“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 wonModern 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 kind 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.
