Chapter 2

The familiar scent of hay and horses surrounded Claire Hurley as she moved down the roll of stalls. The gentle whinnying of the horses filled the air along with the occasional stomp. Claire took her time, spending a few moments with each horse, greeting them by name and petting their neck or nose. It was almost meditative for her, and she always allowed the time for it, no matter how many other jobs she had on her list as stable manager that day.

Warm sunlight filtered through the stable windows, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air. As she reached the end of the row, a loud bang followed by a distressed whinny caught her attention. Claire turned to see Finn, the new colt, rearing up in his stall.

Claire approached the stall slowly, her movements fluid and non-threatening. She knew that Finn needed a calm, reassuring presence to settle his nerves.

"Easy there, boy," Claire murmured, her voice low and soothing. "It's okay. You're safe."

Finn snorted and pawed at the ground, his ears pinned back. But Claire remained patient, speaking softly and keeping her distance until the light gray colt began to calm down.

As Finn's breathing slowed, Claire inched closer, extending her hand for him to sniff. The colt stretched his neck, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply. Slowly, tentatively, he nuzzled her palm. The colt leaned into her touch, his earlier anxiety melting away as she ran her hand over Finn's sleek coat, checking for any signs of injury.

"You're doing just fine," she said softly. "We'll take things slow and steady, you and me."

After a few moments, she led Finn out of the stall and into the paddock. Claire spent the next hour working with Finn. She watched carefully for any signs of stress or discomfort, adjusting her approach as needed to keep the colt feeling safe and secure.

After they finished in the paddock, Claire clipped a lead rope to Finn's halter and led him out of the stable for a gentle walk around the grounds of the estate. Finn's hooves crunched on the gravel path as they moved away from the stables and through the dense, wooded area that separated the stables from the main house. Above them, the soft rustling of leaves mingled with the chirps of birds moving among the branches as they followed the path.

This was Claire's favorite part of the grounds. Golden streaks of light filtered through the trees, and it was so peaceful here that she almost felt a sense of reverence each time she passed through the forest. Ferns brushed against her leg, and the scent of moss and fresh rain surrounded them. In the distance, she could just make out the quiet babbling of a stream.

It was only a short walk, maybe twenty minutes, before the land opened up, and they emerged from the woods to the rolling green fields stretching out as far as she could see, beyond the walls of this estate. Sheep and cows were dots against the landscape, stone walls separating one farmer's field from another.

Just about every friend Claire had growing up had left the west of Ireland, whether it was for New York or Sydney, some only as far as London, but she knew she'd never leave.

She spotted Trish's white car pulled up in front of the main house, and Claire had to assume that a new guest would be arriving shortly. Claire guided Finn towards the house, feeling grateful that their walk so far had gone smoothly.

When Trish had inherited the Georgian manor almost ten years ago now, it had been in need of repairs and some modernization. And although the changes had been made, no one would ever know. The ivy-covered facades and weathered stone kept its old charm from the outside, and inside, all five-bedrooms were luxurious while still holding onto the past, furnished with antique pieces.

There were only so many people who could spend thousands renting a five-bedroom house like this, so it meant that it was only rented out a few times a year to wealthy families who wanted a week away in Ireland, exploring the countryside while staying somewhere grand and completely private.

When Trish offered her the chance to work with the horses here once Claire had finished college, she jumped at the idea. She hadn't really known what she was going to do, but if she could work with horses, she thought she'd be happy. And she had been. For the last five years, she'd been in charge of the stables. Sometimes, Claire gave riding lessons, but most of the time it was simply taking care of the horses and letting the guests come and spend time with them if they wanted.

Trish came out of the house a few minutes later, her blond hair tied back in a ponytail today. "You might want to add horse whisperer to your CV," she said with a smile as she strode across the immaculately manicured lawn to meet them halfway.

Claire returned her smile. "Well, when no one's staying here, I have plenty of time to spend with the horses, and lately, it's been Finn who's been getting most of my attention. He's really come on in the last week though, hasn't he?"

"He has. And speaking of guests… The house has been booked from yesterday to October."

"Six months?" Claire asked, her mouth falling open, immediately trying to do the maths and failing miserably. Who could afford to book this place for six months?

Trish nodded. "It's an American actress who wants to get away for a while. Look, I don't know much. She just asked me not to tell anyone, and well, you'll meet her soon enough. Whenever she decides to arrive."

"She's not on the way?"

Trish shrugged. "She didn't say when she'd arrive or when she'd leave. She just wanted to block book the house in case she wanted to stay for the full six months. And I get that. If she's here for two months and wants to stay longer, she doesn't have to worry about finding somewhere else to stay. Obviously, money isn't an issue, and privacy was at the top of the list."

Claire blinked. She didn't think anyone had stayed longer than two weeks. Six months? And it was impossible to know what having a famous actress staying here would be like. Would she be demanding? Would she bring staff with her? Would she expect Claire to be her personal tour guide?

"I have no idea what to expect," Trish said, having similar thoughts to Claire, "But if she wants to get away from her life in Los Angeles, and she's coming this far to do it, my guess is that she'll keep to herself."

"She knows that there's no staff, right?"

"Yeah. That was a selling point actually. That she'd have the entire house to herself with no personal chef or house keeper."

Claire laughed softly. "Do you think that means she'll do her own washing and cooking?"

"Unless she's bringing people with her, then yes." Trish's lips curved into a smile. "She has my number in case there's some kind of emergency, and the entire house has been fitted with smoke alarms, so we should be fine."

"You won't tell me who it is?" Claire asked as Finn began to paw at the grass. He tossed his head, letting out a soft nicker as if to remind Claire of his presence. She glanced at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "Looks like someone's getting a bit impatient," she said to Trish, giving the lead rope a gentle tug. "I should probably get him back to the stables."

"Sure. I have a few things I need to take care of inside, and no, unfortunately I can't tell you who it is," Trish said with her hands on her hips.

"Will I know her?"

"I think just about everyone in the world knows who she is," Trish said before she gave her a wave and turned to walk back to the house.

Claire ran her hand over Finn's neck, softly stroking his gray coat. "Come on, Finn. Let's head back," she said as he shifted his weight from hoof to hoof, his tail swishing back and forth.

It was impossible not to let her mind wander as they walked back, noticing a few dark clouds in the distance. Hopefully, they'd get back before it started to rain. Even though she had no idea what to expect or who this new guest would be, it was definitely going to be interesting, and a twinge of excitement mingled with a hint of apprehension as they entered the darkness of the woods on their way back to the stables.