Nerves helped to push the remaining anger away. He hadn’t spoken to Faith after he’d hung up, had needed time to cool down and by the time he had, she would have been on the way to the Ridge and out of reception.
He was fairly sure she would understand, and he was looking forward to seeing her. That moment on the beach yesterday when she’d kissed his cheek, and he’d been so close to kissing her had stuck in his brain.
The only thing stopping him was his daughter in the front seat and his fear it would give Sofia ammunition to take Lara from him.
He shook his head. Don’t think about Sofia.
He towel-dried his hair a final time and checked the mirror. His best jeans were still in the wash after their impromptu dip in the ocean, but these black jeans looked all right. The simple grey T-shirt showed off his lean muscles. He was as ready as he would ever be.
In the kitchen, Amy tossed together a salad.
“Need a hand, Ames?” he asked.
“Nope, all sorted here. Steaks are marinating in the fridge and the potatoes are almost done. All we need are drinks, but I’ll wait until Faith arrives to see if she wants to share a bottle of wine.”
He stood by the table, not sure what to do. If he went outside, he’d get sweaty and it wasn’t the look he wanted. His gaze caught on the Akubra hat. What had Amy called it—his sexy cowboy look? He needed all the help he could get. He reached for it and Amy laughed. “Leave it off, cowboy. Let her see your pretty face.”
He rolled his eyes and turned to her. “Yesterday you said to wear it.”
“That was when you had to show your clueless ex what she was missing,” Amy said. “Tonight, you’re trying to charm Faith and you can do it better if she can see your eyes.”
“She’s coming out to help us with Stonefish.”
“Sure she is.” Amy pursed her lips, failing to hide her smile. “That’s why you’ve showered and put on aftershave.”
His face heated, as his brother walked in, still scruffy from the day’s work. “Who are you trying to impress?”
Darcy shook his head. As pleased as he was that his brother was back, he didn’t need the teasing right now.
“Faith,” Amy answered for him.
Brandon grinned at him. “The pony club instructor, huh? Nice work.”
“Shut up, Bran.” The sound of a car outside gave him an excuse to leave. Faith pulled up behind the house. Bennet barked, and Darcy hushed him as Faith opened the door and her long, tanned, naked legs exited wearing some pretty black sandals. The rest of her followed, and he almost swallowed his tongue. He hadn’t seen her in a dress before. It was sleeveless with a neckline which showed her plump cleavage. The cut tapered to her waist before the skirt fell to just above her knees. The bright red colour made him think of roses. She waved and then bent to get something out of the backseat, giving him a nice view of her backside.
Kicking himself mentally, he strode over to help. “Drive out was OK?”
“Yeah, no problems.” She shut the door, tucking a thick folder under her arm. “Are you all right after this afternoon? Amy called me back to explain.”
He’d have to thank Amy. He blew out a breath. “Yeah, but let’s not talk about it otherwise it’ll just make me angry again.”
“Sure.”
They walked back to the house and Amy crossed to give Faith a hug. “It’s great to see you again,” Amy said. “Put the folder on the bench and we can go through it after dinner. We’re waiting on Brandon,” she continued. “Darcy, why don’t you take Faith up to the dunes to watch the sunset?” She was all innocence as she added, “It’s so breath-taking. You don’t want to miss it.” She handed Darcy an insulated backpack with drinks in it.
Darcy smothered his smile at her smooth moves. “Would you like to?”
“Ah, sure. Is what I’m wearing all right?”
“Yeah. The path isn’t rough.” If he’d been less distracted by Sofia’s antics, he might have thought of taking Faith up there himself. The red sand dunes were located to the east of the property only a ten-minute walk away. They offered a slightly elevated view over the station across to the Ridge. The Ridge would have been a better spot to take her if they had time, but the sun was already low in the sky.
“What did you get up to today?” Darcy asked.
“Before we went grocery shopping, Mum and I spent the day cleaning out cupboards. She’s decided to go through everything they’ve accumulated over the years.”
“She’s mobile enough?”
“Yeah. She’s just a little slower than she was.”
