head.
“Thanks,” she said looking down.
“See? I'm not all bad. I really was just sleepy. The Tarton's are pretty demanding bosses,” he said kicking the dirt off of one of his boots.
“I'm not mad anymore. You just scared the crap out of me. My uncle died of a heart attack a couple of years ago at a family picnic. He just fell onto the ground, and when I saw you.....” she started before having to choke back tears. “Well, anyway, I was just trying to help.”
“Oh, Amy, I'm so sorry. Really. I was just fooling around with you. I'm truly sorry about your uncle,” he said putting his hand on her right shoulder. Contrary to everything in her, Amy felt a rush of electricity when he touched her.
He's just a stable boy. Well, a stable man... He's not a boy, that's for sure. Gosh, look at those baby blue eyes. Look at those broad shoulders. You haven't been touched by a man in awhile. That's all it is. Focus, Amy, she thought to herself .
For a moment, they stood there without moving, his hand on her shoulder and her eyes starting at him. Realizing that she was in dangerous territory, Amy stepped back and changed the subject.
“Can I see the house?” she asked.
“Sure. You lead the way...” Jack said pointing in front of the barn.
The home and the grounds around it were beautiful. They were the most manicured grounds she had ever seen in person.
“Do they have a gardener?” she asked as she leaned down to smell a pink rose nestled up against the white pillars on the back patio of the home.
“I'm the gardener, I suppose,” Jack said from behind her.
“You? I thought you were the stable....” Amy stopped herself.
“The stable BOY? Is that what you were going to say?” he said with a slight crooked smile. Man, that crooked smile really does something to me , Amy thought.
“Well, I.....”
“It's okay. I know that's what Mrs. Tarton calls me. She's kind of a bitch that way,” he said walking up the stairs to the back door. “Let me clear this up for you, Miss Kincade. I have a degree in horticulture. I grew up with horses, so I took this job to work as the stable manager. I also know how to do garden design and maintenance, so I handle that here as well on the Tarton Estate. While I might look like a country bumpkin, I have just as much education as I bet you do,” he said.
“I wasn't trying to imply that you were dumb or a bumpkin, as you put it,” Amy said rolling her eyes.
“Firecracker. That's what you are,” he said opening the door and chivalrously pointing for her to enter first.
“Hey, wait a minute there, Jack. I didn't say anything. You are the one who just went off on me for being surprised that you have two jobs here. And, to set the record straight, I think Camille Tarton is a bitch too. So get that straight!” Amy snapped back as she attempted to walk past him to get into the kitchen, stopping mid-way to make nose to nose contact with him in the door way.
“Thanks for the clarification, Miss Kincade. And may I say that you smell better than those rose bushes out there?” he said as his warm breath covered her face. She didn't want to move. Pressed up against him in the doorway, she could feel his heartbeat on her chest.
“Well, you smell like a mixture of sweat and mud...” she replied trying to use humor to get out of an uncomfortable situation.
“That's what real men smell like. Haven't you ever smelled a real man?” he whispered into her ear as he slid out from the doorway into the mud room.
“I don't think it is any of your business who I have smelled, Jack,” she smiled letting out a sigh of relief as she followed him inside.
Soon, the beauty of the home overwhelmed her senses. The majesty of the Southern mansion was incredible. From the original hardwood floors to the period light fixtures, Amy knew she wanted this listing. Each room had its own appeal. The
“Thanks,” she said looking down.
“See? I'm not all bad. I really was just sleepy. The Tarton's are pretty demanding bosses,” he said kicking the dirt off of one of his boots.
“I'm not mad anymore. You just scared the crap out of me. My uncle died of a heart attack a couple of years ago at a family picnic. He just fell onto the ground, and when I saw you.....” she started before having to choke back tears. “Well, anyway, I was just trying to help.”
“Oh, Amy, I'm so sorry. Really. I was just fooling around with you. I'm truly sorry about your uncle,” he said putting his hand on her right shoulder. Contrary to everything in her, Amy felt a rush of electricity when he touched her.
He's just a stable boy. Well, a stable man... He's not a boy, that's for sure. Gosh, look at those baby blue eyes. Look at those broad shoulders. You haven't been touched by a man in awhile. That's all it is. Focus, Amy, she thought to herself .
For a moment, they stood there without moving, his hand on her shoulder and her eyes starting at him. Realizing that she was in dangerous territory, Amy stepped back and changed the subject.
“Can I see the house?” she asked.
“Sure. You lead the way...” Jack said pointing in front of the barn.
The home and the grounds around it were beautiful. They were the most manicured grounds she had ever seen in person.
“Do they have a gardener?” she asked as she leaned down to smell a pink rose nestled up against the white pillars on the back patio of the home.
“I'm the gardener, I suppose,” Jack said from behind her.
“You? I thought you were the stable....” Amy stopped herself.
“The stable BOY? Is that what you were going to say?” he said with a slight crooked smile. Man, that crooked smile really does something to me , Amy thought.
“Well, I.....”
“It's okay. I know that's what Mrs. Tarton calls me. She's kind of a bitch that way,” he said walking up the stairs to the back door. “Let me clear this up for you, Miss Kincade. I have a degree in horticulture. I grew up with horses, so I took this job to work as the stable manager. I also know how to do garden design and maintenance, so I handle that here as well on the Tarton Estate. While I might look like a country bumpkin, I have just as much education as I bet you do,” he said.
“I wasn't trying to imply that you were dumb or a bumpkin, as you put it,” Amy said rolling her eyes.
“Firecracker. That's what you are,” he said opening the door and chivalrously pointing for her to enter first.
“Hey, wait a minute there, Jack. I didn't say anything. You are the one who just went off on me for being surprised that you have two jobs here. And, to set the record straight, I think Camille Tarton is a bitch too. So get that straight!” Amy snapped back as she attempted to walk past him to get into the kitchen, stopping mid-way to make nose to nose contact with him in the door way.
“Thanks for the clarification, Miss Kincade. And may I say that you smell better than those rose bushes out there?” he said as his warm breath covered her face. She didn't want to move. Pressed up against him in the doorway, she could feel his heartbeat on her chest.
“Well, you smell like a mixture of sweat and mud...” she replied trying to use humor to get out of an uncomfortable situation.
“That's what real men smell like. Haven't you ever smelled a real man?” he whispered into her ear as he slid out from the doorway into the mud room.
“I don't think it is any of your business who I have smelled, Jack,” she smiled letting out a sigh of relief as she followed him inside.
Soon, the beauty of the home overwhelmed her senses. The majesty of the Southern mansion was incredible. From the original hardwood floors to the period light fixtures, Amy knew she wanted this listing. Each room had its own appeal. The
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