Happy Mother's Day!

Eyes half closed, her face scrunched in concentration as she considered her options. It didn’t take long because she didn’t see that she had many. Less if you omitted walking.

‘I don’t suppose there is such a thing as a taxi around here?’

He looked amused and dug his hand into his pockets, causing the worn fabric to pull taut against his thighs. ‘You suppose right.’

She heaved a sigh and tried not to stare too obviously at the muscular thighs. ‘Then could you direct me to the nearest phone? I’m sure the hotel will send someone to pick me up.’ It would make serious inroads into the money she had set aside for her stay, but what option did she have?

‘Where are you staying?’

She mentioned the name of the hotel and his brows rose. ‘They pride themselves on being exclusive.’

‘And I’m not—?’ She could not honestly blame him for coming to this conclusion. By no stretch of the imagination did she look like most people’s idea of a well-heeled tourist. ‘Actually, you’re right. The hotel we were meant to stay in closed because of an outbreak of food poisoning—the tour company upgraded us for free.’

‘I’ll take you back.’

The abrupt offer made her stare. ‘You?’ she said, struggling with an intrusive mental image of herself slung over his saddle riding into the lobby of the exclusive and rather stuffy hotel.

‘Do you have a problem with that?’

She had several. ‘I really don’t think your horse would like it.’

‘You’re not wrong,’ he said, bunching the reins in one hand and patting the animal’s flank with the other. ?

??Actually I know someone who has transport. He only lives a mile or so up the road.’

‘That’s very kind of you, but—’

‘I don’t do kind, cara.’ He smiled and her stomach took an unscheduled dive.

‘Are you coming?’ He paused, clearly expecting her to fall in step with him.

‘I really don’t … that is … how?’

He interrupted her with a bored-sounding, ‘Is that a yes or a no?’

‘No … yes …’

‘Are you always this indecisive?’ ‘I’m sure someone will come if I wait.’ Her doubtful tone invited him to disagree. But he didn’t.

Erin watched with mingled astonishment and indignation as he slid a booted foot into a stirrup, and spoke a couple of soothing words to his horse before vaulting with lithe grace into the saddle.

‘Well, this is goodbye, then.’

It was only stubborn pride that stopped her begging him not to go. Stubborn pride she had plenty of time to regret during the next twenty minutes.

It took her that long to wheel her bicycle a quarter of a mile up the road where a big rusty truck drew up in a flurry of dust.

CHAPTER THREE

‘YOU!’ Erin ejaculated in a voice of loathing as the driver got out.

She would have walked back barefoot before admitting even to herself that she was relieved to see him. She supposed her relief stemmed from the fact it really was better the devil you knew even vaguely than any old devil who happened along in a rusty truck.

‘So no one came along, then?’

She lifted her chin in response to the mockery in his voice. ‘If you traded your horse for that,’ she said, nodding with disdain towards the truck, ‘you were robbed. The only thing stopping that thing falling apart is rust and dirt.’

There was an amused glint in his dark eyes as they swept the length of her dishevelled figure. ‘You’re no oil painting yourself, cara.’