Bucky’s voice was low and urgent, his eyes scanning the yard.
“You don’t want to be caught out here. Trust me, Shannon. Head inside before he notices.”
His tone was biting, protective, with an undercurrent of worry.
As Shannon jogged toward the loft, the dark shadow of the barn looming behind her, she couldn’t shake the weight of what had just happened.
Did Niall know she’d been spying?
The door clicked shut behind her, and she leaned against the wall to catch her breath, the chill in her bones a bad omen.
23
Jamie
Jamie dragged himself out of bed, the dull ache of dehydration pounding in his skull. He’d spent the night with half a bottle of whiskey and his iPad.
Though scrolling had been a waste of time.
His mind had drifted to Shannon, to the softness of her skin, the way she smiled, the memory of her pinned to him, still seared into his mind like a fucking postcard from heaven.
They had unfinished business. And that shit needed to be dealt with before he could board the plane in Dublin. His flight wasn’t until the late afternoon, which left him just enough time to run a few errands first.
As he drove through the rain, the wooden sign for Meadow Dawn swayed in the wind. The droplets on his windshield blurred his vision, but his mind was laser focused.
A low electric buzz shot through his veins at the thought of seeing her again.
When he parked and stepped out of the car, the icy gust of wind sliced through him, sharp as a knife. He flicked up the collar of his leather jacket and marched toward the yard.
The paddock was empty, so he jogged to the stables, his pulse thrumming with each step, praying to find Shannon there.
His grin spread wide when he caught sight of her dark hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, at ease in her surroundings.
“That’s all your hooves picked out, Trix. Such a good girl, aren’t you?”
“One day she’ll answer you back,” he chuckled, draping his arm over the stable door. “Do you think she likes being called a good girl more than you do?”
Shannon’s head flicked up at the sound of his voice, her lips parting in surprise.
“Jamie…” She smiled, her whole face lighting up. “I thought you were away on business.”
The reaction made his pulse go wild, a rush of satisfaction that she seemed more than a little pleased to see him. This was going to be epic.
“I leave this afternoon.” He raised a white carrier bag and waggled it over the door like a teaser. “I’m only here to give you these.”
She eyed the bag, a skeptical brow lifting. “You bought me something?”
“I did.”
Her cheeks pinked. “I hope you’re not getting all romantic and weird.”
Jamie shrugged, pleased with his choice of gift.
“It’s my kind of romance.” His voice dipped deeper, the tone laced with that typical arrogance and charm that seemed to make her smile wider.
“Hmmm…a plastic bag. I’m thinking you brought me snacks?”
He opened the stable door and moved inside. “Something like that.”
