Read Online Somewhere Only We Know by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Romance
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first trekked across a wide grassy meadow heading toward the ocean, then down a narrow path to the beach. There were two guys and a dog playing football near the water, but otherwise the beach was empty. The sea was a sparkling blue, sunbeams bouncing off the waves, but the prettiest view was right in front of him.
Maddie's long blonde hair flew out behind her as she encouraged her horse into a faster trot. She was totally immersed in the riding experience. He doubted she even knew he was behind her.
He found himself urging his own horse into a gallop. He wanted to keep up with her, and as they flew down the beach, he felt more alive than he had in a very long time. The sea, the sun, the wind and the amazingly powerful animal that ran so effortlessly through the sand actually made him feel like he was flying. Maddie was right. It was a freeing experience.
He was leaving the past behind, forgetting about his problems, throwing off the pressures of work and life and constantly trying to do the right thing, be the best he could be. He'd been so focused for so long he'd forgotten what it was like to let go, relax, just breathe. This ride was exactly what he'd needed.
He hoped the experience was making Maddie feel better, too. She'd had a rough time the last year, and the past two days hadn't been good, either. She was trying hard to put on a brave face, but she was reeling on the inside, shocked that she'd ended up out on the street after she'd thought she was making a change for the better. She'd barely held it together when they'd left her apartment with all of her life dumped into a few big garbage bags. But she had fought off the tears. In typical Maddie fashion, she'd squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and kept on moving. He couldn't help but admire that.
Ten minutes later, Derek headed off the sand, leading them up a winding dirt path, finally bringing them to a halt on a secluded bluff about fifty feet up from the crashing waves below.
As he came up next to Maddie, she flung him a smile of pure joy, her green eyes bright, her cheeks red, her lips pink and parted with pleasure.
Something inside of him turned over. He could almost hear the ice around his heart cracking.
"Wasn't that amazing?" she asked. "Have you ever had this much fun in your life?"
He stared back at her. "No, I don't think I have."
Her expression sobered as her gaze clung to his for a long minute. "Then you were due," she said lightly.
"I was," he agreed.
She looked out at the sea. "I feel like we're in our own private world, a place only we know."
"Well, us and our friend," he said, tipping his head to Derek, who'd moved a few feet away to give them some privacy. He was texting someone on his phone and not paying any attention to the magnificent view in front of them.
"True," she said with a laugh. "But you know what I mean."
He did know what she meant, because Derek barely registered on his radar. This moment belonged to Maddie and him.
It was crazy to think that twenty-four hours ago he didn't know she was about to come back into his life. But that was Maddie. She always showed up when he least expected it. She usually left pretty quickly, too. This time was different. This time she was planning to stay—at least he thought she was. She was still figuring out her next move, and hopefully that move would be in San Francisco. He was never ready to say goodbye to her, but he felt even less inclined to do that now. They were just getting to know each other again. He wanted that to keep going for a while.
Maddie let out a sigh. "I wish we could stay out here forever. I feel like my problems are a million miles away."
He felt exactly the same way. "I know what you mean." He shifted in his seat as his horse bent down to eat some grass. "I think the horses might get hungry, though."
"Always so pragmatic. Are you ready to go back?"
"Not yet." He wasn't ready to go back to the barn or to his life. For the first time in as long as he could
Maddie's long blonde hair flew out behind her as she encouraged her horse into a faster trot. She was totally immersed in the riding experience. He doubted she even knew he was behind her.
He found himself urging his own horse into a gallop. He wanted to keep up with her, and as they flew down the beach, he felt more alive than he had in a very long time. The sea, the sun, the wind and the amazingly powerful animal that ran so effortlessly through the sand actually made him feel like he was flying. Maddie was right. It was a freeing experience.
He was leaving the past behind, forgetting about his problems, throwing off the pressures of work and life and constantly trying to do the right thing, be the best he could be. He'd been so focused for so long he'd forgotten what it was like to let go, relax, just breathe. This ride was exactly what he'd needed.
He hoped the experience was making Maddie feel better, too. She'd had a rough time the last year, and the past two days hadn't been good, either. She was trying hard to put on a brave face, but she was reeling on the inside, shocked that she'd ended up out on the street after she'd thought she was making a change for the better. She'd barely held it together when they'd left her apartment with all of her life dumped into a few big garbage bags. But she had fought off the tears. In typical Maddie fashion, she'd squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and kept on moving. He couldn't help but admire that.
Ten minutes later, Derek headed off the sand, leading them up a winding dirt path, finally bringing them to a halt on a secluded bluff about fifty feet up from the crashing waves below.
As he came up next to Maddie, she flung him a smile of pure joy, her green eyes bright, her cheeks red, her lips pink and parted with pleasure.
Something inside of him turned over. He could almost hear the ice around his heart cracking.
"Wasn't that amazing?" she asked. "Have you ever had this much fun in your life?"
He stared back at her. "No, I don't think I have."
Her expression sobered as her gaze clung to his for a long minute. "Then you were due," she said lightly.
"I was," he agreed.
She looked out at the sea. "I feel like we're in our own private world, a place only we know."
"Well, us and our friend," he said, tipping his head to Derek, who'd moved a few feet away to give them some privacy. He was texting someone on his phone and not paying any attention to the magnificent view in front of them.
"True," she said with a laugh. "But you know what I mean."
He did know what she meant, because Derek barely registered on his radar. This moment belonged to Maddie and him.
It was crazy to think that twenty-four hours ago he didn't know she was about to come back into his life. But that was Maddie. She always showed up when he least expected it. She usually left pretty quickly, too. This time was different. This time she was planning to stay—at least he thought she was. She was still figuring out her next move, and hopefully that move would be in San Francisco. He was never ready to say goodbye to her, but he felt even less inclined to do that now. They were just getting to know each other again. He wanted that to keep going for a while.
Maddie let out a sigh. "I wish we could stay out here forever. I feel like my problems are a million miles away."
He felt exactly the same way. "I know what you mean." He shifted in his seat as his horse bent down to eat some grass. "I think the horses might get hungry, though."
"Always so pragmatic. Are you ready to go back?"
"Not yet." He wasn't ready to go back to the barn or to his life. For the first time in as long as he could
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