Page 29 of Adored

“Ask and you’ll find out.”

Oh, well, he would.

“I’d bet that it happens,” he admitted. “I have a hunch it’ll happen before you know it.”

The fact was that in his rucksack, he had brought a few things with him.

His blues.

A suit.

A ring.

Oh, and a gun.

Sue him.

Elizabeth got him there, and if Von Donore was around, he needed one.

They weren’t sure the Duke of Gordon had any guns for hunting or collections, so he wasn’t willing to chance it either.

As the horses were brushed down, two men came into the stables, and Poe called them over.

Gamble was wary of everyone new, and these two had his full attention.

“This is Arthur Doyle,” he said, introducing Gamble to them. “He’s my boyfriend, and he has as much authority here as I do,” he said.

The men shook his hand.

“This is Collin Devonshire, and Paddy O’Flannery,” he said. “They are in charge of the stables and making sure the horses are good—now that we have horses,” Poe admitted. Up to that morning, he’d yet to buy any.

“Aye,” Paddy said. “When did horses arrive?” he asked. “Are they here for good?”

Gamble handled this.

“They came back from America with me,” he admitted. “There will be more. Poe wants more horses, and what my boyfriend wants, he’ll have.”

Poe actually grinned.

Gamble didn’t.

Why?

He didn’t want a boyfriend.

He wanted a husband.

Well, he’d rectify that.

“We brushed down these two,” Poe said, showing Paddy and Collin the two horses. “This is Diablo, and I wouldn’t go near him,” he warned. “He only likes Arthur,” he added.

Collin waved his hand, brushing that comment off like he knew best.

“I have a way with horses, Sir. I can handle him. Don’t ya be worrying about that now.”

The second he moved toward the gate, Diablo went back up on his back feet, and grunted in anger as he slammed his one hoof against the gate.

Immediately, the man backed away.