Race Girl (17 page)

Tully crept as stealthily as she could manage from the sleeping house. She stopped in the back sleep-out to slip on her boots and a cap, holding her breath as she threaded her ponytail through the back. She pulled her phone from her pocket and used the light from the screen as a torch as she loped off down the driveway, past the stables and the slumbering horses, down past the turnout paddocks to the entrance of the exercise track and dam. The night was warm and less than refreshing, the air still and laden with humidity. A near-full moon sent a swathe of light across the dam to the jetty and the pump they used to get water up to the stock waterers and the secondary tank for the house.

Tully scanned the shadows as she reached the shimmering water.
He didn't turn up . . .
She thought with a stab of panic.
He's playing me!

I'm an idiot!!

She'd spun around, ready to bolt back to the house, when a rustling in the tall, dead grass around the jetty made her heart stop. Bear bounded out, barking and grinning like mad.

OMG!

‘
Shhhh
, mate—
please!
' Tully whispered, cursing herself for forgetting to pull the wooden back door shut when she'd left the house. Tully scooped up the warm, wriggling body, rushing down the slope to the bank of the wide dam where she prayed they'd be out of sight from the house or the cottage on the far side of the track. She collapsed on the bank, cradling Bear in her lap, her arms wrapped around him.

‘Nice dog,' a deep, rough voice said from behind her.

‘Holy—
sit!
' Tully grabbed the front of Brandon's T-shirt and pulled him down next to her. Bear leapt up, licking his face.

‘Whoa, whoa!' He chuckled, leaning down to help Tully contain Bear in her lap. ‘I was hoping for that kind of reception from her—' he nodded down at Tully.

‘God,
shush!
' Tully pushed her face against Bear's smooth head, her eyes drifting across the sparkling dam to the violet outline of the mountains, and up into the silver diamonds – bright and full across the sky. Tully took a long breath to calm her thumping heart, when suddenly her whole body was swirling like wonderland – her mind lost, struggling to comprehend what that rich-wonderful-earthy-soapy-manly-scent could possibly be.
Oh,
she realised, opening her mouth so she could block off her nostrils.
Him;
of course he's got the best cologne . . .

Just get down to business . . .
‘So,' Tully said, clutching to Bear's smooth body. ‘Brandon, did you know your dad's trying to buy our farm out from under us?'

‘No,' Brandon said, rising to his feet. ‘No way.' He paced along the bank, picked up a stone and flipped it over in his hand, then bent down low and flicked it out across the silver water. Tully counted six skips before it disappeared into the depths of the dam.
Solid effort
, she thought, studying the moonlit outline of his tall frame.

‘There's no way he'd do that to you guys,' Brandon said, sitting down next to her, a little too close for comfort. His heat washed over her and she shifted away quickly, the seat of her jeans catching on a rock and spiking her in the butt. She grimaced, but didn't move back.

Brandon smirked, closing the gap. ‘You've been here for as long as we have, longer, probably,' he said, resting his arms on his knees and casting his eyes down the valley. ‘He wouldn't do it—especially now
,
after what happened to your mum . . . I'm really sorry, by the way. I only found out about it the other day.'

‘
After
you raced me . . .'

He nodded. ‘Sorry, you must have thought I was such a tool. I'm not, I promise . . .' He grinned, and his mouth twitched up more at one side than the other. It wasn't intentional, just naturally the way he smiled: a lot naughty,
really
sexy, and
kinda sweet
, she found herself thinking. ‘You're an awesome rider.'

‘Thanks . . . I just need to relax a bit, hey?'

Brandon chuckled. ‘
Sorry
again.'

But Tully knew he was right. She let her eyes meet his, linger, and a flame flashed like petrol thrown on an already shouldering fire. She glanced away, out over the outline of the mountains. ‘That's why he came over that night, your dad; to tell my dad we had to sell to you. The night I, ah, whatever . . . Why did you think you were there?'

‘You mean, the night you fell
up
the stairs?' He laughed, shoving her playfully on the shoulder. ‘Dad said he was talkin' to your old man about your horses bein' let out. We've had some strange stuff goin' on at our place, too.'

‘Like what?' Tully said.

‘Dad's Rover was keyed and the quad bike tyres were slashed.'

‘For real?'

‘For real.'

‘Any leads?'

Brandon shook his head, then laughed sarcastically. ‘Dad reckoned it coulda' been someone from Avalon—' Tully punched at his arm, but he caught her fist, letting it down slowly and deliberately like he was enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers. ‘I knew it wasn't,' he said, keeping his hand on hers. ‘And I reckon he does too. He suspects everyone but that's just how he is.'

‘Who do
you
think it was?' Tully choked out. His skin was warm and rough and amazing. She yanked her hand away, rubbed it on her jeans to extinguish the flame.

‘Dunno,' Brandon shrugged, ‘A lot of people have it in for my dad.'

‘He doesn't seem to be great at making friends.'

Brandon smiled wryly. ‘He makes friends with the right people. But even those friendships seem to bite him in the butt eventually. Really, I had no idea he was trying to buy you out. That's low—even for him . . .' He locked eyes with Tully. ‘I'll say something to him, if he gives me the chance.'

‘That'd be great, Brandon,' Tully said, her heart pulsing and filling with hope. ‘Thank you. I'd
seriously
appreciate it.'

‘No worries. So, when are you gonna come out with me?'

‘Um, huh?' Tully scrambled, ‘Isn't this a date?'

Oh God, what a nerd!

New plan: keep your mouth shut.

Brandon grinned, leaning in even closer. ‘If it is, I reckon I deserve a good night kiss.'

‘Whoa—' Tully shot to the side, clinging onto Bear. ‘You're not bad, are ya?'

‘Had to try.'

A grin slid across her face, her body burning with nerves and excitement. The pull of him was earth-shattering, and before she knew what she was doing, Tully had moved her shoulder against his, asking, ‘Come to my sweet sixteen?'

Brandon sat up, his face blank, eyebrows raised.

‘Um, sorry,' Tully said quickly, hiding her face with a hand, turning away. ‘Sorry! Oh God, I shouldn't have said anything.'

‘You should
say
something more often,' Brandon said. He ran a hand down her arm and a bolt of lightening struck at her core – goosebumps racing down her arms. ‘When is it?'

‘Ah, New Year's,' Tully said. ‘At my aunty's unit, on the Gold Coast.'

‘Cool. We had this thing at the Belgrave's on New Year's, but I'll see if I can get out of it.'

‘You don't have to, I mean, if you'd rather go there.'

‘Nah,' Brandon said, lowering his face to hers. ‘I certainly wouldn't. Dad won't be happy, but it's all good. Let's meet in town, though, yeah?'

‘Yeah, totally,' Tully smiled, ‘Maybe, you could pick Tam and me up from her house, please?'

‘A threesome—sa-weet!' Brandon laughed, jabbing her in the ribs. ‘Bringin' the bestie to chaperone, I get it. Don't you trust me, Athens?'

Tully braced against a swell of emotion, holding her breath. ‘I trust you, Brandon.'

16

Sweet Sixteen

Tully and Fia got round to discussing her sweet sixteen the following night, as Tully groomed Dahlia and Fia looked on with a jumbo takeaway coffee she'd grabbed from Macca's while picking Tully up from work.

‘I can't believe you can drink
that
this late in the day, Aunt Fia,' Tully said, picking up Dahlia's off-fore to clean out her hoof.

Fia laughed. ‘Get to my age, darlin',' she said, taking a swig. ‘And you'll be fuelled by the stuff.'

Tully smiled, shaking her head. ‘So, are you sure you're keen to throw the party?'

‘Of course!' Fia choked on the coffee. ‘Jeepers, I'm so, so sorry we haven't spoken about it more. Got caught up in Chrissie, I suppose, didn't we?'

And Brandon,
Tully thought, smiling into Dahlia's hoof.

‘Of course, I'll get onto catering and decorations and all that jazz, don't you worry about a thing. I'll text you the address, so you can invite all your friends. Would you like me to come get you?'

‘Ah, no,' Tully said, biting her lip to keep from grinning. ‘I've got a ride.'

‘Well,' Fia said, shifting onto one hip and tipping her coffee in her hand. ‘Is it a boy, dare I ask?'

‘Um, well—'

‘Yes,
is
it a boy, Tully?'

Her blood literally froze at the sound of her father's voice.

‘Leave us please, Fia,' her father continued, marching up to the stall and stopping square in front of Tully, both hands on his hips. Bucko hovered behind Gerald, his forehead creased with worry and sheepishness.

Fia must have told him about the party . . .
Tully thought, shying back in the stall. She wasn't mad, she'd wanted to invite him. She wanted
everyone
to come, but it would've been hard to hide the fact she was there with Brandon . . .
Bloody rambling heck!
Okay, so maybe she hadn't considered
all
the details. She'd been too busy imagining the road trip of a lifetime with her bestie and
Brandon Weston
to Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast – arguably the glitziest destination in Australia, one she'd never had the pleasure of visiting.

Tully's stomach dropped and twisted at the murderous look on her father's face. Dahlia danced behind her, free from a halter as Tully no longer needed to tie her up to groom her in her stall. The sight of Gerald had the filly spitting, though – Dahlia surged forward, ears pinned, ready to bite. Tully jumped from her stall, sliding the door shut behind her. ‘I was going to tell you about the party,' she said through clenched teeth. Dahlia paced her stall, eyes wild, glued to Gerald. ‘I want you to come, too.'

‘Saving a filly is one thing, Tully,' he said. ‘An adult party on the
Gold Coast
is another entirely.'

‘It's my sweet sixteen, Dad—it'll hardly be swinging at a nightclub!'

He narrowed his eyes at Fia. ‘Your aunt will have
half
the Gold Coast Titans there, and the other half will be testosterone-fuelled jockeys from the turf club. Not the place for a young lady.'

‘It's not like I'm going alone! Tam's coming, and . . . Judy's driving us.' Tully cringed at the lie. She
wished
she could tell her father Brandon was taking her, but she knew there was no way he'd understand, or believe, that Brandon was going to try to help them.

‘There is absolutely
no way
you'll be going, Tully Anne Athens!' her father said. ‘NO WAY!' He pushed his hand forward as if he was going to slap Dahlia's stall door, sending the filly flying forward, teeth bared. She crashed against the wall of the stall, squealing with fury.

Gerald withdrew his hand before it hit the metal. He shot his daughter one final, definitive look, before turning and stalking off to the house.