I narrow my eyes at him and he glares back.
“Jason, get the float,” he yells.
“Where will I take them?” Jason replies.
“Out onto the fucking road. I don’t care!” he screams as he starts to storm towards the house.
I stand still and my eyes flick to Amelie. Hot furious tears are forming in her eyes and she swipes them angrily with shaking hands.
I look back at the crazy man storming towards the house.
“Natasha, get here!” he yells as he keeps walking.
I frown, as if I’m going to come with you, asshole… and you call me a drama queen.
“What can I do to help, Amelie?” I ask. God, I feel sorry for this woman.
“I don’t want your pity, Natasha!” she snaps.
I nod. “I know. Can I help you load the horses or something?” I ask.
She shakes her head and starts to pick up her things that Joshua has thrown out of the stall.
I bend and pick up a bridle.
She picks up the heavy saddle and struggles to her car and I run and open the back door for her.
“You’re too good for him,” she snaps as she throws the saddle into the back of the car.
Right at this moment, I kind of have to agree.
“He’s just stressed out. Don’t worry about him,” I murmur as I throw in the bridle.
I blow out a breath. “Where are you going to put the horses?” I ask as I wipe my hands on my jeans.
She rubs her head in frustration. “I have a client who is away at the moment. I will have to keep them there for the minute.” Her accent really is lovely.
Alf walks over and shakes his head sympathetically at her.
“Don’t, Alf,” she snaps.
“I told you this would happen,” he says quietly.
“I know, I know,” she mutters. “I had no choice.”
“Natasha, don’t make me come and get you!” Joshua screams from up the hill like a madman. Is he kidding?
“He’s trying to ruin my life,” Amelie snaps furiously to Alf.
I frown. “How?”
She shakes her head. “It’s not your concern,” she snaps.
“That’s it!” Joshua screams as he starts to head back down the hill to retrieve me. Oh shit.
“I’d better go,” I whisper. “Sorry.” My eyes meet hers.
She tears up again and gets into her car angrily and I start to storm toward the imbecile who is raging like a lunatic coming down the hill.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he sneers as I approach him.
I glare at him and continue to walk past him toward the house. If he thinks for one minute I’m taking that shit he has another think coming. “Answer me,” he snaps as he walks up next to me. I keep walking angrily. He has got to be joking.
“When I tell you to get to the house, you fucking do what I say!” he sneers.
I stop on the spot and glare at him.
The thing is that I know he is stressed out beyond belief and I should just ignore him, but just how much shit can I take before I crack?
“Don’t talk to me,” I snap as I storm past him.
“Fine! Don’t talk to me!” he screams.
“Suits me!” I yell in reply.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again. It’s a total mindfuck dealing with a cantankerous stubborn mule. It’s 6 pm and Joshua and I haven’t spoken a word since our blow-up over Amelie this morning. I am in the study reading on my iPad and he came in from outside about an hour ago. If he thinks I am putting up with his shit for one minute he is sadly mistaken.
The door to the study opens. “Who’s cooking dinner?” he asks.
My eyes rise to him above my iPad. “Not me,” I reply and drop my eyes back to the screen.
He stays at the door and waits for me to look back up at him. I don’t.
“Well I’m not either,” he replies.
I keep reading and acting like I am uninterested in what he has to say.
“Do you want to go out for dinner?” he asks.
Hmm, typical. I have to practically beg to go out to dinner every other night because he doesn’t want to be photographed but when I am fuming mad he brings it out to dangle like a carrot.
“No, thank you,” I reply. I so do but I am not falling for his bribe.
“Fine, I will go alone then,” he replies and leaves.
For fifteen minutes I sit in the study while he is upstairs. He wouldn’t go without me, would he? No, surely not. I continue reading.