Chapter Twenty
Wren
Marcus pulls up outside a small cottage on the edge of his family’s land. As we get out, Jacob comes out of the stables to the left.
“Afternoon,” he says cheerfully. “Ruth’s in here with Luna. The first pup’s here.” He gestures for us to follow him and goes back inside.
We cross the gravel drive, passing a couple of farmhands who are working close by—one mending a fence, the other tinkering with the engine of a truck. Marcus stops and greets the one working on the fence, and I pause to wait for him.
The man working on the engine looks up and winks at me. “Afternoon.”
“Hello,” I say, somewhat shyly at the thought that this man works for Marcus.
“You must be the new Mrs. Ashford,” he says. “I’d heard Marcus was getting married, but I didn’t realize how pretty his new wife would be.”
“Oh.” I smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m Alan.” He offers a hand. Then he looks down at it, spots the grease, and laughs. “Sorry.” He wipes it on his overalls and holds it out again.
I shake it. “Beautiful day,” I say. “I’m here to see Luna’s puppies being born.”
“Oh, yeah, she’s just had the first one. I’m thinking of asking Ruth for one of them for my little girl. She’s desperate for a puppy.”
“Oh, how sweet. That’s a lovely idea.” I feel Marcus’s hand slip into mine.
“Afternoon,” Marcus says to Alan.
Alan just nods. Is it me, or has the temperature dropped by a few degrees?
I smile goodbye, letting Marcus lead me toward the stables.
“What was that about?” I murmur.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says, and gestures for me to precede him inside.
Once my eyes adjust to the dim interior, I see Jacob by one of the stalls in the corner.
Marcus goes to talk to him, so I walk over to the adjacent stall, climb onto the block of wood he’s pushed against the partition that separates the stalls, lean on the top, and look down.
Luna is lying on the straw, with the first puppy already nursing.
Ruth is sitting crossed-legged nearby, although she waves up at me now.
“Aw,” I murmur at the sight of the little pup, “how gorgeous.”
“She’s doing really well,” Ruth says. “Not long until the next one’s born.”
I glance over at the two men. “…told her to stay away,” Jacob murmurs.
Marcus nods and glances at me, then back at Jacob and gives a small shake of his head. What was that about?
“Did Neil give you an update?” Jacob asks, changing the subject.
“Yeah,” Marcus replies, “he mentioned the lower paddock fence is starting to sag where the ground’s softened. I told him to shift the ewes out tomorrow and we’ll run a new wire along that stretch before the weekend.”
I love how knowledgeable he sounds. Today he’s wearing chinos and a navy polo shirt, and he looks like what he is—a young, wealthy businessman in casual clothes.
But I know he’d look equally at home in jeans, Wellingtons, and a wax jacket.
Clearly, he loves his roots and enjoys being back on the farm.
I lean my forearms on the partition and rest my chin on my hand. It’s been an amazing few days. Marcus has been attentive, kind, gentle, and passionate. I couldn’t have wanted for more.
And I’m absolutely terrified. I’m falling for him like a meteor, and I’m so scared I’m going to get burned up in the atmosphere.
How do I know that after I open up to him and give him my heart, he’s not going to toss it away, unwanted?
How can I be sure that he won’t get bored with me?
That eventually his gaze won’t stray to another, younger, prettier girl, leaving me heartbroken, again?
Love doesn’t come with a guarantee. But I want one. How can I do this without one?
Marcus joins me up on the block and looks down at Luna. He smiles. “How gorgeous.”
“Here we go,” Ruth says, and I can see Luna starting to push.
I watch, breathless, as instinct takes over, and Luna pushes her puppy out.
She breaks the amniotic sac, chews the umbilical cord, and licks the puppy to stimulate its breathing.
Tears rush into my eyes as the tiny puppy wriggles, gives a high-pitched squeal, then grumbles its way to Luna’s nipple and starts to feed.
Marcus puts his arm around me, leans forward, and kisses my cheek.
He can tell when I’m emotional. I know he’s spotted the fact that I cry after we’ve made love.
It’s impossible to hide it, even though I make sure to go out of the room.
I wish it didn’t happen, but every time, I’m so overwhelmed with emotion that it’s impossible to hold it back.
“Anything I can do?” I ask as Ruth delivers the placenta. “Does Luna need anything?”
“No, she’s all set. Just have to wait for the next one, now.”
“Would you like a cuppa or something?”
Ruth hesitates, then admits, “That would be amazing.”
“Please,” Jacob says when I look at him, and they both agree to tea.
I step down from the wooden block, and Marcus follows me as I go outside into the bright sunshine. “I’ll help,” he says, as we cross the drive.
Halfway across, though, Neil calls him and stops him in his tracks, asking if he’d come and look at one of the solar panels. Marcus promises to catch me up, and I continue walking toward the cottage.
As I go inside, I’m surprised to see Alan in the kitchen, making himself a drink. “Hello,” he says as I go in. “I was just taking five. How are the puppies going?”
“Another one’s been born.” I walk around the table to the kettle, fill it from the tap, and switch it on. “I told them I’d make them all a cuppa.”
“Yeah, good idea. Passes the time if nothing else. I think Luna’s x-ray showed six puppies, so she’s going to be there for a few hours yet.”
I nod, check the cupboards until I find the mugs, then retrieve four and put teabags in each of them. I glance over, expecting Alan to head out, but he stays where he is, sipping his tea.
While the kettle heats, I go back to the sink and wash my hands, more for something to do than because they’re dirty. I wash up a few of the mugs and plates sitting in the sink, conscious of him leaning against the counter, watching me.
As I dry my hands, I clear my throat, feeling awkward. “So you’re a mechanic? I saw you working on the truck.”
“I do a bit of everything. Jack of all trades.”
“Oh, it’s nice to have a varied job,” I say, wishing he’d leave.
“I prefer working with the sheep and cows,” he admits. “But Neil’s always putting me to work on the trucks.” He sounds disgruntled.
My instinct to smooth things over kicks in. “I can see why you’d prefer to be with the animals. I’m the same with children. I’d always rather be with the kids than doing paperwork.”
“You work?”
“Yes, I’m a primary school teacher.”
His eyebrows rise. “I would have thought Marcus wouldn’t let his wife have a job.”
That makes me stare at him. “Whether or not I go to work has nothing to do with Marcus.” I’m conscious that my voice is sharper than I meant it to be.
The kettle clicks off, and I pick it up and pour the hot water into each mug.
Then I look around for a tray. I spot some stacked upright between the fridge and cupboard—right next to where Alan’s standing.
I move closer to him and bend to retrieve one.
He doesn’t move. I extract one, and as I try to keep away from him, I lose my balance.
He puts out a hand to steady me, resting it on my waist.
It’s not totally inappropriate, but a ripple of unease runs down my spine.
Flushing, I turn away and start putting the mugs on the tray.
After removing the teabags and adding a splash of milk, I’m ready to leave.
I lift the tray and turn, and he pushes up from the counter to put his mug in the sink.
He’s now blocking my way out.
“Excuse me,” I say clearly.
“If you ever get bored up at the house, you know where I am,” he says with a wink.
My heart bangs. Determined not to show how uncomfortable I am, I lift my chin and fix him with an icy gaze. “Excuse me. I need to get back.”
I half expect him to refuse to move, but to my relief, he steps to one side. I stride past him, my mouth dry, and head out into the sunlight.
I carry the tray over to the stables, and when I get there, I place it onto an upturned barrel, my shaking hands making the cups rattle on the tray.
“Sorry,” I murmur, taking Ruth’s over to her.
“All good,” she says, accepting it. “The next one’s on its way, I think.”
I give Jacob his tea, and then carry the last two over to Marcus, who’s back at the partition wall. He takes his, his shrewd gaze watching me.
“You okay?” he asks.
I nod and give a bright smile, then sip my tea, feeling a little queasy.
“Here we go,” Ruth says, and we lean on the partition and watch Luna produce another puppy.
Once again, my eyes fill with tears. The incident with Alan has upset me more than I thought, and combined with the emotion of seeing the puppy born, it makes me tremble a little.
Marcus puts his arm around me, and we watch Luna clean the puppy. It’s a soothing, calm moment, and gradually my trembling dies down.
“She’s gorgeous,” I say softly with a sniff.
“Half an hour or so before the next one,” Ruth says cheerfully.
Marcus nods. “Come outside for a bit,” he says to me.
I follow him out, both of us putting our empty cups on the tray as we pass. Outside, Marcus pauses and turns me to face him. “What’s up?” he asks, holding me by the upper arms. “You’re as white as a sheet.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alan turn from where he’s leaning against the truck and murmur something to Neil.
“N-nothing,” I say.
“Everything okay?” Jacob asks, coming out of the stables.
“Something’s upset Wren,” Marcus says.
“I’m okay,” I insist.
To the side, I hear Neil say, “Dude, that’s inappropriate.”
Jacob looks over, then strides across to them. “What did he say?” he demands.
Neil is stiff with indignation. He glances at me, then back at Jacob. “Something I’d rather not repeat.”
Marcus looks at me. “What did he do?”
“Nothing, really…”
“Tell me,” he demands.