“I don’t suppose you have fond memories of that place.” He handed her a mug of coffee. It seemed that Caleb was always handing her something—coffee, a plate of food. Security.
“You think?” She wrapped both hands around her mug and huddled closer to the fire. Weary to the bone, she closed her eyes and wished that she were more like Lizzy Carter who had made peace with her past. Ridiculous to expect Caleb might offer any chance of that to her. She had to make her own peace. And she would.
“You look exhausted. Did you sleep at all last night?” Caleb’s voice brought her back to the present. She opened her eyes and watched the flames of the campfire leap like demonic figures in the night wind. Deep in the heart of the fire, blackened wood glowed with a heart of amber brilliance. As if the fire released the life within, lines from some long-forgotten poem returned:
. . . blue-bleak embers . . .
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.
“If you count being knocked out as sleep, then yes.” She tried to keep her tone light but Caleb didn’t see it that way. Not if the muscle jumping in his jaw was any indication. His gaze dropped again to her bruised cheek. Self-conscious, she bowed her head and hid behind the curtain of hair.
“Go to bed, Sarah. Take the back of the ute and I’ll keep an eye on the horses.”
“I’m okay. Look, let’s clear the air with what we know so far. I know your boss believes that somehow I spirited Sir Alain away but I think he followed Tabitha. You’ll have to fill in the rest. How did he get loose?”
Caleb glanced at the horses and she looked too. Cosied up side by side, Sir Alain did look interested in her mare.
“You were right to suspect Hugo. He turned up in a truck with a second man who pulled a gun on me.”
“I thought your boss picked up Gunslinger and Whip cracker.”
“Is that what you called them?” His laugh was short but genuine. “Seems they had time to radio for help before Kaiser and his men picked them up. The help wanted the stallion at any cost. One of them was Hugo Anstey. It was strange. I’d swear Sir Alain recognised his voice. He pulled free, knocked me into a tree and mowed Anstey down before he bolted.”
“He must have followed Tabitha’s scent. We should have been much further along the track but I—didn’t feel good so we walked.” Pride wouldn’t allow her to share with anyone that she’d spun out and all but fallen off Tabitha. “When I saw him, he’d been running for a while. He must have been frightened to have covered that much distance.”
“Did you have a problem catching him?”
Her laugh turned into a hiccup. “There was no catching involved. He trotted straight up to us and started smooching with Tabitha.”
Caleb glanced at the horses and mumbled under his breath—something about following gorgeous females but she couldn’t quite catch his words—before he turned back to her. A thoughtful expression deepened his chocolate brown gaze. “Hmm, I radioed the Stock Squad boys and they’re stuck with a broken axle. It will take hours for another truck to reach them and repair the damage. Do you think Sir Alain would be okay if we lead him back into Mt. Isa?”
“If he’s with Tabitha, he’ll follow her, no problem. There’s a shortcut we can take and still make it back by evening. It will cut about twenty kilometres off the route I would have been riding. Although it won’t be acceptable in terms of fulfilling my ride.”
“Why not? You’ve probably covered that distance when you backtracked today. Surely the charity would understand the circumstances.”
“Not in the endurance riding world of raising funds for charity. Everything has to be done by the book.” Slivers of regret for the missed achievement would not dim her gratitude for being able to rescue the stallion. There would be other rides, other challenges.
“Sarah, is the challenge about following a set route or about achieving the distance? Between veering off course yesterday and your rescue of Sir Alain for a second time today, you’ve covered more miles than you set out to do.”
Had she? Without measuring it on the map, she didn’t know. But setting out the circumstances would mean confessing to losing her way. Was she prepared for the ridicule that confession would bring down on her head?
“I’m not proud of getting lost, even though it resulted in finding Sir Alain. And I don’t think telling them would help. I’ve decided to do the whole ride again once Tabitha and I are rested. That’s the honest way, the only way.”
She stood, rinsed out her cup and put it away. “I’ll take you up on your offer and say goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Sarah. Sleep well.”
She watched him through the window as he poured another mug of coffee and tipped the rest of the pot into the thermos. A long, freezing night on guard duty stretched ahead of him while she curled up in the shelter and relative warmth of the ute. Ample time to think, and to plan—lots of things.
Chapter Twelve
Caleb maintained a cautious distance from Sarah and the two horses as they headed into the final leg of her ride. She’d been right about Sir Alain. He trotted easily beside Tabitha as they made their way along the edge of the highway into town.
As far as Caleb knew, Kaiser hadn’t alerted the media that the police had found Sir Alain and were bringing him in. Otherwise, the presence of the kidnapped stallion at Sarah’s side would make for a media circus. Caleb hoped for Sarah’s sake their arrival was low key. But if Kaiser were clever about it, he’d have made sure the local news channel sent a camera to cover Sarah’s arrival. He imagined the producer’s glee at getting exclusive footage of Sir Alain’s return.
As the westering sun silhouetted the chimneystack of the mine, Caleb checked the time. They were cutting it close, even with Sarah’s shortcut. Gritty-eyed from last night’s long watch, he stifled a yawn and drew a little closer to Sarah.
He drew alongside her and lowered his window. “Do you want to pick up the pace a bit? It’s nearly sunset.”
“I don’t want to put Sir Alain under any more stress, Caleb. He’s a racehorse, not an endurance horse.”
“It’s only a couple of kilometres to the finish line. How far did he run yesterday?”
“I don’t want to push him too hard. I’d rather be late than risk his legs.”
“Fine. I bow to your expertise.”
“Are you always so agreeable?”
“Now there’s a fine question to ask a police officer. Reckon there’s a few people I’ve arrested who’d disagree with you.”
“Me for one.” She rode on in silence, her gaze fixed on the outskirts of town. They passed the welcome sign before she spoke again. “Thanks.”
“For what? Co-opting you into my case?” Early misgivings about including an untrained amateur had vanished, replaced by respect and a certain amount of awe in her abilities.
“Yes. And for being decent about—certain things.” Her reluctance to be specific told its own story. She was such a private person, and her family troubles had added to her distaste for public spectacle.
“Giving up my bed and cooking the odd meal isn’t much, Sarah. It’s what colleagues—and friends—do for one another.” In his book, it was small change to convey his thanks to her.
“Before we get to the finish line, I have a question for you.”
She frowned. “Can’t it wait until I’m giving my statement?”
“It’s not for public record. Especially if the answer is no.”
She pulled up as they came to a crossroad and, tilting her head to the side, looked down at him. “You know how to make me curious. Okay, shoot. What is the question that cannot be asked in public?”
“Have dinner with me?”
Tabitha shifted restlessly beneath her as Sarah stared at him. “We’ve had dinner together most of the last week. Aren’t you sick of my company by now?”
“Definitely not. Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up around seven. Besides, we need to celebrate. Not only have we recovered a kidnapped horse but you’ve
finished your ride—”
“Nearly finished. One more kilometre to the end.”
“True. Come on, let’s go.” He eased away and headed up the street. As he turned the next corner, he caught sight of a small welcoming committee in front of the community hall. Their show of faith in Sarah turning up when she said she would justified her pushing on today.
He sped up and parked the ute before sprinting back to stand on the edge of the small crowd. He wanted to savour Sarah’s triumphant return.
A teenage girl stood beside her young brother’s wheelchair, chatting softly. “You’ll see, Luke, she’ll make it in time. Then you can ask her to teach you to ride.” As Sarah turned the corner, the girl pointed and called to her family. “Here she comes. And she’s got another horse with her.”
Several people crowded in behind the boy in the wheelchair and others drifted closer, lining both sides of the cul-de-sac. Sporadic clapping began. Caleb spotted Brent Wilson and a cameraman in position behind the tape. Did they realise they would scoop every paper in the state with this story?
Caleb couldn’t help himself. He put two fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle and began hearty applause. “Well done, Sarah. Top effort.”
“I see you’re impartial when it comes to Ms. Tait, Richards.” Hands in pockets, Glen Kaiser stepped up beside him as Sarah rode Tabitha through a paper ribbon tape. She was smiling her public smile; the one Caleb knew hid a wealth of discomfort at the attention she received.
The president of the charity stepped up beside her and held out his hand and Sarah shook it. “You made it by the skin of your teeth.”
He met Kaiser’s eyes and nodded. “I recognise grit and determination when I see it, sir. And I applaud what Sarah’s achieved, although most of these people will never know the personal cost to her.”
“I’m sure you’ll enlighten me once the welcome home festivities are over. I expect you at the station in an hour. Make arrangements for the stallion on your way in.” Without waiting for a response, Kaiser strolled around the edge of the crowd and was gone.
Brent Wilson approached Caleb. He covered the microphone and leaned in close. “Detective Richards, I presume. Please tell me that stallion is who I think he is.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow and asked, “What answer are you looking for, Brent?”
“That’s the missing stallion, isn’t it? The one Townsville police claim was stolen. Worth a couple of million dollars. Where did you find him?”
“His name’s Sir Alain. Sarah stumbled across him in the course of her ride and rescued him.” He wanted to be sure credit was given to Sarah.
“No shit. And we’re the only channel with a camera here. Don’t go away, Detective. I really, really want to interview you. As soon as I’ve caught a comment from Sarah.”
Caleb clapped a hand over the reporter’s shoulder. “Brent, one word before you go. She’s exhausted and injured, and that’s not for general consumption. Keep it short for now.”
Brent frowned and narrowed his eyes on a smiling Sarah. “Got it. Can I do a long interview with her tomorrow? Because I’m guessing your presence means she’ll be needed at the police station tonight?”
“Ask her yourself.”
By the time Sarah had been congratulated by the members of the charity committee, night had settled over the town. The Stock Squad boys arrived to collect Sir Alain. The stallion snorted and backed away from their attempts to remove him from Tabitha’s side.
Frustrated at the stress evident in the stallion’s response, Caleb was moving towards the restless group of men and horses when Sarah stopped him.
“Caleb, I’ve got an idea. How about I bring him along to the yard and leave Tabitha with him while I give my statement?” The adrenaline rush of reaching the end of her ride had subsided and fatigue etched shadows beneath her eyes.
“You look dead on your feet. Do you think he’d come with me?”
“I don’t know. Can I just do it? Please?”
Sarah’s hand on his arm surprised him. That was the second time she had touched him voluntarily, if he didn’t count their pretence at Jenner’s property. He covered her hand with his. Her fingers were cool and her hand quivered at the contact. But she didn’t pull away.
“I’ll phone and let the chief know.”
“Would you ask him if I can report in tomorrow?”
“I’ll tell him that’s what we’re doing. Come on. And then I’m driving you home.”
##
Home? Where was her home now? Certainly not the homestead with her younger brothers. The heart had been ripped out of it when her mother left. It was nothing more than a bedroom with mementoes of her childhood and a feeling of suffocating panic when she entered the pantry.
Each visit to her family had grown shorter as her university studies were given precedence until, in the end she swung by for no more than a weekend every few months. If she was travelling between jobs. But Caleb hadn’t meant the family home.
She untied the stallion’s leading rope, coiled it and hung it in the shed. So where could she direct Caleb to drop her? Knowing what she did of him, she accepted he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He would just nudge away at her until she gave in. And she was too tired to argue.
Having settled Sir Alain and Tabitha into a holding yard, Sarah perched on a low bar of the gate and watched Caleb fill their water trough. The horses seemed content, their heads close together and nuzzling one another. Happy endings were rare for horses but they were happy for now. And safe.
She hugged that thought close.
“All done, Sarah?”
“Um, yes.” She turned up the collar of her jacket and shoved her hands into her pockets as they walked side by side to Caleb’s ute. He opened the door for her and she climbed in and rested her head against the back panel.
His door opened and closed with a thud. “Where to?”
There it was. The question. Could she beg a bed for the night from Amy? If only she’d thought to phone her friend while Caleb watered the horses instead of wasting time musing on horsey happy-ever-afters.
“Sarah?”
“Amy Alistair’s home. She’ll put me up for the night.”
Caleb didn’t start the engine as she expected. She sneaked a glance and found him watching her. He was frowning in an un-Caleb-like way that caused her stomach to sink.
“Do you have a key to get in?”
“No, why would I?”
“She’s out on an emergency run with Dan. Kaiser mentioned it when I called in.”
“Why would he do that? He didn’t know I was staying there. Nobody did.” Not even Amy, so there was no chance of a key under the doormat. Or of Caleb discovering she had nowhere to stay. But that still left her with the dilemma of where to stay for the night.
“The emergency is at Jenner’s property. There was a fire in the stables and Jenner and one of his men were injured when a beam fell and trapped them.”
Her problem disappeared as the reality of fire in a stable block hit home. “Are the horses okay? What about Aladdin? And poor Lily. I wonder if her mother is with her.” Sarah pictured the unhappy teenager sharing her fears the morning she and Caleb left Selkirk.
‘I think Mum’s going to leave Dad and she wants me to live with her. Out on the coast. But, Sarah, she hates horses. She won’t let me ride again if she has her way.’
“She’ll probably be brought into town and placed in emergency accommodation if her mother hasn’t arrived. Kaiser didn’t say when the information came in.”
“Maybe I could go and—”
“Not tonight, Sarah. I’ll find out more in the morning and you can visit Lily then if she’s in town. So, what are we going to do with you?”
“Drop me at the backpacker hostel.”
Without a word, Caleb started the engine and the ute rolled out of the holding yards to the side street. By the time he’d made two right turns, Sarah wasn’t sure he’d heard her.
They pa
ssed a car dealership and a fast food outlet before she was sure of it. “The backpacker hostel is the other way. You’re going in the wrong direction.”
“Says the woman who rode miles out of her way in the Outback. Trust me, Sarah. I know where I’m going.”
“You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”
“Why give up the advantage?”
Occupied by bantering with Caleb, Sarah paid little attention to their route until he turned into a suburban driveway in a quiet part of town. A soft glow lit curtained windows in the far corner of the low set brick house and a sensor light illuminated a ramp to the front door. “Where are we?”
He turned off the engine and looked at her. “Don’t take this the wrong way but this is my place.”
Caleb’s place. He’d brought her to his home? Expecting the sense of numbing fear that gripped her every time a man made a move on her, she gripped the door handle and pushed it open. “I can’t stay here. What do you mean by bringing me here?”
He raised both hands in a parody of surrender. “My mother lives with me. You’re quite safe, Sarah.”
Safe? Safe. Shaking her head, she glanced at the warm glow behind the curtains. He’d brought her to his home. That he shared with his mother. It was so not what she expected. And though she was anxious, fear was conspicuous by its absence.
She touched her tongue to the corner of her mouth. “I—don’t want to put her out.”
“She’ll be glad of your company. It’s no big deal, Sarah. A change of sheets in the guest room and you’ll be set.”
She stepped out of the ute and clung to the doorframe. Could she overcome a lifetime of fear and mistrust and walk up that ramp?
“Coming?” Caleb walked around the front of the four wheel drive and held out his hand. This wasn’t playacting. It wasn’t going undercover as partners. It was the gesture of a friend. A man—even thinking the thought was liberating—she trusted.
Jamming her Akubra on her head, she picked up her swag and stepped towards him. His hand engulfed hers before he led her up the ramp.
Long Way Home (Hearts of the Outback Book 3) Page 11
