.
One Week Later
West Riding, England
Jo hadn't seen very much of London, but what she had seen couldn't compare to the green fields of Yorkshire. From atop Tempest's back, she looked out over the rolling green hills that belonged to her father's—no, hers, it was hers—stud farm. The spacious whitewashed buildings where her hopes for the future of thoroughbred horses in England lived lay to her right, and to her left were gorgeous fields of an incomparable green. Underneath her, Tempest pawed the emerald turf, and with a smile, she reached down to stroke her horse's neck.
“Happy to be home, my best girl? So am I.”
She started to urge her mare toward home, but a shout made her draw up short. She wheeled Tempest around to see James on Gunner hurrying to catch up behind her.
“You might have waited.”
“I thought you wanted to go for a true run. I didn't think that involved a great deal of waiting.”
James scowled at her, but she could see the edges where a smile threatened. When she looked at him, her heart felt whole, and suddenly she wanted to laugh.
He came closer, bringing Gunner up alongside Tempest.
“I think I've kept you away from the farm long enough.”
She blinked at him.
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“Were you wondering why I asked you to come riding with me this morning?”
“I... no? I thought you were offering me relief from the pain of getting the tumult of paperwork in order or making sure that I didn't actually rot in my father's office.”
“Well, yes, I was doing that, but I needed you away from the farm for the morning.”
“James, what in the world are you doing?” For some reason, her heart gave a minor skip. She had been so busy, racing back to West Riding with James, seeing to the stud farm, and settling into the small manor on the property, that she had barely had time to even think about the feelings that tumbled between her and the man who had saved everything she loved.
“Come and see.”
There was a small run to the north of the stables, and Jo could see upon riding up to it that it wasn't empty. Underneath her, Tempest lifted her head as if scenting something in the air, and she shook her mane restlessly. Absently, Jo stroked her neck as she tethered her and came closer to the railings, James right behind.
When she saw the dapple-gray stallion in the run, tall and sleek with the same deep chest and dished face that Tempest and so many of her father's best blood bore, she gasped.
“James!”
“That's Hunter's Pride, out of Tipperary by Gainstead.”
“Gainstead? But that's...”
“A direct descendant of the Darley Arabian. Yes. I know that your father prized the blood of the Byerley Turk above those of the other founders of the thoroughbred line, but I thought—”
James’ words came to an abrupt halt as Jo threw herself into his arms.
“It's too much, far too much, James,” Jo murmured, as she held on to him tight. The gift of Hunter's Pride combined the future and past for her in a way that made her chest feel tight, and right then, it didn't matter if the entire ton came by to shake their fingers at her, holding on to a man she wasn't married to while wearing scandalous split skirts. She couldn't let go of James even to take a breath.
“If it's too much, shall I take him back?”
“Don't you dare!”
James laughed, a sonorous sound that warmed her from head to toe.
“James?”
To her surprise, James drew back from her, and then in the dust of the yard, he went down on one knee in front of her, keeping her hand in both of his. Her heart started to beat hard, and she sought his eyes. She wouldn't turn away from him for all the Arabians in England.
“Jo. When I look at you, all I want to do is to give you the future you deserve. I have spent my entire life looking into the past as if it had any answers, searching for them in my parents, my history, my honor. What you've taught me is that the future is a thing we need to plan for, to invest in, something to struggle for, and for which to do outright battle.
Jo, when I'm with you, I see a future that I want to build alongside you, no matter what it entails. I love you with all my heart. You own it, every part, and I want you to marry me.”
The words were on her lips because they had been in her heart for a long time now.
“Yes, yes, James, I love you. I love you, and I will marry you!”
James came up with a wide grin, and from his pocket, he pulled a small wooden box. He winked at her.
“Hunter's Pride was yours no matter what you said. This was for if you agreed.”
With trembling fingers, she opened the box. It wasn't a ring inside, because she realized with a pang that James knew what she did: a ring might get damaged or even injure her as she worked with her beloved horses. Instead, it was a pendant, a heart-shaped inky black diamond surrounded by twinkling diamonds. It gleamed like Tempest's coat, and she looked up at him, unaccountable tears in her eyes.
“I love you, James. I... I want you here with me for all the days that come.”
James took her into his arms, resting his head on her chin, and when he spoke, there was a tremor to it. “I will be. I'll never leave you.”