Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“Max? Can I have a word?” Luke poked his head out of the ranch office as Max went past.

“What have I done, now?” Max asked as he changed course and went into the office.

Luke closed the door and went to sit behind his desk. From what Max could tell nothing had changed in the room since Luke’s grandad had decorated it back in the 1950s. There were pictures of Luke and his dad excelling at everything at school and college and loads of family photos. Max kind of understood why Luke didn’t want to change anything. It was like he was surrounded by his family cheering him on.

Luke tapped his laptop screen. “This plan for Noah’s bachelor party.”

“It’s great isn’t it? It’s local, there’s no hard liquor involved, no women, and definitely no gambling.”

“When the hell did Olly become involved in the entertainment business?”

“He didn’t.” Max sat down and crossed one ankle over the other. “He’s merely the facilitator of the forest space we’ll be occupying.”

“Do his bosses know he’s doing this?”

“Yup, it’s all sanctioned by the authorities. Olly said it’s some kind of pilot program to help them make money in an environmentally conscious way.”

“By letting us have a bachelor party in the middle of their forest?” Luke looked unimpressed, but Max was enjoying himself.

“Is this skepticism because Olly dated Bernie?”

Luke frowned. “It’s got nothing to do with it. We hardly know the guy and it just doesn’t sound legit.”

“I’ve talked to Olly, his boss, and the service providers involved, and everyone is on board with it. And we got a great rate because we’re their first customers. All we have to do is provide some feedback after the event and we’re golden.” Max sat forward. “Come on, Luke. It’s going to be fun.”

Luke studied his keyboard as if he’d forgotten how to type. “I’ve . . . been having some trouble getting away from the ranch.”

“I noticed that.” Max aimed for a neutral tone. It was not the time to crack a joke.

“I guess that’s what’s bothering me—that I’ll get there and lose it or something. But I want to do it for Noah. I’m his best man.” Luke finally looked up at Max. “I just can’t be one hundred percent certain I won’t panic.”

“Maybe you should take your own truck, so that if it gets too much, you can leave,” Max suggested. “I can take over. Noah would understand.”

Luke sighed and stretched his arms over his head. “I guess. Bernie thinks it would be good for me to try.”

“And she knows you better than anyone, boss.”

Max was quietly impressed Luke had even admitted that he had a problem. One of the reasons why Max had recently left so abruptly was because of Luke’s refusal to acknowledge his PTSD. It wasn’t the only reason, but he’d certainly gotten tired of being told he was the one with the problems while his two best buddies were busy screwing up their own lives.

“Okay,” Luke said. “Let’s do this.”

“Awesome.” Max rubbed his hands together. “Now, all we have to do is persuade Noah to let us take him somewhere mysterious in my truck.”

Luke groaned and put his hands over his eyes.

Max was still smiling when he left the office. He went outside just as Jen’s truck pulled up and stopped to welcome the ladies home.

“Max!” Jen grinned at him. “Did I ever mention how great Phoebe is, and how lucky you are to have her?”

“Nope, but you’re right.” He glanced over as his wife came around the truck. “Hey, sweet pea, did you have fun?”

She walked into his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world and kissed him. She wore a new red lipstick and smelled as if she’d been trying on a few perfumes in a store.

“We had a lovely day.”

“Can you help with some of the bags?” Jen asked as she raised the tailgate to reveal a mountain of purchases.

“Holy cow,” Max whistled. “You girls really did go to town.”

He stood patiently while Jen loaded him up like a pack mule. Even then there was still enough for both women to carry multiple bags.

“I had to get a few things for my honeymoon,” Jen explained as she grappled with the screen door, one bag held in her teeth. “Is Noah around?”

“Nope, he’s in town at the feedstore.” Max stuck the toe of his boot in the door so that they could all get through.

“Good,” Jen said. “Although I’m not sure how I’m going to hide all these bags from him.”

“Ask Sally. She’s got plenty of space.”

“Space for what?” Sally came into the kitchen holding Sky on one hip. “My! You have been busy!” She smiled at Jen. “You can use my extra closet to store anything you’d like.”

“Thanks.” Jen grinned and turned to Sky. “Hey, buddy! Did you have a good day?”

“Es.” Sky nodded.

“I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

Jen and Sally went off together with Max following along behind. Phoebe turned into their bedroom with her bags after the rest of them went by.

“You can set them down here, Max. Thank you,” Jen said.

Max pretended to stagger as he put down the multitude of bags and groaned when he straightened up.

“What have you got in there? Pure gold pants?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I got, Max. Noah’s going to love them.” Jen patted his arm. “Could you possibly make me a cup of coffee? I could use a jolt of energy.”

“Sure.” Max closed the door and went down the hall to his bedroom. He looked inside to see Phoebe with her head in one of her bags.

“Hey, would you like a drink?”

She looked up. “Yes, please. I’m parched. Jen really knows how to shop.”

“No kidding. Did you have fun, too?”

“Yes, I bought something to wear for the Hen Do, the wedding, and a couple of other things.”

“You can give me a fashion show after dinner if you like.” Max did a double take. “Hold up. What’s a Hen Do?”

“It’s what they call a bachelorette party in England.”

“Okay, so does that mean a bachelor party is a cock a do?”

She grinned at him. “Funnily enough it doesn’t. It’s called a stag night.”

“Makes total sense—not.” He nodded. “I’ll get you some tea. Sally’s cooked lamb for dinner. It’s roasting in the oven along with the veg and potatoes and will be ready when we are.”

“Thank you, Max.”

“Did it go okay with the flowers?”

“Yes. Jen was very open to the idea,” Phoebe said. “She let me pick from her selections. I’m just hoping I can do her and Noah justice.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Max continued along to the kitchen, whistling as he went. He liked seeing Phoebe in his bedroom. When she’d arrived back at the ranch with Jen and come over to hug him it had been the best feeling in the world. She fitted in well as if she’d always lived there. He reminded himself that it was an illusion and that her real home was thousands of miles away in a different country and probably a different world.

Why would she want to move in with him and live in one room on a ranch someone else owned when she probably had a huge family home to float around back in England? He couldn’t compete with that or her money. For the first time he wished he could, but they’d agreed to a no-strings marriage and an amicable divorce once Phoebe’s legal issues were sorted out. He had no claim on her, and she certainly hadn’t talked about them having a future together beyond that.

And why should she?

Max paused as he reset the coffee to run, put on the kettle, and got out some mugs. What the hell was he thinking anyway? He’d never wanted to be tied down by anyone or anything. Even living at the ranch with people who tolerated him got claustrophobic sometimes and he had to get away. Would Phoebe let him come and visit her in England when they were no longer married?

“Hey.”

He looked up to see Noah staring at him.

“Hi.” Max held up a mug. “Do you want coffee?”

“Sure.” Noah came closer. “I see Jen’s back.”

“Yeah, she’s just chatting to Sally about Sky’s day. I said I’d take her some coffee.”

“I can do that.”

“Sure. I’ve got to make Phoebe some tea, which takes longer.”

He went into the pantry to find a tea bag. When he returned Noah was watching the coffee drip through with great concentration.

“You okay?” Max asked.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing. You looked like your favorite horse had died when I came in. I was wondering if Phoebe had left you.”

“Not yet. She definitely came back with Jen.” Max got the milk out of the refrigerator.

Phoebe had given him a long, earnest talk about the proper preparation of a cup of tea, which included on-the-boil water from a kettle, never microwaved, a significant pause for the tea to brew before removing the bag, and a dash of milk to complete the process.

“It’s okay to worry about what’s going to happen between you in the future, Max,” Noah said.

“I’m not worried.”

Noah just looked at him. “Dude, you like Phoebe, you want her to stick around, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”

“I think you’re talking about past you and Jen, bro.” Max waited until the kettle whistled, took it off the range, and poured the boiling water over the tea bag. “And, hey, even you worked it out in the end, so if I wanted to do something, it can’t be that hard, but I don’t. Phoebe and I understand each other and we’re both getting exactly what we need from our relationship, okay?”

“If you say so.”

“I do.” Max made himself hold Noah’s skeptical gaze. “I’m not like you, Noah.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Noah picked up the mug of coffee. “I’ll take this to Jen. Where is she?”

“Last time I saw her she was talking to Sally.” Max stirred the tea bag in the approved manner. “Just listen out for Sky and you’re sure to find them.”

Noah actually smiled. “We’re taking a walk over to the new house after dinner. Do you and Phoebe want to tag along?”

“I’ll check with Feebs, but I know she’s been looking forward to seeing your new place so assume it’s a yes.”

Noah nodded and walked away, leaving Max staring at the brewing tea. He squeezed the tea bag against the side of the mug with a spoon and dumped it in the compost bucket. He added a dash of milk, as Phoebe called it, and took the mug to his bedroom. If he was being honest, he was getting pretty damn tired of his friends constantly questioning his relationship with Phoebe. He tried to remember they were coming from a place of concern, but he’d never taken well to being questioned or doubted. It just made him want to do something stupid.

“Here you go. It’s hot and—” He grinned as he saw his lovely wife had fallen asleep on top of the patchwork quilt, her legs sprawled out like a newborn colt. “It will keep.”

He set the mug down beside her and quietly left the room. He’d wake her up in time for dinner. He was already looking forward to walking through the forest with her to see Noah and Jen’s new house. And he wasn’t going to question why such a simple thing made him feel so happy. Sometimes it really was easier just to live in the moment.

* * *

The wind was already murmuring through the trees with a rising note of complaint and Phoebe decided to tie her hair back before they left for, what Max assured her, was a short walk through the forest. She came out of the bathroom and went to collect her thickest sweater from the bedroom. She’d discovered that when the sun went down behind the towering mountain ranges the temperature dropped off alarmingly.

“Hey!” Max was also there putting on a fleece over his T-shirt. “I almost forgot. I got you something when I was in town the other day.”

“You did?” Phoebe went still when he offered her a small jewelry box.

“Yeah.” He was looking anywhere, but at her. “I had this gold nugget I found in a creek once, and I got the jeweler to make you a wedding ring.”

She slowly opened the box. “Oh, Max . . .”

“I know you have your other fancy ring, but I wanted you to have one from me.” He cleared his throat. “It’s yours whatever happens, okay?”

She swallowed hard and turned toward him, her voice shaking. “Will you put it on my finger for me, Max?”

He took the ring and gently slid it home. “Here’s to you, Mrs. CSR.”

“It’s beautiful. I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life.” She looked up at him and was caught by the intensity of his stare. “Max . . .”

He smiled and turned away from her. “I got you something else, too.

Phoebe fought to regain her composure and accepted the bulky box he handed her. She tried to match his casual tone. “Two gifts in one day?”

“You’d better see what it is before you get too excited,” Max said. “But if you’re gonna be a real cowgirl you need one of these.”

She opened the box and found a white, straw cowboy hat with a teal band.

“It’s beautiful, Max.”

Phoebe took it out of the box and turned to the mirror in the front of the old oak freestanding wardrobe. She set it carefully on her head and stared at her reflection.

“If it’s too big, or you don’t like it, you can exchange it at the store.” Max came up behind her, put his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “You look great. I figured you needed something to keep the sun out of your eyes when you’re getting your cowgirl on.”

She studied her reflection and that of the smiling man behind her and swallowed hard.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Hey.” He met her gaze in the mirror. “Don’t cry, sweet pea. It was supposed to make you happy.”

“I am happy.” She tried to smile. “It’s just that no one’s ever given me such a thoughtful present before.”

She turned in his arms, looped her hands around the back of his neck and kissed his mouth.

“You really are the sweetest man, Max.” He went to speak, and she put a finger on his lips. “I don’t want to hear you telling me that’s not true.”

She kissed him again and this time, although he muttered something under his breath, he kissed her until a shout from the kitchen made him ease back.

“Noah’s ready to go.”

Phoebe smiled up at him. Was it wrong of her to wish Max wanted more from her? She’d set the rules for their relationship, and he’d played along with grace and good humor. He liked her, but, as for anything else, she had no right to even ask.

“My hat stayed on.” Phoebe touched the brim.

“Which means you’re the real deal, Phoebe.” Max winked. “But you might want to substitute a beanie for this trip. It’s getting windy out there.”

Phoebe carefully set the hat back in its box and put on the beanie Max offered her. He held out his hand and they went to the kitchen where Noah and Jen were waiting for them.

“I thought you’d changed your mind.” Noah was already consulting his watch.

“Nah, Phoebe was kissing me, and I had to hang around for that,” Max said.

“That’s correct,” Phoebe said. “He got me a beautiful cowboy hat.”

For some reason it felt too personal to mention the ring,

“How sweet!” Jen grinned at Max. “I never realized you had it in you to be so thoughtful.”

“She kept borrowing mine,” Max didn’t miss a beat. “I had to do something.”

Noah was already heading for the door. “Shall we get going? None of us want to be out in the forest at dusk.”

Jen touched Phoebe’s shoulder as she went by. “I really hope you like what we’ve done.”

“I’m sure it will be lovely,” Phoebe said as she put on her ski jacket and borrowed wellies. Max and Noah had picked up large flashlights in case they were needed for the return journey and were waiting for them outside.

“It’s not far,” Noah said. “And once we get the driveway paved it will be a lot easier.”

“When’s that being done?” Max asked as Phoebe came up alongside him.

“Next week. Just before the wedding.” Noah grimaced. “Not ideal but you know how hard it is to get contractors to come out here.”

He set off, adapting his long stride to match Jen’s, who hung on his arm, their heads close together as they talked.

“Luke’s not coming?” Phoebe asked Max.

“He’s keeping an eye on Sky.” Max paused. “He’s also not a fan of being out in the forest in the evenings.”

Phoebe thought about all the implications of that simple statement. “But you’re okay with it?”

“Mentally I’m still anticipating an ambush at any point, but I think I have it in hand. Last winter, we had terrible snowstorms. Luke fell off his horse and broke his arm. We were lucky to find him before he froze to death.”

Phoebe shivered. “The poor man.”

“He was stuck in the snow for hours. I think it stirred up his worst memories,” Max said. “He’s been struggling ever since.”

“Is he . . .” it was Phoebe’s turn to pause. “Getting help for that?”

“He is now. Bernie persuaded him it would be a good idea to stop talking about doing it, and actually find a therapist.”

“Thank goodness.” Phoebe glanced inquiringly at Max.

“I don’t need therapy, Feebs. I’ve been fighting all my life. I know what I went through and why it still pisses me off sometimes.” He shrugged. “My problem is learning how to deal with my big mouth and how it affects my buddies in peace time.”

“You can hardly blame yourself for what happened to Luke in a snowstorm,” Phoebe pointed out.

“Sure, I can.” His smile was tight. “He wouldn’t have been out in the middle of a snowstorm if it hadn’t been for me. I went AWOL.”

“He didn’t have to go out, Max,” Phoebe said gently.

“He still thinks of himself as my commanding officer so of course he did.”

“And that’s not on you, either.”

Max came to a stop and looked down at her. “You don’t have to fight my battles, Feebs.”

“And you don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot do, Max.”

For a moment, they locked gazes and then Max looked past her down the path.

“We better catch up.”

“Fine.” Phoebe started off again, aware that she had bumped up against one of Max’s invisible boundaries and that she didn’t have the right to demand answers from him. “I can’t wait to see the house.”

She stomped off ahead of him, her gaze fixed firmly on Noah and Jen. To her surprise, the path opened up to a sizable clearing surrounded by a timber fence where a brand-new, single-level ranch house constructed from wood and stone now stood. It was square shaped with four windows on either side of the front door and appeared to widen at the back.

“It’s amazing,” Phoebe called out to Jen as she slowly spun around to get the full effect. “It looks like it belongs here.”

“It kind of does,” Jen said. “We used reclaimed redwood and pine from the forest around us to build it, which made it much more affordable.”

Noah actually smiled at Phoebe. “We were lucky that this pad was cleared years ago when Luke’s great-uncle had a house here. It meant we didn’t have to take out any big trees since they’d already been removed.”

“Can we go in?” Phoebe was aware that Max had come up behind her, but for some reason she wasn’t ready to speak to him yet. “Is it all finished inside?”

“I hope so,” Jen said. “Seeing as we’re planning on moving in when we get back from Hawaii.”

“It’s pretty much done,” Noah opened the front door and stood back to let Phoebe go ahead of him. “Just some of the carpet and the electrical items left to install.”

Jen snapped on the lights and Phoebe caught her breath.

“Oh, my goodness.” She walked toward the vast floor-to-ceiling window at the rear of the house that looked over the foothills, the forest, and the mountains beyond still capped with snow. “This is amazing.”

“Probably not the best idea in the winter, but we wanted to look at something pretty,” Jen said. “And it’s all triple glazed and very well insulated.” She glanced over at Noah. “I told you it would be worth the cost.”

“And you were right,” Noah said, his gaze not on the spectacular view, but firmly on Jen. “As always.”

Max snorted. “The power of love never ceases to blow me away.” He came to stand beside Phoebe and looked out at the astounding view.

“Shut up, Max,” Noah said without heat.

“Do you like it, Feebs?” Max asked as he drew her into a side hug.

“I love it.”

She really had to get over being disappointed about something she hadn’t asked for or earned. One day, Max would meet someone who would make him feel like Noah felt about Jen and she would be the first to congratulate him. The only reason he’d agreed to marry her in the first place was because he had no intention of settling down. He’d done it because he appreciated a good joke and that was it.

While Max and Noah talked construction, Jen walked Phoebe through the four bedrooms, utility room, and back into the large kitchen/ family room talking about all the things they’d tried to include within their budget and their plans for the future. At one point, she stopped and grinned.

“I guess I’m gushing, but this is so special to me. It’s the first time I’ve ever had my own home.” She shrugged. “I got shuffled all over the place when I was in foster care. I never had a sense of place or that I was safe.”

Phoebe hugged her hard. “It’s amazing, Jen. I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more, or who will make this into as an extraordinary home.”

“Thank you,” Jen said in a muffled voice. “Now, try and persuade Max to build you a house next door and we can bring up our kids together.”

Phoebe glanced over her shoulder, but Max and Noah were out in the yard and couldn’t hear them.

“You should, Phoebe.” Jen eased back to look at her. “Shall I ask him for you?”

“I don’t think Max and I have that kind of relationship yet,” Phoebe said carefully. “And I don’t want to scare him off.”

Jen grinned. “Max is known as the great escape artist.”

“What are you saying about me, Jen?” Max had come back in.

“Just the truth,” Jen said.

Max’s blue gaze met Phoebe’s. “Don’t believe a word of it, sweet pea. Get your information straight from the horse’s mouth,”

“Horse’s ass more like,” Noah muttered. “With your amazing ability to disappear, you’re a whole circus all by yourself.”

Max grinned. “Your house is awesome, Noah. You must be very proud.”

Noah looked at him for a long moment. “Yeah, I am.”

“Did you know Max did a lot of the carpentry, Phoebe?” Jen spoke into the sudden silence. “He hand-finished all the kitchen cabinets for us.”

“They look amazing.” Phoebe ran her fingers over the rippling wood panel of one of the doors.

“It sure saved us a lot of money,” Noah added.

“Yeah, because you didn’t have to pay me,” Max said.

“When did you learn that skill?” Jen asked.

“Military school. It was that or the mechanics shops, and I was banned from touching any cars after I hot-wired a couple and took them out for a spin.”

“Sounds about right for you.” Noah grinned.

Max nodded. “Saved our bacon a couple of times on tour, too.” He swept his hand over the kitchen countertop. “I enjoy working with wood. It’s relaxing.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Noah said. “You were cursing up a storm every time I saw you in here.”

“That’s because I’m a perfectionist,” Max replied, his gaze lingering on Phoebe who pretended not to notice. “When I do something, I like to get it right.”

Phoebe turned to Jen. “Is it okay if I go out to the garden before the light fails?”

“Go ahead.” Jen paused. “Actually, I’ll come with you. I’d love some advice as to what to plant where. You already know that’s not my strength.”

Max stayed where he was as Phoebe and Jen went out into what would become the garden. The sun was hovering over the top of the distant mountains and would drop behind them in the next half an hour. He knew Phoebe wasn’t happy and that bugged him far more than it should. He didn’t like her thinking he was some kind of hero when he absolutely wasn’t, and yet he didn’t want to do anything that made her think less of him.

If he hadn’t been in Jen’s new kitchen where he’d painstakingly finished the cupboards himself, he would’ve kicked something. And why did it matter what Phoebe thought of him? He was doing her a no-strings-attached favor and that was all there was to it.

Behind him Noah cleared his throat.

“Max . . .”

“You know how you’re always telling me to keep my mouth shut?” Max said without turning around. “Can you apply it to yourself?”

“There’s another pad to the right of this one where Luke’s great-uncle had his barn,” Noah said. “It would make a great spot for a house.”

Max briefly closed his eyes. “Thanks, I’ll bear it in mind.”

“For the record, I think Phoebe’s good for you. Jen really likes her.”

“Jen likes everybody.” Max paused. “Except Dave, obviously.”

“She’s a good judge of character and if she says Phoebe’s okay, I’ll go along with that.”

“Whoop-de-do,” Max said. “Thanks for nothing.”

He turned around to see Noah was smiling, which was unnerving.

“What?”

“You’re totally into her.” Noah nodded. “Why didn’t I see it earlier?”

“Because there’s nothing to see, and even if there was, it isn’t any of your business.”

“It’s kind of amusing.” Noah picked up his keys.

“Not half as amusing as watching you fall flat on your face for Jen,” Max retorted.

“Ah, so you admit the situations are similar?”

“Hell no!” Max made himself smile. “Phoebe and I are an old married couple, not like you two newbs.”

Jen came back in with Phoebe and shut the sliding door behind them. The temperature was dropping rapidly as a faint mist crawled over the snow-covered summit and crept into the valley.

“When’s your anniversary, Max?”

He looked at Phoebe who rolled her eyes.

“He never remembers. One year he sent me flowers two weeks early.”

“It’s the time zones. I get confused.” Even though he knew Phoebe was making stuff up to defend him, Max kept it going. “I do know it’s coming up soon, right?”

“Yes, it’s a few days after your wedding, actually, Jen,” Phoebe said.

“Then you can celebrate in peace,” Jen declared. She wagged her finger at Max as she went past him. “You’d better take her somewhere nice this year to make up.”

“I’m working on it.” Max waited for Phoebe to exit before he followed her out. “I hear that new chef at Lucy’s BB is excellent.”

“She is,” Jen said. “Noah took me there a few weeks ago when he asked me to marry him. Not that I remember much about the food, I was too stunned when Noah got down on one knee in the middle of the dining room.”

“Didn’t he wait until you’d finished eating?” Max asked.

“You know what he’s like, Max.” Jen grinned. “He wanted it all done before we’d even ordered.”

They walked back along the gravel driveway and Noah put on his flashlight. Max drew Jen back and linked his arm through hers.

“Any ideas how I can convince Noah to come out for his bachelor party?”

“Apart from knocking him unconscious?” Jen asked.

“Luke says I can’t do that.”

“Hmm, I’ll have to think about it. He’s not very keen on the idea of me going out, let alone him.”

“What if I suggested a quick drink at a bar, just the three of us?”

“That might work.” Jen didn’t sound convinced. “Although, he’s so uptight about the whole wedding day that he might not want to risk any alcohol beforehand.”

Max sighed. “I can hardly ask him to accompany me to an opera or a jazz concert. He’d never believe that for a second.”

“I’d get Luke to handle it. Noah listens to Luke.”

“True, and Luke is his best man.” Max nodded. “But try and get him into the right frame of mind, would you? It would really help.”

“I’ll do my best.” Jen agreed. “Now, I’d better go and talk to him because he’s looking suspicious.”

Max looked up to see Noah glowering in his direction. He held up his hands.

“Nothing to see here, bro.”

Noah only broke off his gaze when Jen slipped her hand into his and directed his attention at her. Max let out his breath and went to find Phoebe who was staring back at the skyline.

“We’d better get a move on before it gets dark and the mountain lions get hungry.”

“You have real lions out here?”

Max shrugged. “So I’ve been told.”

“Then, we’d definitely better get going.” She sped up to match his stride. “The house is lovely.”

“Yeah, and so convenient for work.”

She glanced over at him, her usual calm smile back in place. “You should build one for yourself. Jen was saying there’s plenty of space on the ranch and that Luke would be delighted if you settled here.”

“Did she now.”

He found his flashlight and turned it on, illuminating the clouds of small flies that followed them everywhere.

“It’s a wonderful spot, Max.”

“You don’t have to convince me.”

“I’ve always lived in old houses. I can’t imagine how nice it would be to decide exactly where you want everything to go and then build it.”

For a second, he wondered whether she was making a pitch to design a house with him, but instantly shut it down. He was a coward. He didn’t want to have that conversation and hear her say she was never coming back.

“How old is your dad’s place?”

She didn’t reply immediately and looked down at her boots.

“Is it a century house?”

“That’s not old, Max.” She paused. “The main part of the house—the bit when it was just a castle and keep—dates back to Norman times.”

“Which was when exactly?”

“Around 1070? It’s listed in the Doomsday Book. The theory is that one of William’s knights built a defensive motte and bailey on the land he was given by the king, and then constructed the stone castle and moat over a period of ten years.”

“Wait.” Max stopped walking. “You live in a fricking castle?”

“Well, one wing does contain the original tower and the medieval hall was incorporated into the later rebuilds, so I suppose you could say that.” She wrinkled her nose. “The rest of it is just a house that has been redesigned for centuries and now looks like a Georgian mansion in the Palladian style.”

“Do you have pictures?”

Phoebe looked at him. “Yes, but can we wait until we get inside? It’s getting rather chilly out here.”

“Sure, yeah, of course.” He took her hand and started walking again.

* * *

The only sign of Noah and Jen was the beam of light dancing over the trees and path ahead of them and the gentle murmur of their voices.

Phoebe was grateful to reach the house and they hurried inside, shedding their coats and boots in the mudroom before gathering in the kitchen where Luke was organizing coffee and hot chocolate. He reported that Sky had gone to bed without any issues.

“Phoebe lives in a castle,” Max said.

“Like a real one?” Luke asked as he poured the coffee into mugs and handed them to Max and Noah.

Phoebe considered what to say. She’d grown used to downplaying her background because a lot of people thought she was boasting or treated her differently when they knew. She hoped that none of the people on Nilsen Ranch would be like that.

“As I explained to Max, the original Norman keep was absorbed into the house and forms one wing of the whole thing.”

“Norman?” Luke asked. “That’s eleventh century, correct?”

“Yes. Our family has been there a long time.” Phoebe accepted her mug of hot chocolate from Luke with a grateful smile. “Obviously there have been some hiccups along the way when they supported the wrong king or pretender to the throne, but we managed to survive.” She sipped her drink. “Family policy was for one son to support one party and the second to support the other, which generally meant the house and land stayed in family hands.”

“That’s fascinating,” Luke said. “I can’t even imagine one family living in one place for so long.”

“It’s a lot of history on one’s shoulders,” Phoebe said. “I’m glad I won’t inherit because it’s getting harder and harder financially to maintain the place.”

“It’s like in Downton Abbey, right?” Jen said. “One guy inherits everything?”

“Yes, that would be my oldest brother, George.”

“Lucky old George,” Noah muttered.

Phoebe sat at the table and got out her phone. “Would you like to see a couple of pictures I took on my birthday last year? We had a small party in the rose garden.”

Everyone, including Noah, gathered behind her chair as she found the photos on her phone. Seeing her home looking so glorious gave her a twinge of homesickness.

“Here we are on the croquet lawn. You can see the castle turret and the side of the main house behind us.”

She flipped through a few of the photos and Jen and Luke asked a million questions she tried hard to answer.

“Is that your sister?” Jen asked. “She looks like you.”

“Yes, that’s Eugenie and her husband-to-be, Anthony. He works at the same IT consulting firm as she does. They are very well matched. My younger brother, Arthur was away with his regiment when I took these photos.”

“And that’s your granny?” Jen smiled. “She reminds me of Noah.”

“Same intimidating expression,” Luke murmured.

“She looks like she’s the boss to me,” Noah said.

“She is,” Phoebe said. “She loves to tell everyone, especially my brother George, what to do.”

She studied the faces of her loved ones, all smiling determinedly at the camera, and for the first time in her life tried to view them dispassionately. There was an empty chair at the table, which was hers, and yet her family looked complete without her. And why was she the one taking the photos when it was supposed to be her birthday? She tried to remember if anyone had bothered to take a picture of her.

Forgetting she had an audience, she flicked forward on her phone and found one picture Eugenie had sent of her blowing out the candles on her cake.

Max cleared his throat. “You look beautiful, Feebs.”

“Thank you, Max.” Phoebe set her phone face down on the table, her thoughts swirling in a conflicted mess. “Now, I really should drink my hot chocolate before it gets cold.”