On their way back, Brandon radioed Darcy to tell him a fence was down. From the sounds of it, Faith guessed it would take a lot of work to fix. “I’ve got to cut this short,” Darcy said apologetically. “I need to get the fence done before I pick up Lara.”
“If you need me to pick her up, say the word.”
“Thanks.” He hesitated and looked down the gully in the opposite direction to where they were headed.
“Do you need to go that way?”
“Yeah, but I’ll take you back to the house first.”
She didn’t need to be coddled. “The trail’s pretty clear, Darcy. I can make my own way back. You go.”
“I’m not leaving you alone.”
“Then give me the radio and make sure you check in when you reach Brandon.” She held out her hand.
He sighed. “You are wonderful.” He gave her the whole backpack, kissed her, and then pointed out the path.
“I’ve got it.”
He smiled, kissed her again, then turned his horse and cantered down the gully.
Sometime last night or this morning, he’d captured her heart. If she returned to Perth, she wouldn’t escape this without pain. With a sigh, she headed back to the homestead.
Halfway back to the house, the radio came alive. “I’m with Brandon. Where are you?”
“In sight of the house,” she said. “Should be back in about ten.”
“Roger that.”
The ground was flat, so she kicked her horse into a canter, enjoying the rolling motion and the wind brushing by her face. At the horse yard she radioed Darcy to tell him she’d arrived, and then groomed Reg and returned him to the yard. It seemed natural to walk back into the house through the kitchen door. Amy sat at the table in front of a laptop with a couple of notebooks scattered around her. She smiled. “Have a pleasant ride?”
“It was beautiful,” Faith said. “We rode down into the gully beyond the ridge.”
“I haven’t been down there yet. The slope scares me, though Brandon tells me it’s not as bad as it looks.”
“It isn’t,” Faith agreed. “But if you’re not comfortable on a horse, then it would be scary.”
“Actually, that’s something I wanted to ask you about,” Amy said as she filled the kettle with water. “We have four horses out here. Would they be suitable for trail rides?”
She hadn’t seen them all in action, but, “Possibly. Darcy would be the better person to ask as he knows their temperament. And it would depend on the skill of the rider as well.” She considered the options. “If you just went to the top of the ridge, it would be suitable for a beginner, but you could also do rides to the beach or around the sand dunes.”
Amy made some notes. “How much would you charge?”
Faith named the going rate. “If you offer a picnic lunch or breakfast with it, you could charge more.”
When the kettle boiled, Amy filled a teapot and set it on the table. She rubbed her forehead. “My brain hurts with all the numbers,” she said. “But it’s my job to make the camp grounds as lucrative as possible.”
Faith hesitated. It wasn’t any of her business, but she wanted to help. “How bad are the finances?”
“Bad,” Amy said. “We’re running low on feed and the slaughtered sheep were pregnant, so we’ve lost next year’s flock as well. Brandon’s hoping for rain because new growth will sprout and provide more food.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“If you can recoup the money they lost on the cattle, it will help.” She held up a mug. “Tea?”
“Yes, please.” She sat, and a notebook caught her attention. “These wedding plans?”
Amy nodded. “It’s a simple wedding here, but I’ve been cross-checking a bunch of wedding lists in case I’ve forgotten anything.” She marked items off her list. “We’ve got a celebrant and food organised. The invitations will be sent the next time I go into town, and Ed’s bringing up the rings from Perth.”
