AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The small grin that touched his lips seemed amused yet friendly. I wasn’t the best at judging one’s character though.
“You must be Rumor,” he said, causing me to exhale in relief. He knew my name. He wasn’t some stranger off the street or law enforcement, looking for Carmella Millroe. “I’m Sebastian Shephard. You’ve met my brother, Thatcher.”
I tensed up again. Thatcher wasn’t someone I wanted to be alone with, and that went for anyone closely related to him. When I took a step back, Sebastian appeared confused, and then he chuckled.
“I should have clarified that I am the sane younger brother. I’m nothing like Thatch. Not sure what went wrong in his DNA.”
The way his grin crinkled the corners of his brown eyes, which were free of the troubled darkness in Thatcher’s, led me to believe he was telling the truth.
“It’s, uh, nice to meet you,” I replied.
He glanced around the room and sighed contentedly. “This is my favorite place.”
I didn’t say anything, but I studied him. He seemed to be inhaling the smell of books much the way I had. Interesting.
When his eyes locked back on me, he gave me a sheepish look. “Mind if I stay? I’m here for a few more days, and I like to have something to read when I need to get away from it all.”
I shook my head. “No. Not at all. Please, I will just get my books and leave you in peace.”
He walked over to me, his eyes on the books in my hand. “Do you like horses, Rumor?” he asked, lifting his gaze back up to meet mine.
I shrugged. “I like to look at them. I’ve never been close to one or ridden one.”
He narrowed his eyes, yet his smile stayed in place. “Hold on,” he said, then walked across the room and scanned a row of books before pulling one out. When he turned back to me, he held it up. “Read this. I think you’ll enjoy it.” He told me, then placed the book on top of my others.
I looked down at the book he’d given me. “The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts,” I read aloud, then saw that it was a true story. A memoir. I smiled before asking, “And you’ve read this?” It seemed very unlikely.
He blushed and lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “Yeah. But if you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”
I laughed then, surprising myself. This man was not at all what I had expected. He was at least six feet tall, muscular but leaner than King was. His lips weren’t as full, but his face was handsome. He was clean-shaven, and his square jaw made the rest of his features more masculine.
I realized he was grinning at me, and I covered my mouth, feeling bad about laughing. “I’m sorry.”
“No. You can laugh. I’m secure enough in my masculinity to handle it. Just make sure you keep this our little secret. The guys would use it as a weapon for their entertainment.”
I nodded and held the books to my chest. “I swear to never tell a soul.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Now, you read that, and the next time I’m back in town, I’ll take you to the stables. When your ribs are better, I’ll teach you to ride. You can ride Malta. She’s a sweetheart and perfect for learners.”
The thought of getting to ride a horse was exciting and terrifying, all at once. Although I shouldn’t think about it too much. There was a good chance I would be gone by the time he visited again. I nodded and said nothing more. I didn’t want to get into my having to leave soon. He’d have questions that I had no answers to. Not yet.
“Sebastian,” a familiar voice said in a deep timbre that made my heart speed up.
Swinging my gaze to the door, I saw King leaning against the frame, looking at Sebastian.
“Hello, King. What brings you to the library?” he asked cheerfully.
King shifted his gaze to me. “I came to see if Rumor would like a ride back to the cottage.”
Getting to be around King was too appealing to turn down. It was also concerning that I had become so happy about seeing him. It had been three days since I’d seen him last, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about him every one of those days. Wondering what he was doing, where he was, if he thought of me at all. None of those being healthy things for me to be focusing on, but I couldn’t seem to stop it.
“I, uh, yes, that would be nice. Thank you,” I replied.
He cut his eyes back to Sebastian and gave him a smirk before straightening his stance, then walking over to me. “I’ll carry the books. I was glad to see you back in here, but Maeme said you walked. You could have called me or texted. I’d have come to get you.”
Don’t look him in the eyes. Don’t do it. I blinked and caved as I met his gaze. Those eyes of his made my stomach feel funny.
“I didn’t mind the walk. It was a nice morning.”
