Chapter 5
The following morning, Anthony woke up in his large king-sized bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he slowly dragged himself out of his slumber. He saw the sun shining brightly through his window, indicating that it was much later than it usually was when he woke up; he glanced at his bedside clock and noticed it was slightly after 9:30. He didn't have anything pressing to do this morning, however, so he simply yawned and closed his eyes as he sunk back into his down feather pillows.
His mind automatically strayed to last night, when the Sharmas came by for dinner, and he couldn't fight the small grin from spreading across his face as he thought about her.
Kate Sharma.
God, he hadn't been able to get that girl out of his head since the moment he met her three days ago at Aubrey Farm. Seeing her riding toward him on horseback, her dark hair flowing behind her in waves like some sort of wood nymph or forest goddess, felt like something out of a dream. In that moment, he couldn't resist having some fun and racing her through the woods, wanting to see if she was as skilled a rider as he was. It turned out she was even better, and Anthony found himself very much wanting to know more about her.
She clearly hadn't known who he was, though, which was obvious from the fact that she yelled at him the moment their race finished. It was pretty reasonable for her to assume he was just a stranger taking one of the horses without permission, but Anthony couldn't help but feel amused by her anger. Notwithstanding the fact that he was technically her boss and could fire her for her attitude, he couldn't help but think she looked quite cute and feisty as she was yelling at him.
She intrigued him to no end, and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since.
Anthony now rubbed a hand over his face and blinked open his eyes, finally deciding to get out of bed. He yawned and stretched before throwing off the covers and getting to his feet, padding his way over to the en suite. His mind was now on breakfast, and the nice big cup of coffee he was going to make for himself downstairs.
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Once Anthony was showered and dressed, he headed downstairs into the kitchen. Only his mother was there, and the remnants of their breakfast left behind by his other seven siblings.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," his mother smiled at him from the sink, where she was rinsing off the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. "There's still some pancakes left if you're hungry. And I already made some coffee."
"Thanks Mum," Anthony said gratefully, moving over to the coffee machine to pour himself a cup. "Sorry I overslept."
"You're a grown man. You don't have to explain your sleeping habits to me," his mother chuckled, rinsing out a bowl. "Any plans for today?"
Anthony felt his heart do a little flip as he took a sip from his coffee. "I want to look over the business accounts this morning, make sure everything's in order. Then I was thinking of heading out to Aubrey Farm again for some horse riding."
"That sounds like fun," Violet smiled at him, and Anthony could detect something else behind her smile. "Is Kate Sharma going to be there today?"
Now his heart flip was a full-on thudding in his chest. "Oh, erm… I dunno. Probably, I would assume. Since she works there and everything."
The knowing glint in his mother's eye was too telling, and Anthony distracted himself by taking another sip of coffee.
"You know, those Sharmas were so nice," Violet went on, turning back to her dishes. "Mary is such a dear, and her daughters are both so sweet and kind-hearted. I liked them all very much – I'm sure they'll make wonderful neighbors."
"Yeah," Anthony nodded, his mind straying to when he and Kate were chatting down in the games room, thinking about the way she smiled at him as they were talking about their families. He cleared his throat. "I mean, I know Eloise and the kids really liked Kate, especially after she beat me at air hockey."
Violet laughed. "Did she really? Well, I must say I like her too."
Anthony snorted. "Thanks."
"All I'm saying is that I like someone who can keep up with you, you know? Put you through your paces," Violet explained, her voice casual as she continued to load the dishwasher. "And you even mentioned she's a better horse rider than you."
"Yeah, but I'm just out of practice," Anthony defended himself. "It's been a while since I've gotten to go horseback riding. I've been meaning to put more hours in at Aubrey Farm."
"Well, it's a good thing we moved out here then," Violet smiled at him, and she nodded toward the dining room table. "That reminds me, I made a gift basket to send to the Sharmas to properly thank them for coming to dinner last night. I was going to pop by later this morning to bring it over to them."
Anthony saw the basket his mother was talking about: it was very prettily made, filled up with muffins, cookies, chocolate-covered almonds, jams, and dates. Everything was wrapped up in cellophane and tied at the top with a ribbon.
"This is really nice," Anthony complimented, walking over to the basket and looking over it with appreciation. He suddenly got an idea. "Y'know, I could drop this off for you, if you'd like?"
Violet looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah," Anthony shrugged, trying to look casual about it. "It wouldn't be a big deal. I could pop by after I check over the accounts. And, I mean, I'm sure there are other things you need to do today rather than stop by the neighbors'…"
His mother gazed at him for a second, a knowing smile on her face, and Anthony felt his cheeks burn slightly. "That's very thoughtful of you, dear – thank you, I appreciate the help. Say hello to the Sharmas for me, will you?"
"Of course," Anthony said, walking out of the kitchen toward the home office. He was grateful he was turned away from his mother now so she couldn't see the grin spreading across his face, thrilled at the prospect of possibly seeing Kate again this morning.
Anthony spent a little over an hour reviewing the accounts, making sure everything was in order. He and his mother had put good people in charge of their properties after his father died, and he knew they could trust that the family's business was in good hands. Anthony shot off a few emails and reviewed the company QuickBooks before shutting down his computer and heading downstairs to the dining room. He tried to tamp down the eagerness he felt as he picked up the gift basket, ready to head over to the Sharma's house.
It was a beautiful day out today, and Anthony couldn't help but smile as he stepped outside into the warm sunlight. He walked across the lawn toward the treeline off to the side of the yard, and beyond it was the brick colonial he knew was the Sharma's house.
Once at their front door, he rang the doorbell, his heart thumping in anticipation as he waited.
A few seconds later, the door opened... revealing Edwina.
Her eyes immediately brightened upon seeing him. "Hi Anthony! How are you?"
"Hey Edwina," Anthony grinned at her. "Nothing much. I was sent over by my mother to give you guys a gift basket, just as a thank-you for coming by for dinner last night."
"Oh wow! That's so nice of you guys," Edwina smiled brightly, accepting the basket from him. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," Anthony said kindly, surreptitiously glancing over her head toward the foyer behind her. There didn't seem to be anyone else with her.
"Oh! Would you like to come in?" Edwina asked, stepping back and gesturing for him to enter.
"Sure, thanks," Anthony smiled, stepping inside and glancing around. The place wasn't as big as his family's house, but it was still pretty spacious and homey. The open concept living room was to their left, and the TV mounted on the wall was playing some reality show.
"Nice place," Anthony complimented, glancing around. "So where's your mum and sister?"
"Grocery shopping," Edwina explained, walking past him and into the living room, setting the gift basket down on the coffee table, the cellophane crinkling as she did so. "They should be back soon. Why don't you stay for a bit? We can sit and chat – maybe try some of these muffins your mum packed in here?"
Anthony could feel the disappointment sweep through his body upon realizing that Kate wasn't here. He also knew it probably wasn't appropriate for him to be alone with Edwina, so he grimaced and gestured toward the door. "No, that's alright. I should probably go."
"No! Please stay," Edwina insisted. She sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. "I'm allowed to have friends over when Mum and Kate aren't here, and they already know who you are. Just stay for a little while… please?"
Anthony couldn't help but soften a little at her pleading tone. "Alright. Just for a few minutes, I suppose," he conceded, moving to sit beside her.
Edwina's responding grin was practically blinding, and she immediately launched into conversation with him, talking about how fun dinner was last night, inquiring about his family, and asking about everything that was in the gift basket he brought over. Talking with her was surprisingly easy, Anthony thought, and he couldn't help but enjoy her energy – she reminded him a bit of Eloise or Daphne, and he wondered if Edwina and his sisters would become friends at some point.
Anthony was laughing at a joke Edwina made when the front door opened. Mary and Kate both walked in, carrying several paper grocery bags in their arms.
"Anthony," Mary smiled in surprise upon seeing him here. Anthony immediately stood up, glancing over at Kate, who seemed to be frozen in place as she stared at him. "I didn't know you were coming by. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Sorry for coming by so unexpectedly. I was sent over by my mother to drop off this gift basket," Anthony explained, gesturing to the basket of goodies on the coffee table. "Just to say thank you for coming by yesterday."
"Really? Oh, that is so sweet of her!" Mary gushed, bringing the grocery bags into the kitchen and setting them down. "You know, I actually just got a bottle of Bordeaux wine as a gift. Perhaps I'll bring it over tonight and she and I could have a little wine and conversation?"
"I think she would love that," Anthony said honestly, grinning. "But I really should be getting back soon."
"No, please stay Anthony!" Edwina insisted, getting to her feet as well. "Kate, don't you think he should stay?"
Anthony looked over at Kate, who was still standing with the grocery bags in her arms, gazing at a point on the wall and not meeting his eyes. "Kate?"
Kate finally blinked and looked back up at him, as if coming out of a daze. She gave him a smile that seemed rather forced. "Thank you for the gift basket, Anthony. That was really nice of your mum to make it for us."
"Yeah, of course," Anthony said quickly. "But… I was thinking of going by Aubrey Farm today at some point. Will I see you there?"
Kate stared at him for a moment, as if silently debating something with herself. "I'm not working today, but I'll be there tomorrow morning," she finally said. "For Eloise's lesson."
Anthony couldn't help but smile, happy for an excuse to see her. "Great. I'll come by tomorrow, then."
Kate nodded before turning and heading into the kitchen, not looking back. "Alright."
Anthony watched Kate walk away, wondering at her rather strange behavior. He shook his head before turning back to Edwina. "I should head out now."
"Are you sure? Because you could stay for lunch," Edwina insisted, looking up at him imploringly. "My mum and Kate won't mind in the slightest, I swear!"
Anthony couldn't help but smile. "No, that's quite alright, Edwina. I really should be getting back, but thank you for the pleasant conversation."
Edwina positively glowed at his compliment, and she smiled brightly. "Of course! Feel free to come by anytime for a chat."
With that, Anthony grabbed his phone and waved goodbye to Edwina before heading out the front door, his mind dwelling on the fact that he was going to see Kate again tomorrow morning.
A/N: We finally got to see Anthony's perspective :) Please comment and let me know what you think!
Thank you all for your continued love and support
