Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 145155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
He gives me a megawatt smile and does wide eyes at me. “Looks like we are headed to Willowvale tomorrow.”
I frown. “Willowvale, what’s that?” I ask.
He rubs his hand up my leg. “My favorite place on this earth, my horse stud farm.” He gives me a broad grin.
“On earth,” I repeat. “That’s a big call,” I remark.
He nods. “I hope we can live there one day. That’s the plan anyway.” I frown. I thought he was going to move back to Australia with me one day. Is that the plan: to move me here and never take me home? Am I really going to leave Australia and my friends forever if I move here? A sinking feeling of dread starts to form in my stomach. Black brothel rooms, asshole best friends who take cocaine, horses that come with vets from hell, no more Oscar’s with Abbie and Bridget, no more Sydney, no more me. I look out the window as I fall deep into thought. This move is going to be harder than I ever imagined. My eyes flick back to Joshua who is oblivious to my thoughts. He is chewing his thumbnail, his eyes on the road in front. Don’t hurt me Josh, I won’t be able to handle it. I am literally giving up everything in my life to be with you.
“This is it.” He smiles. We are driving up a sweeping road with sandstone block fences. The driveway to Willowvale. The road is lined with massive old beautiful trees on either side. Joshua is as excited as I have seen him.
“Over there are the stables for the thoroughbreds.” He points and smiles. “And this here is the stable hand quarters.”
I frown. “That is the help’s house?” I ask in shock. He nods and smiles again. “Josh, they are bigger than most houses and made of sandstone.”
He smiles and nods. “I know, awesome huh?” Hmm, I hate to admit it, but this place is pretty damn heavenly, green rolling hills, huge sandstone buildings and fences. Adrian’s comment when we were leaving of packing my glass slippers has only heightened my nerves. He obviously thinks Amelie is a threat if he’s giving me Cinderella jokes. I’m nervous, why am I so nervous? We turn the corner and my mouth drops. There on the hill is a castle…I’m not even joking…a huge sandstone house, a castle-size house. It looks like Mr. frigging Darcy’s house from Pride and Prejudice. Holy crap, I am definitely out of my league here. My heart starts to thump in an uneven beat. We pull the car up and a man comes out and shakes Joshua’s hand.
He smiles and nods at me. “She’s in the stables, Josh.” Josh’s eyes flick to me nervously and I smile innocently. Josh’s first question when he pulls up is obviously where’s Amelie? He grabs my hand and leads me inside, blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil. He leads me around the castle, I mean house. It’s breathtaking; he’s right, I do love it. He leads me up the stairs and along a wide corridor to a bedroom where he puts our cases on the end ottoman.
“This is my room, I mean our room.” He gestures around the room and I nod and smile. “There are ten bedrooms in all,” he continues.
“Is this the master suite?” I ask.
He frowns. “Um, no…Am…I mean Amelie has the main bedroom, you know, since she is here all the time.” I nod again. He’s talking too fast, too panicky. Yep, he’s just as nervous having me here as I am being here. We walk back downstairs, and Josh shows me around the frigging King Henry the Eighth castle. It’s a wonder it doesn’t have a damn moat. My mind is everywhere but on his tour guide skills.
“Come on, we will go up to the stables.” He gestures to the back of the house. I nod and follow him out the door to where he gets into a huge Range Rover utility that is waiting at the back door. I will never get used to having this kind of money; it’s just so ridiculous. Who has spare new cars sitting on farms? We sit in silence as we drive on the dirt roads over another set of hills. I have never felt like such a fish out of water. Horses and I have a hate-hate relationship. I hate them and they hate me. We pull over another hill and I am shocked; my jaw literally hits the floor. Rows and rows of stables and I can see at least ten workers around, doing different things.
The car pulls up and they all come straight over to us. It’s remarkable how differently Joshua treats his staff out here, as if they are all his friends. Maybe they are. I am being introduced to all of them, one by one, when I see her and my heart drops. A beautiful natural blonde comes out of one of the stables, wearing navy jodhpurs and a pink checkered shirt and riding boots. Oh my god, she looks like frigging Grace Kelly…I’m so screwed. And she looks good in jodhpurs. Nobody looks good in jodhpurs. If I put a pair on, I would evacuate this whole establishment, everybody would run for the hills. I can’t compete with this shit. Her hands are dirty, and her hair is in a low loose bun. She has no makeup on, and her skin is flawless. Damn those English girls and their perfect skin. She is naturally stunning. Her eyes light up when she sees Joshua and she laughs out loud and runs over and cuddles him. He returns her cuddle and then seems to remember that I am here and pulls back.