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Samantha’s already laboured breath hitched as she imagined falling from the saddle, and possibly breaking a bone, or three. ‘Like, right now?’

‘Uh-huh, why not?’ Hands went to Shea’s hips.

‘Because …’ Samantha tried to think of some rational excuse but was coming up blank.

‘Come on, Miss Evans.’ Shea grabbed her hand. ‘Let’s go on an adventure, just like we used to.’

Half an hour later, dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, with a borrowed pair of Shea’s boots, Samantha at least looked the part, but she didn’t feel it as she tightened the girth strap and readied herself to get into the saddle. ‘Now, you better take care of me, Garth.’ The horse named after Shea’s favourite country music artist neighed and tossed its head. ‘Just slow and steady, you got that?’ she said, resolutely. ‘I don’t want to go hell for leather straight away.’

‘Are you saying that to me, or Garth, Sammie?’

‘Both of you.’ Samantha smiled, then inhaled again – she’d forgotten just how much she loved the smell of a tack room.

‘You’ve let yourself become too citified, my dear friend.’ Halfway through checking her horse’s shoes, Shea looked over her shoulder. ‘Go on then, up you pop.’

Samantha eyed the palomino horse sceptically. ‘Yeah, okay, all right, just give me a minute, Little Miss Bossy Boots.’ Through searching eyes, the horse stared back at her, giving her the impression that he was just as dubious as she was about this spur-of-the-moment ride.

A little hesitant, she watched Shea slip a boot into her stirrup, and then settle in the saddle as if she were born in it. ‘Well, come on then, Garth is ready, so up you get.’

Carefully, Samantha put her weight into the stirrup and then tossed her other leg over. It was easier than she thought it would be. The saddle creaked beneath her as she gripped the reins tightly and found her seat.

‘Righto, let’s head.’ Shea gave her horse the cue to head out of the round yard, and into the open paddock. ‘You all good back there?’ she called over her shoulder.

‘Yup, right you are,’ Samantha called back.

Bouncing at first, Samantha made a concerted effort to relax her body and flow with the horse’s movements. Then she held her breath as she gave Garth the cue that he was clearly keen for. As if shifting gears, he surged forward. Taking long strides, Garth ate up the ground with rhythmic pounding hoofs. It felt like she’d just been shot from a cannon, in a good way. As goosebumps covered her skin she quickly glanced to where Shea was galloping beside her.

‘This is amazing.’ The wind snatched her words, and carried them away.

Shea was right, it didn’t take her long to fall back into the horse-riding young woman she once was, and before she knew it, she and Shea were galloping side by side towards the top dam. They came to a stop by the glimmering water and stayed in the saddle as their horses took a drink from the water’s edge.

‘See, I told you that you never forget, Sammie.’

‘You were right.’ Samantha felt like her soul was singing. ‘That was so much fun.’ She breathed a contented sigh, then smiled dreamily.

‘Well then, we need to get you some boots, Sammie, so you can make the most of the time here on horseback.’

‘Nah, I’m not going to be here long enough to be spending money on boots.’

‘My god, woman, you used to live in your R.M. Williams.’

‘I know, but they’re a rare commodity back in London, for good reason. You don’t really need a pair of bush boots there.’

Shea shook her head and said nothing.

‘What?’

‘I wonder what you see in that place, given you were born and bred here.’

‘Yeah, well, things change, I suppose.’

‘They sure do.’ Turning her horse, Shea took the next bit of the ride nice and slow.

With Garth on autopilot, Samantha turned her attention to the picturesque landscape around them. Cicadas echoed a chorus of incessant noise meant to attract a mate – it was crazy to think such a racket was attractive. A clear blue sky, void of clouds, stretched from one side of the lush green world to the other. She watched as a flock of noisy galahs flew overhead, then settled in the branches of a gum tree just up ahead. This was the quintessential Australian bush as she knew it, bursting with life, untainted, encompassing, liberating and so very peaceful. Hypnotised by it all, she and Shea didn’t utter a word for the next little while.

She’d lost track of time, but was reminded of it as she moved side to side in a bid to ease out her lower back. ‘Man, oh man, I’d forgotten how many muscles you use up here.’

‘See, I told you that, too, riding a horse is much better exercise than those silly squats you were doing earlier.’