak. Amused by her strange little noises, he couldn’t help teasing her. “You’re not scared by a little thunder are you”?
Amy turned around to look at him, her face clearly showing an unease and Norman felt bad for teasing her. “Right, obviously you are. Well, let’s pack up and head back to the house. We should hopefully be back before the rain starts.” It was almost as if the weather could hear and was enjoying proving him wrong. A crack of lightening was swiftly followed by the heavens opening and in seconds, they were both soaked by torrential rain.
No time to pack up or get to the house they both started to run in the opposite direction, towards an old, run down shack just at the nearest corner of the field. Worried about Amy, Norman took her hand and ran alongside her. “Nearly there, no need to panic, we’ll be fine. I promise.”
By the time they’d reached the barn they were both soaked through. They stood just in the opening, teeth chattering and hopping from foot to foot trying to get warm. Norman shook his head like a dog and Amy laughed.
“I swear you and Rollo must share a gene somewhere down the line, looking at the state of you.”
Norman grinned back at her, his blue eyes sparking with mischief. “Is that because we both do this...” He took a step closer to her and shook as hard as he could, showering her in hundreds of water droplets as she shrieked and tried to run away.
“Oh, you’ll pay for that Norman, you forget I have much longer hair than you.” Bending over she shook her wet hair away from her face. Succeeding in getting Norman even wetter and whipping him with her hair at the same time.
“Ouch, ouch... Ok... Ok. You win. Please no more, I’m not sure I’ll ever be dry again.”
Norman looked down at his shirt that was now plastered to his chest and with one quick movement whipped it off. He stood in the middle of the barn topless and Amy couldn’t help but stare a little. His chest was long and lean with a six-pack she immediately longed to rest her head on. She could just see his hip bones jutting out from the top of his jeans. Her fingers itched to touch him, follow the line of his hips down until she reached... No, she shook her head. Not going to go there, Amy. She desperately looked around trying to focus on anything except the fact she was stood next to a gorgeous topless man.
Norman couldn’t help feeling amused and pleased by her reaction to his shirtlessness. He’d thought that the attraction he felt for her was mutual but it was nice to see some more evidence of it. He d
idn’t want her to feel too awkward though so he tried to change the subject.
“Well, this shack has certainly seen better days.” Norman had been hoping for another of Amy’s uncle’s chairs that seemed to pop up all over the place but no such luck this time. “Good job I managed to rescue the picnic blanket. We can make a kind of chair in the hay and wait for the storm to pass.
Amy suddenly looked fearful. “We have to stay here? Through the whole storm? But what if the barn gets struck by lightning? What if the thunder is so loud and heavy it causes the wood to splinter and the roof falls on us?
Norman was concerned by Amy’s phobia of storms. What had caused it? It was one thing to be a little jumpy but this was pure fear. “What happened to you?”
Amy stopped pacing and looked at Norman quizzically. “What happened to me when?”
“What made you so afraid of storms?”
“Oh, that. Nothing... It doesn’t matter.”
Romance: Billionaire In Disguise (Inspirational Clean Romance Box Set) Page 3