by Mandy Magro
She turned to him now, her face contorted with sorrow. ‘I wish I could, but I can’t, Logan. So please, just drop it. I’ll be fine.’
As hard as it was, he did as she asked. Swerving to miss an owl sitting smack-bang in the middle of the road, he pulled up out the front of the homestead at Riverstone Ridge, and she climbed out.
‘Thanks heaps for the lift,’ she said, already taking steps away from him, seemingly as fast as she could without running. ‘Catch you tomorrow arvo for that ride.’
‘Will do, catch you then. Have a good sleep.’ Fighting the urge to race after her, Logan turned the LandCruiser around and headed back down the driveway, his buoyant mood long gone, and the sense of loneliness returning in full force. How stupid of him to humour the thought of him and Nina ever being anything more than friends. It was never going to happen.
To get his mind off the ache in his heart and onto more pressing issues, he was going straight home to tow her Jeep into the shade of the shed, so he could have a good look over it. Then he was going to give Vance a call at the station, get him to search the police database for the registration plate.
He’d take his suspicions from there.
CHAPTER
18
Nina’s buckskin gelding stuck close to his horsey mate, Willow – Logan’s charcoal-coloured stockhorse. Sitting high in the saddle, Nina couldn’t help the gratified smile upon her face – as Bea had always said, as tough as life could be there was always something to be thankful for. Being out in the middle of the bush reminded her of that, with untainted beauty everywhere. Although riding was something she hadn’t done in years, the city life not providing her with the opportunity, when she’d slipped her boot into the stirrup and swung up onto Galaxy’s back, it had all felt so familiar, comforting even. As though she was somehow home.
The clip-clop of the horses’ hooves was spellbinding, as was the male company. Logan Steele had always been easy on the eye, but put him on a horse, in his cowboy get-up, his chiselled face shadowed by his Akubra, and boy-oh-boy, he was one hell of an arresting man. Scared of tumbling further for him, and with her moment of weakness the night of the races taunting her, she’d almost cancelled their afternoon catch-up, but feeling on top of the world now, she was so glad she hadn’t. Logan had been right – it was exactly what the doctor had ordered.
At a slow walk after a decent gallop across the flats, the two horses so familiar with the tracks meandering through the scrub, Nina relaxed into the saddle and allowed Galaxy to show her the way – from the looks of things, they were almost there. Apart from the tranquillity of not having to be anywhere at any particular time, she loved being out amongst it all – the vastness of the countryside and the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views breathtaking to say the very least. Riding side by side, she and Logan had at first chatted like the old friends they were, but now, completely at ease with one another, they shared a companionable silence, the magnificence of the bush captivating them, fulfilling them – there was no need for continuous conversation. It had always been what they did best, just being with one another, in the moment, enjoying all that was to be enjoyed – and clearly, they still had the knack.
As they neared the top, the track thinned out, and as the two horses came closer together, the brush of Logan’s leg against Nina’s sent warmth flooding throughout her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his hands loose, easy on the reins, as he peered out and over the ridgeline, the heart of the valley now hundreds of metres beneath them. They’d been following the upward trail for a little over an hour now, and she was looking forward to a swim in the creek and beneath the waterfall. The shadow of drifting clouds occasionally stole away the brilliant sunshine, but did nothing to lessen the humidity or the heat belting down upon their backs.
Reaching a small clearing, the rumble of a waterfall could be heard. But just when she was about to ask Galaxy to open his stride, the horse jittered beneath her. She instantly gripped the reins tighter as a snake shot out in front of them. She felt Galaxy tense up like a spring and she shot to attention – she loathed snakes and couldn’t blame Galaxy for feeling the same way. She could feel he was about to rear up as he pulled at the bit and then bounded into the air, all four feet off the ground. Logan said something from behind her, but she couldn’t make it out. With everything she had, she held on tight, thankfully remaining in the saddle for the few seconds that felt like minutes. Once all four hooves were back safely on solid ground, she calmly commanded the horse’s attention, and once he was settled, soothed Galaxy into stillness.
‘Good job staying in the saddle, cowgirl.’ His expression one of both concern and pride, Logan offered her a gallant grin as he gave Willow the cue to move onwards. ‘You still have the touch.’
Crisis avoided, Nina did the same with Galaxy while still catching her breath. ‘What do you mean?’
‘With horses.’
‘You reckon?’
‘I don’t just reckon, I know so.’ He smiled even wider. ‘As much as you want to fight it, Neens, this place is in your veins, just as much as it is in mine.’ He blew out a breath. ‘I just hope you allow yourself to see that, and feel it, before you make one of the biggest choices of your life.’
Nina did her best to tone down a defensive reply. ‘Oh, trust me when I say I’ve made some bloody hard decisions before now. Ones I’ve had to live with.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m sure I’ll live with this one too, one way or another.’
‘You’re one tough cookie, so I know you will.’ His gaze went from her to the skyline. ‘I just want you to be happy, that’s all.’
With his sunglasses on, Nina couldn’t see the emotion in Logan’s eyes, but his soft yet expressive tone spoke volumes. He very clearly cared for her, a lot, maybe more than she deserved. Not trusting herself to speak past the emotion now lodged in her throat, she felt the blush upon her cheeks, and it had nothing to do with the heat but all to do with this hunk of a man beside her. He was always so loyally at her side – how could she not adore him for that? She wished she could let go of the damn constant urge to grab hold of him, to kiss him and strip him bare, regardless of all sense and reason. But the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to jump into bed with him, and stay there forever, safe in his arms. However, she knew that would be the second biggest mistake of her life – the first being the one she’d made all those years ago.
They reached the fence line, which would take them by foot to the creek and waterfall, and Logan pulled Willow to a stop. ‘We’ll leave the horses here, and head on over.’
Nina did the same with Galaxy. ‘Sounds like a plan.’
After tethering both geldings beneath the shade of a gum tree, Logan grabbed a little esky from the saddlebags, and together, they headed over to the barbed wire fence that seemed to stretch into the never-never.
‘Allow me,’ Logan said, as he pushed down the lower fence line with his boot so Nina could climb through without getting cut or caught by the barbed wire.
With a coy smile she eased through, and straightened her hat once upright. ‘Why thankya, cowboy – once again you’re proving chivalry sure as heck isn’t dead with you, is it?’
‘It’s not hard to treat a good woman right.’ Logan tipped his hat and his lips hitched up on one side. ‘And it’s my absolute pleasure to chivalrise you, cowgirl.’
Nina chuckled. ‘Is that even a word?’
‘It is now,’ Logan said gallantly.
Over the other side, they half climbed, half slid, down the stony embankment, where ancient ghost gums lined the bank of a stunning creek kept fresh and icy cold by the waterfall hammering into it. The entirety of it was enticing, the flowing water babbling over the rocks at the edge making Nina ache to jump in.
‘Swim or beer first?’
Logan’s voice, low and husky, strummed a familiar chord deep inside of her. She pondered for a few short seconds, and then grinned. ‘How ’bout both at the same time?’
‘I like
your way of thinking, Miss Jones.’ Logan unzipped the small esky and pulled out two beers. He held them up. ‘Cooler?’
‘Yes, please.’
He did as she asked, and after twisting off the lid, passed a cooler-enfolded beer over to her. She took a sip, quickly followed by another. It was icy cold. ‘Ahhh, that’s going down real good.’
‘Well, there’s more where that came from. I have a six-pack, so we’re set for the afternoon.’
‘You rock jocks,’ she said playfully.
‘Damn straight I do, and don’t you forget it.’ He tugged off his jeans, and then his shirt, leaving him standing in just his jocks. He looked down at them and smirked. ‘And today I picked bright blue Bonds to rock.’
‘I can see that.’ Nina couldn’t help herself, her gaze trailing from head to toe of the muscular, tattooed, manly man now virtually naked before her.
Logan smiled wickedly as he gave her the once-over. ‘You going in fully dressed?’ He had a scull of his beer.
‘Of course not, smart-arse.’ Nina had seen him shirtless many times before, but this was different. He was all man now, with muscles galore – ones she wanted to feel with her hands and trail her mouth over. ‘I’m just not as quick as you with getting my gear off, that’s all.’
‘Really? I don’t know about that,’ he said, with a devilish wink.
‘Get stuffed.’ With a grin she shook off the dizzying effect he was having on her, kicked off her boots, and then yanked off her socks. Although feeling a little exposed beneath his stare, she started stripping down to her bikini. Her hands trembled as she unbuttoned her shirt, slipped it off, and then clutching it to her chest, she shimmied out of her jeans.
Logan’s eyes dropped fleetingly, and then came back up to capture her gaze. ‘You ready?’
She dropped her shirt to the ground. ‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’
She slipped into the water with him. The cool water felt amazing against her hot skin. Logan moved closer to her, smiling. ‘Good god, woman, you look like a plucked chicken.’ With her shivering and covered in goosebumps, Logan pulled her into his arms. ‘Come here and I’ll warm you up.’
After a second of hesitation, Nina allowed him to pull her real close. Giving in to the captivating moment, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, the feeling of his manhood pressing into her letting her know, in no uncertain terms, that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
And that terrified the hell out of her.
As playfully as she could, she untangled and swam away from him, kicking water in his direction. Logan took the bait and splashed after her, both of them noisy with laughter as he tried to catch her, failing each and every time. They did this for a few minutes, then, spent, they swam for the waterfall, and together crashed through the cascading water and to the other side, where the entire world faded away, leaving just the two of them, alone, in the middle of the Australian bush, surrounded by crystal clear water, and enveloped by the tenderness that was so quickly growing like wildfire between them.
But as alluring as it was, Nina wasn’t going to let the magic of the moment render her senseless, so as much as she ached to be at one with Logan, she made a little distance between them. Positioning herself on some rocks, she tipped her head back into the waterfall, sighing in absolute pleasure. Logan joined her, both of them frolicking beneath the curtain of water to either float on their backs in the middle of the creek or to do a beer run. Two hours later, and with both of them resembling prunes and their stomachs grumbling for sustenance, they made the executive decision to head back to the homestead.
The trip home was much faster. Nina and Logan manoeuvred their horses around the downward slope, and once at the bottom, careened across the flat, the challenge of who could ride the fastest enticing them both into a wild, joyful gallop. A large outcropping of rock, higher than a house, broke the earth’s crust not far away, and just over that they would be on the home stretch. Recalling the one time they’d almost careered off the edge at warp speed as teenagers, Nina gradually brought her horse to a walk, as did Logan. Sitting high in the saddle, she swayed with the stockhorse’s beautiful gait as she breathed in the vastness surrounding her, at the same time dreamily pondering how she was so very blessed to call this stunning countryside home.
And then, like a blow to the chest, it struck her – she was actually seeing Riverstone Ridge as home …
* * *
With Willow and Galaxy hosed down and back in their paddock, along with a treat of molasses, Logan carried each of the saddles and blankets into the tack shed and placed them over the railing. Beside him, Nina hung up the reins and bridles, humming to herself. She used to hum all the time, all those years ago, but this was the first time he’d heard her do it since coming back. He loved seeing her happy – it hadn’t been a usual occurrence these past three and a half weeks, and he liked to think it was because of him that she was smiling. With her damp hair pulled into a careless ponytail, her cheeks a little rosy from the afternoon in the sun, and a sparkle of happiness in her beautiful green eyes, she was absolute perfection.
Pulling his mobile from his back pocket, he checked for any messages – the service wasn’t great where they’d been riding. He was relieved to see one from Vance, and he quickly flicked it open.
Hey, mate, I ran the plates you wanted. The car isn’t registered. And the last owner died two years ago. Don’t know where you want to go from here? Let me know. I’ll keep looking into it, though, and will let you know if I get any leads.
Cursing under his breath, Logan quickly typed a reply.
Appreciate you chasing it up, buddy. Will give you a call later when Nina isn’t around to hear the convo. I don’t want to freak her out just yet. Might be grasping at straws.
As he tucked the phone back into his pocket and neared Nina, every bit of him wanted to kiss her. ‘You going to stay for that last beer?’ He’d feel better if he got her to stay here all night, just until he found out who the creep was driving the stolen car, but he didn’t know how that would happen without her thinking he was making a move on her. Which he was dying to do, too.
‘Hmm, let me think about that …’ Tapping her lips with her fingertip, Nina pretended to ponder the question deeply, and then threw her hands up in the air. ‘I don’t have anywhere I need to be, so why the heck not?’
‘Great, let’s head back to the homestead and kick back so we can watch the sunset.’
He offered Nina his arm, and she took it. ‘Sounds like absolute heaven to me.’
Logan could almost do what he did all those years ago, when he pressed her up against the wall of the stables and kissed her like he damn well meant it, but instead he enjoyed the sensation of her so at ease with him, and so close, as they wandered back towards home. It didn’t take long for them to get settled into the old couch on the back verandah, beers in hand and a packet of salt and vinegar chips between them. They munched and drank in a mutual silence, the magnificent sunset worthy of a standing ovation.
For Logan, twilight came around all too fast. He gazed past the goddess of a woman beside him to the wide, tree-lined dirt road that would take her home, and away from him. He didn’t want her to leave, didn’t want this day to end. ‘You still hungry?’
‘A little.’ She peered into the empty packet of chips and screwed up her face. ‘Looks like we’re out of luck, though.’
‘I do have food inside, and believe it or not I can cook, so how about I cook you food, and we call it dinner?’
Nina straightened, Digger happily nestled in her arms. ‘That’s the strangest dinner invitation I think I’ve ever had.’
‘I’m spontaneous like that.’
‘That you most certainly are. There’s never a dull moment around you, Steele, that’s for sure.’
‘Nope – and I know damn well you love it, Neens.’
Resting her head on her hands, she turned to him, a cheeky grin on her glossy lips. ‘Is that so?’
‘Yes, it i
s,’ he said confidently.
They remained staring at one another, their hearts and souls connecting beyond comprehension as unspoken words hung in the air. A small sigh escaped her parted lips, and he reached out and brushed a wisp of hair from her face, pausing to cup her cheek. Both of them remained silent as heat sizzled between them.
To stop himself from ravishing her, Logan stood. ‘Wanna join me?’
Nina blinked as she looked up at him. ‘Where?’
He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. ‘In there, amongst the wilds of the kitchen.’
‘I reckon I’m brave enough to give it a try.’ She jerked around quickly, looking through the flyscreen door, a small smile playing on her kissable lips.
Logan knew exactly what those amazing lips felt like. He had never forgotten.
‘So tell me the honest truth,’ Nina said, plonking a now very alert Digger off her lap and standing. She went to say more, but Logan took a risk and jumped off the cliff they were both balancing on the edge of.
‘Okay then, here’s the truth – I want you, Nina Jones,’ he said huskily.
A blush of pink swept over her cheeks. ‘You want me to what?’ Her heated gaze lingered on where his chest was poking out of his half-unbuttoned shirt.
He let out a rough breath while fighting off a grin. ‘I really wish you wouldn’t talk to me in that tone of voice.’
She wavered, eased back from him a little. ‘I was going to ask you to tell me if you could really cook, or if I was in for a can of baked beans on toast but this …’ She shook her head, swallowed. ‘Holy crap, I wasn’t expecting … this.’
‘This is me being honest – at least one of us is.’
She scowled. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Oh, come on.’ She wasn’t telling him to rack off, which was a good start. Warmth and desire swirled deep inside him, spurring him on. ‘I know you feel the same magnetism that I do.’
