Lost of love- Completed

Chapter 15

Lucy retreated to the outdoors shell-shocked by all that Richard had said. She moved along the wide balcony running her hand along the railing as she went, eyeing the bustle of farm living while not really seeing anything at all.

The Reeves Ranch was no longer the small sprawling concern it had once been. It was now modern, wide spread and filled with all the amenities expected of the wealthy. The tennis courts were to one side and the sunken pool resembled a tropical paradise. Yet it was the horses that drew her eyes. Those were unexpected. Instead of racing studs and Arabians, they were Palominos. Bred off the local landscape and sturdy.

She leaned on her forearms against the balustrade, finally allowing the scenery to pull her in. She drew a ragged breath in. It left her lungs on a soft sigh and with-it peace rippled out far and wide to land where ever her eyes rested. It settled on the tall grasslands wheat blond in the heat that curved over the landscape for acres ahead. It settled on the black and white cows that littered across those fields.

"Hey, Luce?" Jace came out behind her, looking attractively dishevelled. He grinned at her as he came to stand beside her. "You breakfasted yet?"

Lucy's brow furrowed reluctantly recalling that breakfast that the conversations that had accompanied it. "Yes."

She eyed Jace balefully. Jace had not come out in great light from that conversation either. It was not only Richard who had wanted a sixteen-year-old for himself but Jace too. Jace who really should have known better than to kiss that sixteen-year-old when he was already nearly twenty.

What had he been thinking? What had she been thinking? Why did thinking of Richard in the same light seem any more wrong?

Sure, he was older than either of them, but if the world thought it chill for a man a hundred-years older to romance a girl of seventeen, the how could their kiss be wrong? Did it matter that Twilight was fiction? And that the centurion was trapped in the body of a youth? If anything cried out paedophilia it was that relationship surely? Was it really the age of the body that made the difference or the age of the mind? Why was she even debating Twilight when she had enough of her own issues to resolve? There were certainly no solutions to be found in fiction. But Lucy had been a fool then and she was clearly a fool now. Jace had wisely stirred clear over her mindless obsession with the Twilight saga, rightfully calling it a regular sob story but Lucy couldn't have helped herself. It was right up her alley. It had been her time. She was meant to turn fangirl and drool over it.

Jace's chuckle was amused. "Still not happy I dragged you here, Luce?" His arms came around her as he turned them both to face the vast outdoors. Her sigh came out again soft and easily appeased. It was hard to resist a scene like that. Hot wind whipped up to lash about them. The sun shone cruelly down, and Lucy felt her eyes water.

"You will need some shades, luv... and a hat, before you can venture out. Come keep me company while I eat," he invited. Lucy agreeably followed him back in but refused to head back to the breakfast room. Instead she decided to explore and found herself directed to a library, more in keeping with Cat's fascination then her own. Her heart panged at the thought of Cat and what she must be going through.

Lucy pushed open the door that was pointed out to her and found herself in the musty confines of a well-stocked library. Her eyes drifted restlessly across the shelves stocked high with volumes of books to instead settle on a plush couch. She moved her suddenly tired limbs to plonk herself on it and wrap up with a trow that was artfully splayed across it.

Lucy was seated by the empty hearth staring into space for what seemed like hours before she felt a penetrating stare burn holes into the back of her head. She jerked back to find herself under the scrutiny of a stranger.