Heat warmed her cheeks. “All right. I’ll give it a go.”
“You’ll be fine. Tuck your skirt around your legs after you climb on the bike.” He stopped in front of a large dirt bike and let go of her hand.
Cassie placed her hands on his broad shoulders to maintain her balance and settled on the bike behind him. She tucked in her skirt and circled her arms around his waist. “I’m ready.”
The engine roared to life and Ryan guided the powerful bike toward the back of the farm. Flocks of sheep grazed on the dusty brown paddocks and congregated along the riverbank.
Cassie inhaled the fresh country air and a hint of Ryan’s expensive aftershave. Sunglasses protected her eyes from the cool wind and a strong sense of freedom pervaded her mind. She started to understand Ryan’s attachment to this land.
They drew to a halt near a large gum tree. A furry wombat ambled past, retreating to an underground burrow.
She jumped off the bike and pushed her tangled hair back off her face, her gaze roaming over the river and valley below. “It must look amazing when everything’s green.”
He smiled. “I love it here. The river is twice this size after the rains.”
“Did you swim in the river?”
“All the time, and we had to watch out for snakes.”
She shivered. “I wish you hadn’t mentioned that. I don’t want to see a snake today.”
He stepped closer, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I’ll keep you safe.”
She held his warm gaze, her pulse rate accelerating. “I trust you.”
His eyes softened and he lowered his head. She closed her eyes and his lips teased hers, inspiring her to deepen the kiss.
He wrapped his strong arms around her. She sighed and ran her fingers through his lustrous hair.
Ryan pulled back, his breathing shallow. “We should head back to the house.”
Wow. Her lips tingled and she longed for a repeat performance. “Do we have to?”
“It’s nearly time for lunch.” He drew her back into his arms, holding her close.
Cassie rested her head against his chest, content to listen to his heartbeat. She didn’t want this wonderful day to end.
* * *
Ryan changed gears on the motorbike and they flew along the dirt track leading to the homestead. Cassie leaned into his back, her arms wrapped around his waist. He smiled, memories of their kiss by the river lingering in his mind.
Tim waved in greeting as they drew to a halt near the shed.
Ryan helped Cassie off the bike and introduced her to his friend.
Tim shook Cassie’s hand. “Good to meet you.”
“I’ve enjoyed cruising around your property,” she said.
Tim grinned. “Ryan likes riding my bikes.”
“One of the perks of visiting here. Were the fish biting?”
“Yep. Ben nearly tipped the boat a few times trying to pull in his catch.”
“Barbecued fish for lunch?” Ryan asked.
Tim nodded. “Lisa made her special marinade. I’d better go check on the grill.”
Cassie smiled. “Can I help with anything?”
“No. Head on over to the back veranda and lunch will be ready soon.” Tim strode ahead to the house.
Ryan followed behind with Cassie, his hand resting on her waist.
A large wooden table stood in the center of the long veranda. Lisa appeared with salads and bread, and the older children set out the plates and cutlery.
“Did you two have a fun ride?” Lisa asked.
Cassie nodded and dropped into the seat beside him. “Your property is huge.”
“It keeps Tim busy,” Lisa said.
The aroma of barbecued fish filled the veranda and Tim placed a large platter on the table. Ryan selected a few fillets and a generous serving of salad.
“Dad, can we go down to the river for a swim?” Katie asked.
“It’s hot enough today,” Linda said.
“Maybe later,” Tim said.
Katie pouted. “You spent all morning with Ben and you promised yesterday you’d take us.”
“Okay, sweetheart, but we have visitors today.”
“They can come, too, can’t they, Mom?” Linda asked.
Lisa sighed. “I need to stay here until Brett wakes up. Ryan and Cassie, what would you like to do?”
Ryan savored his first taste of the grilled fish fillet. “I’ll help you clean up after lunch before we hit the road.”
Cassie nodded. “I probably should rest my foot.”
“Okay, that’s settled,” Tim said. “The children can be excused from the table when they’re finished.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Katie and Linda said in unison.
Minutes later the girls cleared their plates and raced inside, Ben not far behind them.
Ryan grinned. “The girls are becoming a handful.”
Lisa nibbled on a slice of home-baked bread. “One day they’ll be old enough to do more things unsupervised. They’re both petrified of snakes.”
“I don’t blame them,” Cassie said.
“I’m surprised you didn’t see any during your ride,” Tim said.
“Cassie, do you remember hearing that swishing noise in the grass when we stopped off?”
She gasped. “It wasn’t...”
“I saw a brown tail slink away toward the trees—”
“And you didn’t tell me. It could have bitten us and I can’t even run away.”
He laughed. “You’re so much fun to tease.”
She playfully punched his forearm. “You’ll keep. I’ll get you back for that one later.”
“Ryan, you shouldn’t tempt fate,” Lisa said. “Remember that time we all went to Blackrock Dam.”
“And you and Sean couldn’t run up that hill fast enough,” Tim said. “Lucky your old man was nearby to save the day.”
“I was only nine and that king brown snake was huge.”
Tim shrugged. “Cassie, now you know he wasn’t always so big and brave.”
“Now wait a minute,” he said. “Cassie doesn’t want to hear any more boring old stories about our childhood.”
“Have you heard from Sean?” Tim asked.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. “He’s around, although he hasn’t contacted Mom and Dad.”
Lisa frowned. “I’m sorry. Your parents must be worried sick about him.”
“I’m going to see my brother again sooner rather than later.”
“How?” Tim asked. “If you’re not in contact with him...”
Cassie rearranged the salad greens on her plate. “He’s been in touch with me and I’m half expecting to see him this weekend.”
Ryan speared a cherry tomato with his fork. “And I’ll be there with Cassie to find out what’s going on.”
* * *
A few hours later Cassie stretched out her legs, stifling a yawn.
Ryan steered the SUV onto a gravel road. “Take a nap.”
“Okay. I’m feeling tired, probably from the painkillers.”
“No worries. We’ll be driving for a couple more hours.”
She closed her eyes, the warm sun lulling her to sleep.
They stopped moving and she sat upright. “Where are we?”
He unhooked his seat belt and opened his door. “There’s a truck halfway in a ditch up ahead.”
The back of a small truck angled precariously on the shoulder of the road.
She gasped. “I hope no one is hurt.”
“Stay here and I’ll check it out.” He strode toward the truck and disappeared from view.
Minutes passed and her impatience grew. Did he need help?
She hopped out of the SUV a
nd limped over to the truck. “Hey, what’s happening?”
Ryan wriggled out from under the front of the truck, covered in dirt. “What are you doing? You need to rest that foot.”
A gray-haired man appeared beside Ryan.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
The man nodded. “A roo jumped out of nowhere and I ended up here. I’m Bert, an old neighbor of Ryan’s.”
“Cassie.” She shook Bert’s outstretched hand. “Did you hit the kangaroo?”
“No, but I need to be towed out of here.”
“Don’t worry, Bert,” Ryan said. “The underside looks intact and I’ve got ropes with me.”
Bert slapped Ryan on the back. “Your dad would be proud.”
Ryan headed back to his SUV and returned with the necessary equipment.
Cassie swiped a blowfly off her arm. The two men seemed to know what they were doing. “Is the truck drivable?”
“I hope so,” Ryan said.
Bert chuckled. “Young Ryan here knows his way around machinery.”
“Bert taught me a few tricks. Now we’re ready to haul her out.”
Cassie slid into the passenger seat and looked over her shoulder.
Ryan got in and shifted the SUV into gear. “Hold on.”
They lurched forward and a cloud of dust engulfed the rear window.
He braked, leaving the motor running while he checked out the truck’s progress.
A wide grin covered his face as he leaped back in his seat.
“Good news, I hope,” she said.
He nodded, cutting the engine. “I’ll grab some tools and help Bert give the truck a thorough check.”
“Will you be long?”
“I hope not.”
Before long he returned, frowning. “The truck appears to be fine, but we need to follow Bert back to his place just to be sure.”
“Does he live nearby?”
Ryan cleaned his greasy hands on an old rag. “About thirty minutes in the opposite direction to where we’re heading.”
“Sure. It’s more important for Bert to get home safely than to be on time. Laura can cope if we’re late. But we should call or text so she doesn’t worry.”
“We should be in cell phone range soon.”
Bert crawled along ahead of them and the drive to his home took longer than Cassie had anticipated. After declining Bert’s invitation to stay for coffee, they backtracked to the main highway.
An hour later Cassie picked up a signal on her cell phone. She sent a message to Laura, explaining their delay.
Minutes later she read Laura’s response. “Laura wants us to go straight to the restaurant, and she’s bringing a change of clothes for both of us.”
He glanced at his grease-stained polo shirt. “Did you tell her I’m covered in grease?”
She shook her head. “The eucalyptus oil has cleaned the grease off your hands. Didn’t you say you had a spare sweater in the back of the SUV?”
He nodded. “An old one I use on the boat. Not exactly fine dining clothes.”
“We’ll be fine. A sweater will hide most of the grease and hopefully the restaurant isn’t too posh.” She looked forward to having dinner with Ryan tonight, the perfect end to a romantic day out.
* * *
The restaurant was located on the edge of a cliff. Darkness enveloped the valleys, hiding the magnificent views of the Blue Mountains.
Ryan draped his arm around Cassie’s waist. They climbed the steps and entered the crowded room.
Laura waved from a table on the far side of the restaurant. He helped Cassie to her seat as the entrées were served.
Greg grinned. “I’m glad you guys could make it.”
“We considered waiting to order, but the restaurant closes early,” Laura said. “The chef is waiting on your entrée order and you’ll have to skip the appetizers.”
“That’s fine,” Ryan said. “We had a big lunch at the farm.”
Laura eyed his clothes, wrinkling her nose. “Is that mud on you?”
“Plus a little bit of grease and dirt from the truck,” he said.
“I’m glad I brought clean clothes for both of you.”
“Thanks, Laura,” Ryan said. “I’m looking forward to a hot shower later.”
“We’ll place our order, then change,” Cassie said.
“A good idea,” Laura said. “You know, Ryan, the weirdest thing happened earlier. Greg and I were outside in the front garden and we thought we saw Sean walking by on the other side of the road.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What was he wearing?”
“Nothing distinctive. A very ordinary-looking pair of jeans and a gray sweater. A dark green baseball cap and sunglasses hid his face.”
Cassie met his gaze, her eyes wide. “He wasn’t bluffing when he called me.”
Greg frowned. “What’s Sean doing here?”
“We don’t know.” A steely tone entered Ryan’s voice. “I’m sick of his games and I’m going to find out what’s going on with him sooner rather than later.”
Chapter 12
Later in the evening Cassie stared at the flames leaping around the fireplace in the holiday house.
Ryan handed her a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows and sat with her on the leather sofa.
She snuggled back against a cushion, her legs stretched out in front of her. “That was a fast shower.”
He ran his hand over his dark hair, still slick with water droplets. “I didn’t want to miss out on spending time with you.”
Silence filled the house, broken by the occasional cracking of the fire. The others had retired for the evening after they arrived back from the restaurant. A day of mountain bike riding had exhausted them, and tomorrow they wanted to do an early morning hike around Echo Point.
Ryan stifled a yawn.
She grinned. “Are you sure you’re not going to fall asleep on me? I need your help negotiating the outdoor stairs to the apartment. I don’t want to wake Laura by tumbling down the stairs.”
“I’m wide awake and enjoying my time with you.”
“You’ve had me to yourself nearly all day.” She reached over and caught hold of his hand.
He dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Not long enough.”
Warmth flooded her heart. “Thanks for your surprise. Tim and Lisa are nice people.”
“They’d like us to visit again.”
She nodded, her gaze drawn to the flames in the fireplace, leaping and crackling around the wood. The unpredictable flames reminded her of Sean.
What did Sean want? Where was he staying?
Sean’s words echoed through her mind. What trouble had he found for himself this time? Was he in danger? Could she and Ryan help him?
“You seem lost in thought,” he said.
“I’ve been thinking about Sean.”
His grip tightened on her hand. “Worrying won’t help him. He’ll turn up at an inconvenient time.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He disrupted our date at the charity dinner. He’ll turn up again and ruin something else.”
“I think he’s in more trouble than we realize.”
He nodded. “But I’m not fixing his problems this time.”
The resolute expression on Ryan’s face convinced her he was serious. “Are you concerned for his safety?”
“Of course, he’s my brother.” Worry lines formed between his brows. “He always was unpredictable, even as a kid.”
“Did you get on well with him when you were younger?”
“Most of the time, but he drove our parents crazy. He had a knack for finding trouble wherever he went, but he was fun to hang around.”
She sipped her hot chocolate. “Do you think he’s bluffing?”
“Who knows? These days he’s not known for keeping his word.”
“I can’t help but worry. If he’s in a tight spot we should try to help him.”
He held her gaze. “Cassie, I know you have good intentions, but you can’t fix Sean. Right now he doesn’t want the right kind of help. Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure.” She pressed her lips together, the logic of Ryan’s gentle reprimand sinking in. Julia had said the same thing to her last week. Her need to fix people often wasn’t helpful for the other person. Or an emotionally healthy choice for her. If only Sean’s predicament didn’t tug at her heart....
Ryan twined his fingers through hers. “I’m glad your ankle gave us an excuse to spend the day together.”
She stared into the warm depths of his eyes. “Me, too.”
“I think we share something special.” His thumb traced a line around her chin.
She nodded. She’d fallen in love with Ryan. The truth hit her hard.
Her stomach tensed. It was time to ask him the one question plaguing her mind.
“Ryan, um, I was wondering where you stand with God?”
His eyes widened. “Well, I’ve been praying and reading the Gospel of Mark.”
She suppressed a squeal of pure joy, but she couldn’t help but smile. Thank you, Lord.
“I’ve also been meeting with Simon, and some of his ideas are starting to make sense.”
“That’s great news.”
“We’ve had a few long discussions on forgiveness.”
“It can be hard to forgive people who have wronged us.” Like her father and Sean.
He nodded. “Sean has wronged both of us.”
“For me, it’s not just about Sean.” She drew in a deep breath. “I’m working on improving my relationship with my father.”
“Things seemed good between you two at dinner a few weeks ago.”
“Dinner went well and your presence helped.”
“In what way?”
She stirred in the soft marshmallows, creating pink-and-white swirls in the chocolate milk. “We get on better when other people are around. It’s during one-on-one conversation that things become heated.”
“It’s good your relationship with him is improving.”
Her Tycoon Hero Page 12
