A Matter of Time: Book 4 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  * * *

  Richard looked up when Angelina entered and sucked in a breath at the dazzling beauty who stood before him. She wore the simplest of clothes, but on her, they were breathtaking. He couldn’t seem to stop staring. He was definitely going to have a hard time keeping his hands off her. “You look lovely, Angelina,” he managed to choke out.

  “Thank you,” she said, and grabbed a jacket from beside the door. Richard watched, mesmerized, as she wrapped a scarf around her neck and tucked her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. His eyes lingered on her shapely bottom which was now being spoiled by the rectangular outline of the phone. “Shall we?” she asked as she opened the front door.

  Richard followed as Angelina exited the house, closing the door behind her. As they were heading down the driveway, an elderly woman approached.

  “Estella!” Angelina said, smiling brightly at the woman. “I was hoping we’d see you today. This is my friend Richard. Richard, this is my neighbor and friend Estella.”

  Estella was beaming at him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Richard.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Estella.” Richard took the hand she offered and kissed it. It appeared that Estella was going to swoon, so he grasped her elbow to steady her. She smiled up at him speechlessly.

  “This is Nick’s friend, the one that I told you about,” Angelina said.

  “Oh, yes, of course. I hope you’ll be joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. I told Angelina to invite both you and Nick.” Estella was still gripping his hand and didn’t appear to intend on letting it go.

  Richard chuckled. “I don’t believe she’s mentioned it, but I’m sure we’d love to join you.”

  “I’m sorry, Estella. I meant to tell them about it, but I forgot. We’re going for a walk, would you care to join us?” Angelina hoped Estella would, because the older woman would most assuredly keep Richard busy with small talk and endless questions.

  “I’m afraid I can’t. I’m baking again and I have something in the oven. Would you mind taking Percy along with you?” Estella suggested, sounding hopeful.

  Richard didn’t know who this Percy was, but he hoped Angelina would refuse. He didn’t intend to share her with another man today.

  “Sure. We’d love to,” Angelina said, much to his dismay. She started walking towards Estella’s home and Richard trailed along behind.

  As they got closer, Estella called out, “Harry? Harry! Percy’s going to go for a walk with Angelina.” She turned and spoke to Richard. “I’ll be right back with him, wait here.”

  Richard wasn’t certain if she meant Harry, or Percy, or both. He stood with Angelina by his side waiting until a small, fluffy creature came charging out of Estella’s house towards them. He instinctively stepped in front of Angelina, to protect her from the strange animal. It began barking and running happy circles around them. “It’s a dog,” Richard said, surprised.

  “Yes, of course – what did you think it was?” Angelina sounded amused by his comment. She stooped down to pet the dog and it wiggled in ecstasy.

  “I wasn’t quite sure,” Richard said. He squatted down so he could get a better look at Percy, who immediately turned his attention to Richard. He held his hand out for Percy to sniff and then petted the little dog. “You’re an unusual one, aren’t you?” Percy stopped wiggling, tipping his head and sat perfectly still, as if he understood what Richard was saying to him. “And very intelligent as well.”

  “Do we need a leash, Estella?” Angelina asked.

  “No. He’s very good off the leash. I’m sure he won’t give you a bit of trouble. Will you, Percy?” Estella’s adoring gaze settled on her little dog.

  “Okay, then, we’ll be off. See you in a bit,” Angelina said.

  * * *

  The ocean crashed onto the rocks beneath the path they walked, occasionally sending a splash of surf to the top of the cliff. She was happy to have Percy walking along with them. Richard seemed fascinated by the little dog, and while he was studying Percy, Angelina was safe to ogle Richard all she wanted.

  “I’ve never seen a dog like this before,” Richard said. “What breed is he?”

  “I don’t really know. I think he’s a mix of a number of small breeds. He’s pretty cute, don’t you think?”

  “He is,” Richard glanced her way and caught her staring at him in open admiration. He smiled warmly. “Angelina, I hope you won’t mind my asking, but why is it that you avoid romantic relationships?”

  She hadn’t been expecting the question and it took her a moment to remember exactly why she had chosen to remain single and uninvolved. “Well,” she finally managed, “I haven’t had the best of luck with the men I’ve known, starting with my father.”

  “What could your father possibly have done, to cause you to turn your back on love?”

  “He left.” That wasn’t the complete truth, but it was all she cared to share. Truthfully, she hadn’t given her father much thought over the years. As far as she was concerned, he didn’t deserve her attention. Richard remained silent, as if he was waiting for her to explain and she found herself examining that hollow, conflicted feeling she had buried deep in her heart, knowing that her father had not wanted her. “Before my mother met my father, she had been married twice.” Angelina screwed up her nose and shook her head. “She wasn’t very good at relationships. She had two other daughters - one by each of her husbands. By the time she met my father, she had been divorced for several years and her two daughters were already in high school and college.” Angelina kept her gaze focused out over the water as she continued. “My father was a lot younger than my mom. He was apparently looking for a good time, and she filled the bill. After I was born, he hung around for a while, but the responsibility of a wife and a child was too much for him and he left. I never saw or heard from him again.”

  “I’m so sorry, Angelina,” Richard said, his gaze falling on her. She hoped it wasn’t pity she could see in his eyes. She neither needed nor wanted that.

  “Don’t feel sorry for me,” she said. “I’ve gotten along just fine without a father.” They walked a bit further before she spoke again. “When I was old enough to start dating, I made some poor choices, just like my mother did. I always seemed to go for the guys who weren’t looking for a long term relationship, or if they were, they treated me as if I was a possession.” Keeping her gaze lowered, she thought about all the times she had been someone’s arm candy. “I think I told you before, I don’t want to be any man’s possession, something to be tossed aside at their whim.” She peeked at him and saw that he was listening very carefully. “After a while, I decided I couldn’t trust a man with my heart, so I stopped offering it.” She turned and gazed into his handsome face. “This is what I want. I’m the one who calls the shots now, and I prefer it that way.” Angelina’s heart had hardened over many years of disappointment, and she wasn’t about to start softening now that she’d met someone who appeared to be different from all those other men.

  Richard stopped walking and when she turned to face him, he took her hands in his. “You are a woman who is meant to be treasured, Angelina, not something to be tossed aside. I know you’ve been hurt, but don’t deny yourself the experience of loving someone and being loved in return.” He searched her face, for what, she had no idea. Steadfastly, she reminded herself she was not going to love him, no matter how much she might find herself drawn to him.

  The frantic yapping of little Percy drew their attention. A flash of white fur bolted down the path in front of them and then with an anxious yelp, he disappeared.

  “Percy! Oh, no!” Angelina exclaimed. They both took off running towards the spot where he’d last been. “Percy!” she called.

  Richard peered over the edge of the cliff. “He’s down there, he’s landed on a ledge,” he said. He lay down on his stomach and stretched his arm out over the side but a few tense moments later, he shook his head. “He’s too far down, I can’t reach him.”

  Angelin
a lay down beside Richard, frantic to try and help. She gasped, when she saw the little dog, covered in dirt and whimpering in fear at his predicament. He had landed on a small shelf, which jutted out from the cliff edge. “He’s lucky he didn’t fall all the way down to the water.” Angelina scanned the area around them, hoping to discover a way down to rescue Percy.

  Richard stood up and removed his jacket, before he turned back and settled on the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling over the side.

  “You can’t go down there!” Angelina shouted. “You’ll fall. Let me go for help.”

  “I don’t think we have the luxury of time on our side,” Richard observed. “Were he to move in the wrong direction, he’d be lost to us and I, for one, do not wish to break that kind of news to Estella.” Finding hand and footholds, Richard twisted around and lowered his large frame down the side of the cliff.

  Angelina held her breath as she watched him climb down like an expert. Crumbling rock and dirt showered him as he went, but he never faltered in his movements. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he reached Percy. He managed to get his feet wedged on the small shelf and with one hand, scooped Percy up. The little dog showered him with kisses and Richard held him tightly against his chest. He looked up at Angelina and smiled triumphantly. “I’ve got him,” he called.

  “I can see that,” she replied with an anxious smile. “How are you going to climb back up? You’ll need both hands.”

  He winked at her and quickly stuffed Percy into what had once been a very clean white shirt. Once he was certain that the dog was safe, and there was no chance he’d lose him, he began to climb back up.

  Again, Angelina held her breath, praying that he’d make it back to the top without falling. When his head appeared over the edge of the cliff, she heaved a sigh of relief. He carefully placed both palms down on the dirt and hoisted himself onto the pathway. Angelina couldn’t help herself, throwing her arms around him and never wanting to let go. The whimpering of little Percy brought her back to the present and she reluctantly let Richard go. He pulled Percy out from his shirt and handed the small dog to her.

  “Percy, what were you thinking?” she scolded. Percy’s small body started to quiver and a volley of excited barks erupted from his mouth. It was all she could do to hang onto him, as he frantically tried to escape her grasp to chase a small rabbit hopping about in the brush. “So that’s what made you run off like that,” she observed. “We’ll have to tell Estella that he needs to be on a leash for cliff walks, from now on.”

  They cut their walk short and headed back the way they’d come. As they approached Estella’s home, she met them at the door. “Did you have a nice walk?” she asked, mischievously eyeing the two of them before her gaze fell on Richard’s dirty clothes and she frowned. “Richard, what happened to your shirt… and why is Percy so dirty?” Estella took Percy from Angelina’s arms and bustled inside. “Come in and tell me what happened.”

  Angelina and Richard exchanged glances as they followed her into the small house. Estella set Percy down and he immediately ran to his water bowl. “Tell me what happened,” she repeated, as she looked lovingly at the dog.

  Angelina relayed the story, as Estella grew more shocked with every new detail..

  “Oh, my,” Estella said. She appeared a little unsteady on her feet and Harry swiftly came to her aid, settling her into a nearby chair. “Richard, thank you so much for saving him. He’s never done anything like that before.”

  “It was no trouble at all, Estella. I’m happy he’s back here at home with you.” Richard placed a comforting hand on Estella’s shoulder and she covered it with one of her own.

  “And look at your shirt! It’s all dirty now. Please, take it off and I’ll wash it for you,” Estella said, gazing up at him in undisguised admiration.

  “Estella! Leave the young man alone,” Harry chided.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll clean it for him later,” Angelina said, hiding a grin at Estella’s visible disappointment.

  “Well, the least you can do is let me give you some of the chocolate chip cookies I’ve just baked. Let me get a plate for you.” Estella got up and busied herself in the kitchen, returning with a plate overflowing with cookies.

  “That’s a lot of cookies,” Angelina grinned. “Thank you.”

  Estella’s adoring gaze had settled on Richard again. “I hope you’ll enjoy them. Are you sure you won’t let me wash your shirt?”

  Richard seemed to be having a hard time containing his laughter and Angelina could see the twinkle in his eyes. “I’m sure,” he chuckled.

  “Well, then, enjoy the cookies and if you need anything at all, please come and see me.” Estella escorted them to the front door and Angelina saw Harry sit down in his chair, shaking his head at his wife’s antics.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Estella. Remember to keep Percy on a leash when you take him out walking near the cliffs,” Angelina reminded her.

  “I will.”

  The door closed behind them and Angelina and Richard both burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter. “Wow! Estella really has a thing for you. Harry’s going to have to keep an eye on her,” Angelina teased.

  “It won’t be the first time that a woman of age has shown an interest in me,” Richard chuckled.

  “So, this is a common problem?” Angelina unlocked her door and Richard followed her inside. Setting the cookies on the table, she said, “I think we should have some lunch before we dive into those cookies. What do you think?”

  “Agreed,” Richard said. “I could use a clean shirt though. You don’t happen to have one around here, do you?” He eyed the room, as if he expected to find a spare man’s shirt lying around somewhere.

  “Hmmm… actually I have some large t-shirts that I use to sleep in. I think one of them might fit you. Let me go get one, I’ll be right back.” She smiled sweetly at him, experiencing a newfound admiration for the handsome Englishman. Not only was he undeniably sexy, but he was also brave and selfless, two qualities she didn’t run across too often. If ever, in fact.

  * * *

  Richard waited for her to return to the kitchen, the wonderful aroma of the cookies calling to him until he couldn’t resist for a moment longer. They were a curious creation, like nothing he’d ever eaten before and he was anxious to try them. He picked one up, noting that it was still warm. Breaking off a piece, he noticed that the chocolate chips Angelina had mentioned, or at least, he assumed that’s what they were, oozed from the cookie as he popped it into his mouth. “Mmmm…” He couldn’t believe the amazing flavors exploding in his mouth.

  “Here you go,” Angelina said, holding out a navy blue item towards him. “I see you couldn’t wait to try a cookie,” she observed.

  “They’re delicious. I’ve never had anything like it before,” he said.

  Much to his surprise, Angelina touched her finger to his mouth, rubbing it across his lips. “You’ve got some chocolate on your mouth,” she said, before she looked away shyly.

  Richard ran his tongue over his lips. “Did I get it?” he asked.

  Angelina nodded. “Try that shirt on. If it fits, we’ll head down the road to the Fish House Restaurant. They sell great fish and chips. You’ll have to see if they’re better than what you can get back home in England.”

  He had no idea what she might be talking about, but he agreed. “Alright, give me a moment to change.” He followed Angelina’s directions to the bathroom and headed in to change his shirt. While he was at it, he washed his face and hands, drying them on a soft, fluffy towel, before donning the shirt. He pulled it over his head and found it was a little too tight, but nothing that he couldn’t deal with. “What do you think?” he asked, upon exiting the bathroom.

  Angelina surveyed him silently, with her head cocked to one side.

  “I really only need to know what you think of the shirt,” he teased, when she hadn’t spoken for a full minute. “Does it fit?”

  “It fits just
fine,” she agreed, when she finally managed to draw her eyes away from his chest.

  “Good. Let’s get these fish and chips you mentioned, so I can come back and eat more of Estella’s delicious cookies.” Richard chuckled knowingly as he headed for the door.

  Chapter 13

  “Well, what news do you have for me?” Malcolm demanded. He needed to know Angelina’s every move, if his plan was going to work. He didn’t want any screw-ups to ruin everything he’d worked so hard to complete.

  “When she left you, she went to Mackall’s house.” Pierce Holmes was Malcolm’s right hand man and the one he trusted above all the others to carry out his orders to the letter and without question. “She spent the night there.”

  Malcolm was peeved by this piece of news. He had wined and dined Angelina the night before, but to no avail. She remained friendly, but cool and aloof. What on earth did she see in that Scottish oaf? He shook his head resolutely. It didn’t matter. He could live without her, but he couldn’t live without the sword. “Okay. Where is she today?”

  “She left Mackall’s around 9:30 a.m. with that other guy,” Pierce informed him.

  “The Brit?” Malcolm asked.

  “Yes, sir. They drove down the coast to her home, went for a walk along the cliff and then went out for lunch at a nearby restaurant. They returned about an hour later and they’re still at her house now.”