“That was a lot for everyone to process, kiddo,” Raina piped up.“Your mom is just trying to sort today out in her head too.Then she’ll reach out to Tom.”My cousin met my gaze in the rearview mirror, and I mouthed a “thank you” to her.
We drove the rest of the way home mostly in silence.Everyone was too caught up in their own thoughts, trying to process the insane events of the day.
We reached the vineyard, and Sam climbed out, which left Jagger, Raina, and me.
Jagger spun around in the front seat, his mouth turned down into a frown beneath his beard.“I’d give Tom some time.He seemed pretty rattled.”
That sticky wad of glass-filled peanut butter was back in my throat.All I could do was nod.
“Come on,” Raina said, opening the driver’s side door, “it’s spring break, we just left the Wild West, and even though I’m fresh out of sarsaparilla, I could use a drink.”
Jagger snorted.“You don’t happen to have a saloon girl outfit kicking around, do you?”
She shot him a wink.“I will if you order me one.”
Then they both headed toward Gabrielle’s front door with Gabrielle and Maverick behind them, while I sat there in the back of the truck with my sadness.
Maybe tomorrow I’d hear from him.
Then it hit me.I’d left my overnight bag and my newtoyat his house.
Dear god, could this day get any worse?
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Tommaso
Iimmediatelycalledthesecurity company that installed everything and requested that they come back over to the island to reassess things.There weren’t supposed to be any blind spots, and I needed a more foolproof way to set the alarm.It needed to just turn on automatically at ten at night, and turn off again at six in the morning.I could override it if needed, but there needed to be fail-safes in place so nothing like this ever happened again.
I was starving, since the stew I’d started to prepare never got finished, but I needed to make sure Midnight and Raven were okay.
I ended up moving Kenny into their bigger stall, and the three of them seemed to settle down together quickly.Midnight nursed like a ravenous little beast, and the mare started to eat as well, now that her foal had been returned to her.
Even though she would eventually wean him, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to let Raven go.She and Kenny were obviously bonded from earlier in their lives, and returning her to her owners would undoubtedly pitch the old Thoroughbred into a pit of depression.
As I made my way back to the house, Portia with me, I shot off a few messages.One to the lawyers, one to the vet and farrier, and finally, one to Raven’s owner, asking them their price for her.
She shouldn’t be used as a surrogate mare her entire life.At some point, she deserved retirement.
I also texted Guiseppe and let him know what happened.
I stripped off my clothes as soon as I got into the house, a chilly draft making goosebumps lift across my arms.
I needed a shower.It was only five o’clock, but I was bone-tired and ready for bed.
Not that I’d go to sleep, I would probably head back out to the barn, but my body and brain kept asking for rest.
I entered my bedroom, and my gaze immediately landed on the rumpled bedsheets and Danica’s overnight bag in the corner.
Fuck.
I knew none of this was her fault, and yet, her sudden presence in my life was an easy thing to blame for all the chaos.Would I have heard Avelyn and Vincent break into the barn if I hadn’t been in bed with Danica?I had no way of knowing.
But guilt over everything ran like a marathon of fire ants through my body.So all I could do was step into the shower and wash the day away.
We professed our love to each other.
And it’d only been a few weeks, but yeah, I loved her.And I loved Sam.
