by Rachel Lacey
Barnaby stared at him, blonde tail swooshing in the dirt, a slightly confused look in his eyes.
“I know, this is weird for me too. Guess we’ll figure it out together, okay?” He finished up in the barn and headed for the house. Barnaby trotted along quietly beside him. There was already a dish of water in his kitchen and a small bag of dog food in his pantry from the many times Megan had brought her foster dogs with her to spend the night. In fact, there was even a package of treats on the counter. He pulled one of them out and tossed it to Barnaby before popping open a beer for himself.
“We’re going to spend the afternoon in here,” he told Barnaby as he walked down the hall to the office. “Not very exciting, but if you get bored, just make a nuisance of yourself and we’ll ask Megan to take you back to the castle, okay?”
He sat at the desk and opened his laptop. Barnaby watched for a moment and then lay down on the floor nearby.
“I’ll get you something to lay on next time I’m up,” Jake told him absently, but Barnaby didn’t seem to mind the hardwood floor. He’d spread himself out in a patch of sunlight and was already sound asleep.
Jake opened his manuscript, familiarized himself with where he’d left off, and settled in to write. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he told Megan these last chapters tended to come fast. His main character, Derrick, was closing in on the killer, and all hell was about to break loose. Soon, the only sound in the office was the clatter of Jake’s fingers over the keys and an occasional snore from Barnaby. The next thing Jake knew, the sun hung low in the sky, and he only had one chapter left to write.
“You’re not bad company,” he told the dog as he stood to stretch his legs. Actually, he’d enjoyed the company. Sometimes, he would talk out loud to himself while he was figuring out a scene, and Barnaby had made a great sounding board, all pricked ears and wagging tail, no interrupting chatter or any of the distractions a human companion posed while he was writing. He’d always written in solitude, but this…this he could get used to.
Maybe.
He led the way into the kitchen for refreshments. Since it was dinnertime, he poured some kibble into Barnaby’s bowl and then heated up a pre-packaged meal for himself, something he’d become quite adept at over the years.
Over the last month, though, he’d gotten used to homecooked meals here with Megan at his side. He’d gotten used to a lot of things where she was concerned. He and Barnaby shared dinner before walking down to the barn to check on the horses. Bug and Dusty were out in the riding ring, but Twister and Duchess were in the barn, where he’d left them while he did some work on the fencing earlier. No doubt they were eager to get out to their pastures for the night.
Barnaby had accompanied Jake in the barn without his leash in the past. The dog had good recall. So, he unclipped him now and let him follow Jake into the barn to get Twister. If Barnaby misbehaved in any way, Twister wouldn’t be bothered by it. But Barnaby stayed a respectable distance away as Jake led the horse out to his pasture. All the same, he put Barnaby in an empty stall while he brought Duchess out. That horse was too valuable to take any risks with.
Jake’s pulse kicked up as he thought of his meeting with Mr. Nichols on Monday. If he was impressed, it could really help launch Jake’s career, and frankly, he needed the boost. Training one horse at a time wasn’t sustainable. He needed at least two to live comfortably and hoped to expand that number in the future. But, first things first. With Barnaby in tow, he headed back to the farmhouse to finish writing the book.
Megan had hardly seen Jake—or Barnaby—over the past two days. She, Ruby, and Elle had been so busy up at the castle getting ready for the Spring Fling festival that she hadn’t had much time for anything else. But she and Jake had texted regularly, and he seemed content having Barnaby with him.
It was strange for Megan, not having a dog in her room the last two nights. Quiet. It was nice not to have to take care of anyone furry for a change, though. She’d never had a dog before coming to the castle, and their foster dogs were a big responsibility. She wasn’t complaining about it, but she wasn’t complaining about having a few nights off either.
On Saturday morning, she, Ruby, and Elle were down at the field behind the Towering Pines downtown area bright and early. Already, it had been transformed into a festival. There were carnival rides and food stands, and along the far edge of the field, vendors were setting up their tables. Mountains rolled behind them, green and lush. It promised to be a beautiful mid-April day, already warm and sunny despite the early hour.
Megan reached automatically for her camera, crouching against the dewy grass to snap a series of photos of the rides silhouetted against the mountains and sky while Ruby and Elle went ahead to walk the dogs around the field before things got busy.
“Working already?”
She turned at the sound of Jake’s voice, pressing one knee into the grass to keep her balance. “The planning committee hired me to be the official photographer for the day.”
“No kidding?” He smiled down at her, and her heart swooped right into her ribs. Barnaby stood at his side, and the sight of man and dog together made her all warm and mushy inside.
She aimed the camera in his direction and snapped, capturing him against the background of the festival. Then, she stood. “Yeah. Priya recommended me, apparently. And who am I to turn down a fun gig like this one?”
“That’s great.” He took her free hand in his, tugging her up against him. “Your photography business seems to really be taking off.”
“It helps that I have the most beautiful location in town at my fingertips for sessions.”
“Also helps that you’re ridiculously talented.” His mouth covered hers.
She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent, absorbing the feel of his lips and the way his hands cradled her waist, sure and strong. She’d come to Virginia on a whim, hoping for a little excitement to shake up her life. When they first found out they’d won Modern Home and Gardens’ Almost Royal contest, she hadn’t taken any of it seriously. Moving into a castle owned by a member of the British aristocracy? It was absolute insanity, but Megan was always up for a good adventure.
So, she’d come, hoping for a few months of fun, never expecting to stay. She hadn’t expected Virginia—or Rosemont Castle—to feel like home, or to discover a new level of closeness with the women who’d been her best friends since childhood. She hadn’t expected to be scarred in a car accident right as all her dreams were coming to fruition.
And she had never expected to fall in love with this man who was everything and nothing she’d ever imagined having or needing. Jake had snuck past all her defenses and settled that part of her that had always been restless and searching, always ready to move on to the next better thing. She couldn’t imagine finding anything or anyone better than Jake Reardon.
“Missed you,” she murmured between kisses.
“I didn’t go anywhere.” Amusement laced his tone.
“You know what I mean.” She smiled against his lips. “Haven’t seen you in two days, you or Barnaby. It’s been awfully lonely in my bed.”
“Been lonely in mine too, although Barnaby seems to think your side of the bed is his now.”
“I can’t quite picture you two sharing a bed,” she admitted, glancing down at the dog, who lay in the grass beside them, taking in the bustle of festival preparations.
“Wasn’t my idea, and I’m hoping you’ll be there to kick him out tonight.”
“I was planning on it.” She crouched down to say hi to Barnaby. “You don’t mind if I join you in Jake’s bed tonight, do you?”
Barnaby crawled forward in the grass, tail doing full loop-de-loops as he kissed her face.
“That looks like a yes to me,” Jake said.
“What are you doing all day?” she asked, looking up at him while she rubbed Barnaby.
“Just hanging out, mostly. Hoping to see a few potential clients, put some feelers out there about my business, that ki
nd of thing. Thanks for letting me put my brochures on your table.”
“Of course.” She stood, leading the way toward Rosemont Castle’s table. “Feel free to send anyone who’s interested in your work our way. We’ll sing your praises while we hand out brochures.”
“They look great, by the way,” he said. “The brochures. They’re about a thousand percent nicer than anything I imagined having for myself.”
“I just took the photos.” She looked down at the stack of brochures on the table. The cover was a full color shot of Jake with Duchess. He looked handsome, professional, and competent, and the horse could have been a model. “Ruby laid out the brochure for you.”
“Well, between the two of you, my fledging business looks like a million bucks, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“It was my pleasure.” She pressed another kiss to his lips. “And Ruby was happy to do her part too. You did us a big favor working with Bug and Dusty this month, and this was the least we could do to repay you.”
“Hopefully they’ll find homes soon.”
“Actually,” she said, “I heard someone might be interested in Dusty. Priya was going to try to set up a time for her to come out and meet and ride Dusty next week.”
“Great news.”
Elle and Ruby walked up then with the rest of their foster dogs. Barnaby scampered over to greet them, his leash tugging against Megan’s fingers.
“I’ll let you guys finish getting ready, then,” Jake said. “Do you need anything?”
“Unless you can magically make coffee appear, no,” Elle said with a slightly wan smile, “but thank you for asking.”
“Actually, I think there’s a tent over there with coffee for the vendors. Want me to go get some?” Jake gestured toward a blue tent at the edge of the field, where a line waited.
“I was just joking,” Elle said, “but if they really have coffee over there and you don’t mind getting us some, we’ll love you forever.”
Megan felt her cheeks heat, as though Elle’s words somehow projected the feelings running rampant through her since she’d seen Jake this morning. But of course, Elle was just joking. Jake headed off toward the coffee tent.
“What’s that funny face for?” Ruby asked, waving a hand in Megan’s direction as she set down a bowl for the dogs and began filling it from the jug of water beneath their table.
“What face?” Megan moved around behind the table with Barnaby.
“The face that said, ‘oh shit, Elle just said the L word to Jake,’” Ruby said.
“What?” Elle rubbed at her brow, apparently slow on the uptake before she’d had caffeine. “Oh, because I said—” Her eyes widened comically. “Oh.”
“So, are you trying to tell us something?” Ruby asked. “And have you told Jake?”
“No, and no,” Megan said stubbornly, dropping into her seat. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“So, you don’t love him?” Ruby grinned, equally stubborn.
Elle watched quietly, a hand pressed over her mouth in obvious delight.
Megan rolled her eyes. “Maybe I do, but this is just casual, and whatever. We’ll see what happens.”
“Um, this is kind of huge news,” Ruby said. “I mean, unless I’m mistaken, you’ve never been in love before.”
“No, I haven’t,” she admitted, staring down at Barnaby, who’d curled up at her feet. “But it doesn’t have to be a big deal, I mean, does it?”
“It’s a big deal,” Elle confirmed. “But in a good way, because Jake looks pretty smitten too, and really, you guys seem perfect for each other. You’ve been so happy since you started dating him. You seem, I don’t know…settled or something, but again, in a good way.”
Megan didn’t say anything. She knew exactly what Elle meant, because she felt settled…in a good way. But she also knew it wasn’t as simple as that. “Jake’s still healing.”
“That’s true,” Ruby said. “But it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you too.”
“All the same, I’m not going to say anything just yet,” Megan said. “We’re in a really good place right now. I don’t want to make things more complicated than they need to be.”
“In my experience,” Elle said. “It’s always good to tell someone you love them. As Jake knows better than most anyone, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”
Megan rested a hand on Elle’s shoulder as she registered the depth of her words. “I’ll play it by ear.”
From there, the morning got busy. Priya arrived at the table beside theirs with a host of volunteers, dogs on leashes, and cats in crates. The fairgrounds started to fill in as early birds arrived to get a head start on the day. Jake swung by with a carrier of coffee and a quick kiss for Megan before heading off into the growing crowd.
The rescue pets attracted a lot of attention, and they had a steady stream of people visiting their table. She saw Priya handing out lots of adoption applications, and the donation jar on the table was already half full by mid-morning.
“What’s his name?” a woman asked, bending down to let Barnaby sniff her hand.
“Barnaby,” Megan told her, feeling something catch in her chest at the idea of him being adopted. She’d adopted out over a dozen foster dogs at this point, but somehow she’d become attached to this one, or at least attached to the idea of Jake keeping him. “He’s a three-year-old pit mix, very shy with new people, but he warms right up once he gets to know you.”
Barnaby shuffled closer to Megan’s chair, pressing himself against her leg.
“Aww, he’s a sweetie,” the woman said. “He reminds me of a dog my parents had when I was a kid. What’s the adoption process like?”
“Well, you’d need to grab one of those applications.” She pointed to the stack on the shelter’s table. “Barnaby’s being fostered with us at Rosemont Castle, so once the shelter approves you to adopt, you could come out to the castle and spend time with him there to make sure he’s the right dog for you.”
“It would be nice to get the chance to hang out with him like that,” she said. “I’m definitely going to put in an application. I’ve been wanting to stop by the shelter and look for a dog, but coming out to Rosemont Castle sounds more fun.”
“It does, right?” Megan smiled at her. “There’s no guarantee Barnaby will still be available, but the sooner you get your application in, the better. And if he’s gone, I’ll have someone new for you to meet.”
“Okay, I’m filling out my application right now.” The woman rubbed Barnaby and blew him a kiss before moving over to the shelter’s table.
“I need to head out and take some photos,” Megan told Ruby. “Do you want to keep him here at the table for me?”
“You got it.” Ruby took Barnaby’s leash from her.
Megan ruffled his furry head before she stood and headed into the crowd. This was the part of today she’d been most looking forward to. Camera in hand, she moved through the festival, capturing happy details as well as the overall look of the event. She snapped a little girl taking a big bite of her cotton candy, pink fluff stuck to her nose, and a couple on the Ferris wheel, sharing a kiss as they swooped overhead.
“Want to take a ride?” Jake said from behind her.
“You’ve got an uncanny ability to find me in a crowd,” she said, turning to face him.
“Not hard when you stand out in any crowd.” He reached out to cup her cheek, a look of pure, unabashed affection in his eyes. “Also, the big camera helps.”
“Ha.” She punched his biceps playfully.
“So, want to ride the Ferris wheel with me?”
She opened her mouth to say no, because she was working right now, but on second thought… “Actually, I could get some great overhead shots of the fair from up there.”
“You can call it work, but I just want to make out with my girlfriend in one of those baskets.” Jake winked at her.
“Well, in that case…” She grabbed his hand, leading him toward the line for the ride. “Have you go
t tickets?”
He held up a strip of them. “I was hoping I might convince you to have a little fun with me.”
“A man who plans for success. I like that.”
They held hands, laughing and chatting as they waited in line. Megan felt relaxed and happy with Jake at her side, and when they finally made their way into a little green basket, she settled close to him on the seat.
“Not afraid of heights, are you?” he asked.
“Nope. I went sky diving on my twenty first birthday.”
“Damn.” He looked at her, his expression equal parts impressed and aroused. “I don’t know why the image of you jumping out of an airplane is turning me on, but it definitely is.”
“It’s the adrenaline rush,” she whispered as their basket lurched forward.
“I do love a good adrenaline rush.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
“Yeah? What else do you do for a rush?” she asked, squeezing his hand.
“I think I’ve lived for a long time with insufficient adrenaline,” he said softly. “You’ve changed that for me.”
“Happy to help.” Their kiss turned more urgent then, tongues teasing as the basket slowly made its way toward the top, stopping and starting as the Ferris wheel was loaded with new passengers. Finally, they broke apart, desperate for oxygen.
“I’d like to discover more new things this year,” Jake said. “Want to help me?”
“I’d love to.” And there was that damn word again. “What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. Anything. Everything. I’d jump out of an airplane with you.” He stared at the fairgrounds laid out beneath them. “I’d also like to take a trip, even just a small one while I get my business off the ground. I haven’t left Towering Pines in too long.”
“I’m totally game for that. I love to travel. Hold that thought for a minute, though.” Their basket had come to a stop at the top of the wheel, and this would be her best chance to take photos before they started moving in earnest. Securing the strap around herself, she lifted the camera and started snapping, capturing the festival laid out beneath them.