Rush to the Altar

by Rebecca Winters

  Her hands curled into fists. “I wish there wasn’t such a thing as a motorcycle. You’re all lucky not to be dead yet—” she cried in pain before leaving the kennel on a run.

  Though moisture blinded her eyes, she managed to make it through the corridors of the palace to her bedroom on the second floor of the east wing. Once the doors closed behind her, she pulled off the rubber gloves and flung herself on the bed.

  She sobbed angry tears, not only for her sister whose days were numbered if she continued to ride with Nicco, but for the boy who was going to be devastated when he found out no power on earth could bring back his baby squirrel.

  Maybe in the morning she could talk to Callie about parting with one of the rabbits. Ann would put it in the basket with some food and place it under the tree.

  The squirrel’s sweet little face reminded her of a baby bunny’s, especially through the eyes. Hopefully the boy would heal faster if he had another animal to look after.

  Thinking about that brought her some solace. She finally sat up and smoothed the damp hair from her temples.

  While she was at it, now would be the time to phone Colin and tell him she was coming to see him. He deserved to be given an explanation for their breakup in person.

  She hadn’t purposely dangled him. But now that her mind was made up, it was vital to put him out of his pain as soon as possible so he could meet someone else. Colin was a terrific person in his own right. They’d had wonderful times when they’d been together.

  He’d begged her to go to bed with him. She’d told him she was waiting for marriage. He’d proposed several times. Living thousands of miles apart had made it easier for her to keep putting him off. He said he’d wait until she was ready.

  But one chance meeting with Riley Garrow after all this time and she knew she’d never be ready. Not for Colin or any man.

  Like Callie, Ann seemed to have a fatal attraction for one particular male. However in Ann’s case he was a renegade who stole women’s hearts when he wasn’t embracing danger.

  Riley’s greatest thrill in life was to laugh death in the face. In between those rushes of adrenaline, any available female would do for a night’s entertainment, then she was forgotten.

  As long as Ann remembered he hadn’t given her a thought since that day on the set, she’d be all right. There was no reason why she’d ever see him again anyway. She had no interest in Nicco’s business which he conducted at his office or the track. Tonight had been an aberration from start to finish.

  As it happened, she had her own business to take care of.

  So saying, she reached for the phone and made a credit card call to Colin’s flat in London.

  Come on. Pick up.

  To her chagrin she reached his voice mail after six rings and was told to leave a message.

  “Colin? It’s Ann. I’m sorry I haven’t phoned befo—”

  “Don’t hang up!” He’d suddenly come on the line.

  “Oh, Colin— I’m glad you’re there.”

  “That makes two of us. Where are you?”

  “I’m in Turin.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He sounded hurt.

  “This is the first opportunity I’ve had to get in touch with you since my arrival.”

  “Ann—we have to talk.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m calling.”

  “I don’t mean over the phone. Now that you’ve told me where you are, I’m flying there tomorrow. Expect me when you see me.”

  “No, Colin. I’ll come to Lo—”

  The line went dead.

  She hung up the phone with the realization she should have flown to England first. It would be bad enough telling him goodbye at his flat, but so much worse doing it under Nicco’s roof.

  As soon as he arrived, she would urge him to take her for her drive. There were spots along the river where they could talk in private.

  Knowing Colin, he’d probably come in the morning thinking they’d spend the whole day together. In that case she needed to be up early to see Callie about a rabbit for the little boy first.

  She slid off the bed and headed for the bathroom to shower and wash her hair. If she had one thing to be grateful for, Colin hadn’t shown up today at the same time as Riley Garrow.

  Nicco liked Colin well enough and would have played the congenial host to both men at the dinner table. But Ann knew herself too well. She wouldn’t have been able to handle sitting there in front of Nicco with a smile on her face for Colin while every molecule of her body was electrified by simply being in Riley’s presence.

  By the time she’d prepared for bed, she took a pill to ward off another headache she could feel coming on. To her surprise she slept well and awakened at seven in the morning filled with purpose.

  She tied her hair back with a white scarf to keep it out of her face. After putting on a coral frost lipstick, she dressed in jeans and a gray pullover before hurrying downstairs and across the palace to the kennel.

  Thankful Callie had buried the squirrel, Ann found the black basket sitting on the shelf beneath the empty crib and headed out the doors for the hospital.

  The crisp fall air and clear blue sky made it a beautiful September morning. Too beautiful when she considered how Colin was going to feel when she broke her news to him. She wasn’t looking forward to it, either.

  “Hi, Dr. Donatti,” she said as she walked into the surgery.

  “Good morning, Ann. What brings you here so early on a Saturday?”

  Dr. Donatti was the warm-hearted vet who’d worked for Nicco’s family long before Callie had come on the scene. She noticed he was busy setting the left hind leg of a lovely marmalade cat.

  “I guess you know about the baby squirrel.”

  “Callie told me. It’s a shame the boy couldn’t have brought it to her a little earlier.”

  “Do you think you’d be willing to part with one of the younger rabbits in the pen behind the lodge?”

  “You mean to give to the boy?”

  “Yes.”

  He smiled. “You’re as soft as your sister. She already asked me the same thing last night before she went to bed. Go ahead and pick out the one you want.”

  “Thank you,” Ann said with a lump in her throat. “I’m sure he’ll take care of it, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought the squirrel to the preserve for help.”

  “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  “I know you keep new portable animal cages in the storage room. If I paid you, could I take one to give him? I thought I’d fill it with some food the rabbit likes so the boy will know what to do.”

  “You don’t need to pay for it.”

  “Well I’m going to!”

  He chuckled. “Have it your own way. Look in that cabinet over there, third drawer down. There’s a folder with some handouts in various languages for the care and feeding of rabbits. Find one to give to the boy, then take a sack and fill it with any other supplies you need.

  “If there’s one piece of advice to give him it’s that rabbits like the cool shade and lots of water.”

  “That’s what our dad taught us years ago,” Ann said. “When they’re too hot, you can feel the heat through their ears, so you have to wipe them with cool water.”

  “You should have gone to vet school, too.”

  “I’m beginning to think you’re right. There’s always need for a good one no matter your age. I’m afraid that’s not true of a would-be actress who hasn’t been a teenager for a long time.”

  He stared at her with a concerned expression. “Who told you you were too old?”

  “My agent for one. It’s just the way things are. I’m considering a career change.”

  “It’s not too late to apply for medical school.”

  “I know, but I faint at the sight of blood. That’s something that’s never going to change.”

  She found the instruction sheet in question. After pulling out one in Italian and another in English, she rushed to the storage clo
set to gather timothy hay, alfalfa pellets and some fresh vegetables. When she’d assembled everything including a small cage, she hurried out the back door of the surgery to the pen.

  There were over a dozen new rabbits, some white, some brown. She thought he’d prefer a brown one and let herself inside to catch one. It reminded her of times during her childhood when she and her friends chased farm animals around. She experienced a strong pang of nostalgia while she ran down one little guy.

  In a few minutes she was successful, but the cute thing’s nose quivered constantly from fear. She closed the pen door, then placed the rabbit carefully in the lacquered basket and put on the lid. Once that was done she hurried as fast as she could toward the entrance to the preserve juggling everything in her arms.

  If the boy didn’t come right away, she’d put the rabbit in the carrier and take everything back to the pen until tomorrow when she’d try it again.

  She hadn’t been walking long when she saw something dart through the woods to her right. It might be a deer, but it might also be… It was!

  Excited, she kept moving until she came to the giant chestnut tree where she deposited her load at its base. Then she waited.

  Pretty soon she saw the boy peeking at her from behind another tree. She beckoned to him. He seemed hesitant to approach. Using her best Italian, she told him to come closer.

  When he still didn’t move, she took the sheet printed in Italian and said the word rabbit to him, pointing at the basket. He called back a string of words she didn’t understand.

  “Rabbit!” she said again.

  His face seemed to crumble.

  “He wants to know where the squirrel is,” a male voice sounded behind her.

  Ann wheeled around to discover Riley Garrow mounted bareback on Spirito, Enzo’s favorite gelding. Nicco’s guest was dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked so incredibly handsome astride the magnificent chestnut, she felt like she was going to faint from the sheer force of his presence.

  Nicco must have invited him to stay the night. Already the two men had forged a bond that shocked Ann. Her brother-in-law was always cordial to guests, but he was a private person and only allowed a few people into his inner circle. Somehow Riley had already managed the impossible.

  “I’ve learned enough Italian to understand quite a bit, but I couldn’t make out a single word the boy just said.”

  His eyes made a leisurely stroll over her features and hair, dissolving her bones. “That’s because you’re a straneri.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A non Gypsy.”

  “He’s a Gypsy?” she whispered in surprise.

  “That’s right. He speaks Romany.”

  In the next breath he began talking to the boy in a tongue she’d never heard before. When in his life had Riley Garrow learned to speak the language of the Gypsies?

  While she was pondering that question, the boy wiped his eyes. Ann didn’t need a translator to understand his actions. He was heartbroken.

  “Tell him the bunny’s face looks a little bit like the squirrel’s and it will make a much better pet,” she urged Riley.

  His expression grew solemn. “The boy wants the squirrel. He saw the mother get shot and fall out of the tree with her baby.”

  Tears filled Ann’s eyes. “The poor thing.” She swallowed hard. “Explain to him I know how he feels. When our dog Jasper died, I wanted to die, too. But then our father gave us a little piglet to take care of that very day and pretty soon it didn’t hurt so much.”

  Riley stared at her for a long moment. She couldn’t imagine what he was thinking.

  “Maybe if he could just see the bunny,” she said on a burst of inspiration. Without waiting for him to say anything, she picked up the basket and took off the lid. Then she started walking toward the boy.

  “Tell him this rabbit has never been away from its mother until now,” she called over her shoulder. “If he’ll take it home and care for it, the rabbit will love him and follow him around.”

  After a moment another conversation ensued. Again she marveled at Riley’s language abilities. Still the boy stayed planted where he was.

  Ann walked up to him, wounded by the pain in his soulful dark eyes. She stroked the back of the bunny which was huddled down in the box with its ears flat.

  On impulse she reached for the boy’s hand and helped him stroke it for a minute. By this time Riley had sidled his horse up next to them.

  She lifted her head to meet his eyes. This close she could see they were a crystalline gray, like clouds outlined in silvery flame. It was hard to breathe they were so beautiful.

  “I want him to know this rabbit is healthy and won’t die on him for many years. All it needs is love. That paper I brought will teach him how to give it the proper care. It’s in Italian, so if you wouldn’t mind translating.”

  Riley’s gaze slowly left hers to rest on the boy. He spoke to him again. Their exchange went on for quite a while.

  “He would like the rabbit, but he lives some distance from here and has no way to take everything with him.”

  “That means he slept in the preserve overnight. How far away is his home?”

  “He lives in an encampment beyond the city.”

  “Would he let us drive him there? Then you could explain everything and we could meet his family. I could give them some money for more food and pellets. So they won’t be offended, we could tell them it’s a donation from the preserve. Part of their adopt-a-pet program.”

  One black brow quirked. “Is there such a thing?”

  “Not yet, but if I know Callie that’ll be the next project she discusses with Enzo.”

  He frowned. “Enzo?”

  “Nicco’s younger brother. Last year he became the ruling prince of the House of Tescotti. One of his first acts was to donate a portion of the Tescotti estate to the public for an animal and bird preserve. Callie’s in charge.”

  She moistened her lips nervously. “That’s Enzo’s favorite mount you’re riding,” she added.

  Her explanation seemed to have shocked him. “I had no idea. That means Nicco is a prince, too.”

  “He was once upon a time. But because he didn’t want the life of a royal, he renounced his title in his mid-twenties and became a mechanical engineer. As you’ve found out, he’d rather design and ride murder- cycles than do the safe thing and run the affairs of the kingdom.”

  His lips twitched. “Something tells me you’ve never ridden on a…murdercycle.”

  When he looked at her like that—sounded like that with his deep, velvety voice baiting her—she was in danger of forgetting who she was, or what she was doing.

  Warmth stole up her neck into her cheeks. “You’re as astute as you are talented, Mr. Garrow. Will you please ask the boy if he’d like help getting all these things home? Callie will let me borrow her car.”

  “There’s no need to bother her. We can go in my rental.”

  A sizzling tension was building between them. When she couldn’t sustain his penetrating gaze any longer, she looked away. At that point he struck up another conversation with their young visitor.

  “It’s all decided,” Riley said a minute later. “He’ll carry everything to the security gate while we go for the car. I told him we’d pick him up in ten minutes. That doesn’t give us much time.”

  Before she knew how it happened, Riley reached down and plucked her from the ground with the same matchless agility he’d displayed during the filming of his stunts. The next thing she knew, she was sitting in front of him on the horse.

  His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her tightly against him. “This is nice,” he whispered against her neck as the horse headed back to the lodge.

  Nice? There was nothing nice about it.

  The touch of his lips sent shivers of ecstasy through her trembling body. By the time they’d gone the short distance to the stable, she was ready to jump out of her skin with the longing to be closer to him still.


  CHAPTER FOUR

  “THERE you are! We were just coming to find you so the four of us could ride together.”

  Ann opened her eyes in time to see Callie and Nicco mounted on their horses, ready for their usual morning jaunt. Dr. Donatti’s wife Bianca was always up early to look in on the baby while they were gone.

  Embarrassed to be caught with Riley like this, Ann jerked out of his strong arms and slid off the horse in one clumsy maneuver. The dogs rushed up to her.

  Still quivering from the heated contact with him, she rubbed their heads to hide her shaken condition. When she got herself under some semblance of control she looked up at Callie.

  “I—I imagine Dr. Donatti told you I gave the boy a rabbit and a cage. He needs help getting everything to his home. We’re going to drive him because he lives too far away from here.”

  Callie blinked in surprise. Who could blame her after their conversation last night about Riley.

  “We won’t be long,” Ann rushed to explain, transferring her gaze to Nicco. “I hope you won’t mind my stealing Mr. Garrow for a little while. I’m afraid I don’t speak very good Italian, let alone Romany. He speaks both with equal fluency and will be able to translate what’s on the surgery printout for the boy’s family.”

  Her brother-in-law’s intelligent black gaze swerved to Riley’s. “I’m glad word has reached the Gypsies about the preserve. They’re out in nature a great deal and probably come across injured wildlife more often than we know. It should have occurred to me long before now we need a sign at the gate in Romany. I’ll give Enzo a call later.”

  “We also need to print up instructions in their language,” Callie said to her husband. “Riley? How did you know the boy was a Gypsy?”

  Ann watched him dismount with the kind of effortless male grace that was stunning to watch. “The black basket. They’re made by the Rom.”

  He knew a lot more than he was telling. That was part of what made him such a fascinating, unforgettable man. Too unforgettable.

  Don’t get sucked in by him, Annabelle Lassiter. Just don’t!