by Jeannie Moon
“Thanks. What do you rep?”
“We have an eclectic group right now, some great sculpture and some hand-blown glass. The work is all very unusual.”
“That’s cool,” Jenna replied. “Maybe I’ll come in. I haven’t roamed around the Village since I was in college.”
Piper’s grin looked frozen. She was terrified Jenna might actually show up. “Where did you study?”
Jenna shrugged off the question like her answer meant nothing, but knew it would kick Piper’s ass. “I went to the School of Visual Arts. It was great, so hands on, and I loved living in the city. I was going to start my MFA at Yale, but I moved to Cali instead.”
The constant thundering from the hooves on the grassy surface had abated and the quiet made Jenna look up. Coming toward her was her guy. He was sweaty and smiling and he’d never looked hotter. Then he spotted Jenna’s new friend and his face dropped. Uh-oh.
In one smooth move, he threw his leg over the back of the horse, and dismounted. Grooms were there in a flash to take his equipment and his beast, and Nate was looking rather dirty and spectacular. If she’d learned anything about polo, it was that it was fast paced and dangerous. Taking a fall with the other horses in such close proximity could result in someone getting kicked in the head. She tried not to think about it, which was another reason she’d kept her eye on the match through her lens.
Nate’s long stride carried him to where she was standing. “Hey, why are you over here?”
Jenna was pretty far away from the crowd by design. It was just her and Piper—the woman who was making her boyfriend very uncomfortable. There was definitely a story there. “I was taking pictures, and while I was standing here, I met Piper.”
“How are you, Piper?” His nod was polite, but deliberately dismissive. “How are the wedding plans coming along?” The question, which Nate directed right at Jenna’s new friend, was straightforward and to the point. Nate wanted Jenna to know he knew Piper was off the market.
“Wonderful,” Piper responded. “Everything is in place. We’re sorry you can’t make it. You—and Jenna, of course.”
Oh, yeah. There was definitely a story.
“Just wasn’t able to clear the schedule for the weekend. But thank you, and I wish you and your fiancé the best.”
Piper clenched her hands together and nodded her thanks before excusing herself back to the crowd. It was the oddest exchange, and Jenna didn’t quite know what to make of it. The woman had been nothing but pleasant, but she was definitely gathering information.
“So.” Jenna crossed to her very agitated boyfriend. “How long did you and Piper date?”
Opening his mouth and then snapping it shut, Nate narrowed his eyes at her before he finally said anything. “Did she tell you that?”
“Nope. She just made small talk. Nice enough. Call it an educated guess.”
The situation was actually a bit funny, mostly because it threw the very unflappable Nate off his game.
“We were together for eighteen months. It didn’t work out. There’s nothing for you to be jealous about.”
“I’m not jealous.” She took a step toward him.
Closing the gap between them, Nate took her hand. “You’re not?”
“No.” She pushed a damp lock of hair off his forehead. “Not my style.”
“She thought we were going to get engaged. I didn’t love her. Hell, she didn’t love me, either.”
Jenna eased closer. Sweat be damned. He was freaking gorgeous. “If she didn’t love you, why . . .”
“It’s business. We’re from the same social circle, have the same upbringing, our families know each other. It looked good on paper. But when the time came . . .” He paused, and leaned in, touching his lips to her temple and speaking so softly only she could hear. “I want a marriage, not a merger.”
The world seemed to stand still for a moment as the words settled around them. A marriage, not a merger. There was so much to be said, but they were content to stand close, comforted by each other’s presence. “Should we get back to the group?” she asked. “I’m sure your friends want to see you.”
“I guess we should.” A light touch of his lips to hers told Jenna this relationship was more serious than even she realized. “Thank you for understanding. For not turning this into a drama.”
“I’m not the drama queen type. Come on. I’m feeling like I should have a glass of champagne or some pâté or snails or something, while I’m here hobnobbing with the rich and famous.”
Kissing her quick and picking up her camera bag, Nate smiled. “Baby, you can have anything you want.”
Chapter Eight
He should be sweet.
—#4, Jenna’s Boyfriend List
Nate didn’t often stay at his parents’ farm, but when he did, he loved waking up in his old room to the sound of the horses whinnying for their breakfasts. He looked at the clock on the mahogany bedside table and saw it was barely six in the morning, but sun was breaking through the windows. He stretched and grabbed the headboard. Everything was pretty much perfect, except Jenna wasn’t with him.
Last night was the first night they hadn’t spent together in a week. He’d been at the cottage with her every night, but last night Kevin and Harper had an event to attend and stayed in the city while Jenna slept at the big house with Anna. He’d been there until the baby’s bedtime, and he loved watching Jenna read the little girl stories and tuck her in. She was a born mother.
He never thought he could fall more in love with someone whom he already loved, but that’s exactly what was happening. He went into the relationship loving everything about her—her humor, her classic beauty, her spirit, her compassion for others—but now that they’d spent time together, becoming part of each other’s lives, he knew he couldn’t be without her. Now every look, every touch was about the future they could have together.
And he hadn’t told her any of this because he was afraid he’d scare her off. As much as they loved being together, something was still eating at Jenna, and he didn’t think a declaration of undying love would do anything but send her running, no matter what she felt for him.
Nate just wished he knew what was haunting her. They had planned on talking about what her ex had put her through in California, but after the polo match, and her unexpected meeting with Piper, Nate wanted to forget about the past and only think about the future.
He got up and pulled on a pair of old jeans that were still in his dresser drawer and, so he was decent at the table, a T-shirt from his carry-on. He knew he had to shower, but he was hungry and smelled bacon.
Breakfast trumped the shower when he was starving.
He heard his father’s deep Scots burr carrying through the house. Liam Bayard was nothing if not colorful. Never had two people been more mismatched than his parents. His mother, Elizabeth, was a well-bred Long Island socialite whose parents had hired a young horse trainer to come live at their home, and work with their breeding stock.
It didn’t take long for Elizabeth to be sneaking off to the caretaker’s cottage and spending her time with the man she would eventually marry. His grandparents were horrified, and it was said his Grandpa McNamara hired men to rough Da up. Apparently, it didn’t end well. The men his grandfather sent were not prepared for his six-foot-three-inch father to beat both of them into the ground. Grandpa, who was a Gold Glove boxer in his youth, was so impressed by his father’s fighting skill he gave in and allowed them to see each other.
But when they ran off and eloped, Grandpa almost killed Da himself.
Making his way into the kitchen, Sally, their housekeeper and cook, was slapping his father’s hand as he tried to take a biscuit before they’d cooled. It was like listening to a battle of the empires with Sally’s thick Irish brogue and his father’s Scots.
“Be a bonny lass and let me take the biscuits with me.
Come on, Sally, you know next to Lizzie you’re my best girl.”
“You think your smooth talkin’ will help ya, Liam Bayard, but you’re a scoundrel is what you are. I don’t care if you waste away, leave your hands off me biscuits.”
“Ya old bat,” his father growled. “It’s no wonder you never married.”
“I never married for fear of gettin’ stuck with a man like you.”
“It’s comforting to see some things haven’t changed.” Nate’s voice got their attention. The two of them were always snapping at each other. It was nice to be home.
“Nate!” His father crossed the kitchen in two big strides and grabbed him in a big bear hug. “This is a nice surprise. Come to help me today? That’s a lad.”
“I haven’t been home enough. And the delicious smell from the kitchen woke me up. Nothing like it.”
Nate reached for a biscuit, and not only did Sally pat his hand, she spread a dollop of fresh raspberry jam on the top.
“Hey! Why does he get a biscuit?” His father was like a slighted child.
Sally closed her eyes, stuck her freckled nose in the air, and turned back to her cooking. “I like him.”
His father took his coffee and an apple and stormed out the door at the rear of the kitchen. “If you don’t see me when you come down to the barn, Nathaniel, it’s because I’m dead from starvation. Tell your mum good-bye for me.”
Da slammed the door for good measure. “I guess that means he’s angry.”
“Eejit. He’s a pest of the highest order, your da. But you, dear boy, are a sight for sore eyes.” She patted the stool at the counter next to the stove. “Sit, I’ll make you some eggs and you can tell me how you are.”
Sally put a mug of steaming coffee down first and then started filling his plate with bacon, eggs, ham, and fried potatoes. It was enough food for six people and Nate didn’t care. If it was one thing he missed, it was Sally’s breakfasts.
“So.” She took a seat next to him. “Have you met anyone special?”
“Special, ah, I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
Her light blue eyes narrowed. “Don’t you sass me, Nathaniel. I was chattin’ with Nellie, the Lansings’ housekeep, and she said Piper was telling her mam you have a girlfriend.”
Nate could have so much fun with her, but it was too mean. “I do. Her name is Jenna and she’s coming over this morning.”
Sally, who was a round as a beach ball, hopped off the stool and started puttering around the kitchen. “Today? I have nothing fer lunch. You couldn’t give me any warning, you damn brat? Gracious, she’s going to think we don’t have any manners a ’tall. Tell me about her. Who are her people?”
Nate walked over and took Sally by the shoulders. He kissed on the top of her gray head and smiled. “Her name is Jenna Albanese. She’s an art teacher. Her mother was a secretary and her father a police officer.”
A smile bloomed wide across Sally’s face. “I see.”
“You don’t have to do anything too crazy. She’s sweet and easygoing.”
“That’s good to know.” She patted his cheek and Nate thought she saw a tear fall from her eye. “I knew the socialites wouldn’t keep your interest. You need someone you can talk to.”
“You’re right. She’s great. I think she could be the one, Sal.”
“Darling boy,” she said. “I hope so.”
“Hope what?”
Nate turned as his mother came into the room. She was thinner than the last time he’d seen her in the hospital a week ago. Damn fucking infection. She’d been doing so well, but then three days after Owen and Kim’s wedding everything started going downhill. She came down with an infection, as a result of her last round of chemo, and it weakened her so much she couldn’t keep anything down. It had been a struggle to get food into her. She’d been able to eat again when she came home the week before, but it was still tough.
The doctors weren’t going to start another round of chemo unless absolutely necessary. The cocktail they were pumping into his mother was breaking down her immune system. It was getting to the point that an infection would get her before the cancer would.
“Mom. Here, come and sit down.” He took her arm and escorted her to the big farmhouse table near the windows. From there she could see across the gardens clear to the barn and paddocks, where his father was working.
“What are you two talking about?”
Bringing her a cup of tea, Sally gave him up. “Oh, well, Nate has a new girlfriend and she’s going to be by in a little while.”
“What? She’s coming here?” His mother looked panicked. “I can’t meet her like this! I have to be dressed. Do we know her?”
“She was one of the bridesmaids at Owen and Kim’s wedding,” he said. “Jenna.”
“Oh, yes. You were her partner. She’s adorable. I still can’t meet her like this.”
Nate had hoped to introduce his parents to Jenna at the wedding brunch, but it didn’t happen because his mother hadn’t been feeling right and his father took her home. A few days later she’d gotten sick.
“I’ll help you get dressed, Mam. You have your tea and biscuits and I’ll get some things laid out for you.”
“Thank you, Sally. I appreciate it.” His mother looked so weak.
“I know you do, Mam. Don’t you fret.”
Nate’s mother, Elizabeth McNamara Bayard, was a wonderful mother, a loving and faithful wife, and a well-respected member of the community. But she was also battling breast cancer, and while the fight was going well, they’d had more than their share of setbacks.
“I wish I’d known. I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”
Taking her hand, he smiled. “Nothing to worry about. We’re going to be in the barn for a good part of the morning. I’m giving her a riding lesson.”
“Are you really?” His mother chuckled and nibbled at her biscuit and jam, breaking off one tiny piece after another.
“She wants to learn. She has a lot of spirit.”
“And you, my son, have fallen hard.”
“Yeah. It shows?”
“Yes. I wish I felt better. I’d come down to the barn, but I can’t.”
As clean as the barns were kept, there was no way his mother, with her weak immune system, should be around so many animals. Even Mom’s beloved Shelties were living with the barn manager until they could come back home.
“No problem. We’ll come here. We’ll have lunch in the garden. Okay?”
Mom nodded, but he could see she still wasn’t so sure.
“Mom. It’s going to be fine. You’re going to like her.”
“I’m sure I will.”
When Sally reentered the room, Nate rose and kissed his mom’s cheek. “I’m going to shower and get down to the barn to help Dad. We’ll see you later.”
Heading up the back staircase, Nate’s heart squeezed tight, hoping against hope that this latest setback wasn’t a sign of something more serious. His mother, in spite of her own pain, had been Nate’s rock when his brother died. It had been a horrible time, a tragic accident. His brother took a fall off a horse that he’d ridden a hundred times, but a loud noise had spooked the mare and she kicked him square in the chest as he got up from the ground. The crushing blow instantly stopped his brother’s heart.
His mother kept him from falling into a pit of sorrow he wouldn’t have been able to climb out of. She’d saved the family. When he asked her how she’d done it, how she’d battled through the grief, she responded, “I’d already lost my son, I wasn’t about to lose the rest of you.”
Strength like that was rare. He hoped it was enough to help her fight.
***
It didn’t take long for him to be outside and ready to do some hard, dirty work.
Some days just needed that. Nate spent all his time at his desk. He had
assistants and staff, landscapers and personal chefs. He never did anything for himself, and it didn’t feel right. Even with all the money his family had growing up, he’d still had to do chores. Still had to look after his own room and his horse’s stall. No one gave him a pass. He worked hard when he was young, and as a result he still did.
The sunlight was blinding and he pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket as he stepped outside. There was a sound from the field and Nate looked to see Roger at the fence, whinnying. He was throwing his head high and making noise to get his attention. It worked. Nate trod across the dew-covered grass to say good morning to the big baby.
The horse dropped his head and gave a little nicker when Nate reached the split white fence and stroked his soft muzzle. Roger was his pride and joy, a big Swedish Warmblood and his partner in crime for the last twenty years. All 1,300 pounds of him.
“Slobber me, horse, and no treats for you for a month. I just took a shower.” Roger obliged and kept his green, messy mouth to himself. Nate patted his warm, brown neck and remembered many early mornings they spent together. “We’ll go for a ride in a little while. I have a new person for you to meet.” A soft puff of air came from Roger’s nostrils in acknowledgment, and he nudged Nate, looking for a treat. “You’ll like her.”
“Who will your horse like?”
His da was standing right behind him. “You might as well tell me, Nathaniel, you know your mum already called from the house.”
“You two do realize I’m thirty-four and run a multibillion-dollar corporation. You and Mom could stop questioning me at every turn.”
“Yeah, yeah, and you still talk to your horse. Get over it.”
Nate dropped his head, laughing softly, and then looked toward Da, who was patiently waiting for an answer. “My partner at the wedding, Jenna.”
“Is she the reason you have a smile plastered on your face that won’t quit?”
Nate couldn’t deny it. She was. “It’s a nice feeling, you know? That the wait was worth it.”
His father nodded his head, not saying anything, but his approval came through loud and clear.
