The Earl of Arms and Ammo #2
“You just have to come to the stables with me!” Hailey got as much into Shona’s face as she could as her cousin was painting the walls of her future tasting room and shop.
“As you can see, I’m busy.”
“Oh, come on! These walls can wait. We’ve got a hot young earl visiting and he’ll be around all afternoon to introduce Da and me to his three problem horses.” Hailey fidgeted excitedly.
“I thought that was yesterday,” Shona replied, not particularly interested in the whole matter.
They had been through more or less the same conversation the day before and she had refused to engage because she was indeed busy.
Shona had spent the afternoon and evening at a regional glass-blowing studio she had previously picked as the manufacturer of her future whisky bottles.
Now she quickly needed bottles for her gin, and a lot of them too.
By the time she had arrived back home, Hailey and Kristy were already in bed.
And she didn’t mind being the last one up.
Since that strange night in Inverness a week and a half ago, she had done her best to avoid talking to Hailey any more than necessary.
She just couldn’t bring herself to tell her cousin about her ...
er ... encounter with Kendrick. Hailey still seemed to have a bit of a crush on the vet, which was too bad because Shona could really do with someone with whom to talk it all through.
In all her active dating life, she had never had an experience like this.
Every time she thought back to the night out, she felt hot all over again.
She was no stranger to casual sex, but the fact that she’d been on fire so quickly – and with Kendrick of all people, whom she didn’t even like!
– had come as a huge surprise. Just dancing with him had felt like sex.
No wonder he’d come so quickly! She’d been on the verge herself, only needing a moment or two more to let loose.
It had felt so, so good – primal in the best sense of the word.
His orgasm had almost swept her along, but then the eejit had stammered feebly and when she saw the look on his face, she could only make a run for it.
Shona had seen the shame and loathing in his eyes – and she still struggled to understand what it meant.
Had he felt repulsed because she had taken the lead and guided him into the alcove?
Or because she had a condom on her? He probably thought she was a hussy and despised her for throwing herself at him.
And most likely, he felt ashamed that he had allowed himself to be seduced.
Some men really were such wankers! She had felt it on the dance floor – there was something special, exciting between them.
She had never danced like this with anybody before and ...
Why was she even thinking about him?! She should tell her cousin what a wuss Kendrick McIntosh was and be done with it – him – once and for all. Yet she didn’t say a word, even now.
“Da told the earl that the horses need a bit of time to get familiar with their surroundings before he can take a closer look at them,” Hailey brought her back to the topic at hand. “So I haven’t seen him yet either. But I’ve read all about him.”
“I see,” Shona muttered unenthusiastically.
“Lord Jonah Garbert-Smithe is not only the hottest nobleman since that sexy duke in Bridgerton, he’s also a filthy rich businessman with homes in Dubai, New York and Monaco.
And his racehorses are considered among the best in the world.
He was even known to ruin Royal Ascot for the Queen because his horses beat hers.
And these horses are just a hobby for him. ”
“I see,” Shona replied again.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Hailey put her hands on her hips and gave Shona a scrutinising glance.
“Is something the matter? Normally you’d be all in.
Just look at this photo!” She shoved her phone right under Shona’s nose until the latter was face to face with a close-up of the ultra-eligible bachelor.
“Okay, he’s hot,” Shona admitted with marginally more interest. He did look fantastic with his black hair and glowering dark eyes.
Quite the opposite of what you would imagine an English earl to look like, and definitely her type.
But in her mind’s eye, the pretty face was pushed aside by the memory of the vet’s broad shoulders and his big, strong hands, which had first led her confidently through the dance motions and then grabbed her buttocks.
She shook her head, as if driving away an annoying fly, a gesture Hailey promptly misunderstood.
“Nobody is asking you to marry him,” she remarked, rolling her eyes.
“Who?”
“The earl! Who else? Have you had too much of these paint fumes? Anyway, I thought he’d just be the type for you to have some fun with. He’s also got two other chaps with him, and Colleen says they don’t look too shabby either.”
“Aye. All right, I’ll come have a look, but not today.
I want to get these walls done. Colleen said she has some nice furniture in the swap shop that might work well for the vintage style I’m envisioning.
The counter and the shelves for bottles and glasses will be put up early next week, so I really need to be ready by then. ”
“Whatever you say. But don’t complain later that Jonah isn’t interested.”
“I won’t,” Shona replied, and she meant it.
At this point, she could hardly be more indifferent.
Even though the English aristocrat might be the perfect distraction.
A man who certainly had no intention of getting serious with some girl from Scotland.
A man who would soon disappear from her life.
No trouble avoiding him at all costs like other people, which was quite a feat here in Kirkby.
Come to think of it, it might be worth considering after all. She hesitated.
“Ha, I knew it!” Hailey exclaimed triumphantly. “You’ve changed your mind!”
Shona let her gaze glide over her half-finished walls before looking at her colour-stained hands.
She hadn’t washed her hair this morning because it seemed pointless considering she would spend the day painting.
Going with Hayley would mean dropping everything on the spot, dashing home, jumping in the shower – and all that just to meet some pretty rich boy at the stables?
No, that didn’t sound too appealing. Contrary to the earl, Kendrick would certainly have no problem with her being sweaty and paint-splattered ...
Where had this bloody thought come from?
“I have not changed my mind,” she pushed back and found herself sounding more annoyed than intended.
After all, her disturbing daydreams of the vet weren’t Hailey’s fault.
“Let me finish up here, and I might pop round the stables tomorrow. I’m sure His Highness will be visiting his precious beasts every day. ”
“Whatever.” Hailey shrugged and gave up. “I’ll see you later at the house then. Maybe! Unless Lord Jonah has other plans.” She winked and disappeared, leaving a relieved Shona behind.
By the early evening, Shona had finished the paint job and admired her work.
It had turned out really nicely and she could easily imagine how cosy the room would be once it was furnished.
It was probably silly that she had insisted on remodelling this room all by herself.
She had gratefully enlisted the help of professionals, friends and neighbours for all the other tasks.
But for some reason it felt important to her to make the tasting room fully her own.
It would be the public centrepiece of her business and reflect her and her philosophy.
So it made sense that she wanted to be personally responsible for it, didn’t it?
Shona went to the distillation room, where they had set up the two whisky stills as well as, a few days ago, a brand new still for the gin.
She had immediately distilled a batch with Isla on Monday, and the result was currently stored in a large stainless-steel container.
Though gin didn’t explicitly need it, it wasn’t a bad idea to have it rest for a bit before bottling.
She had also decided to set up her own bottling plant in the old malt house.
Da had done the research for her and secured an option on a facility at a recently closed distillery near Stirling.
Shona and Marlin would go there at the weekend to check it out.
If things went well, she would buy it, and her business would be perfectly equipped and furnished a fortnight from now.
Only the cost of everything still made her dizzy.
Most of her seed money was an interest-free loan from her da, but she did have a bank loan that needed to be serviced.
It was rather overwhelming, and yet it felt good.
Shona was proud to be following through on her dream.
She had secretly worried about falling back into old patterns when she returned from London, especially the role of the family’s baby girl who could have been a carbon copy of their mother.
Their mother who had been diagnosed with cancer when she was pregnant with Shona and, faced with a heartbreaking choice, had decided for her unborn daughter’s life instead of undergoing chemotherapy.
Bonnie had died only a few months after Shona was born.
Which basically made it Shona’s fault that her siblings had grown up without a mother and that her father had to live on without his wife.