With a whoop, Lara kicked Starlight into a canter and Faith followed, the two of them leaving a trail of dust behind them. Fezzik pulled at the reins, wanting to follow, but he held him back a little longer. Anticipation thrummed in his veins. When was the last time he’d ridden for the pure joy of it?
Finally he gave Fezzik the freedom to gallop. The horse took off and the air and ground thundered by him. Darcy laughed, and exhilaration brushed his worries aside.
They would be back, but he would enjoy this moment. He urged his horse faster and grinned.
This was freedom.
Chapter 3
It was hard to believe they’d been riding for almost two hours and still hadn’t left Retribution Ridge. Faith had heard about how big sheep and cattle stations were, but she’d never comprehended it. The land was dry, the dirt the colour of rusty nails and the bushes straggly, but around her insects buzzed and footprints marked the sand to reveal animals were everywhere. The sun’s rays warmed the land despite the early hour, and she suspected the ride home would be edging into uncomfortably hot. She didn’t care. She inhaled, raising her face to the sun, embracing the serenity of the isolation and the stark beauty of the land. It was stunning.
“We’re almost there,” Lara declared as they approached a small hill. “Are you ready?”
Faith smiled. “I’m ready.” The girl was such a sweetheart. Darcy had obviously raised Lara well for the child to be so comfortable around people to talk almost non-stop about her family’s history for two hours. Faith had been fascinated by her stories of mutinies and buried treasure and wanted to ask Darcy how much of it was true.
They crested the hill and Faith gasped. She’d lied. She hadn’t been ready at all. The turquoise of the ocean was so clear, so blue it looked fake. It stretched towards the horizon, only broken by an island in the middle of the bay, which had to be the island Lara had spoken about. The vivid white sand blended to pink and then turned rusty red as it merged with the surrounding soil. It was like a watercolour painting where the colour had slowly faded into the canvas. To her left, green clumps of mangroves grew out of the water, adding another shade to the painting and to the right, the beach stretched into infinity.
Lara had already ridden down to a hitching post, dismounted and tied her horse to the post. Darcy stopped his horse next to Faith’s. “It’s something, isn’t it?”
She nodded, still unable to form words.
“It’s high tide, so it might be better to leave the ride along the shore for a couple of hours when there’s more beach,” he continued. “Lara wanted to go swimming, if that’s all right with you.”
“Sure.” Her gaze didn’t leave the beauty of her surroundings.
He chuckled. “Come down when you’re ready.” He clicked his tongue and joined Lara at the post where they unsaddled the horses, leaving a halter on. Nearby was a water trough, so they must regularly ride to the beach.
The two of them worked well together, Darcy helping Lara with the saddle and then spreading towels on the sand while Lara stripped off to her bathers. The easy relationship was enviable, especially since her own father still hadn’t forgiven her for leaving her mum at home.
Faith nudged Spirit forward and after unsaddling her, she joined them at the towels where Darcy rubbed sun cream into Lara’s back.
“You want to come snorkelling with me, Faith?” Lara asked, hope shining on her face.
Faith hesitated. “I don’t have any goggles and I’ve never been snorkelling.”
Lara’s mouth dropped open. “You’veneverbeen snorkelling?”
She muffled a laugh at Lara’s incredulity. “No.”
Lara shook her head. “Dad will teach you. We brought spare goggles, and he’s the best teacher.”
“Pumpkin, not everyone loves the water as much as you and Georgie.”
The girl bit her lip. “Can you swim?”
“Yes, I’ve just never learnt to snorkel. I’d love to try it.” She glanced at Darcy. “If you can give me some tips?”
“Of course.” His smile made her pulse flutter, and as he bent over the backpack, his jeans pulled nicely over his butt. “Don’t your parents own a tour boat?” he asked.
“Yeah, but I’ve not been out on it yet.” She’d been so busy with work when they’d first bought the boat, and since she’d been here, she’d been caring for her mother full time.
He handed her a pair of goggles with a snorkel attached. “Do you have bathers?”
She blinked. “Give me a second.” By the time she’d stripped down to her bathers, Darcy stood in only a tight black pair of lycra bathers. Her mouth went dry. Hard abs, lean muscle and oh so fine tanned skin. Maybe she could rub sun cream into his chest or back.
His gaze roamed over her body, and she shifted, conscious of her crop top blue bikini. The approval in his eyes warmed her.
“Are you two coming?” Lara shouted.
