She followed his example and he laughed, the sound pure joy. Her heart fluttered. The lighter, friendlier Brandon was appealing. She pressed her lips together. “Could you help me try it?”
“Sure.” He brightened as he explained what to do and she followed his instructions, kicking Starlight into a trot and then a canter. This time she was ready, and she settled into the saddle, letting Starlight set the pace. It felt amazing with the wind rushing past her and the ground a blur at her feet. She was cantering. She laughed, tossing her head back in glee and then pulled on the reins to slow back to a walk.
Brandon grinned at her. “You’re a fast learner.”
“Helps when I have a good teacher. Thank you.”
She smiled. Their eyes met and she had no words for the pull she felt towards him.
Starlight tossed her head, shaking flies away and it broke the spell. Ahead of them the path narrowed. “You should lead the way.”
He nodded and nudged his horse forward, but she still felt the thump of her heart.
Maybe she was doing too good a job at befriending him.
Chapter 8
Brandon and Amy arrived back at the house ahead of Darcy. Brandon dismounted, his legs a little achy from the unfamiliar exercise, but the tightness in his chest was gone and he could breathe again. Up there on the ridge, overlooking his land felt like coming home, a spiritual experience. Amy had stood next to him, silent, as if she realised he needed a moment to take it all in.
He glanced over to where she had already unsaddled Starlight and was brushing her with firm long strokes. She’d impressed him with her resilience, her desire to continue despite having been out of control. He hated that he’d been so wrapped up in his own ride that he hadn’t noticed her in trouble and vowed to keep a close eye on her for the rest of the journey. But she’d picked up cantering quickly and he hadn’t had to worry about her on the return trip.
“I can’t believe I did it,” she said as she came around to brush Starlight’s right flank. Some of her frizzy hair had fallen out creating a cloud-like frame around her face. “Thank you so much!” Her grin was so wide it wiped away his self-recriminations, replacing them with a warmth in his chest. She was damned appealing.
“You did well,” he said and carried his saddle into the tack room to distance himself. Darcy drove in as they climbed the porch and Bill’s fishing buddy was just leaving. After he left, Ed said, “We should close the gate to keep people out.”
Maybe he’d been selfish to leave Ed and Georgie to deal with visitors.
Darcy laughed as he pulled open the fly screen door. “It wouldn’t stop them.” He held the door open for Lara and Bennet.
That was a problem Brandon hadn’t considered. “We’re never going to get into Dad’s study if they keep coming by.”
“Georgie can deal with them,” Darcy said.
His sister stood, shaking her head, her eyes a little red. “Georgie is taking La La to the beach with Ed,” she said. “We’ve done our shift and it’s your turn.”
Lara perked up but glanced at Darcy as if unsure.
“Go on, pumpkin. You’ll have fun.”
She hugged him and ran to put her bathers on.
“How’d the calls go?” Brandon asked his sister.
She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, the exhaustion on her face obvious. “They weren’t too bad. Simone offered to call the other friends in that group which left Mum’s cousins. They can’t make it to the funeral.”
He gave into his instinct and hugged her. “Tell me if you want me to call anyone.”
She squeezed him then rolled her eyes. “Now you offer, when they’re all done.”
He shrugged. “What can I say, my timing is impeccable.” He got the laugh he was hoping for.
“I can entertain the guests,” Amy said. “Most of them will understand you’ve got things to do.”
Darcy placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure? It’s exhausting.”
Her smile was sad. “I enjoy hearing the stories they tell about Beth and Bill, and it’s more important you figure out who killed them.”
Brandon wanted to hug her but was worried about overstepping. He was falling into the Amy camp with the rest of his family. He’d really enjoyed his time with her. “Thank you. Come get us if you need a break.”
