“I hear we’re meeting Tucker and Sean later?” Theo said, turning the book over absently to read the back cover.
“Yeah.”
Theo put the book back on the shelf and turned to leave. “I’m going to have James drive me. You’re welcome to ride along, just meet me up here around seven.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that. Thanks.” He wouldn’t mind not having to drive tonight or the chance to get to know Theo better.
“Absolutely. No sense taking two cars to the same place.” Theo left the library, headed toward his office in the rear of the castle while Jake headed for the front door.
As he walked down the path toward the farmhouse, he was still plagued by the uneasy, restless feeling he’d had since he woke that morning. Without fully realizing where he was headed, he climbed in his truck and started driving. The castle’s winding drive gave way to a series of mountain roads that he knew by heart. He bypassed downtown, instead driving toward the Towering Pines Baptist Church.
In the back of his mind, he’d realized this was his destination, but it wasn’t until he was walking through the cemetery toward Alana’s grave that he realized how much he needed to be here. He knelt in front of her headstone, wishing he’d had the foresight to bring flowers or something to leave here for her.
A fresh arrangement of pink roses—Alana’s favorite—already sat in front of the headstone, no doubt left by her parents, who still visited her at least once a week. Jake hadn’t been here in over a month, not since he moved into Rosemont Castle. He pressed his fingers against the cold stone, feeling an ache in his heart that might never heal.
“Been thinking of you a lot,” he said quietly. “Wondering what you’d think about the direction my life has taken this year, wishing you were here with me for it.” But as he spoke the words, he realized the sentiment behind them felt almost abstract. Alana had only been buried for a year, but she’d been gone for a decade. What would she have been doing with her own life in her late twenties? Would they have already started a family together?
“You’d like Megan.” This he was sure of. Alana hadn’t exactly been hard to get along with. She was one of those effortlessly outgoing people who liked virtually everyone she met. She and Megan had the same way of looking through the bullshit in life to see the beauty most people missed.
With Alana, it had come through her faith. She would meet a total stranger, share a conversation more meaningful than anything he’d managed in a month, and pray for them the next day in church. Megan used the lens of her camera to explore the beauty of the world around her. He knew she was hiding behind it a little bit this year, since her accident, but from what she’d told him, photography had always been her passion.
She’d shown him some of the photos she’d taken of him with the horses, and he was blown away by what she’d captured. Not just the mechanics of his training sessions with Duchess, but the animal’s spirit, the light in her eyes, the fluidity of her movement. It was impressive. She had real talent.
As he stood there in the cemetery, facing Alana’s grave, the restlessness inside him stilled. Maybe this was peace. Maybe Alana had granted it to him, or maybe he’d found it on his own. Either way, coming here had been the right decision.
“I’ll be back soon,” he promised before he walked back to his truck and drove away.
* * *
I have some good news.
Megan stared at the text from Jake, a spark pinging through her belly at the sight of his name.Oh yeah?
I rode Dusty this morning. She’s solid under the saddle.
That was so far from whatever she’d expected his news to be that she sucked in an audible breath, sitting up straighter on her bed.Wow. Really? That *is* good news!
Yeah, I’ll spend some time working with her, but I think it’s safe to list her as rideable when she goes up for adoption.
That’s wonderful, she replied.
It is. I’m having dinner with the Robertsons and then going out with the guys tonight. Want to do something tomorrow?
Definitely. Enjoy your night.
She set her phone down, disappointment mixing with relief that she wouldn’t see him tonight. When they were together, everything felt so intense and wonderful andrightthat she never wanted it to end. But right now, when she had the clarity of a little distance from him, she knew it was all too much too soon.
Space was good. Because neither of them needed anything serious right now.
She flopped on her bed and almost immediately felt paws slam into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. “Oof.” She reached out a hand, combing it through Chandler’s shaggy dark fur. He lay with his front half across her, brown eyes bright as he tried to decide whether to snuggle or wrestle.
“You’re too big for this, dude,” she mumbled, pushing him to the mattress beside her. Barnaby, not wanting to be left out, hopped up on the bed, tail wagging enthusiastically.
“Who are you talking to?” Ruby asked from the doorway.
“This creature,” Megan said, tousling Chandler’s shaggy head.
“Hey, ladies.” Elle popped up next to Ruby in the doorway.
