Page 271 of The First Taste

Her eyebrows go up, but she flushes and hurries through the doorway, only looking back at me for one moment before dashing through the servants' passage that Clive holds open. Clive bows to me ever so briefly, and then I watch him pull the passageway door closed once again.

Pursing my lips, I pull out my cell phone. I feel like I have her in the palm of my hand. But corporate life has taught me to always have a backup plan. In case anything happens, I need to be absolutely sure that Talia will say yes to my offer.

I thumb through my contacts and then make a call. "Yeah, it’s me. I need a huge favor."

Eighteen

Talia

"Wait, so he just proposed to you? Completely out of the blue?"

I nod, walking beside Olivia. We are crossing Harwicke, heading for the Lucky Farms stables. It’s mid-morning and sunny outside, for a New England winter day.

"Wow," Olivia says. "I mean… It’s the most unromantic proposal I’ve ever heard. But then again, you get five hundred thousand dollars. So, factor that in, I guess."

I turn right, leaving the edge of Harwicke. We begin climbing the gentle slope toward the peak of the town.

The Morgan family estate sits at the top of everything, looking down on the town just as the family looks down on everyone that lives here. But the stables are settled at the bottom of the hill that eventually grows into a deep incline, becoming a bluff.

In the winter light, the dark landscape here looks especially harsh. Up this high, the sun throws odd shadows against the dark soil. We are on the edge of town now, with the sea to our right. Its dark waves wash up onto the shore and black rocks meet the harsh, pounding surf like a set of dark, stained giant’s teeth. Once on the beach, the water’s icy fingers reach out, trying to touch everything in its path.

Pulling my coat closer, I shiver and turn away. The stables are only a five-minute walk from here, and I need to get my head right before I get to the horses. They are very sensitive animals, and if I’m even a little mad or tense, whatever horse I am assigned will no doubt suffer for it.

"So?" Olivia asks. She slips her hands into her pockets as she scrunches up her face. Her hair is blowing all around her like a halo as the wind whips up.

I huddle in my coat and say, "You should have driven us. It’s so cold right now. I wanted to walk, but it would’ve been a better idea to drive."

She snuffles and gives a halfhearted shrug. "I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but I really must know. Are you going to tell Burn about the pregnancy? Or are you going to accept Dare's proposal?"

“Both sound equally terrible.”

I squint out over the horizon. We soon come to a flat area, just a few minutes from where the stables are located. The ground here is made of rich, dark soil, which makes it perfect for horses to run around in.

"I know Dare’s proposal is enticing. But I would be lying to everyone. You know? It seems like it would be hard to grow up in a house with two liars as parents."

"Yeah, I guess if you thought about it from your baby’s perspective. I just thought…" She trails off, her lips thinning.

"Whatever you're thinking, I need you to say it out loud."

"Well, I thought that Dare offered you a way out. You say you want a family. And Dare is offering a way for you to have that. I know that he would probably be a less-than great husband, but you know that his money and resources would make sure that your child is set for life."

I nod slowly. "Yeah. That’s definitely part of the reason why I’m struggling to make a decision. Just… Dare is undeniably very attractive, but looks fade. Then I'd be stuck with his personality, which is, to be honest, not great. I actually think I hate him."

"Yeah. I get that."

We come around a gentle curve in the road and the stables appear before us. There are a few small buildings, a barn, and a wide ring outside that is a fenced area where riders can trot and canter in circles.

I look at Olivia, who still looks distracted by our conversation.

"The question is, under what circumstances will you have this baby? Will the baby know who its real father is? Or will it think that its father is his or her uncle?" Her brow furrows. "Just saying that out loud is confusing."

I smile and link my arm with hers, tugging her toward the stables. "Let’s forget about the baby and the proposal for just a little while. It’s been forever since we volunteered here. We can try to enjoy our time while we're here, can’t we?"

She sucks in a breath and gives her head a shake, smiling. "Yes, of course. Sorry. I just don’t know how you are dealing with all this stuff."

"Pretty poorly. But hey, I am glad that you had the idea to come groom some horses. That will be really soothing."

"Just like when we were kids," she adds.