‘But since you brought it up, this is a very special place, Rose. I honestly can’t imagine that a more beautiful property exists anywhere, and there’s something pretty special about being the first to show it to you.’
‘If I’m honest, I feel completely out of my depth here. I can’t even comprehend that I’m connected to this land, or that this isn’t just some kind of fantasy.’
Benjamin looked at her as if he understood, but she wasn’t sure that he could even if he wanted to. ‘Then just enjoy the fantasy. Explore the property, get to know the place, spend some time with the horses here. I promise that you’ll fall in love.’
She blushed, knowing that he was talking about the property but imagining that it might not be so hard to fall in love with the man showing her around, either. Or at least fall in lust, perhaps.
He gestured for her to keep walking.
‘Let me show you the rest of the estate,’ he said.
She was happy to follow, wishing she was videoing the view so she could look back later and know that it hadn’t been a dream.
‘This is the polo field,’ he said, gesturing to an immaculately maintained stretch of grass that appeared to her much, much bigger than a football pitch. ‘We host some very special games here.’
‘Did Valentina play polo herself?’ Rose asked.
‘Not that I know of. But she was passionate about women playing the sport, which always made me wonder if she wished she had,’ he said. ‘Sometimes she’d talk about her father, and how much he’d influenced her love of the sport, but they were rare times because she wasn’t often nostalgic. She liked riding around the property though, when I was a boy, exercising some of the older horses.’
Rose sat and looked around, wishing she’d been able to travel to Argentina to see the property with Valentina before she’d passed away. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Benjamin that she’d recently lost her mother, to explain to him how difficult all this was for her to process right now after everything she’d been through, but something stopped her.
‘I want you to fall in love with this place, Rose,’ Benjamin said, leaning back in the saddle as she watched him, his hand resting on the horse’s rump. ‘I know this is going to sound crazy, but I feel like it’s my job to sell this place to you, to convince you of how special it is so that you never want to leave.’
She sighed as her horse stopped walking, taking the time to look around and drink in the scenery around them. It was beautiful, there was no denying that.
‘I’m sure you feel like there’s a lot resting on your shoulders, Rose, and there is. But just let the next few days be about getting to know Argentina and the people here.’
Rose glanced away, used to blinking away tears by now, but somehow still not used to the gut punch of pain when she thought about the past few months and what she’d lost.
‘I’m sorry, did I say the wrong thing?’ he asked, looking concerned as his eyes seemed to study her face.
‘I recently lost someone,’ she said. ‘Someone I loved very much, and every now and again it just hits me. It wasn’t anything to do with what you said.’
Benjamin’s smile was kind. ‘I find that a good gallop makes me forget all about my pain. Perhaps I could tempt you?’
Rose laughed, surprised at how quickly he’d been able to make her smile. ‘How about we try a walk again? I think just plodding along should be enough to keep my mind off things.’
‘Deal. A walk it is.’
They set off again, and Rose found her gaze travelling back to the man beside her instead of the view. He might not have made the most brilliant first impression on her earlier in the day, but he was certainly redeeming himself now, and she couldn’t help but respect how passionately he felt about the land they were riding on.
‘Is it usual not to feel your legs after riding?’ Rose asked as she swung her legs from the stirrups and looked down at the ground. ‘And to have no idea how to get off?’
Benjamin dismounted in a way that looked effortless, leaving his horse to stand there as if it also knew exactly what to do somehow, while he came around to her left side.
‘Your thighs will hate you in the morning, but you’ll get used to it,’ he said, before holding his hands out. ‘Swing your right leg over and I’ll catch you.’
She stared down at him, not quite sure whether she wanted to, and also not sure quite where his hands were going to be catching her.
‘Ahh—’
‘Trust me. I’ve got you.’
Rose did as he instructed, swinging her right leg back just as she’d watched him do, well clear of the horse, and his hands caught her around the hips and carefully guided her down. His palms were firm against her jeans, but the moment her feet were on the ground he let go, and she found herself wishing he hadn’t removed them quite so quickly.
‘Rose, come to the polo with us this weekend,’ Benjamin said, his eyes searching hers as he took a step backward. ‘You’re my patron, after all, even if you didn’t intend to be, and I think you’d love it. I’d love for you to see the game of polo first hand.’
She sighed, about to say no but then imagining what fun it might be. ‘I’m supposed to be flying to New York on Saturday.’
