Chapter 14

Waking up on Saturday morning to bright blue skies, Betsy laid there in her bed for several minutes with her heart racing and strange knots in her stomach. Anticipation for her date with Nicholas had been playing on her mind over and over again on an endless loop. Was it just a thank you as he said or could it mean more?

Biting her lip, the blonde couldn't stop herself from hoping for the latter. He had been amazing and who wouldn't want to hope that a rich, handsome man would pay attention to them. She knew that the man was still closed off. She knew that she only got to see the man he truly was at rare moments but she enjoyed those glimpses.

Pushing the duvet cover aside, Betsy sat up and then secured her hair in a knot on the top of her head. She had no idea where they were going. Dress comfortably he had said but what on earth did that mean. His version and her version of comfortable were two different things. He lived in his suits the majority of the time.

Sighing loudly, she pulled open her drawers and stared down at the contents balefully. Betsy hadn't had time to shop or even think more beyond what the day would mean for them both. As a result she had only the items she had brought with her to the house. They were perfectly suitable for housekeeping and nanny duties but they were not the kind of clothes she could wear to a five star restaurant without sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Well he said dress comfortably," She muttered under her breath as he fingers skimmed her favourite pair of jeans. They were worn and faded skinnies with a rip on the knee from years of wear but they were comfy and Betsy wasn't ashamed to admit that they made her body look amazing.

Wrestling them free from the drawer, she finished the look off with a simple white lace top and a thick warm cardigan to combat the chill in the air.

After applying a hint of make up to her face, Betsy left the safety of her room and wandered down the stairs. Ms Reed was sat in the living room, her white hair wrapped up in curlers while her fingers deftly wrapped wool around the knitting needles. The rhythmic clicking was oddly soothing in spite of her fluttering heart. The children were notably absent but Betsy was sure they wouldn't be too far away.

"Are you ready to go dear?" Ms Reed asked, her eyes lifting from the television for a moment to offer a warm smile. "You look lovely."

Glancing down, Betsy found herself biting her lip. "Are you sure it looks okay?" Her hands drifted over her jeans before she lifted her gaze to the older woman. "He wouldn't tell me where he's taking me."

"You look perfect. Besides, the man has seen you before you've had your morning coffee and still looks at you as if you hung the moon and stars." The woman set down her knitting needles and then held out her hands to the younger woman.

Closing the distance between them, Betsy placed her hands in Ms Reeds and took comfort in the feel of the warm strong grip. "You listen to me now. Go and enjoy yourself today. The kids will be fine with me." The old woman gave the blonde's hands a squeeze. "Now don't keep the poor boy waiting. I haven't seen him look so nervous since the day Delilah was born. He's wearing a hole in the carpets."

Drawing in a deep breath, Betsy gave the older woman a tentative smile. "Are you sure you're okay to look at the kids? I know it was supposed to be your day off." Even though she wanted nothing more than to go out with Nick, she couldn't stop her herself saying, "I can cancel if you need me to."

"Hush. Now stop stalling." Mrs Reed stated, squeezing her hands once more before shooing her away. "Go."

With a nod of her head, Betsy turned and headed in search of Nick. Her heart just about melted at the sight of him. She had definitely made the right outfit choice. Dressed in a pair of blue jeans, strong sturdy boots and a simple black zip up fleece Nicholas Davenport was almost unrecognisable. Only the strong set to his chin and the cold glare in his eyes as he stared at the wall opposite betrayed him.

Stepping forwards, Betsy's shoes squeaked against the floor. Nick spun around sharply. His breath whooshed past his lips as his hand came up to scratch at his jaw. His lips turned up for a moment before his face returned to his placid mask he loved so much.

"I thought for a moment you were going to stand me up." He stated gruffly. His eyes roved up and down her body and then he nodded his head. "You'll do."

Without another word, the man strode away. Betsy gaped at his retreating back, her eyes following his wide shoulders as he pulled open the door to the cool winter air. Shaking her head, she trailed after him in a strange daze.

Twenty minutes later, Betsy stared over at the man sat beside her before turning her gaze out of the car window. Fields and woods stretched out on either side of the vehicle while pristine stables stood just fifteen feet away. A small ramshackle cottage was nestled near the edge of the treeline, smoke curling out of the chimney and stretching towards the sky. She could see people moving within but no one came out to greet them.

"Where are we?" she asked. A frown was etched firmly between her brows. Why had he brought her to a muddy stable yard when he could have taken her anywhere? She shook her head so that her blond hair fell in front of her face.

She felt his eyes on her then as he cut the engine. "You told me you wanted to go horse riding but you had never been." Nick stated, following her eyes to the building where a beautiful black stallion was looking out at them. "I thought I could take you riding. I thought you would enjoy it more than some overpriced restaurant."

Betsy sucked in a sharp breath. He remembered that? She could barely remember the conversation. It had been such an offhand remark but he had remembered. She glanced over at the stallion and tried not to gulp. She had always wanted to try horse riding but the horse was fierce in appearance.

"Sounds great." She murmured, her hand reaching for the door handle before Nick could help her out of the car.

The cold air rushed up to greet her. After the warm and cosy interior of the car, the blonde shivered at the chill and rubbed her hands up and down the length of her arms. Despite being unseasonably warm, it would still be a few months before it was warm enough to forgo the coat.

"Come and meet the horses," Nick murmured, lacing his warm fingers through hers before tugging her towards the stone structure.

As they drew closer, the black stallion twitched its ears forwards and ducked his head over the stall. Completely at ease, Nick stretched out a hand and scratched the beautiful horse's black nose.

"This is Warrior. He's going to take us out today." Nick stated.

"Us?" Betsy asked, her throat working to clear the dryness as she stared up at the beautiful but very large beast.

Nick laughed. He lifted their joined hands and then gently set her shaky hands onto the black horse's nose. "I'll ride warrior and you can ride on Lady. She's gentle and will follow Warrior so you won't have to do much but sit back and enjoy the ride."

Blowing out a breath, Betsy peeked up at the man at her side as her fingers stroked through the mane. "So whose horses are these?"

"Mine." Nick replied, his voice growing distant as he placed his hand over top of hers. "It was one of the few things I used to do with my father. The two of us would go horse riding together every weekend."

Pausing, the dark haired man clenched his jaw and dropped his hand back down at his side. Frowning up at him, Betsy puzzled over his sudden withdrawal for only a moment before she threaded her fingers through his and pressed her cheek against the sleeve of his jacket. They stood there, side by side in companionable silence for a long while.

Finally she asked. "What happened?"

Nick released her hand and she allowed him to withdraw. Betsy almost thought he was going to completely ignore the question. Yet, as he let moved into the stable with the tall and strong Warrior, he glanced back at his shoulder over at him. The expression on his face was raw. It was the only way she could thing to describe it. His eyes were windows to his truly broken soul allowing her to see the first unfettered glimpse at his battered and bruised soul.

"He changed." Nick stated, his shoulders shrugging as if he was unmoved by the sad truth but the rest of his body screaming the truth. He was wounded. "He remarried when I was twelve. She was great and I finally got to have brothers."

Betsy's mouth opened and closed a few times before she took a step closer to the stall. "I didn't know you had brothers."

Nick's jaw clenched and he looked away, his hands righting the saddle on Warrior's gleaming back with practiced skill and ease. "We don't talk. We haven't talked for several years."

Betsy didn't speak, she just waited.

"I worked in my father's company. It was failing when I joined at eighteen. I gave my heart and soul into that place. My brothers couldn't be bothered with helping out. They were too busy going out, drinking and sleeping their way through an entire string of women." Pausing Nick bent down and adjusted the strap securing the saddle before righting himself once more. "When my father got sick, he decided he would step down. We all thought he would hand the reins over to me. I was only twenty three but I had already proven myself."

Betsy gasped. It didn't take an expert to know what was happened next.

"He gave the company to my brothers – equally. Yet I was given nothing. I was his real son, his flesh and blood, and he just cast me aside."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I got my own revenge." Nick muttered the second part under his breath but the blonde still heard.

"What did you do?" She asked before looking away. Betsy wasn't even sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I proved to him what a mistake he had made. I quit the next day. I cashed in my stocks in the company and bet all of the money on an amateur horse race." Nick explained calmly though the blonde couldn't help but note that the relaxed shoulders had disappeared and the man was so stiff he looked as if he would snap at any moment. "It was stupid and childish but I wanted to hurt him. So I wanted to throw away everything he had ever given me and start over without him. And then, as luck would have it, my horse came in. My twenty five thousand turned into half a million pounds and then before I knew it I was starting my own business."

Betsy smiled. Or at least she attempted to as she asked, "What did your dad say about that?"

Nick looked away for a moment.

"Nothing. I didn't see him again until he was dead and lay within a casket. Despite what the media may think – I may have been born into money but I made my company what it is with my own blood sweat and tears. I worked hard to get where I am."

Holding up her hands in front of her, the small blonde attempted to keep the sympathy from her face. "I didn't say anything. I was only going to suggest that we both go on Warrior today. I would rather enjoy our day than spend the entire time worrying if I was going to end up in the mud." Unable to stop the blush as it spread across her cheeks, she looked up at Nick through her lashes. "I would safer with you."

Silence fell between them. Nick took a step closer to her, his hand lifting to her face. She sighed out loud as the back of his fingers soothed her blush. It calmed her and yet managed to set Betsy alight at the same time. It was such a confusing mix of emotions. Her brain didn't want to work properly so she just stood still while she nuzzled her face into his touch.

Tension built between them as they edged closer to one another. Finally there was nothing but a whisper of clothing between them. Betsy was forced to tilt her head all the way back so that she could see his eyes. She refused to look away. She couldn't even if she wanted to. She was under his spell.

Nick lowered his face until their lips were just a hairsbreadth apart. The blonde could feel his warm breath against her parted lips. Her chest burned with the need to breathe but, under his attention, she struggled to think clearly. She waited for him to make a move and to close the distance between them.

"Okay," he murmured his eyes dark and focused wholly on her. His lips brushed hers as her spoke sending jolts of electricity across the surface of her skin.

She gasped, drawing in a large lungful of air as sensation flooded through her. Betsy felt like a teenaged again. Everything felt new and incredible, like she was experiencing it for the first time.

Nick made to pull away but Betsy didn't let him. She pushed up on to her tiptoes, her lips chasing after his. Then her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers threading into his hair as he pulled him down into kiss. In her eagerness, their noses bumped painfully.

Breaking their lips apart, the petite blonde looked up into his face. Her lips tingled and her body was thrumming with energy. She was relieved to see that any traces of Nick's shadows were gone. Instead his stare was warm, the dark brown colour of his irises almost molten as it burned into her.

Warmth flooded through her as Nick groaned, his arms wrapping around her waist. Then before she knew what was happening, her feet were hanging in the air as he lifted her up off of the floor. His lips landed on hers, taking advantage of her surprise to deepen the kiss. Betsy made no protest, her arms pulling him tighter and tighter still.

It was passion. It was fire. And yet it was comfort, home and dare she even think it – love. Betsy closed her eyes and allowed herself to drown in the sensations of being in the strong and capable arms of Nicholas Davenport. She was in heaven.

A loud snort sounded in their ear before Warrior's nose butted into the side of her face. Betsy gasped in surprise, her eyes snapping open as she abruptly pulled her lips away from Nick. Turned her head to the side, she found herself nose to nose with the big black stallion. The horse huffed impatiently and butted her shoulder.

With wide eyes, she looked up at Nick. His lips twitched and his body shook with repressed laugher as he allowed her body to slide down to the front of his.

"Don't laugh," Betsy chastised, smacking him on the shoulder as she did so. "It's not funny."

His mouth opened and a loud, bellyaching laugh filled the air. The sound was so strange coming from him, so out of place that she found herself gaping at the man. Even Warrior looked a little taken aback. Shaking his head, he made sure the saddle was secured before he hoisted himself up and seated himself upon the beautiful beast.

When he offered his hand down to her, Betsy couldn't stop her eyes from darting between the horse and his waiting hand.

Nick leant down, his gaze intense. "Trust me."

Not giving herself a moment to hesitate, Betsy placed her hand in his. Nick's thumb caressed over the back of her hand before his lips did the same.

"Ready? Three. Two. One."

Yelping loudly, Betsy found herself lifted from the ground and deposited side saddle before him. Encasing her within the safety of his arms, Nick's grinned down at her.He looked younger. The wind tugged at his hair, which he had allowed to start growing out, while a rosy flush clung to his cheeks.  She gulped and wriggled in his arms. That twinkle in his eyes promised trouble.

With barked instructions from Nick, Warrior lurched into action. They sped across the fields so fast it also felt like they were flying. With her heart hammering in her chest, her hair blowing around in the wind and her smile wide, Betsy was happy. Leaning her head against Nick's chest with the memory of their shared kiss still within the forefront of her mind, she couldn't imagine abetter start to a first date. After all, she thought, the day was only just beginning.

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long. Betsy and Nick's date has changed a lot from what I initially intended but I hope you like the update. forgive me for typos, I posted this as soona as I got to a place I could stop. Don't worry - still much more to come!!