Chapter Nine #2
A few hours later, showered, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with her hair tied back in a braid, Nyah basked in the warmth of the sun as they stepped from the shade of the homestead.
Taking the steps two at a time, Caleb led the way to the stables, where two saddled horses awaited them, their coats shimmering.
Nyah approached the chestnut stockhorse Caleb had chosen for her—a gentle mare with deep, soulful eyes that seemed to hold clusters of stars within their depths.
‘Hey there, girl, nice to meet you.’ She ran a hand over the mare’s cheek, her heart melting when the horse pressed into her touch. ‘You’re absolutely gorgeous.’ She shot a quick glance in Caleb’s direction. ‘I can see why you named her Galaxy, with her starry eyes. How long have you had her?’
‘She was foaled here.’ His smile was proud as he looked up from checking Zeus’s hoof.
‘Five years ago. Her mum and her share the same paddock.’ He stopped short of jumping into the saddle and smiled as if a sweet memory had been evoked.
‘I was meant to sell her, but I just couldn’t bear parting the two of them. ’
‘Aw, how beautiful of you.’ This man was a total package.
With a fluid grace honed by years of riding, she climbed up and into the gorgeous Western saddle.
Caleb followed suit then settled into his, worn from years of riding.
With reins comfortably in hand, they set off at a leisurely pace, the steady rhythm of hooves against the earth creating a soothing melody that blended seamlessly with the natural world around them.
And as they covered miles across open fields, the walls she’d built began to crumble even more under the weight of her desire for Caleb Hart—he made it all too easy to imagine a future filled with shared sunrises and tangled sheets.
Their effortless laughter, genuine and unburdened, felt like a glimpse of a life without fear, where love could reign freely, powerfully, endlessly.
And yet the scars of her past remained, bringing whispered warnings of potential pain should she give in to imagining how it would feel to love, and be loved by, this man.
A man she’d been lucky enough to have once called her boyfriend.
The laughter and banter continued to drift between them, light and carefree, as they exchanged playful jabs and stories that painted vivid pictures of their pasts, both shared and separate.
‘Remember when we tried to race, bareback mind you, to the old Miller farm, and the winner had to shout the other lunch at the servo?’ She flashed him a grin, filled with playful jest. ‘You were so sure you’d win, aaaaand, you didn’t.’
‘Hey, I would’ve won if old Bessie hadn’t decided she was more interested in grazing on grass than galloping across it,’ Caleb retorted, his laughter joining hers in perfect harmony.
‘Sure, blame the horse,’ she shot back, her laughter ringing out.
‘I do, and will continue to do so.’ His chuckling banter was so damn sexy. ‘And I also don’t forget how you ordered the biggest burger possible because I was shouting, just to hit home how you were the champion of that challenge.’
‘Ha, yeah, that’s right, and you had to help me eat it.’
‘Eyes bigger than your belly.’ He rolled his eyes and laughed some more. ‘And yes, that was me, always your garbage gobbler.’
As he recounted the story, she saw a glimpse of the high-spirited boy he used to be, grown into the powerful man he now was.
And her heart tumbled further down the proverbial Hart hill.
She took a deep breath against the pull, trying to push herself above the fall as their playful repartee subsided and they journeyed further into the countryside.
For her, it felt as though the rest of the world had fallen away, leaving just the two of them and their shared history.
The unspoken words and emotions that now lingered a little more between them seemed to dissipate in the fresh breeze, replaced by a sense of living purely in the moment.
With each step, the horses’ hooves drummed out a steady beat that grounded her deeper and deeper into the present.
With the immeasurable expanse of bright blue sky above and the open land stretching endlessly before them, the complexities of her emotions were dwarfed by the magnificence of the world around her.
How could she not notice and appreciate the power of Mother Nature, and the pull she had on her heart?
For the next few precious hours spent riding across the sprawl of ever-changing countryside Caleb called home, and with the time passing them by far too quickly, her grief and emotions faded into the dusty distance, leaving her more at peace than she could remember.
They crested a gentle incline, and the property opened before them in a breathtaking panorama—a mosaic of colours and shapes against the deep green backdrop of bushland.
She couldn’t help but marvel at the untouched beauty of it all.
In this serene bubble of time and space, shared with this wonderful man, a fulfilling future felt possible while the grief of loss was just a distant echo in her heart.
‘There’s nothing quite like it.’ Caleb’s voice was barely above a whisper as he followed her gaze.
‘Nothing at all,’ Nyah agreed softly, feeling a lump form in her throat as she tried to swallow down rising emotions.
‘It’s absolutely stunning, in every way.
’ There was a simplicity in these moments—a clarity that whispered that perhaps happiness could be found in this man who’d seen her broken but still looked at her as if she were more than enough.
‘I’m certainly a lucky man, calling this place home.’ His tone was tinged with appreciation as his intense gaze came to rest on her.
His piercing eyes were like a tangible caress against her skin, igniting a dangerous warmth in the pit of her stomach. ‘You sure are.’
I wish I could be here, with you, always , she wanted to add.
They rode on in comfortable silence as a new thread was woven into their deepening friendship.
Picking up the pace as they reached a clearing, she heard the horses’ hooves pound against the earth, each beat echoing a heartbeat within her as she stole glances at Caleb, momentarily catching him looking back at her with an intensity that heated her cheeks.
And as they rode deeper into the countryside, the afternoon light transformed the landscape into a canvas of jaw-dropping exquisiteness.
Their eyes met in silent understanding, and she recognised the questions lingering between them.
But as much as she wanted to broach what was clearly happening between them, she let it remain unsaid.
And would continue to do so. Nothing good would come from revealing the truth within their hearts.
It would only result in heartbreak.
Returning to the homestead before sundown, the horses slowed their pace to a calm walk.
They reached the stables, and Nyah dismounted.
After helping Caleb to unsaddle and hose down the horses, she watched the setting sun drench the sprawling fields in a warm golden glow.
Caleb worked alongside her, with his commanding yet gentle presence that she knew she would miss when she headed back to Cairns.
How had it taken until this visit back for her to realise just how deeply she still felt for him?
And likely always would. The very thought made her heart sink.
Leaving him, again, was going to hurt like hell. Of that, she was certain.
‘Friends,’ she whispered to herself, trying to cement the word into her heart like a protective barrier. ‘We’re just friends,’ she quietly repeated over and over as she carried the grooming bucket towards the tack room.
But everything around her seemed to conspire against that notion.
The amber wash of sunset, the cool touch of the breeze, even the scent of rich earth churned up by their horses’ hooves.
It all felt like nature itself was pushing her closer to what she feared most—falling inescapably in love with this man.
Again.
A flock of white cockatoos erupted from a nearby tree, their loud calls cutting through the peaceful stillness.
She watched out the tack-room window as they soared towards the cerulean sky, envious of their unfettered freedom.
‘Friendship,’ she repeated as she stole a moment, letting the word linger in her mind like a promise.
Caleb appeared as she turned to head back outside, and startled out of her contemplations, she tripped. He reached out, and her fingers met with his, sending a surge of electricity throughout her body as he helped her to steady.
‘You good?’ He searched her gaze with heartwarming concern.
‘Uh-huh, just two left feet.’ She laughed off her awkwardness. ‘Thank you,’ she added softly. ‘For today.’ She reluctantly freed her hands from his. ‘And for always making me feel safe.’
A small smile played at the corner of his mouth, as if he knew the weight behind her words, and the vulnerability that she rarely showed. ‘I keep telling you, I got you, Love, and always will.’
‘I know you do, Hart.’ She wished she could fall into his arms and stay there for a lifetime.
Instead, they walked side by side towards the house, their bond palpable, unconditional, eternal. Never forced or questioned. Yet as she crossed the backyard, the locked door to her heart that had flung open on their ride slammed shut once again, nice and tight.
Under lock and key.
She’d be a fool to try and wrench it open.
That night, when her head eventually hit the pillow back at her bungalow, she knew she’d continue to grapple with her conflicting emotions—torn between the pull of a love that promised a lifetime of happiness, and the fear of a fall that could break her all over again.