Page 28 of Saddles & Suits

He’s watching me steadily. “So what’s the solution then?”

This is where it gets tricky. I don’t doubt that Jack loves me, but he loves Bliss Vale too—loves everything about it. I take a deep breath.

“Sell it to me. Not the estate,” I tack on. “Not the land, either. Sell me the agistment and riding school. I’ll rent the stables and associated land from you, but the business and the horses will be mine.”

For a moment he says nothing, his face carefully blank, and my heart sinks. I truly believe this is the best step—it will put a degree of separation between our relationship and our business connection, and it’ll stop the rumors that I’m trying to marry into the business I love. Maybe I underestimated his bond with the property and everything it entails.

“Okay,” he says abruptly.

I blink, not sure I can believe it. “Okay?”

He nods. “You’re right; this is a good solution. We’ll have it valued and get the papers drawn up officially. I assume you’ll need to talk to the bank about a loan?”

Oh my god, he’s actually agreeing. “Yeah. I had a chat with them last year, before Warwick died, when I was looking at this place down Philip Island way, and they were pretty positive then. My capital’s increased in the meantime, and I’m not buying land, so…” I trail off. “You’re really okay with this?”

His face softens and a smile curls his lips. “I didn’t think I would be, but it feels right. Warwick would have been happy about it. The land will still be mine, and this way, we get a seamless transition to new ownership. I won’t even need to worry about the current manager leaving and me needing to find a new one in the future.” He sighs, but it’s a happy one. “It’s the logical step.”

I lean in and kiss him hard. “Thank you.” Bliss Vale Agistment and Riding School is going to be mine!

“Just one thing.”

Pulling back, I meet his gaze. There’s mischief there. “What?”

“I want to hire you as a contractor to keep running the rest of the property. The house, the tennis court lease, the gardens… my apartment.”

I laugh. “So basically you want me to keep doing what I am already?”

“Yep. I’m not good with change, and I like the idea of my hot boyfriend buying my underwear.”

How can I not love him when he says stuff like that?

Epilogue

Seb

Eleven Months Later

“Seb! Five-minute reminder!”

Chris’s shout echoes across to where I’m showing a prospective boarder the grazing pasture. I wave in acknowledgment, then turn back to the visitor.

“Sorry, I’m afraid I need to head out. We’re done with the tour, anyway, but do you have any questions I can answer while we walk back?”

The woman, a serious-faced mother in her late forties who plans to finally give her fourteen-year-old daughter a horse this Christmas, purses her lips and falls into step with me. “I think you’ve covered everything. The schedule of fees is in this folder, isn’t it?” She holds up the glossy manila folder I gave her that has our branding on the front.

“Yes, along with almost everything we’ve discussed and a FAQ sheet—plus our contact details so you can reach out if anything else occurs to you.”

She nods. “And you think there’s a chance Chris will take her on as a private student?”

This is tricky. “Her competition results so far are impressive,” I hedge. “We can definitely enroll her into our advanced dressage and showjumping classes, but Chris may feel that she needs a few more years’ experience in local competition before beginning more intense training. She’s still very young.”

The mother smiles and gives a satisfied nod. “That’s what I was hoping to hear, rather than a hard sales pitch. Dee has Olympic ambitions, and I’m not going to hold her back, but I won’t let her rush beyond her capabilities either.” We reach the stableyard and stop, and she holds out a hand to me. “Thanks for the tour, Seb. Hold a place for us, and I’ll give you a call tomorrow to get the paperwork started.”

I thank her and watch her leave, trying not to feel too smug.

“Well?” Chris asks. “That was Dee Caulford’s mum, wasn’t it? I’m sure I recognize her from the circuit.”

“Yes, you do. She’s buying Dee a horse of her own at last and wants to stable it here.”

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