by Rachel Lacey
“They’re here and settled, but they’re in really bad shape, you guys. It kind of broke my heart.” Megan slid onto the barstool beside Elle, grateful for the company of her two best friends after a long day. She, Ruby, and Elle had known each other since elementary school. Getting to live and work together here at Rosemont Castle was a dream come true for all of them, and they’d never been closer.
“I’ll take a walk down and meet the horses in the morning,” Ruby said. “I wanted to re-introduce myself to Jake too.”
“Actually, you can do that tonight. I invited him to join us for dinner.” Megan poured herself a glass of wine and took a grateful sip. “Theo’s coming too, right?”
“Yep,” Elle confirmed. “He’ll be here any minute.”
Beatrice set a basket of fresh rolls on the counter in front of them. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to see all of you guys around the dinner table every night. It was too quiet here for far too long.”
Heavy footfalls echoed down the hallway, and Jake appeared in the doorway to the kitchen wearing a crisp black T-shirt and jeans, his hair still damp from the shower. Megan’s whole body seemed to hum at the sight of him, like she and Jake were opposite ends of a magnet. This attraction wasn’t going to be as easy to shake as she’d hoped.
“Hi,” he said, something almost timid in his tone.
“Come on in,” she said, waving him into the kitchen. “Jake, you may remember Elle.” She gestured to the blonde beside her. “And Ruby.” Ruby waved from the other end of the counter. “They were with me that night we met in Bar None. And this is Beatrice, the weekday chef here at the castle.” Megan indicated the older woman on the other side of the kitchen. “She’s nothing short of amazing.”
“No less amazing than these ladies here,” Beatrice said with a warm smile. “Welcome, Jake. We’re so glad to have you and to see those pastures filled with horses again.” The barn and pastures had sat empty for over twenty years, when the Langdon family sold the last of their horses. Theo’s grandmother—and the castle’s namesake—Rose had been the true horse lover in the family, and after her untimely death, the barn had eventually fallen to disuse.
“Thank you,” Jake said. “I’m glad to be here.”
“There’s beer in the fridge,” Beatrice told him with a wink. “I always keep it stocked for Mr. Langdon.”
“Did I hear my name?” Theo asked as he came into the kitchen.
Conversation flowed as freely as the wine while their group settled around the table for dinner. Theo, Elle, and Ruby sat on one side of the table, with Megan and Jake on the other as they served themselves from the enormous pan of chicken pot pie Beatrice had made. Megan was hyper aware of the man beside her as she ate, his big, strong thigh so close to hers and shower-fresh scent radiating off him.
“So, Jake, tell us more about your business,” Elle said as she scooped a bite of pot pie onto her fork.
“I train horses,” he told her. “Initial under saddle work and then I also help sort out horses who’ve acquired bad habits later in life. I’ve got a client who’ll be dropping off a horse for me to work with full time, and I also have several clients I work with at their own barns.”
“Do you offer riding lessons?” Ruby asked.
“No,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “I’ve only got one horse of my own.”
“I got to meet him earlier,” Megan said. “He’s a sweetheart.”
“He’s a great horse.” Jake looked at her, and their gazes locked for a heated moment.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Theo said, pausing to take a drink from his beer. “It’s nice to have a familiar face renting the barn.”
Megan grinned at that. “I bet you’re glad to have a friend here too after you’ve put up with the three of us for the last year.”
Theo’s eyebrows lifted. “Yes, I suppose now I can invite Jake up for a beer when you ladies are having a girls’ night.”
“Just say the word,” Jake said. He seemed to have relaxed since he’d first walked into the kitchen, and Megan hoped he felt comfortable here, because while Theo was a member of the British aristocracy, things at the castle had always been relaxed. Plus, Theo and Jake were friends since childhood too, although from what Megan knew, they weren’t nearly as close as she, Elle, and Ruby were, probably because Theo had attended boarding school in England. He hadn’t lived full time in Virginia until last year.
“Did I see Sean and Tucker out here earlier?” Theo asked, referring to two of his and Jake’s mutual friends from town.
“Yeah,” Jake told him. “They helped me move today.”
Megan dropped her gaze to her plate. She and Sean had gone out a few times last year…before the accident.
As they ate, conversation shifted to the pair of foster cats that had been adopted that morning and then on to Megan’s upcoming trip to Florida to visit her family for Purim. It wasn’t a holiday she’d ordinarily fly down for, but this year, she was using it as an excuse to see her parents, because it had been too long, and she missed them.
When Jake had cleared his plate, he stood and carried it to the sink, thanking Beatrice for the meal. “I really need to be going. Thanks again for having me up for dinner tonight.”
“Glad you could join us,” Theo told him.
“I’ll walk you out,” Megan said, standing too. She fell into step beside him as he left the kitchen.
“This place is really something,” he commented, gazing into the various rooms as they passed.
“Haven’t you ever been in here before?”
He shook his head. “I usually just see Theo around town, I guess.”
“I’ll have to bring you back up for an official tour once you’re settled in,” she told him, “because it’s definitely worth seeing.”
“I’d like that.” He turned to smile at her, re-igniting that warm, familiar tingle in her belly, before looking at something over her shoulder. “Wow.”
She followed his gaze to the library. “Impressive, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure impressive even covers it.” Jake walked into the room, looking around at the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
“You like books?”
“I love them.”
“So do I.” But somehow, her enthusiasm seemed to pale before the awe she saw in Jake’s eyes. He was looking at the shelves of books like, if it weren’t so late and she weren’t standing there, he might spend hours exploring every shelf, familiarizing himself with the Langdon family’s collection.
“You can borrow them if you’d like,” she told him. “The library’s open to all our guests and anyone staying here on the property.”
“I just might do that, thanks.” He led the way out of the library toward the front door.
Megan was fascinated by this new side of him. She already knew Jake the rugged horse trainer, but she’d only just met Jake the dreamy-eyed book lover. How many other sides to him lurked beneath that handsome exterior? She saw him to the door before returning to the kitchen, where her friends still lingered at the dinner table.
“So, I see you and Jake are still hot for each other,” Ruby said, eyes sparkling behind her glasses.
“He’s our tenant, and that would be unprofessional.” Megan sat, picking up her wineglass and taking a hearty sip.
“Um…” Elle glanced at Theo with a grin. “That didn’t exactly stop us.”
“Just a little harmless flirtation,” Megan said with a shrug. “I don’t think Jake’s looking for a relationship right now, and really, neither am I.”
“He does have a lot on his plate,” Ruby agreed.
“He does. Actually, there was something I wanted to run past you guys.” Megan looked at her friends, seizing hold of a momentary burst of confidence. “What do you think about offering photography sessions to our guests? You know, now that I have my new camera?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Elle said enthusiastically. “I love it.”
“Oh! We could offer sessions with the Fairy Tails pets too,” Elle said. “They could have pictures taken with their new pet before they leave, or if they’re local, they could come back for a session later on.”
“Yes,” Megan said, relief washing away the last of her worries. “So, you don’t think it’s presumptuous of me to offer sessions, when I don’t really have any professional experience?”
Ruby gave her a stern look. “Meg, we’ve seen your work. You’re more than qualified. In fact, maybe we should have you take headshots of us for the website while we’re at it.”
Megan ducked her face with a smile. “Yeah, okay.”
“Great.” Ruby stood from the table. “We’ll meet tomorrow to go over all the details, and then I’ll get it added to our website and the rest of our marketing materials.”
Megan stood too, excitement bubbling up inside her. She was doing this, finally taking a chance at turning her hobby into something more. Now, she just had to keep working, keep practicing, keep pushing herself to improve, to make sure she didn’t let her friends down. Or herself.
3
Jake woke the next morning, momentarily disoriented as he took in his surroundings. Instead of beige-painted walls and a small bedroom full of photos—memories and memorabilia of a life not lived—he found himself this morning in an off-white room that was large and open, bare except for the boxes stacked against the wall to his left.
A blank slate.
He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. This room, this house and everything that came with it, offered him a fresh start. The possibilities filled him with a sense of energy and purpose he hadn’t felt in…too long to remember.
One thing was the same here as it had been in his old bedroom, though. His cock tented the sheet at his waist, hard as it was every morning, much more optimistic about the possibility of seeing some action than Jake himself. Often, he ignored it. He was so damned tired of his own hand. It never brought anything like the pleasure he remembered experiencing when he and Alana fooled around all those years ago.
So, he began running through his daily schedule in his head, waiting for his cock to get the message and accept defeat. Today, he needed to get down to the barn to care for the horses and turn them out to enjoy Rosemont Castle’s pastures for the first time. Then, he needed to unpack. Things would pick up in a day or two once the new horse he was going to train arrived, so he needed to get the house put to order in the meantime.
His cock was not taking the hint this morning, though. As soon as he acknowledged the thought, a vision of Megan formed in his head, the way her hair had brushed against his arm when they stood beside each other in the barn yesterday, the way her brown eyes seemed to spark with energy every time she smiled. His cock surged, throbbing urgently beneath the sheet.
He reached down and gripped himself, stroking hard and fast, allowing himself the fantasy of Megan’s fingers wrapped around his cock. From somewhere in the room, his phone rang, interrupting the frantic movement of his fist. He paused. Few people called him. Even fewer might call at this hour.
Reluctantly, he sat up and looked around, trying to remember where he’d left his phone last night. He followed the sound to one of the boxes stacked along the wall. Tina Robertson’s name showed on the screen, and his cock promptly withered at the sight. A call from his mother-in-law was one surefire way to tame his morning wood.
Technically, she was his former mother-in-law now, but Alana’s death didn’t stop her parents from feeling like family to him. He hoped that never changed.
“Morning, Tina,” he said as he connected the call.
“Good morning, Jake. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“Nope. You know me, always up early.”
“I do know,” she said with a laugh. “I wanted to catch you before you headed down to the barn, see how you were settling in and if you need anything. I thought I might bake that broccoli cheddar chicken casserole that you like so much, and Walt and I could bring you supper tonight.”
“I’d like that, Tina,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. “I am a total sucker for that casserole, and I’d appreciate the company too. Thanks a lot.”
While he’d rather have a few more days to settle in before he invited his in-laws over, he knew Tina needed to fuss over him. She and Walt were probably already missing him, and he missed them too. For the last ten years, he’d lived in the little cabin on their property that had been their wedding gift to him and Alana. At times, he’d felt smothered, having them so close, especially without Alana at his side. But mostly, he was fiercely grateful for their love and support and for the steady presence they’d become in his life.
“Oh, honey, you can count on us anytime,” Tina said in his ear. “Is there anything else you need? I could stop at the store on our way over.”
“No, no. I’ve got to go shopping myself today and stock up the new kitchen.”
“Okay, then,” Tina said. “I know you’ve got a million things to do, so I’ll let you go, but we’ll see you tonight. Around six?”
“That sounds perfect. Thanks again.”
He disconnected the call and crossed the room to the adjoining bathroom. Five minutes later, he was on his way to the kitchen for coffee and to rummage through his bare pantry for something to eat before heading to the barn. And cursing himself for leaving his phone on a box last night instead of on the charger. He only had twenty percent left on his battery. And where was the charger? Damned if he knew.
At least he’d had the sense to leave the coffee maker on the counter yesterday. He plugged it in now and got it started before rummaging through the box of random stuff he’d brought over from his old pantry. Seasonings, odds and ends, half a loaf of bread.
Pathetic.
There was a light knock at the door, and he turned toward it in confusion. Walt and Tina had often knocked at his cabin, making various excuses for conversation, Tina bringing food or Walt asking for a hand with a woodworking project. But Jake hadn’t expected anyone to knock on his door here at Rosemont Castle.
He glanced down at his jeans and T-shirt, making sure he was presentable, before he pulled open the door. Megan stood there wearing a purple jacket and a warm smile, a white paper bag in her hands. The sight of her sent a punch of lust through his gut stronger—and hotter—than anything he could remember experiencing in recent years. It also brought a wide smile to his face.
“Hi,” she said, ducking her head slightly. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” It was a good one now that she’d become a part of it.
“I brought you one of Beatrice’s muffins. I figured your pantry was still bare.”
“It is, and you have no idea how good a muffin sounds right now,” he said. “But I can’t let you keep feeding me like this.”
Dinner last night had been nice, relaxed and casual as she’d promised. It felt good to have friends to share a meal with, although he didn’t want to take advantage of their hospitality. He was renting the barn, and food service was definitely not part of the package.
“I’ll try not to make a habit of it,” she said, pushing the bag into his hands. “But I didn’t want you to starve either. We have a full staff in the kitchen in the mornings to prepare breakfast for our guests, so there’s always a ton of food. If you’re ever in a pinch, just drop in. We’ll happily feed you.”
“I appreciate it. Really.” His stomach rumbled loudly in agreement, and Megan laughed. The sound did funny things inside him, making his pants tight and his heart light. His gaze dipped briefly to the silver pendant hanging between her breasts, the Tree of Life. She’d been wearing it yesterday too.
“How are the horses this morning?” she asked.
“I’m headed down to check on them in just a few minutes.”
�
��Okay.” She stepped back, turning to leave. “I’ll let you get to it.”
“Thanks again for breakfast,” he said. “I’m going to turn the horses out to enjoy the sunshine, so come down later this morning if you want to see them.”
Her eyes gleamed as she smiled again. “I’ll do that. Thanks, Jake.”
“Welcome.” He watched for a moment as she walked away, still fighting a mixture of lust and warmth, that irresistible combination Megan always stirred in him. Then, he ducked back inside and stood at the kitchen counter to pour himself a cup of coffee. He opened the paper bag and pulled out the muffin she’d brought. Damn, it looked good.
He took a big bite, and hallelujah, it tasted even better than it looked. Cinnamon and sweetness exploded on his tongue, almost like coffee cake, but in muffin form. He’d have to stop by the castle later to thank Beatrice. He inhaled the muffin and sucked down his coffee, wiped down the kitchen, and headed for the barn.
As he walked toward it, the knowledge swelled inside him that this was his. Twister was inside that barn. His horse in his barn. The culmination of all his hard work stood before him in the red-painted structure resting in front of the lush green fields beyond. He’d get to flex his muscles training horses and then flex his mind writing books. The spare bedroom would make a perfect office, and he couldn’t wait to get it set up.
He pushed the door to the barn open and was immediately greeted by a friendly knicker from Twister. The smell of hay and horse greeted him as he stepped inside, the familiar shuffle of hooves over shavings and a snort from one of the rescue horses.
“Morning, buddy,” he said as Twister’s chestnut face appeared over the entrance to the stall. He reached out and stroked the horse, earning himself a good-natured headbutt.
He’d owned Twister for about five years now, since he was just a colt. Twister was one of the first horses Jake had trained, back when he was still learning the ropes himself. “Did they behave themselves last night?” he asked his horse, gesturing toward the two mares across the aisle. Twister snorted, dropping his head to check Jake’s pockets.