The True Love Travels Series Box Set

by Poppy Pennington-Smith

  Is Thomas as wonderful as Rose thinks he is? Or is she about to make another bad choice, and get her heart broken?

  1

  The last time Rose was on a plane, she was eleven years old. It had not been a pleasant experience. The turbulence on board had been so dreadful that she’d ended up vomiting into a paper bag for most of the journey. And this horror had been compounded by the fact that, on what was supposed to be a family holiday to Tenerife, her parents had decided to get divorced.

  Now, twenty years later, Rose was sitting beside her best friend Katie, having her ankles bashed by the passing hostess trolley, and trying not to think about the fact she was thousands of feet in the air.

  “I didn’t know you hated flying.” Katie was casually flicking through a celebrity gossip magazine and sipping on a lukewarm coffee.

  “I don’t hate it.” Rose shuffled in her seat. “I just don’t like it.”

  Katie stopped flicking and looked at her. “Rose, don’t take this the wrong way but this was supposed to be a chance for you to relax.” Katie emphasised the word relax as if Rose didn’t know what it meant.

  She sighed and closed her eyes, willing the tension that had gripped her shoulders to dissolve. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t say sorry, just...” Katie handed her the magazine. “Here. Just try to distract yourself, yeah? We’ll be there soon.”

  Rose nodded and smiled, making an effort to look as if she was feeling better already – just from holding on to the glossy pages in front of her. But she wasn’t feeling better. As always, anxiety was bubbling just below the surface of her skin for no particular reason that she could fathom.

  As she thought about where they were heading, the bubbling gave way to prickling.

  Soon, they’d be landing in Rome and climbing into a cab. That cab would drive them through the rolling Tuscany landscape for about two hours until, eventually, they’d reach a sprawling ranch owned by Katie’s older brother Thomas.

  Part-ranch and part-retreat, Katie had persuaded Rose to accompany her on her annual visit to Heart of the Hills. But Rose was not looking forward to it.

  She’d agreed because Katie had pestered and pestered and pestered about it for weeks but, deep down, she was wishing she’d stuck to her usual holiday spot on the Norfolk coast – far away from people and horses.

  Rose’s dislike of flying was nothing compared to her feelings about horses. She wasn’t just ‘not a fan’ of them; she was terrified of them. Katie had assured her that she could just sunbathe in the gardens, swim in the pool, and avoid all contact with them. But the mere thought of being in close proximity with goodness-knows-how-many horses was starting to make her feel woozy.

  Rose breathed in and gripped the scratchy, plastic arms of her seat.

  “Ladies and gentleman, please return your seats to the upright position. We will soon begin our descent into Rome.”

  THREE HOURS LATER

  Rose stumbled out of the taxi feeling sick to her stomach. Their driver had travelled at such a break-neck speed that even Katie had needed to stick her head out of the window to prevent nausea from kicking in.

  Rose was breathing slowly and deliberately, counting to ten, when her best friend squealed and rushed forwards.

  “Tommy!!”

  “All right, Little Sis’, how you doing?”

  Rose looked up and saw Katie wrapping her arms around someone she barely recognised as being Thomas Goodwin, Katie’s older brother.

  The Thomas Goodwin that Rose remembered had been podgy, pale, and battling teenage acne. But this Thomas was the opposite; he was broad-shouldered, tanned, and wearing a neatly shaped beard and a pair of red cowboy boots that made him look like something straight out of an old Western movie.

  As he stepped around his sister and extended his hand to take Rose’s, she swallowed hard and tried to find her voice.

  “Thomas...” was all she could manage.

  Thomas tilted his head sideways and flashed her an almost too-white smile. “Hey there, Rose. How are you? It’s been years.” He stepped back and rested his hands on his hips. “You look good.”

  Rose began to blush. She was wearing jeans, scruffy sandals and a plain grey T-shirt. Her hair was scraped back into a messy ponytail and her makeup felt like it had faded to the point of non-existence; she did not look good.

  “Tom,” Katie warned. “Rose is off limits. Okay?” She looked at her brother and laughed, which made Rose blush even harder.

  “Hey, I’m just being friendly.” Thomas ruffled Katie’s hair, then looked back at Rose and shrugged innocently. “She seems to think I’m–”

  “A cad?” Katie teased.

  “Well, actually that’s quite a nice way of putting it. Thank you.”

  Rose tried to shake herself loose from her stunned silence and laughed nervously. “A cad?”

  Thomas was already turning away and beckoning for them to follow him towards the main ranch house, but Katie leaned in and said, “Someone who like the ladies. A lot.”

  “Oh.” Rose hadn’t ever pictured Thomas Goodwin as someone who’d have the chance to like women too much, even if he wanted to. But, clearly, he’d changed.

  “He has a different girlfriend every week,” Katie laughed. “So, just watch out.”

  Rose looked down at her clothes and tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about, Katie.”

  Katie stopped abruptly and turned, putting her hands on Rose’s arms. “Now. Listen. I want you to stop all this self-deprecating nonsense. You’re a gorgeous, strong, independent woman.” She glanced over at Thomas. “Tommy always liked you. And I can tell by the way he’s looking at you that, given half a chance, he’ll try it on. But trust me – you need a decent guy, Rose. And my brother, as much as I love him, is not that guy.” Katie started walking again and looped her arm through Rose’s. “Besides, best friends and brothers don’t date. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

  2

  The main ranch house was a sprawling wooden building with a wrap-around terrace, a swing that reminded Rose of the kind she always swooned after in wholesome American movies, and large double doors that welcomed them inside.

  The floor of the entrance hall was made of flagstones and, looking around at the crisp white walls, she instantly felt cooler.

  Beside her, Thomas reached behind the vacant reception desk, grabbed a key and handed it to Katie. “Gave you one of the best cabins.”

  Katie grinned. “Same as last time?”

  “Yep.”

  Bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, Katie turned to Rose and said, “Just wait until you see the view.”

  Hoping they would head there straight away, so she could have a lie down and recalibrate, Rose glanced back at the doors.

  “You guys hungry?” Thomas was leaning against the desk. He was wearing a crisp white T-shirt and jeans, and Rose couldn’t stop looking at his ridiculous red cowboy boots; she felt as if she should laugh at them, but somehow they suited him. They were almost the exact same shade as the pair of sandals she’d packed at the last minute and which now lay somewhere in the depths of her suitcase.

  His hair was darker and fuller than she remembered, and somehow his beard had changed the entire shape of his face. Usually, she hated beards. But this one made his jaw look strong and square and...

  “Rose?” Katie nudged her and she instantly began to blush.

  “Sorry,” Rose said quickly, looking away from Thomas and down at her feet. Her toenails were bare. She really should have painted them before leaving home.

  “Are you all right?” Katie ducked to catch her eyes.

  “Sorry,” Rose repeated, still trying not to look at Thomas because, for some reason, his presence was making her feel all kinds of flustered. “Still a bit woozy from the journey. Perhaps I should go lie down for a bit.”

  Katie was nodding at her sympathetically when Thomas interrupted. “Nonsense, best cure for
travel sickness is to get some food in your belly.”

  Rose couldn’t think of anything worse than eating, but she smiled a thin smile and found herself saying, “Sure, okay. Food would be good.”

  “Great. You two head on out back and I’ll tell the kitchen to rustle something up.” Thomas thumped Rose gently on the shoulder, then did the same to his sister. “You know the way.”

  “Sure do.” Katie took Rose’s hand and took her back out of the double doors they had come through, past the porch swing, and all the way around to the rear of the building.

  “Wow,” Rose said, stopping as they rounded the corner. “What a view.”

  “I know, right? Thomas is a pain in the neck but he’s done a pretty good job with this place.”

  “It’s incredible.” Rose stepped forward, taking in the wooden deck that looked out at the rest of the ranch. In front of her, the sensational Tuscan landscape stretched as far as she could see and she had no idea how much of it belonged to Thomas. She couldn’t even remember how he’d ended up owning the ranch. When they’d known each other as kids, he’d been all set to go off to university and study... what was it? Maths? Business?

  To the left, a neat but rough around the edges dirt track led past clusters of trees and curved out of sight. Directly in front of them, a rich green lawn gave way to a large sparkling swimming pool. Beyond the pool, rolling hills and cypress trees told her she was most definitely in the central region of Italy. And to the right, the cabins that were – according to the website – the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Heart of the Hills stood proudly beside one another.

  Rose heard herself sigh contentedly and realised that she was feeling a little better.

  Beside her, Katie had flopped down at a table and taken her sunglasses off. Above them, a vine covered trellis provided a canopy of lightly dappled shade and Rose sat down too, leaning back in her chair and trying to remember if she’d ever been anywhere as beautiful as Thomas’ ranch.

  “You know,” Katie sighed. “I really should do something nice for Tommy someday to say thank you for letting me come here every year.” She paused and laughed. “But then, maybe free holidays for life is payment for all the times he beat me up when we were kids.”

  “I’m very glad I don’t have a brother,” Rose said solemnly; she liked her solitary existence as an only child.

  “Oh, I don’t know. It might have been good for you.” Katie nudged her chair closer and pulled Rose in to pose for a selfie. “Loosen you up a bit.”

  “I’m perfectly loose, thank you.”

  Katie sat back and pouted. “Oh, are you now?”

  Again, Rose began to blush. “You know what I mean.”

  Katie opened her mouth to reply, but then her eyes widened and she said, “Ooh. Food.”

  Behind them, a large middle-aged woman, with possibly the most jovial expression Rose had ever seen, emerged from inside holding a tray of meats, cheeses, olives, figs and roasted peppers.

  She set it down on the table in front of Rose and Katie, and grinned at them. “All our own produce,” she said in a heavy, lilting Italian accent. “Best prosciutto in Tuscany.” She waved her hand and continued to stand behind them, smiling. “Try, try...”

  Almost instantly, Katie reached out and plucked an olive and a piece of prosciutto from the platter. “Wonderful!” she said, smacking her lips and grinning.

  Rose did the same and nodded in agreement. “Very good,” she said. Then she sat up a little straighter in her chair and looked back towards the ranch doors. “Is Thomas joining us?”

  The chef shook her head. “Mister Goodwin had some errands. He asked me to tell you that he will see you later.”

  Katie shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Typical of my big brother. Always so busy. He’ll work himself into the ground one of these days.”

  The cook nodded sincerely. “Mister Goodwin works very, very hard.” Then she waved at them and headed inside.

  Rose thanked her and turned back to their lunch, trying to ignore the little twist of disappointment she’d felt when Thomas had not reappeared.

  “The food here is incredible. They have a smallholding and grow all their own fruit and veg. It’s like paradise, to be honest.” Katie was tucking into the olives and talking with her mouth half full. “Sometimes, I think I should just give up on the practice and move out here to be a horse-hand.”

  “Would you really?” The thought of Katie leaving England instantly made Rose feel nauseous.

  Katie looked at her and laughed. “No, not really. It’s a nice dream though.”

  “I thought you loved your work?”

  “I do. Of course I do.” She bit her lower lip, suddenly seeming more serious. “It does get a bit much sometimes though – counselling other people through their problems. Doesn’t leave much room for problems of your own.”

  “But you know I’m always here to counsel you,” Rose said, smiling at her friend.

  “Of course I do.”

  “I’d hate it if you left.”

  “And that’s the other reason why I never would,” Katie grinned. Then she gestured to the roasted peppers. “Try these... amazing.”

  Rose sighed. This was what she loved about Katie; despite the fact that she spent her days helping people with very serious problems, she always managed to stay light and happy – a little ray of sunshine. Rose leaned in to rest her head on Katie’s shoulder. Katie balanced her chin on the top of Rose’s head and put her arm around her shoulders.

  “I love you, Rosie.”

  “I love you too, Katie.”

  “You promise we’ll be best friends forever?”

  “I promise.”

  This was a routine they’d had since they were teenagers; Katie always asked her if they’d be friends forever and Rose always replied ‘I promise’.

  They were barely even thirteen when they first met but they had become instant best friends for life. Nothing had ever come between them. And nothing ever would.

  3

  After finishing their homegrown Italian lunch, Katie took Rose down to the cabin Thomas had reserved for them. It was small but spacious and had an incredible view over the ranch, with big picture windows, a patio enclosed by a low flint wall, and a fire pit they could light when it got dark.

  Rose immediately began to unpack, folding her things and putting them neatly into drawers, but Katie sat on the edge of the bed, watching her quizzically.

  “Fancy a swim?” She grinned, jiggling her feet impatiently.

  “Swim?” Rose glanced at her half-empty case. She’d hoped to avoid getting into her bathing costume for a little longer. Usually, she chose vacations where swimwear was not required. Hiking through wet and dreary English countryside or reading curled up beside a roaring fire was more Rose’s style.

  “Yes. Swim.” Katie looked towards the patio doors. “It’s so lovely out there, Rose. Come on.”

  And before Rose could object, Katie was grabbing a bikini from the top of her case and dashing into the bathroom to change.

  Alone in the bedroom, Rose examined the options she’d brought with her. All one-pieces, she had the same design in black, red, and green.

  She chose black, removed her travel clothes and quickly shimmied into it, then grabbed her towel and her book.

  Out by the pool, they were the only ones there.

  “It’s usually pretty quiet,” Katie said, heading straight for the water. “Most people ride all day and swim before dinner.”

  “Are you going to ride while we’re here?” Rose set her things down gently on a nearby lounger and tip-toed towards the edge of the pool.

  “Probably.” Katie was already in and looked up at her. “But only if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not.” Rose sat down on the edge and dipped her toes into the cool water. “I told you - just because I’m not a fan of horses, doesn’t mean you have to avoid them.”

  Katie smiled. Her eyes twinkled. And before Rose’s brain could relay th
e interpretation that her friend was about to do something mischievous, Katie had grabbed Rose by the ankles and tugged her straight in to the water.

  Rose emerged spluttering, with water in her eyes and a grin on her face. “I knew you were going to do that.”

  “And yet you didn’t stop me,” Katie said.

  “I’ll get you back.”

  “You’ll have to catch me first!” Katie yelled as she swam off towards the other end of the pool.

  Rose raced after her, but after their initial burst of energy subsided, they spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between sunbathing and cooling down in the water.

  By the time early-evening approached, Rose was pretty sure she’d caught the sun on her cheeks and Katie announced that she was starving.

  “Shall we head back?”

  “Sure.” Rose was towel-drying her hair and getting ready to gather her things when she heard a voice in the distance shout, “You two had a good day?”

  Looking up, she saw Thomas. He was still wearing his red cowboy boots and was waving as he approached. Quickly, Rose wrapped herself in her towel and gave her hair a shake.

  Beside her, Katie had shrugged a floaty kaftan over her head and slipped her feet back into her sandals. “An amazing day. Five stars from us so far, big bro.”

  “The pool is wonderful,” Rose added, still unfathomably tongue tied in Thomas’ presence.

  Slowly, Thomas sat down on a nearby lounger, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forwards. “Built it with my own hands,” he said, nodding at the swimming pool.

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re so big and strong, Tommy.” Katie rolled her eyes.

  Thomas grinned at her, then looked at Rose and pretended to flex his muscles.

  Rose blinked, looked away, and willed herself not to blush. “You really built it?” She glanced at the pool. She was holding onto her towel, gripping it tightly in case a sudden gust of wind whipped it out of her hands.