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Finally, he moved away and lowered his hand from her face, and she raised hers to touch her lips, but her eyes remained on his.

‘I should apologise,’ he said softly. ‘But I won’t. It felt right. You looked like a wood nymph, with those delicate fronds framing your face. I couldn’t help kissing you.’

Sandra stood still and didn’t speak as a myriad of emotions ran through her. Uppermost was disbelief that she had just been kissed.

‘Thank you. And no, I don’t expect you to apologise. It was very nice. And that was a lovely thing to say.’ Her lips were still tingling, and despite being alone with this man she had only known for a few days, she felt safe.

Graysen held his hand out to her. ‘One more climb apparently up to the saddle and then all downhill to Standley Chasm.’

Their conversation was natural as they slowly picked their way along the course of the creek, past large boulders and dry waterfalls.

It was strange, Sandra thought, just how easy it was to be in Graysen’s company after her first impression of him. She thought she’d be feeling self-conscious after he’d kissed her.

He kissed me! She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. It was like being a teenager again. Not that she’d had many kisses before she’d met Peter at her uncle’s store at Marrakai. Those days, the tennis afternoons at Hidden Valley, and her friendship with Ryan’s mum, Suzanne, who had passed away a few years ago, seemed like another life.

‘Going okay?’ Graysen asked as they reached the end of the creek and started to climb to the saddle.

‘Yes, going well,’ she replied.

He dropped her hand and moved to the front to lead the way. The route was made easier by many flat slabs of rock positioned on the steep slope and Sandra sent up a thank you to the track workers who’d made this leg a bit easier.

The views from the saddle were amazing, as was the feel of Graysen’s arm as he casually slung it over her shoulder when he’d finished taking photos. It was a clear winter’s day, and the temperature had risen to the hottest day they’d had so far. As they stood on the saddle Graysen pointed below. They could just see the rest of the group stepping out of a tall gum forest on the south side of the chasm.

‘They’ve made good time. It shouldn’t take us long to reach them.’

##

Walking into the bitumen car park of the campground and café at Standley Chasm, and encountering a throng of tourists in cars and buses who had driven in to walk the one kilometre walk into the actual chasm, had been a little anti-climactic.

Graysen looked around. ‘Hmm. Different.’

Sandra nodded. ‘I’ve been really surprised how few trekkers we’ve seen so far. I thought we’d be passing walkers every day, but it’s really isolated.’

Graysen was walking beside her, but it seemed to be unspoken that they kept their distance from each other when they were with the group. No matter what happened, or whether they stayed in touch, this interlude with Graysen had been wonderful for Sandra’s self-confidence.

Plus, it makes me feel young again.

As they sat around camp after dinner with the rest of the group, Sandra knew the day and the night at Standley Chasm would stay in her mind forever. The walk had been difficult, but the scenery and the views magnificent, the stars filled the velvet sky with diamond brilliance. She’d been likened to a wood nymph and kissed by a very attractive man.

What on earth would the girls think?

This trek was touching her soul, even without Graysen’s contribution, and she knew she’d go back a very different person.

The trek was working its magic on everyone, and Maggie’s animation was more natural as she described the sights they’d seen on the low trail.

‘The budgerigars!’ she explained. ‘I thought they were cage birds.’

‘There must have been thousands of them that flew between us. It was so noisy.’ Even Cecily and Paul were happy and smiling.

‘I thought they were going to get tangled in my hair,’ Cecily said with a shiver.

Graysen and Sandra exchanged a warm look and a pleasant shiver ran down her spine. The landscape was weaving its spell on everyone.

‘We saw them at Cycad Creek at the end of the high trail,’ Miska said. ‘Absolutely amazing.’

Zed put his arm around her, pulled her closer and brushed a kiss on her cheek. ‘You’re amazing. Miska handled the climb today better than I did.’

‘You’re all amazing,’ Andrew reinforced. ‘It’s been a top day. And if you thought the views were good today, wait until you walk the quartzite ridges along to Brinkley Bluff tomorrow. Breathtaking views in all directions. Make sure all your camera batteries and phones are charged.’