The Girl from Honeysuckle Farm / One Dance with the Cowboy: The Girl from Honeysuckle Farm / One Dance with the Cowboy. DONNA ALWARD

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      Keeping a watchful eye out for the elder Allardyce, Phinn chatted quietly to Ruby all the way through the spinney, and Ruby, having a good day for once, talked back, nodded and generally kept close.

      Once out of the shaded spinney, they strolled towards the pool with the heat starting to beat down on them. Ruby loved the warmth, and Phinn, catching a glimpse of the pool, had started to think in terms of what a wonderful day for a swim.

      No, I shouldn’t. She attempted to ignore that part of her that was seeing no earthly reason why she shouldn’t take a quick dip. She glanced about—no one in sight. They ambled on, reaching the pool and some more trees, and all the while Phinn fought down the demon temptation.

      She would never know whether or not she would have given in to that demon had not something happened just then that drove all other thoughts from her head. Suddenly in the stillness she heard a yell of alarm. It came from the dark side of the pool. It was the cry of someone in trouble!

      In moments she had run down the bank and did not have to search very far to see who was in trouble—and what the trouble was! Oh, God! Her blood ran cold. Across from the shallow end was a dark area called the Dark Pool—because that was precisely what it was: dark. Dark because it was overhung with trees and the sun never got to it. Not only was it dark, it was deep, and it was icy. And everyone knew that you must never attempt to swim there. Only someone was in there! Ash Allardyce! He was flailing about and quite clearly close to drowning!

      All Phinn knew then was that she had to get to him quickly. There was a small bridge spanning the narrow part of the pool, but that was much farther down. And time was of the essence. There was no time to think, only time to act. Her father had taught her lifesaving, and had taught her well. Up until then it was a skill she had never needed to use.

      Even as these thoughts were flashing thought her mind Phinn was kicking off her sandals and pulling her dress over her head. Knowing she had to get to Ash, and fast, and all before she could query the wisdom of what she was doing, Phinn was running for the water and taking a racing dive straight in.

      After having been so hot, the water felt icy, but there was no time to think about that now. Only time to get to Ash. Executing a sprinting crawl, Phinn reached him in no time flat, gasped a warning, ‘Stay still or you’ll kill us both,’ turned him onto his back and, glad for the moment that he was twenty pounds lighter than he had been, towed him to the nearest bank, which was now on the opposite side from where she had first seen him.

      How long he had been struggling she had no idea. ‘Cramp!’ he managed to gasp, and managed to sit up, head down, his arms on his knees, exhausted, totally drained of energy.

      It had all happened so quickly, but now that it was over Phinn felt pretty drained herself, and had an idea she knew pretty much how a mother must feel when she had just found her lost child. ‘You should have had more sense,’ she berated him with what breath she could find. ‘Everybody knows you don’t swim in that part of the pool.’ Suddenly she was feeling inexplicably weepy. Shock, she supposed. Then she remembered Ruby, and looked to the other bank. She could not see her. ‘I’ll be back,’ she said, and took off.

      Not to swim this time—she didn’t feel like going back in there in a hurry—but to run down to the small bridge. It fleetingly crossed her mind as she ran to wonder if Ash had perhaps been a touch suicidal to have chosen to swim where he had. Then she recalled he had said he’d had a cramp, and she began to feel better about leaving him. She had been brought up knowing that a deep shelf had been excavated on that side of the pool for some reason that was now lost in the mists of time. The water was deep there—nobody knew how deep, but so deep as to never heat up, and was regarded locally with the greatest respect. Ash, who hadn’t been brought up in the area, could not possibly have known unless someone had told him. Well, he knew now!

      Phinn ran across the bridge, and as she did so she saw with relief that Ruby had not wandered off and that she was quite safe. Phinn’s relief was short-lived, however, because in that same glance she saw none other than Ty Allardyce. Phinn came to an abrupt halt.

      Oh, help! He was facing away from her and had not yet spotted her. He was looking about—perhaps searching for his brother? He was close to Ruby. Then Phinn saw that he was not only close to Ruby, he had hold of her rein. Phinn knew then that it was not his brother he was searching for but Ruby’s owner—and that Ruby’s owner was in deep trouble!

      As if aware of someone behind him, Ty Allardyce turned round. Turned and, as if he could not believe his eyes, stared at her.

      And that was when Phinn became aware of how she was dressed—or rather undressed. A quick glance down proved that she was as good as naked! Standing there in her wet underwear she was conscious that her waterlogged bra and briefs were now transparent, the pink tips of her breasts hardened and clearly visible to the man staring at her.

      Her face glowed a fiery red. ‘A gentleman would turn his back,’ she hissed, with what voice she could find.

      Ty Allardyce favoured her with a hard stare, but was in no hurry to turn around. ‘So he would—for a lady,’ he drawled.

      Phinn wanted to hit him, but she wasn’t going any closer. And he, surveying her from her soggy braided hair down to the tip of her bare toes, took his time, his insolent gaze moving back up her long, long shapely legs, thighs and belly. By this time her arms were crossed in front of her body. Strangely, it was only when his glance rested on her fiercely blushing face that he gave her the benefit of the term ‘lady’ and, while still holding Ruby’s rein, turned his back on her.

      In next to no time Phinn had retrieved her dress and sandals and, having been careless how her dress had landed, found that her hands were shaking when she went to turn it right side out.

      But once she had her dress over her shoulders, she felt her former spirit returning. She had to go close up to him to take Ruby’s rein, and, as embarrassed as she felt, she somehow managed to find an impudent, ‘Lovely day for a dip!’

      His reply was to turn and favour her with one of his hard stares. It seemed to her as if he was deciding whether or not to pick her up and throw her in for another dip.

      Attempting to appear casual, she moved to the other side of Ruby. Not a moment too soon, she realised, as, not caring for her insolence, ‘That’s it!’ he rapped, his eyes angry on her by now much paler face. ‘I’ve warned you twice. You’ll receive notice from my lawyers in the morning.’

      ‘You have my address?’ she enquired nicely—and felt inclined to offer him her new address; but at his hard-eyed expression she thought better of it.

      Ty Allardyce drew one very harsh, long-suffering breath. ‘Enough!’ he snarled. ‘If you’re not on your way inside the next ten seconds, I shall personally be escorting you and that flea-bitten old nag off my land!’

      ‘Flea-bitten!’ she gasped. How dared he?

      ‘Now!’ he threatened, making a move to take Ruby’s rein from her.

      ‘Leave her alone!’ Phinn threatened back, her tone murderous as she knocked his hand away. She was not sure yet that she wasn’t going to hit him—he was well and truly asking for it! Emotional tears sprang to her eyes.

      Tears he spotted, regardless that she’d managed to hold them back and prevent them from falling. ‘Of for G—’ he began impatiently. And, as if more impatient with himself than with her, because her shining eyes had had more effect on him than her murderous СКАЧАТЬ