Allena raised her brow at Justin and said, “We’re a situation now?”“I don’t know what we are,” he said flatly. “You left pretty abruptly the other day.”“I didn’t want the kids to see me,” she said frankly, spooning a little sugar into her coffee. “Itwould only confuse them.”“It confused me, too,” he said and met her gaze. “I thought you might have...""Might you have what?” she prompted when his words trailed.He sighed. “Stayed,” he responded. “Talked. Listened. I don’t know... something.”“I didn’t want to overanalyze things,” she said. “I still don’t.”“When we were in bed together, after we made love, I asked you to marry me,” he reminded her.“Again. So, have you considered it?”She sat back in her seat, her eyes bright but glaring at him. “Seriously, this is what you wanted to talk about? And how?” She laughed brittlely. “You really suck at proposing, Justin.”“I was only trying to—”“I know what you’re trying to do,” she said hotly. “You’re trying to solve an equation or fi
She headed to her room and called her sister, explaining that Bobby had shown up—leaving out any mention of Justin.“And is he everything you hoped for?” Tess asked.“Yes,” she replied. “He’s very nice. And he seems to like me.”“Of course he likes you,” Tess assured her. “You’re amazing. Have a good time, and stay safe. Text me when you get back to your room.”She dressed in jeans, a bright red shirt, and boots, and she met Bobby in the foyer at exactly six o’clock. They walked the half-block to the pizza place and quickly got a booth. They ordered pizza with extra pineapple and were just about to tuck in their first slices when she saw Justin walk into the restaurant, holding Cassie in his arms while Jayden walked by his side.Her heart rolled over at the sight of them, and a deep-rooted longing made every part of her ache. Her eyes burned, and she blinked, pushing back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. It was never meant to be this hard.“Everything okay?”Bobby’s
In all his life, Justin has never felt more emotionally out of control. Even when Jayne and his mother had died, he’d been able to focus, to put all his energy into raising the kids, to his job, and to help Igor and Leah work through their grief. But this was different.This was pain on a whole new level. It was something for the love of God so different he couldn't fathom.Seeing her at the pizza with the fireman had broken him up inside. She was on a date.Enjoying herself. Talking, laughing. Sharing her life with another man.He called Allena Friday morning, longing to hear her voice and talk, but it went to her voicemail. He texted, and she didn’t respond. It galvanised him into action, and on Friday afternoon he went back to the O’SullIgor hotel, only to discover she’d checked out. Gone. Run off with her fireman.Man, I’m an idiot.Pain set in, lodging in his chest like a knife. And jealousy—the unrelenting kind that made his gut churn and his heart ache behind his ribs.He hurt
Tess and Mitchael suddenly appeared at the door. “Ah—how about you guys take this conversation into the living room, and Michael and I will watch the kids, okay?” Tess suggestedand quickly gathered the children together. “Go on, off you go.”Allena was gone in a second, and he followed without thinking. When they reached the living room, she stopped by the fireplace and swivelled, facing him with her hands on her hips.“You thought I’d left town with Bobby?” she askedDiscomfiture crept up his neck. “He did have his arms around you the last time we were together.”“He was saying hello,” she defended. “That’s all.”“You said you liked him,” he reminded her. “And you told me to leave so you could be alone with him, remember?”“I was mad at you for your dumb marriage proposal,” she said, huffling. “I’m still mad at you,” she mumbled, flapping her hands. “But that doesn’t mean I would run off with a man I only just met in person for the first time.”“I didn’t know what to think,” he offer
Allena grabbed a stiff brush and began grooming Star with long, methodical strokes.Grooming her horse always relaxed her, and she needed to relax big time. If only her brainwould comply and stop thinking about Justin and his thoughtless, hurtful, meaningless, and impossibly inappropriate declaration of love. It was a low act. And if she had any sense, she would forget all about it.Justin didn’t love her. He couldn’t possibly. Once she was done grooming, she went to grab the hay net, deciding she wasn’t in the mood to go riding. The net was empty, as was the drum that usually contained a hay bale. She looked up to the hay loft and sighed, thinking she probably could get one of the ranch hands to throw down a bale. Instead, she left Star tied up in his stall and climbed the wide ladder to the loft. The scent of sweet hay shot up her nose, and she sneezed a couple of times, then grabbed one of the bales by the twine and tossed it down.“Do you need some help?”She looked down and spot
One month Later “You know,” Leah said as she fluffed the ivory tulle around the skirt of Allena’s gown, “this really is the most stunning dress.” Allena glanced at her reflection in the long mirror, taking in the beauty of the long ivory satin gown. With its off-the-shoulder style and princess-line bodice, it was incredibly flattering. She smiled, looking at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. “I know. I feel stunning wearing it.” Tess came around to face her, holding a hairpin encrusted with tiny pearls. “Mom asked if you wanted to wear this—she wore it when she married your dad. That was the day we became sisters.” Allena’s eyes filled with moisture, and Leah grabbed a linen handkerchief she had tucked in her purse. “No tears,” she chided gently. “Or I’ll have to redo your makeup.” Allena blinked and took a steady breath. “I can’t help it. I’m so happy, and it’s all a little overwhelming.” It had, in fact, been something of a whirlwind since she’d accepted Justin’s proposal. They’d
Lea Carloth was placing dust sheets on the furniture in the now deserted northern wing of Brathellae Castle when she heard the sound of a firm footfall on the stairs. Goosebumps peppered her skin like Braille, and a cold draught of air circled her ankles like the ghost of a long-dead cat. No such things as ghosts. No such things as ghosts. Her old childhood chant wasn’t working any better than when she first came to live in the Scottish Highlands castle as a frightened and lonely twelve-year-old orphan. Taken in by her great-aunt, who had worked as a housekeeper for the Borthman family, Lea had been raised in the kitchen and corridors of the castle. In the early days, downstairs had been her only domain, upstairs was out of bounds. And not just because of her limp. Upstairs had been another world—a world in which she did not and could not ever belong. “Is anyone th-there?” Her voice echoed in the silence, her heart thumping so loudly she could hear it booming in her ears. Who would
WTF? Why had she even mentioned such a thing? Maybe it was time to stop reading paperback romances and start reading thrillers or horror novels instead. Lea could feel a hot flush of colour flooding her cheeks and bent down to straighten the items in her basket to disguise it.“Of course not, are you insane?” No. Of course not. Her voice was part laugh, part gasp, and it came out shamefully high and tight. Her? His bride of convenience? No way! She wouldn’t be a convenient bride for anyone, much less Dave fucking-playboy-Borthman.A strange silence crept from the far corners of the room, stealing oxygen particles, stilling dust motes, stirring possibilities...Dave walked back to where she was hovering over her cleaning basket, his footsteps steady and sure. Step. Step. Step. Step. Lea slowly raised her gaze to his inscrutable one, her heart doing a crazy tap dance in her chest. She drank in the landscape of his face—the ink-black prominent eyebrows over impossibly blue eyes, the patri