“Whatever you say, oh wise one.” I chuckled. “I don’t care much for being a hero, though. Between this place and the bank, I have more than enough on my plate.”
“Well, I don’t know how you’re doing at the bank but you could’ve been doing a lot worse around here.”
“Are you actually complimenting me?” I sat forward, but Ashton shook his head.
“Never. I’m just saying you could’ve been doing worse than you are. That’s not really a compliment. It’s just a fact. When you bought this place, I thought it was going to tank within a year.”
“Thank you for your confidence.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? You stopped here in that ridiculous car of yours, wearing a suit that looked like you’d stopped on the way to have it pressed, and then decided you didn’t want to stay in the main house.”
“I like this house,” I protested, gesturing around the porch while I spoke. “What do I need the seven bedrooms in the main house for? It works better as guest accommodations.”
“That it does, but it was still an odd decision for a fellow like you to have made.” He took a long swig of his coffee. “I thought you were going to be teaching us all how to do your nails within a week.”
I flipped him off. “It was my plan to teach you in a month, not a week. Besides, with these women coming here this weekend, maybe we could’ve used someone skilled at doing nails. They might have enjoyed having the extra service as an option.”
Ashton tipped his mug back and drained the last coffee out of it. “I’m going to muck the stalls and get the horses ready. You stay here at your small house and keep trying to convince yourself that you didn’t actually want the big one.”
“I’d have taken the big house if I wanted it, but it didn’t make sense to move in there when I don’t need all that space.” I set my empty mug down beside me. “When we’re done with the stalls, can you help me with the chicken coop? It needs rewiring.”
“Fucking chickens,” he muttered before he nodded.
We took our mugs back to the kitchen, where I washed them and left them to dry while I checked Dottie’s food and water. She trotted behind us when we headed to the barn, tongue lolling out as she kept her eyes peeled for something to chase.
Eight horses greeted us with their heads hanging over their stall doors when we walked in. Ashton and I worked together to turn them out, then cleaned their living spaces and gave them fresh food and water as well.
While we worked, I rolled up my sleeves and made a mental list of the other things I needed to get done while I was out here this weekend. The sun rose fully while we were busy, the light streaming into the barn telling us when it was almost time to go greet the guests.
Although it was still early, it was already getting hot. The sky outside was a light blue, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Wiping my brow with the back of my arm, I checked my watch and saw that it was time for us to get to the main house.
Ashton, being the grump that he was, rolled his eyes at me and jammed his hat back on his head when I told him it was time to go. “Why don’t you go greet your tourists and I’ll stay here with the horse shit?”
“No can do, old man,” I said. “What, are you afraid of two big-city girls?”
He let out a bark of laughter. “I don’t need to be afraid of ‘em not to want to spend time with them. I know opening the place up for guests was a business decision, but there’s actual work to be done.”
“Yep, and part of that work today is coming with me to meet the guests.” I jerked my head toward the house. “Come on, we might even have time for another cup of coffee.”
Sighing as he stowed his equipment away, he nodded and followed me out of the barn. We talked about all the things that needed to be done the next week while we sipped on our coffee, and were just rinsing out the mugs when we saw the cloud of dust signaling the arrival of our guests.
Their car came to a stop in front of the main house just as Ashton and I rounded the corner to it. With our hands in our pockets, we waited for them to emerge. Neither of us had ever perfected the huge, welcoming smile, but at least we managed not to scowl at them.
A woman climbed out of the passenger seat, and I had to work at keeping my brows from shooting up. Did she not get the recommended packing email?
If she had, she’d obviously decided against following the advice it gave. She wore skin-tight white pants, which wouldn’t be staying white for very long, heels she was going to break her ankles in around here, and a delicate shirt that tied behind her neck.
Sunglasses covered her eyes, but as she got out of the car and her head turned toward the house, the downward tilt of her mouth told me all I needed to know. Ah, shit. We have a Barbie doll in residence this weekend.
My gaze shifted back to the car, and all other thoughts flew out of my head when I watched as the second woman got out. Unlike the other one, she seemed to have taken our advice. With a pair of flat black ankle boots on her feet, light blue jeans, and a black tank top, she would definitely be a lot more comfortable than the other one.
There was a black ball-cap on her head, but with nothing else covering her face, I could make out enough of her features to know that she was beautiful. A thick, dark-brown ponytail had been threaded through the hole in the back of the cap. Even up, her hair hung to her mid back.
She had a heart-shaped face with full pink lips and the biggest brown eyes I’d ever seen. The shirt she had on was fitted enough that the swells of her hips and breasts were visible, and I swore the sight of them sent blood rushing straight to my cock.
It had been a long time since a woman had physically affected me, but this one sure did. She was stunning in a curvy, understated way I really liked. There were none of the airs or graces about her that the other one possessed, and I appreciated that.
When she turned toward us and smiled, there was a vibrancy to her that made my feet kick into action. Before I knew it, I was moving toward her with Ashton shuffling along behind me.
“You’re doing the talking,” he grumbled. “I’ll help you with them, but I’m not dealing with rich bratty women who don’t know the first thing about being outdoors.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, old man,” I murmured, then stuck my hand out as I approached the beautiful woman. “Welcome to Airedale Farm. I’m Harrison, and this is Ashton. It’s very nice to have you with us this weekend.”
6
KEIRA
The second we’d taken the exit off the freeway, I’d known that Hailey and I were going to be way out of our element here. The feeling had only grown the farther we’d driven into farm country, eventually rolling onto the dirt road which led to the house where we would be staying.
Hailey lived in the suburbs with Nick, who was in the real estate industry and therefore had many clients who bought in the upscale hamlets and towns around the city anyway. When necessary, he commuted to Manhattan, but it usually wasn’t more than once a week.
But even though Hailey had been living outside the city for about a year now, I was willing to bet she never took advantage of the nature trails or hiking paths in her vicinity. Neither of us had ever been very outdoorsy, and I, for one, had never even been on a farm before.
Despite that, I felt strangely at home there. Sure, I was out of my element, and I knew it, but I also liked the feeling of space and not being able to see a single skyscraper. It was nice, like I could breathe properly for the first time when I’d never even realized I couldn’t.
It even smelled different around there. I supposed that was the fresh air. There was a perfume on the breeze I didn’t recognize, but it had to have something to do with the plants or trees.
“That old guy must be the owner,” Hailey said when two figures came into view in front of the house. She was sitting ramrod straight in the passenger seat and, frankly, looked a little terrified as she took in our surroundings. “You don’t think there are snakes out here, do you?”
“Aren
’t there snakes everywhere?” I honestly hadn’t even thought about it. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“You can’t possibly know that,” she lamented, dropping her head back against the seat and letting out a groan. “Maybe the horses were a bad idea. I feel awkward already and we’re not even out of the car yet.”
“Awkward or not, we’re here now. We’ve already paid for the weekend. I’ve already taken the day off work. There’s no point in turning back now.”
Hailey sniffed the air before sighing softly. “It’ll be worth it when people are awed by us entering the wedding on horseback.”
I doubted anyone would be awed by us doing something that humans had been doing for thousands of years, but I didn’t say so. If the women of old could survive horseback riding when they weren’t even wearing pants, I was sure we could do it now.
My sister kept giving us both a pep talk, but my attention wasn’t on her anymore. As we’d come closer to the house, I’d started being able to make out the men waiting for us.
Hailey was probably right about the older one being the owner of the property, but it wasn’t him who had my attention. It was the younger guy standing next to him. In blue jeans and a tight white shirt, I knew I was going to have a hard time not being attracted to this guy.
It looked like he was made of solid muscle, his shirt bulging and stretching in all the right places. His skin was so tanned it was like he was a golden god, and his jet-black hair glinted in the sun. I couldn’t quite see the color of his eyes, but I could feel their weight on us as we approached.
There was an intense air about him, something that radiated from him even from a distance. Broad shoulders and a face that looked like it had been carved from stone probably had something to do with it.
They sure don’t make them like this where I come from.
Hailey unbuckled her seatbelt when I stopped the car, whispering to God about helping us make it through the weekend before she opened her door. She climbed out, leaving me to take a deep breath and compose myself before I had to talk to Mr. I’m-sexy-and-I-know-it.
It was right there in the way he stood, all confident and relaxed, watching and waiting. Besides, people who looked like him and Hailey always knew exactly how hot they were, so even though I didn’t know him, I did know that he knew he was sexy.
Hands off, Keira. Flirting with this guy is not a good idea. Resigning myself to drooling over him from a distance, I opened my door and followed my sister out of the car.
As soon as I took my first good look at the house, it was a lot easier not to be distracted by the guy. The place was gorgeous, a white structure with charcoal-gray accents and wide windows. Although I’d seen pictures of it online, they really hadn’t been able to capture the old-world majesty of this place.
Just by looking at it, I could imagine the family who used to live here before it got turned into a guest farm. I could picture little girls in frilly dresses on the porch and little boys racing around on bikes on the dirt road.
Growing up here would be every kids’ dream. Blinking myself out of my fantasies of cold, homemade lemonade on hot days or watching as snow capped the mountains in winter, I turned back to our hosts.
An automatic smile spread across my lips when I caught Sexy-and-I-know-it looking at me. He probably thinks I’m a little touched in the head for ogling the house like I was about to start humping it.
The slight crunch of dirt beneath his boots made me realize he was coming up to us, and my heart raced faster the closer he got. He was even better looking than I’d realized, now that I could make out details better, like the dark stubble lining his strong jaw and the rich hazel of his eyes.
“Welcome to Airedale Farm,” he said in a voice like smooth whiskey being poured over something rough like gravel. It was one of the most masculine, appealing voices I’d ever heard. “I’m Harrison, and this is Ashton. It’s very nice to have you with us this weekend.”
“It’s nice to be here,” I replied once I got my tongue unstuck from the roof my mouth. “I’m Keira and this is my sister, Hailey. This is a beautiful place you’ve got here.”
When I slid my hand into the one he’d offered me, it felt like sparks zapped up my arm from the connection between us. I nearly swooned but he, of course, didn’t seem to feel anything at all. He simply withdrew his hand to offer it to Hailey next.
Obviously, he’s got to be used to women’s brains turning to mush around him. It was likely most women got all tingly from touching him when he was just being polite by shaking their hands. Get it together, Keira. You can’t be weird all weekend.
Ashton didn’t offer either of us his hand. He tipped a brown cowboy hat in our direction, gave us each a grin that was no more than a slight twitch of his lips, and then he walked away.
“We’ll catch up with him later,” Harrison said, not making apologies for the older man. “He’s a busy guy, but he’ll be around when it’s time to ride. Let me show you to the house.”
“The owner helps with the lessons?” Hailey asked, falling into step beside him and keeping pace despite her ridiculous heels.
“Owner?” A lightning-fast frown crossed his features, but then he cleared his throat and nodded. “Ashton. Right. Uh, yeah. He helps with the lessons.”
I watched as they walked up to the house, wondering if Hailey expected me to bring in her luggage. When she didn’t mention it, I decided to leave it and jogged up to join them just as they hit the few steps to the porch.
“I’m sure you’ll want some time to settle in before we start with your training,” he was saying when I reached them. “There are some snacks you can grab for breakfast in the kitchen. If you need any help with your stuff, I’ll be happy to give you a hand. All you need to do is shout.”
Ah, so he’s the farmhand then, I concluded. It was no wonder he was built like he was. He did physical work out in the sun all day, his muscles flexing and sweating—
“Keira?” my sister’s voice chimed into the embarrassing train of thought my mind had been on.
I gave my head a slight shake. “Hmm?”
She frowned at me but then shrugged and flicked a hand toward the car. “I asked if you locked the car. Harrison can get our bags while we take a look around.”
“Oh, sure. I mean, no. It’s not locked.” Kill me now. “Sorry, I zoned out for a moment. It’s just so beautiful here.”
As I said the words, he opened the door and my breath got caught in my lungs again. Pressed ceilings, hardwood floors, thick white drapes in the windows, and a feeling that it could tell a thousand stories made it the most beautiful, most intriguing house I’d ever been in.
The windows had been opened before we’d arrived, and the interior was cool but cozy. There was a fireplace in the lounge, copper pots and pans hanging above the island in the farm-style kitchen, and large brown leather sofas positioned in a half-circle around the fireplace.
Every room had a view to the outside, with greenery and farmland as far as the eye could see. Jeez. A girl can get used to living in a place like this.
“It is beautiful,” Harrison agreed, bringing me out of my thoughts before he motioned down a corridor to the right. “The bedrooms are down there. The house is all yours this weekend, so choose whichever ones you like. I’ll be right back with your things.”
“This is one of the biggest houses I’ve ever been in,” Hailey commented when Harrison was gone, seeming a lot more at ease now that we were inside. “I’m so glad it’s not a dump. I was worried when we arrived. It doesn’t look half as big from the outside.”
“It’s definitely not a dump,” I agreed, tempted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming about getting to stay in a place like this for a whole weekend. “Go ahead and choose your room first. You’re the bride, after all.”
She grinned and took off, more excited than I thought she’d be. It turned out that there wasn’t a bad room to choose from anyway, though.
Mine was all white a
nd dove gray, with a view over the barn sticking out behind a copse of trees in the distance. The bed was a huge four-poster with a dark wood frame and a comforter thicker than my arm. A matching dresser and a small sitting area with a fully stocked bookshelf beside the window completed the furnishings.
I made quick work of unpacking, finding my bag at the front door. Harrison was gone again, obviously leaving us to settle in like he’d said. Despite my repeated orders to myself not to even think about him, I still found myself drifting off into daydreams about the two of us falling in love and living out our days in this house together.
While I knew it was silly and childish, I couldn’t help it. He was hot, the house was gorgeous, and since I was on a mini-vacation, my brain deserved the break.
Once I finished unpacking, I went over to Hailey’s room to see if she was ready to go. She looked up when I walked in, then stuck out a foot where she stood in front of a full-length mirror. “What do you think?”
“Of what?”
“The boots.” She gave them a pointed look and then motioned to the rest of herself in the mirror. She’d changed into a pair of tan pants, a white button-down shirt, had a Panama hat on her head, and looked absolutely ridiculous.
I shook my head and chuckled, arching a brow as I gestured to the window. “Do you really think those clothes are going to hold up out there?”
“Yes, I think I look cute,” she said. “I want to send Nick some pictures of us while we’re here, so I need to look good. Plus, that email said pants and boots, right? That’s what I’m wearing.”
“Your boots have a heel and your pants are going to be ruined in an hour,” I said, but then headed back to door. “I’m going to fill up the water bottles I got for us. Meet me out there when you’re ready.”
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