knickers, then so can I.”
Sunny leaned over and kissed his cheek, then pointed out the windscreen. “Once more into the breach, dear friend,” she cried.
“Shakespeare. Henry the Fifth, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Sunny paused. “‘There’s nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility.’” It was the perfect description of him, she mused.
“All right,” he said, glancing over at her. “Prepare to be schooled. I happen to be a Shakespeare expert. I’ve got his complete works somewhere in this campervan.”
“We had to memorize all kinds of quotes in high school,” she said.
“The benefits of a posh private school?”
“Hey, I learned how to kiss boys and smoke cigarettes in private school.”
He grinned. “All right then. I’ll want to be hearing about that a bit later.”
* * *
T HE DAY ’ S DRIVE HAD been long, the past two hours south of Bourke spent on a narrow strip of sealed road that cut a straight line through the Aussie outback.
They pulled into Cobar at seven in the evening and found another caravan park. But this time, they kept Tally with them. Once they had their site, Sunny helped Logan take her out of the trailer. He attached a long lead to the filly and Sunny patiently exercised the filly on an expanse of grass, softly speaking to her as the horse made a wide circle around her.
It was easy to forget that they shared a love of horses, but now, watching her work with Tally, he had to admire how she focused on the task at hand. He was seeing a whole different side of her, not the brazen sex goddess that he’d come to know from their nights together, but a professional, with a depth of knowledge much greater than his own.
He was sorry he hadn’t called Ed first when he’d decided he’d have to sell the filly. He could have almost handled parting with her if he knew the horse was going to someone like Sunny. She would love and appreciate Tally as much as he did.
“Look how beautiful she is,” Sunny called. “It’s like she’s got feathers for feet. I’d love to see her jump. Have you trained her at all?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“She just looks so graceful. I hope your buyer appreciates what he’s getting.”
He watched them silently. Why not just sell her the horse? His loss would at least be tempered by the knowledge that the filly was in the best possible hands. But he wasn’t even sure how to back out of the deal. Papers had been signed, money had been exchanged.
He’d taken a third, eight thousand dollars, as a down payment, but that had already gone to paying bills at the ranch. He had nothing to return to the buyer. Logan shook his head. Never mind the fact that he was driving across Australia to deliver her.
“I saw a restaurant just down the road,” Logan said. “I’m going to walk over and grab us something for supper. Is there anything special you’d like?”
“A cheeseburger,” she said. “And a chocolate malt. And see if they have pie. Or cake. Something yummy for dessert. And a bag of crisps would be good, too. I think we finished the crisps this afternoon.”
“That all?”
“Biscuits for my horse,” she said.
“Your horse?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I can dream, can’t I?”
“I have biscuits in the trailer,” he said.
“That’s all, then,” she said, shooting him a smile. “Hurry back.”
The street was quiet as he walked over to the restaurant, a slight chill in the air. He drew a deep breath and looked up at the first stars twinkling in the midnight-blue sky.
Of all the things he’d expected on this trip, Sunny hadn’t even been a glimmer in his mind. And here she was, the best traveling companion he could have hoped for. He felt content, completely satisfied by life. And one of the hardest things he’d have to do—selling Tally—would be made easier by her presence.
The roadside restaurant was nearly empty when Logan entered. He sat down at the counter and grabbed a menu, then
Sunny leaned over and kissed his cheek, then pointed out the windscreen. “Once more into the breach, dear friend,” she cried.
“Shakespeare. Henry the Fifth, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Sunny paused. “‘There’s nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility.’” It was the perfect description of him, she mused.
“All right,” he said, glancing over at her. “Prepare to be schooled. I happen to be a Shakespeare expert. I’ve got his complete works somewhere in this campervan.”
“We had to memorize all kinds of quotes in high school,” she said.
“The benefits of a posh private school?”
“Hey, I learned how to kiss boys and smoke cigarettes in private school.”
He grinned. “All right then. I’ll want to be hearing about that a bit later.”
* * *
T HE DAY ’ S DRIVE HAD been long, the past two hours south of Bourke spent on a narrow strip of sealed road that cut a straight line through the Aussie outback.
They pulled into Cobar at seven in the evening and found another caravan park. But this time, they kept Tally with them. Once they had their site, Sunny helped Logan take her out of the trailer. He attached a long lead to the filly and Sunny patiently exercised the filly on an expanse of grass, softly speaking to her as the horse made a wide circle around her.
It was easy to forget that they shared a love of horses, but now, watching her work with Tally, he had to admire how she focused on the task at hand. He was seeing a whole different side of her, not the brazen sex goddess that he’d come to know from their nights together, but a professional, with a depth of knowledge much greater than his own.
He was sorry he hadn’t called Ed first when he’d decided he’d have to sell the filly. He could have almost handled parting with her if he knew the horse was going to someone like Sunny. She would love and appreciate Tally as much as he did.
“Look how beautiful she is,” Sunny called. “It’s like she’s got feathers for feet. I’d love to see her jump. Have you trained her at all?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“She just looks so graceful. I hope your buyer appreciates what he’s getting.”
He watched them silently. Why not just sell her the horse? His loss would at least be tempered by the knowledge that the filly was in the best possible hands. But he wasn’t even sure how to back out of the deal. Papers had been signed, money had been exchanged.
He’d taken a third, eight thousand dollars, as a down payment, but that had already gone to paying bills at the ranch. He had nothing to return to the buyer. Logan shook his head. Never mind the fact that he was driving across Australia to deliver her.
“I saw a restaurant just down the road,” Logan said. “I’m going to walk over and grab us something for supper. Is there anything special you’d like?”
“A cheeseburger,” she said. “And a chocolate malt. And see if they have pie. Or cake. Something yummy for dessert. And a bag of crisps would be good, too. I think we finished the crisps this afternoon.”
“That all?”
“Biscuits for my horse,” she said.
“Your horse?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I can dream, can’t I?”
“I have biscuits in the trailer,” he said.
“That’s all, then,” she said, shooting him a smile. “Hurry back.”
The street was quiet as he walked over to the restaurant, a slight chill in the air. He drew a deep breath and looked up at the first stars twinkling in the midnight-blue sky.
Of all the things he’d expected on this trip, Sunny hadn’t even been a glimmer in his mind. And here she was, the best traveling companion he could have hoped for. He felt content, completely satisfied by life. And one of the hardest things he’d have to do—selling Tally—would be made easier by her presence.
The roadside restaurant was nearly empty when Logan entered. He sat down at the counter and grabbed a menu, then
Similar Books
