“Yep. Can we take goggles too? I think Faith would like to go snorkelling around the mangroves.”
Or Lara would. He smiled and added three pairs of goggles.
After they’d eaten, they went out to the horses. Lara slipped her hand into his as they walked across the hard red dirt to the horse yard. She inhaled deeply. “It’s going to be a beautiful day.”
It was what his mother had always said. His heart squeezed, the pang of loss still sharp. He couldn’t believe she was gone. “It sure is.”
Lara took her halter from him and rounded up Starlight as he fetched Fezzik, and brought the bay gelding over to the fence, tying him up and then feeding them both. The layer of red dust on the horse’s coat came away in puffs as he brushed. Lara’s two pet sheep entered the yard, looking for food.
“I don’t have anything for you today.” Lara rubbed their wool.
The sound of a car engine made him glance towards the road. A white four-wheel drive slowly rolled down the road, towing a very rickety horse float. He waved and gestured for Faith to park nearby.
“Faith!” Before Lara could run over, Darcy grabbed her arm.
“Wait until the car has stopped.”
She pouted but did as he asked, and then ran to greet Faith. Darcy followed more slowly, though his heart thumped when she climbed out of the car and smiled at him. Her short, brown hair had been brushed into a side parting and she wore a loose long-sleeved shirt which she had tucked neatly into her jodhpurs. Her calf high riding boots made him smile. He and Matt used to call people wearing that at the gymkhanas show ponies because they didn’t know what actual work was like, but damned if it wasn’t a good look for her.
“Morning.” He unlatched the back of the horse float and frowned at the loose bolt. He examined the rest of the trailer. “Where’d you get this from?”
She winced. “I’m borrowing it from the pony club. I’m not sure when it was last used.”
There was a reason for that. It was a miracle it hadn’t fallen apart on the way here. “You can take our float home. This isn’t fit for the road. I’ll do some welding and return it at the next pony club meet.” No way was he letting her take it back.
She opened her mouth as if to argue and then closed it. “Thank you. I appreciate it. It rattled far more than I’m comfortable with driving out here.”
Concern filled him. “You should have called. I would have fetched you and your horse, or you could have borrowed one of our horses.”
She smiled. “I didn’t want to be a bother.”
“Dad says it’s better to be a bother and be safe than to risk an accident,” Lara said.
“That’s good advice.”
Darcy flushed. He sounded boring. “Come on, Lara, you need to finish saddling Starlight.”
She looked between Faith and Starlight as if she didn’t want to miss a thing.
“Do you need help with your horse?” he asked Faith.
“Her name’s Spirit,” Lara interrupted. “Dad’s horse is Fezzik. Georgie named him, because she said Dad reminds her of the character fromThe Princess Bride. I’m not sure she meant it as a compliment, but I think Fezzik is a teddy-bear.” With a satisfied toss of her ponytail, she bounced away to saddle her horse.
Faith chuckled. “That’s one of my favourite movies.” She glanced at Darcy. “I’ve got her. Thank you.”
He left her to get Spirit out of the float and saddled Fezzik before checking Lara had remembered to re-cinch Starlight’s saddle.
“Da-ad. I’m not a baby.”
“You’re my baby,” he said, pleased she had done everything correctly.
“Should I leave the car and float here?” Faith asked as they joined her.
“Yeah, it’s out of the way. Did you want a drink before we go?”
“I’ve got a thermos in my backpack along with food,” she said. “I’m itching to get going.”
He smiled. “Then let’s go.” He gave Lara a leg up and led them out of the yard. Faith’s dappled grey horse was a standardbred and in excellent condition. It shouldn’t have trouble with the trail.
