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 clarifying 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 alot—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.”
