The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters #6) - Lucinda Riley Page 0,121

happier in a very long time. I was free, yet in control, and it was incredible.

‘Did you enjoy that?’ Lizzie asked as I clopped back into the yard, shadowed by Manuel. She had turned back twenty minutes before us.

‘Oh wow, Lizzie, I just adored it,’ I said as I dismounted. ‘Sorry if we went too fast.’

‘Not at all, it was fantastic to watch you both. Sedate point-to-points were more my thing in England. You’re a natural, isn’t she, Manuel?’

‘She is,’ Manuel smiled. ‘Now, time for a cool beer.’

After Lizzie and I had taken ourselves into the big, modern bathroom to wash the dust from our faces (and had a sneaky peek into the incredible master bedroom, which faced the mountains and had a plunge pool built into a small enclosed terrace just beyond the glass wall), we joined Manuel on the veranda and sat down.

He was already halfway through a beer and there were two more on the table, along with a jug of water.

‘You want?’ He indicated the beers.

‘Thanks,’ Lizzie said, taking one.

‘Er . . .’ I swallowed hard. ‘No thanks. I’ll stick to water.’

Lizzie turned and gave me a look of approval as I poured myself a glass from the jug. I had to get used to the fact that people would be drinking around me constantly when I went back to my old life. The good news was that I was getting a soft entry, as beer was not a drink I liked. I let Lizzie’s and Manuel’s voices wash over me as I breathed deeply, took in the view and enjoyed the desert breeze.

‘Now, ladies, I am sorry to tell you, but I must leave,’ Manuel said eventually. ‘Sammi and I have a dinner party in the city this evening.’

‘Of course, and thank you so much for today,’ said Lizzie, draining her beer. ‘And your house is absolutely beautiful. I hope you sell it soon,’ she added as we walked back through the house towards the front door.

‘We hope so too. We borrow the money to do it when things were good and now . . . well,’ he said as he opened the front door, then shook both our hands. ‘It was a pleasure meeting both of you.’

‘And you,’ Lizzie said as she headed down the steps.

‘Maybe I could come again?’ I said, as Manuel locked up the house and we walked to his jeep, which was parked next to Lizzie’s car.

‘Of course, I am always here at weekends.’

‘Okay, do you have a cell phone number?’

‘Just ask Hank, he will have it. Hasta luego, Electra, Lizzie.’

We followed Manuel’s jeep back into the city, and I watched as the desert sky around me began to turn different shades of magenta and purple as the sun prepared to retire for the night.

‘I think I need one of those cars,’ I said as Manuel put a hand out of his window and waved as he turned right and we carried straight on.

‘What for?’ Lizzie asked me.

‘For driving in and out of the city, of course. When I get back to The Ranch, I need to call my business manager.’

‘Why?’

I turned to her and smiled.

‘Because I’m going to buy that house.’

As it was a Saturday, there were no therapists on duty, and there was another group outing to the local cinema, so The Ranch was blissfully quiet. So far, I’d liked it best at weekends because there were no therapy sessions, but tonight I found myself wanting to tell Fi, or at least someone, about my amazing day. After dinner in the almost deserted canteen, I went back to my dorm, thinking I needed to finish my apology letters and have them mailed. I’d decided there was also one to write to Susie, my agent, and another to dear, sweet Mariam.

Vanessa was lying on her bed with her headphones on, staring at the ceiling as usual. I’d seen her with Miles, sitting in the Serenity Garden after I’d had a tearful goodbye with Lizzie and was walking back inside. I sat down in the chair and pulled paper, pen and envelopes out of the desk drawer.

‘Where’d you go today?’ Vanessa asked, startling me because she spoke so rarely.

‘I went out riding.’

‘They let you outta here? Alone?’

‘Yeah, but I was with Lizzie. We’re not prisoners in here, you know,’ I reminded her. ‘We can walk out of the door anytime we want.’

‘Yeah, I so would, but I ain’t got no place to go.’

‘You’re homeless?’

‘No, but I can’t go back there