by Rachel Lacey
“I’m so sorry,” she huffed, looking at him over her shoulder.
“No need to be. There’s no holding on to a horse when they bolt. They outweigh you by over a thousand pounds. If you’d tried, you might have been dragged.” He put a hand on her arm, tugging gently. “Slow down. You can’t run as fast as she can, and you’ll have better luck catching her if you’re calm when we find her.”
“How far do you think she went?” Megan asked, slowing to a walk beside him.
“There’s no telling, but probably not far.” He started shaking the grain bucket, hoping to entice Bug back on her own. “Horses are flight animals. They run when they’re frightened, but as long as the dog didn’t chase her, she’s probably grazing somewhere on the grounds right now.”
“He didn’t chase her,” Megan told him. “Elle took him back to the castle as soon as she saw what happened.”
“That’s good,” Jake said. “Don’t worry. Horses get loose fairly often, just like dogs.”
“We had a foster dog once who ran off for two days and turned up miles away from the castle,” Megan told him, her expression earnest.
“Well, let’s hope Bug isn’t that ambitious. In fact…” He pointed to the field ahead, where Bug stood grazing contentedly in the sunshine.
“Oh, thank God,” Megan murmured. “Do you think she’ll let us catch her?”
“I sure do. She doesn’t generally play hard to catch. The trick is not to remind her that she has the freedom to run off. Just approach with confidence.” He walked right up to Bug, rubbing her neck as offered her a handful of grain before reaching down to grab her lead shank. “Hey there, girl.”
“Phew.” Megan joined him beside Bug. “You gave me quite a scare.” She rubbed the horse, and Bug nuzzled her affectionately.
“She’s gotten pretty fond of you,” Jake observed.
“The feeling is mutual.” Megan took the lead from his hand, guiding Bug confidently down the lane toward the barn. The horse looked like a different animal than the one who’d arrived a month and a half ago, skinny, ragged, and covered in dog bites. The wounds had healed now, leaving fresh pink scars against her dappled white coat. “She’ll be sad if Dusty gets adopted tomorrow, I think.”
“She might be, yeah,” he agreed. “They’re nicely bonded. It’s too bad the adopter isn’t interested in the pair of them.”
“It is.” Megan looked up at Bug’s face. “I hope she’ll be okay.”
“She will be. She’s pretty resilient. Most animals are,” he commented. “People too.”
Megan glanced over at him with a smile. “I suppose that’s true.”
Yesterday, she’d brought down the rest of her things from the castle. Maybe it should feel like a big deal that he was living with a woman for the first time in his life. Probably, it should. But it didn’t. Everything with Megan felt easy and comfortable, like he’d been waiting his whole life for it. He hadn’t put a label on it, but as soon as she’d blurted out her declaration of love last night, he knew he felt the same way.
He loved her. It was a different kind of love than he’d felt for Alana, a deeper, more mature love. The kind of love that demanded nothing but offered everything. With Megan at his side, the world felt lighter and brighter, full of all the warm, wonderful things he’d watched other people experience for so much of his life.
“I can take her from here if you need to get back to your client,” Megan said as they approached the barn. Dusty whinnied from her stall, and Bug returned her call, head up and ears pricked, her step quickening as she approached her friend.
“All right. Holler if you need any help.” He knew she’d be fine, but he kept an eye on her all the same. Jake could only hope he’d be fine too, because he’d been on the verge of earning Mr. Nichols’ seal of approval before he’d run off and left him with Duchess. Not ideal, to say the least.
“Oh, good,” Mr. Nichols said as he walked out of the barn, smiling at them. “Glad she didn’t go too far.”
“So am I,” Megan told him with a warm smile. “Sorry for losing her in the first place and interrupting you and Jake during your training session.”
“Not at all,” Mr. Nichols told her. “It gave me a chance to spend a little time with Duchess, and to see Jake in action.”
“I have yet to see him get flustered, and these rescue horses have given us plenty of trouble,” she said as she led Bug into her stall. “Jake always knows exactly what to do.”
He rocked back on his heels, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. “I wouldn’t say I always know what to do, but this is my job, after all.”
“I have to agree with Megan,” Mr. Nichols said. “I was impressed with how calmly you handled everything just now. A friend of mine has a horse he’s looking for some help with. She’s a scraper, among other things.”
“A what?” Megan furrowed her brow as she closed and latched Bug’s stall door.
“She takes riders under low-hanging branches to try to get rid of them,” Mr. Nichols explained with a smile. “You up for a job like that, Jake?”
“Absolutely. I’ve had plenty of experience with difficult horses.”
Mr. Nichols clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.” With any luck, he was on the cusp of bigger and better things, on several fronts.
16
Over the next week, Megan settled into the farmhouse with Jake. She brought home two new foster dogs—a pair of little black and white Havanese mixes named Oreo and Cookie. Barnaby ignored the new arrivals for the most part, seeming to think they were too small to be actual dogs. She was confident they would be adopted quickly, once she’d had the chance to show them off to the castle’s guests. They were small, adorable, and well-behaved, exactly the kind of dog that seemed most popular in the Fairy Tails program.
She worked at the castle during the day and spent her free time down at the barn with Jake and the horses. Duchess had gone home, and Rumor—the new horse he was training—had arrived to take her place. This one was giving Jake a run for his money, but Megan had no doubt he’d get him straightened out in the end.
On Thursday, Dusty Star was adopted. She and Bug whinnied to each other as the trailer pulled down the drive, and Megan felt a pang of sadness to see Dusty go, especially for Bug’s sake. But Dusty had been adopted by an experienced equine family with two other horses who often went on trail rides. It was the perfect home for her. She’d be loved, well cared for, and ridden regularly. Bug, who wasn’t yet able to be ridden, was going to be harder to place.
“She’ll be okay,” Jake said as he walked up behind Megan, who was watching Bug pace in the riding ring. “I’ll move Twister to the pasture next to hers so he can help keep her company.”
“I feel bad for her,” Megan admitted, leaning back against Jake.
“Because she’s missing Dusty right now?” he asked. “Or because of her history?”
“Both,” she said softly, her gaze settling on the bright pink scar just above Bug’s muzzle.
“She doesn’t know she’s scarred.” Jake’s hands settled on her shoulders, warm and comforting. She sucked in a breath as that familiar hot, prickly sensation crept over the left side of her face. “She only knows that dogs can sometimes be scary and that—right now, but probably not for much longer—she’s missing her friend. Anyway, I have a strong feeling that things are about to turn around for Bug, just the way they have for us.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “You do?”
He nodded. “And to that end, I’m going to start working in the ring with her this weekend. She’s watched me work with the other horses. I think she’s ready to learn herself. She’s a curious horse with a strong spirit. Those are good qualities.”
Megan felt herself relax against him. Somehow, everything seemed to make sense when he said it. Maybe spending so much time with horses had allowed him to see the world through the same kind of cl
arifying lens they did. Because he had an uncanny ability to filter out bullshit and get right to the heart of the matter. It was one of the reasons she’d fallen in love with him.
“Are you finished at the castle for the night?” he asked.
“Mm hmm.”
“Want to help me finish up here in the barn? Then I thought maybe we could go into town for dinner. I have a craving for Nonna’s fried chicken.”
“Sounds perfect.” She wasn’t exactly sure when she’d become a woman who enjoyed helping in the barn and spending every free moment with her man, but here she was. While he went to get Twister, she clipped a lead on Bug and brought her out to her pasture. The little horse walked beside her with an urgency in her step, as if she might find Dusty waiting for her outside. “We’ll find you a new buddy soon,” Megan told her.
“Maybe sooner than you think,” Jake said from behind her.
“Really? Who?”
“I have someone coming out this weekend who’s interested in boarding his horse here. It took me longer than I expected to find boarders, but hopefully that’s about to change.”
“You’ve been busy this week,” she commented as she led Bug into her pasture and closed the gate behind her.
“I have. Lots of exciting things on the horizon.” He put Twister in the pasture next to Bug’s, and the two horses trotted over to greet each other.
Megan and Jake finished up in the barn and headed to the farmhouse to walk the dogs before dinner.
“You know, for someone who’s never been that much of an animal person, I sure do have a lot of them in my life right now,” Megan commented as she clipped leashes onto Oreo and Cookie.
“That’s true. Too many?”
“Not necessarily.” She looked down at the fluffy little dogs at her feet. “No, I like having them around.”
After all the creatures were cared for, she and Jake went into town for dinner, managing to bump into a friend of his and also a couple she’d met when they stayed at the castle a few months ago. This was one part of small-town life she found unexpectedly charming. Growing up in the massive suburban sprawl of Orlando, she’d never experienced anything like it. And while she missed living near her parents and the rest of her family—missed it a lot—she liked pretty much everything about living in the Appalachians.
The next morning, she woke to the sun streaming in through the window and Jake’s hand on her back, brushing her hair to the side so he could press open-mouthed kisses between her shoulder blades. She shivered as a smile spread across her face. “Ticklish.”
“Always wake up to you halfway across the bed,” he murmured between kisses.
“I move around a lot in my sleep.” She rolled toward him, cupping his face to bring his lips to hers. While she loved the wild urgency that sometimes overcame them, these tender moments first thing in the morning were some of her favorite, something she’d rarely experienced. She’d never been much for spending the night with a man, preferring her own bed and the freedom to come and go as she pleased. With Jake, there was nowhere she’d rather be than right here in his arms.
They made love, rolling together across the bed in their tumble toward release. Afterward, Jake held her against his chest, something heavy in his expression. “I have to go out for a while after morning barn chores today.”
She traced her fingers absently through the coarse hair on his chest. “Everything okay?”
“It’s the anniversary of Alana’s death.” His arms tightened around her.
“Oh.” She slid forward to press a kiss against his cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s…well, it’s not okay, exactly, but it’ll be okay,” he said in that frank way of his, the way he made everything sound manageable. “But I need to visit the cemetery, and then I need to go see her parents.”
She swallowed. “Is…is there anything I can do?”
“Not today. I need to do this on my own. But another day, I’d really like to bring you to the cemetery with me.”
“I’d like that too.” She fought against the completely irrational twinge of hurt in her chest. Of course, he needed to do this alone. She was being weird and clingy. “Will I see you tonight, then?”
“At some point, yeah.”
It was her morning to help with breakfast at the castle, so she dressed quickly. “Good luck today,” she said with a kiss as they parted at the front door. “Call me if you need me.”
“Thank you.” He paused, taking her hand in his. “It makes it easier, knowing that you’ll be here when I get home.”
“I’m glad.” She gave him a hug. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” He drew her in for one last kiss, and then he headed toward the barn while she took the path up to the castle.
She slipped in the side door that led directly into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Beatrice called over her shoulder as she rummaged in the refrigerator.
“Need help with anything?” Megan asked, grabbing a croissant off a pile on the island.
“Not a thing. Anthony and I have got it all under control.” Anthony was a college student who helped Beatrice prepare breakfast for their guests before he headed to campus every morning. The kid was good in the kitchen and funny too.
“Got what under control?” he asked as he loped into the kitchen, apron tied around his waist and a net over his hair. “You mean that loaf of banana crunch bread I just took out of the oven?”
“Yum,” Megan said with a smile.
“Hey, stranger!” Elle swept into the kitchen in a yellow sundress almost as bright as the smile on her face.
“You saw me yesterday,” Megan protested.
“In passing,” Elle said. “And don’t even pretend you don’t know what I mean. You’ve been spending every spare moment down at the farmhouse with Jake.”
“Well, I live there now.”
“You could at least pretend you still enjoy our company,” Elle teased, still smiling widely. “But seriously, how are things?”
“Good,” Megan said, feeling somewhat self-conscious at the revelation. She and Elle had known each other since they were about eight years old, and this was Megan’s first serious relationship. It was a big deal, and they both knew it. “Really good.”
“I’m so happy for you guys.” Elle grabbed her in an impulsive hug.
“I feel like everything happened really fast to get us to this point,” Megan said. “So now I’m looking forward to just slowing down and settling in, you know?”
Elle nodded. “I totally know. It was that way for Theo and me too. Until you get a chance to relax and settle, it all feels a bit surreal, right?”
“Exactly.” Megan released a deep breath, glad Elle had put into words what she was feeling. “It’s all really weird…but not weird.”
Elle laughed. “I totally hear that. Do you guys want to join us here at the castle for dinner tonight? It’s been a while.”
“I’d love to, but today is the anniversary of his wife’s death, so I think another day would be better.”
Elle gave her a sympathetic look. “That must be really hard for him. And for you too, probably, knowing how to help him through it.”
“Yeah, both,” Megan said. “He’s going to visit her grave and spend some time with her parents.”
Elle sat next to Megan, and they ate croissants together before serving breakfast to their guests in the dining room. After a year in operation, the routine was comforting and familiar. Afterward, Megan went down the hall to their joint office to get her photography equipment for a scheduled portrait session with a young couple staying at the castle.
She met them out front. “Hi, I’m Megan.”
“Carolyn,” the woman told her. “And this is my husband, Alex.”
“Hi,” Alex said, reaching out to shake Megan’s hand. His gaze met hers briefly before darting away in that all-too-familiar way that made her cheeks heat and her fingers itch to shake her hair down over the scar. Would she eve
r get used to it?
“Nice to meet you both,” she told them, turning to lead the way down the castle’s front steps. “It’s a beautiful day for photos. Before we get started, did you have any specific shots or locations in mind?”
She might not ever get used to people flinching at her appearance, but she could control her reaction to it. She could resist the urge to hide behind her hair, because this was still her face, dammit, and she wasn’t ashamed of her scars. So, she held her head high as she led Carolyn and Alex through their portrait session. She didn’t let the tears fall until she was locked safely in the bathroom after they’d left.
Megan watched the timer on the oven, adjusting the temperature to make the lasagna cook as slowly as possible. She’d thought Jake would be home by now, thought she’d have a hot meal waiting for him, feed him and hold him and do what she could to make this day easier for him. But the lasagna had simmered so long the edges were starting to burn, so finally she pulled it out and left it to cool on the stovetop.
If he wasn’t home soon, she’d put it in the fridge for tomorrow night. Why hadn’t he at least called to check in? Maybe if he’d let her know what time to expect him, she wouldn’t have an uneaten, overcooked lasagna sitting on the stove. She pressed a palm to her forehead. She was getting herself worked up over nothing. This was an emotional day for him. He was with Alana’s parents. It’s not like he was out with another woman.
But deep down, she wished she were with him. It would have been hard and maybe even awkward at times, but wasn’t this what couples were supposed to do for each other? Be there for each other, even during the difficult times?
As the lasagna cooled in the kitchen, she sat on the couch and tried to read. Oreo and Cookie snuggled beside her while Barnaby sprawled on the floor by her feet. She was halfway through Jake’s fourth book now and completely in love with the series. But tonight, she couldn’t concentrate on Derrick and his crime-solving adventures. Instead, she found her attention migrating to the photo of Jake and Alana on the shelf by the window.