Love Walked In (Stevens Book 7)

Chapter 8

It was late and she had enjoyed the evening with Caleb's family.  She was learning more about them instead of hiding behind a sketch book.  She actually took the time to talk to each couple and get the stories of how they met.

They had all been wonderful and romantic stories and she felt like they had let her have a little piece of them by sharing them, but hearing about all of the love and witnessing it made her ache deep inside. She felt that kind of love for Caleb but to know that it was all one sided was the worst kind of hurt.

No, not the worst kind, a little voice reminded her.

She had found herself back in the barn with Cassius, watching him as he munched his dinner.  She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"It is awful late to be down here."

Norah jumped then turned to see Quinn as he was placing a bridle on the wall hook.

"Sorry," she said, getting up moving towards the door.

"It's all right that you're here, it's just late. I thought you would be tucked up in bed."

"No." She stopped to pet another horse along the way, not really wanting to leave.  Horses had once been her passion and it was a passion that she missed.

"When was the last time you rode?"

"Not since I was in high school."

Quinn was quite for a moment before he asked, "Are you afraid to ride?"

Norah gave a sad smile, wishing that was the case.  Then she wouldn't want to so bad. "No, I used to be a show jumper.  I was pretty good too but it was a long time ago." She didn't know why she said that and her shocked expression met Quinn's steady gaze.

As if he sensed she had said more than she wanted to he changed the subject.

"I heard you asking everyone about how they met but you didn't ask me about how I met Dana."

Norah felt knot in her chest ease up a little."How did you and Dana meet?"

"It was a dark and stormy night-"

"That sounds almost as good as Cassie's tale about Mason having just been beaten up by a little old lady."

"Well, we're good story tellers in our family." Quinn gave a heart stopping grin that was so much like Caleb's.

"So, it was a dark and stormy night..." Norah pressed.

"And Dana had just been in a minor car accident."

Norah felt herself tense.

"She was scared, hurt ,and was escaping an impossible situation."

"What was the situation?"

"Now that's Dana's story." Quinn leaned against one of the stalls watching a horse munch on his dinner, lost in thought, having momentarily forgotten that he was in the middle of telling a story.

"So you saw her, rescued her, and fell madly in love." Norah said, trying to get him to continue.

He grinned. "No, I did fall madly in love, but Bryce rescued her and I acted like a fool for almost a year, convinced that she could do better than me."

Norah shook her head.  What was it with the Steven's men? Bryce and Rainer had each had a similar story.

"The way you behave reminds me of the way Dana used to act. It took her time, but she found a way to work through it, and I like to think that my family and I were able to help her do that."