MARIAH WANTED TO get the next event in Project Proposal underway. They had only a limited time to fall madly in love in front of the town, but she had a planning meeting tonight. She, Rachel and Jaycee now had a standing date to meet and go over the details for the engagement party on Tuesdays while Dave was at darts night with Nelson.
She was happy to be part of girls’ night, even if it was work related.
Growing up on a sailboat, traveling all around the world, had obvious advantages. If she’d been given one of those world maps, the kind where you color in every place you’ve been, Mariah would have been kept busy for a long time and used up most of the crayons. Pretty well any place that touched water, she’d been.
She’d seen different kinds of people, and a variety of lifestyles. She’d picked up bits of many languages and lost her breath at incredible beauty.
But she’d been the only girl. Her brothers hadn’t left her out maliciously, but they’d had more things in common and were closer in age to each other. She met girls her age on other boats, not that many, since full-time cruisers tended more to retirees than young families, but she had met some.
When she was younger, finding another girl to play with had been a highlight. As she grew older, it was rarer to find one who shared her interests and became a friend, not an acquaintance. But while the two families might travel to a few places together, eventually they’d part ways. Everyone promised they’d meet up again, and occasionally they would, but it was random, rare and at the mercy of weather and her parents’ plans.
Rachel and Jaycee were best friends and had grown up together. Mariah envied them their long friendship. She couldn’t imagine how secure it would feel to have friends who’d known her since before kindergarten. Who shared stories from her whole life. Who were there. All the time.
When the planning meetings got sidetracked into other topics, Mariah was happy to follow along. She basked in the feeling of being included. This was what she wanted. When this project was done, and she settled in New York City, she could have her own place, set down her own roots and make her own circle of friends.
In Virginia, she’d been so career focused that she hadn’t made an effort to find friends. She wasn’t sure she knew how. Here in Carter’s Crossing, she was learning. She was looking forward to finally finding her place, and her people. She might not have someone who knew her growing up, but she could make friends who would last the rest of her life.
She’d idealized friendships. Someone to spend time with. Go shopping with, go out with, talk over things with. She hadn’t considered that there were things about having good friends, involved friends, that might not be as wonderful. She’d ignored the part about talking things over that she might not want to talk about so much. Concern that headed into nosy territory.
Jaycee hadn’t even said hello before she started. “What’s up with you and Nelson? How long has this been going on?”
Rachel was the voice of reason. “Jaycee—don’t get carried away. You don’t know anything other than they had dinner together.”
Mariah set down her notebook and pens. She met two pairs of eyes, zeroed in on her. They weren’t going to back down; she could tell.
Huh. This was part of being a friend, as well. Good thing she wanted to talk.
“First of all, we’ve had dinner together before. Abigail has Nelson over a couple times a week. Last night Abigail was dealing with the architect who’s coming to look at the mill, so we went out because I wanted to ask about his horses.”
Jaycee wasn’t convinced. “You didn’t have to come to Moonstone to do that.”
“Nelson didn’t want to disturb Abigail, and what, was I supposed to go to his place? Like that wouldn’t have got everyone talking?”
Yeah, make it sound like Nelson came up with the idea.
Rachel gave Jaycee a knowing look. “I told you so.”
Jaycee pouted. “I hoped Nelson was dating again.”
Since Mariah was the one who was going to be dumped, she didn’t need to look like she was chasing him now. She had some pride. But she was puzzled. Why wasn’t he dating? If he was, he wouldn’t have asked Rachel to pretend to get engaged to him. And she wouldn’t be starting a fake romance. Was there no one around he was interested in? Unrequited love?
There was a story about Nelson. She wished these gossipy people would talk about it, but they either knew already and were all talked out, or they didn’t want to tell her. She almost asked. These two would know what the story was. But it felt wrong. Gossipy. Prying.
Like she wanted to know because she was interested in him. But she was supposed to be, right? But what if it got back to Nelson?
The person she should ask was Nelson. After all, if they were going to fall in love, she should know his past, especially as it related to love affairs. Was it a love affair? Some past dating thing? Would he even tell her?
Why did it feel important that he be the one to tell her?
She mentally shook her head and caught up with the conversation between Jaycee and Rachel.
“Dave’s mom has been talking about her own engagement party, and how they had a sit-down dinner. Maybe we should try something like that? I mean, is this skating party too informal?”
Mariah snapped into planning mode. A sit-down dinner was not the kind of event that would promote Carter’s Crossing. It was also nothing like Jaycee and Dave. They were active, fun people, and deserved a party that people would remember and talk about, not a cookie-cutter dinner.
Jaycee was a confident, outgoing woman, with a clear idea of what she liked, but Dave’s mother was her weakness. Mariah was just beginning to understand the social divide the railroad tracks made in this little town.
The wrong side of the tracks was more than just an expression.
“Jaycee, I want you to have the best engagement party ever. I don’t want to make it the party I want. I want it to be the party you and Dave want. You sounded excited about a skating party. Neither of you even talked about a formal dinner. Isn’t that the kind of thing you said you hate?”
Jaycee played with a strand of her hair and nodded.
“Dave’s mother may not have enough imagination to see this, but your party is going to be fun, unforgettable and in excellent taste. Abigail supports this. Remind Dave’s mom about that if she gets to be too much.
“Now, how’s the song choice going?”
MARIAH KEPT GLANCING at her watch. Nelson was taking her to see his horses, and she somehow found herself ready early.
She tried to tell herself she wanted to make sure he hadn’t caused any trouble last night out on his own, but if she was honest, she was looking forward to the trip just for the chance to see his place and his horses. She wanted to know why they were verboten for anything she had planned. She was curious about what his farm was like.
She wanted to understand him better.
Um...
Because of the fake proposal. They needed to set up more dates and work out the logistics for this “relationship.” She had a rough plan worked out, but she didn’t know if he’d agree to everything.
She’d dealt with all types of people planning events, mostly weddings. There were guys like Dave, who were easygoing and didn’t care much about the details.
There were people like Jaycee, in the middle of the spectrum, who had a good idea of what they wanted, but still needed support for their ideas. They would listen to suggestions and accept guidance.
And on the other end, the bridezillas.
Mariah was good at identifying the types. Nelson wasn’t an easy guy to figure out.
Nelson was easygoing at times, but not like Dave. He had more confidence than Jaycee, but while he’d certainly pushed a lot of her buttons, he hadn’t gone into bridezilla territory.
Not knowing was making her a little nervous.
He’d told her to dress warmly, so she had long johns on under her jeans and sweater. In New York at Thanksgiving, she’d stocked up on warm clothing, so she had a new, warmer coat, as well. This far from the moderating effect of the ocean, things got much colder. The stream by the mill was frozen already, and she kept her fingers crossed that it would last.
Except when she was outside because her fingers got too cold to move.
Nelson pulled up in front of the house in his clinic van. Mariah didn’t wait for him to get out. She scrambled to open the door as quickly as she could, grateful that the van was warm.
Nelson was grinning. He was still dressed in his work clothes, but he looked comfortable in the cold. He would.
“Blood still thin?”
She wanted to make a smart comment back, but it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable in the cold. Her teeth were chattering. She rubbed her hands on her arms and leaned into the warm air coming from the vents.
“It’s not this cold in Virginia, where I’ve been working these past few years, and on the boat, we stayed where it was warm.”
Nelson leaned over and turned up the heat.
“Did you never head north, or south, when it was colder?” He glanced at her before pulling the van into gear and heading to the mysterious farm.
Mariah shook her head. “We traveled up the coast of the US and Europe, down Africa and South America, Australia—pretty well anywhere we could get on saltwater, but we went when those places were having summer. It’s more difficult to keep a boat warm when the water is cold, and we can’t move where there’s ice. So no, I’m not used to this cold.”
He took his attention off the road long enough to run his gaze over her. She felt it, moving over her skin along with the heat coming from the vents.
“Did you dress warmly? The barn is a little drafty.”
Mariah glanced down at herself. “Long johns, sweater, hat, scarf and mitts. I hope that’s enough.”
“Let me know if it gets too cold and we can come back.”
She nodded. “I will.” She wouldn’t. She had things to do, and a little cold wasn’t going to stop her.
“Tell me about your horses. How did you start rescuing them?”
Nelson had driven them out of town, away from the mill. He pulled off onto a side road. “I worked at an equine practice when I first graduated. It was my specialty. I’ve always liked horses. Helping horses was natural, once I had my own place back here in Carter’s.”
“You didn’t want to stay with Abigail?”
He shook his head. “When I came back, I didn’t like the idea of Grandmother living on her own. I know she has staff, but they’re only there in the daytime. I didn’t want to share the house with her, though. I mean, I love her, but...”
“I guess that makes sense.” Mariah was enjoying her time with Abigail, but it was temporary. If she was going to live in Carter’s she’d probably like her own space.
Whoa. Where had that thought come from?
“Believe me, it would have been a disaster. Grandmother knows everything that goes on in this town, and believes she knows what’s best for people. We needed space or she’d have driven me up the wall.
“I bought a farm. The house needs to be completely redone. I should maybe just knock it down and rebuild, but I’ve been working on the barn.”
Nelson turned onto a side road. This was the most Nelson had shared with her since she’d arrived in Carter’s Crossing. It was almost like they were friends. She waited to see if he’d keep talking.
“Not long after I got here, I was called in on a case. An old man, a recluse, had died, and his horse had been tied up in the barn without food or water for days. The horse was old, and I’d been asked to put him down.
“Despite what he’d been through, he was still affectionate, and other than the malnutrition, healthy. But he was too old to be of any use to anyone. I took him to the farm. Then I started repairing the barn, making it a home for him.
“Once the rescue people heard about that, I became their contact when they come across a horse in need of a home. A couple of the horses I’ve had have been rehomed, but the ones that are too old, or too abused, they stay here.”
Nelson turned the van into a long driveway. Mariah saw the dilapidated house, and on the other side of the drive, the barn.
The house had boarded-up windows, and the porch floor had collapsed. The barn, on the other hand, looked sturdy and warm. Mariah noticed a couple of horses in the field, watching the van pull in.
“This is it. I’ve got some stuff in the back to carry in. If you go in that barn door, you’ll be warmer.”
Mariah looked at the door. Were there horses in there? Were they loose?
Nelson must have understood her hesitation. “When you enter the barn, you’re in an aisle, separated from the horses by a fence.”
Mariah’s breath was a white cloud as she sped to the barn door and pushed it open.
She heard a rustling as she rushed in. A couple of horses leaped to the doorway at the other end of the barn, startling her. A third stood by the partition nearest her, watching her with patient curiosity. Mariah heard Nelson approaching, and stepped back, away from the horses, looking around to make sure there weren’t any others.
Nelson pushed the barn door open, carrying a bale of hay. Mariah closed the door behind him.
“Thanks. I’ve got a feed delivery coming, but not till tomorrow. You guys still want to eat, right, Sparky?”
The horse who’d been watching Mariah had turned his attention to Nelson and stretched his head over the wall.
Nelson dropped the hay bale and reached to scratch behind the horse’s ears.
“Sparky?” Mariah asked.
Nelson looked over his shoulder at her. “Do you want to meet him?”
Mariah hesitated. She had never been around large animals. Not wanting to give Nelson fodder for mocking her, she forced herself to walk over.
“This is Sparky. He’s the first horse I mentioned.”
Sparky was rubbing his head on Nelson’s sleeve. Mariah noticed the gray around Sparky’s muzzle and eyes. The two other horses she’d startled had come back, heading to Nelson and the food he offered.
“How old is he?”
“He’s almost thirty.”
She took another look at the horse. Was Nelson serious?
“Really? I didn’t know horses lived that long.”
“Sparky’s enjoying himself too much to give up.”
Then the two horses who had been outdoors came around the open doorway. That made five. Was that all of them?
Nelson followed her gaze.
“The chestnut, the light, reddish-brown horse, is the newest, and he’s very skittish.” Nelson’s voice was calm and level. “Don’t make sudden moves or loud noises, if you don’t mind. He’s still getting used to me.”
Mariah nodded slowly. She watched the horse, noticing how he hung back, ears flickering, eyes focused on the humans.
Mariah thought her own ears would be flickering if they were able. She felt as uncomfortable as the horse looked.
Nelson continued to introduce her to the horses as he opened the hay bale and dropped chunks of it in the manger.
“The gray is Juno. She injured a tendon and has a limp. She’ll never be able to carry a rider or travel too far. The bay is Star. He’s blind but knows this field and barn well enough to make it around on his own. Juno normally travels with him and keeps him safe.
“Toby is the chestnut, and with him is Maggie. Maggie is another senior citizen, but she calms Toby down. He’ll finally let me touch him, but probably not today while you’re here.”
“What happened to Maggie?”
“She was another victim of neglect. Her hooves hadn’t been tended to for so long they’d grown out to where she couldn’t walk on them anymore. It took a while, but she’s okay now. She’s also developing osteoarthritis, so requires extra care.”
While Mariah watched, Toby followed Maggie as she came closer. He stayed just out of reach but finally came close enough to get his share of the food.
Mariah carefully sidestepped down the aisle in front of the partition, slightly away from Nelson, wanting to give him space to touch Toby if possible. She didn’t want to disrupt his plans for the horse.
Nelson was right. None of these horses were going to be of any use in making Carter’s Crossing a Romance Center. Two old horses, one blind one and one crippled. None of them provided the image that visitors would be looking for, let alone the ability to pull a sleigh or wagon. The final horse was afraid of people.
She hadn’t really expected anything. It had been a means to an end, to start the love story of Mariah and Nelson.
If they wanted to promote Nelson as a romantic lead, however, this would certainly fit the bill. Watching him with his horses, talking to them, running his hands over their necks, scratching their ears—it was enough to make a woman feel a little swoony.
She shook herself. She couldn’t get carried away. They were going to pretend to date and get engaged. It was good that she didn’t find him repulsive, but there was no need to go overboard.
This was what Nelson had meant about his farm. It was a place of refuge for these animals. Not recreation for people.
“Don’t move.” She realized Nelson was talking to her. His voice had been in the background, talking to the horses, but now it was pitched toward her. It was still level and calm, but there was an underlying note of caution.
Mariah froze. “Is there a spider on me? You don’t have poisonous spiders up here, right? You aren’t running a black widow refuge, as well?”
Maybe she had a thing about spiders.
A corner of his mouth quirked. “No, not the season for spiders. Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that Toby is approaching you.”
Toby? The skittish one?
“Did I upset him?” She stayed still, but her muscles were tense, ready to move. She trusted Nelson on this, but only so far.
“No.” The smile was growing. “I think he likes you.”
At that, Mariah looked out the corner of her eye. Toby was two feet away, on the other side of the partition, watching her.
“What should I do?”
“Just what you’re doing.”
Mariah didn’t want to stand in place indefinitely. It was warmer in the barn than outside, but she was still cool. She turned her head, slowly, and Toby stayed in place.
She turned her body, just as slowly, and watched him back.
“I don’t know what you want, horse. I don’t have any food.”
Toby snorted at her. He took a hesitant step closer.
“Whoa there, buddy. I’m not a horse person. Unless you want to get married, we have nothing in common.”
He shook his head, and Mariah tensed. He stretched out his nose, and she leaned back.
“Toby.” Nelson took a couple of steps toward her. The horse held his ground but brought his muzzle back toward his chest. Nelson stopped his advance but kept talking. Mariah was feeling it; that low, comforting tone inserting itself under her skin.
She totally got how he charmed his horses.
“You like it when a girl plays hard to get, is that it, Toby? It’s okay. You can flirt with her, but I gotta warn you, I don’t think you’re her type.”
Nelson maintained the low voice and leaned his arms on the partition. Toby flickered his ears.
“Would you step up here beside me, Mariah? Nice and easy. He won’t bite, but I want to see if he’ll come closer.”
Mariah had some second and third thoughts about this idea, but with Toby’s eyes on her, she came up beside Nelson. She kept her arms safely down at her sides and looked at Nelson for guidance.
He was watching the horse but must have been aware of what she was doing. “That’s good. Ignore him. He’s taking a step toward you. Don’t move—he’s just curious. He won’t hurt you.”
With no change of tone, he talked to Toby. “You’re not used to someone like Mariah, are you, Toby? Did you know she grew up on a boat? And she can find where she is, even in the middle of an ocean? That’s what she told me.”
Mariah felt warm air on her cheek. She almost swore she felt a velvety softness, and then it backed away.
“So that’s it, Toby, is it? You’re a ladies’ horse? Well, if you’re nice, maybe Mariah will come around again.”
She heard muffled hoofbeats and turned to see Toby backing off. The air swooshed out of her lungs.
“What was that?”
“I have no idea. But I’ve never seen Toby approach a person before. Apparently, he likes you.”