Page 152 of Scarlet Angel

Nick surprised me at Christmas with an abandoned litter of curly-haired puppies. He read about them somewhere, or so he told me. Said he set up an alert for any mention of puppies in the area and, he read about these being left near a Cotswold pub. I’m not sure I completely believe his story, but I could hardly pass them up, especially with the red bows tied around their necks.

Sometimes they stay with us in London, but they’re getting quite big and prefer it out here where there’s room to roam. Plus, they hate their crates.

While Ash and Nick chat, I rub them down and lead them away from the hub of activity to the small barn. Lina’s horses are currently boarded nearby until the completion of the stables. The small barn adjacent to a paddock is where we keep the dogs when they stay here. It’s fine for summer, but we hope to be in the main house come fall when the weather turns.

Lina’s horses may return, or she may choose to stay in London and possibly sell her horses. It’s her choice to make.

Orlando and I speak about every fortnight. He’s summering with a friend’s family in Turkey and sounds like a teen once again. Overall, I’d say boarding school suits him.

The sun beams overhead, and the dogs run in circles. I lift a stick and throw it as hard as I can, and all four head off on a chase.

Nick approaches, mobile in his hand, speaking into it to message someone. I’m not sure if he’s always been like this or if his preoccupation with work is due to his drone start-up, but I suspect it’s the former.

When he slips the mobile into his pocket, I arch an eyebrow.

“Work?”

“No.” He smirks. It’s a familiar look I’ve grown to adore.

“What are you up to?”

“Scheduling a time for a private shopping excursion.”

“I do not need more clothes.”

He lifts my hand and caresses my fingers with his thumb. “But you could use some diamonds.”

I withdraw my hand from his and bend to greet Daisy, the black curly-haired dog. The other three boys are off grappling with the stick.

“Thought it might be nice for us to make it all official before we see our friends across the pond.”

I haven’t yet spoken with Willow, but I’ve been assured that soon, we’ll go on a private holiday and meet up with her. She goes by Lily now, and he goes by Sam. They’ve been quite cautious, as they should be, but Jack Sullivan promised us he’d find a way for us to safely meet. Nick assured me that it would happen. And now the designated holiday is a few short weeks away.

“Should it concern me that you don’t fancy the idea of wearing my ring?”

Daisy licks my face, buying me time for a response.

“Do you not want to be my wife?”

I push up off the ground, brushing my hands on my thighs.

“I’m already yours. I don’t need a ring or a document stating it.”

His eyes cloud, and that’s not what I want.

I interlock our fingers. “I have a proposal.”

He’s been dropping hints for weeks that he’d like for us to marry on our upcoming holiday.

“Let’s get tattoos.”

His face contorts, and I can’t suppress my laughter.

“You can’t be serious.”

I point at my ring finger. “On our ring fingers. You can take a ring off. You and I, we’re not traditional. That’s not what we’re about.”

“You did traditional. Didn’t fancy it,” he says, thoughtful.

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