Page 13 of Where the Heart Is

‘Like?’

He enjoyed sparring with her way too much. They’d always been like this; baiting each other, teasing, in a constant game of oneupmanship. Though their banter had an edge now, an underlying tension he knew had to be sexual awareness. On his part, at least.

‘Remember Kaz Mahoney?’

How could he forget? Kaz had trailed after him all through high school, twirling her hair around her fingertip, licking her lips, leaning over his desk with her uniform unbuttoned to her cleavage. He’d been politely indifferent but there was no deterring Kaz. She interpreted a smile as an offer to go steady. She’d been one of the things about Ashe Ridge he definitely didn’t miss when he fled.

‘Sure,’ he said, with a nonchalant shrug. ‘How’s she doing?’

‘Divorced and on the prowl again.’ Mila clawed the air and growled like a cougar. ‘And if you keep calling me Gumnut, I might accidentally on purpose give her your phone number.’

He bit back a smile. ‘You don’t have my number. Because if you did, and you haven’t used it all these years, I’ll be heartbroken.’

‘Yeah, right.’ Her lips curved into a coy smile. ‘Besides, you could’ve called me.’

‘Didn’t need to. Will keeps me up to date with your comings and goings.’

Her eyebrow arched. ‘Is that so?’

‘Of course. I like to keep abreast of how my best girl is doing.’ Before she could call his bluff, he captured her in a headlock and gave her a noogie. ‘My best gumnut.’

She elbowed him, hard, and he let out a loud‘Oomph’as she caught him off guard, making him momentarily stagger before he landed on his butt. Not so bad, considering Mila landed on top of him.

The momentum of her falling with him pitched her forward and their foreheads collided. She reeled a little and he slid an arm around her waist to anchor her, ignoring the throbbing of his head, preferring to focus on the feel of her in his lap. Which prompted a throbbing of an entirely different kind.

‘Speaking of best girls, are you in a relationship?’

He shook his head. ‘I date occasionally, but relationships are more trouble than they’re worth.’

‘You’ll get no argument from me.’

‘Says the woman who was getting married today.’

‘A financially beneficial marriage.’

‘In that case, you should marry me for money. I’m loaded.’

Their gazes locked and they exhaled at the same time, their soft breath sounding suspiciously like a wistful sigh.

‘I’d never marry anyone who calls me Gumnut.’ She leaped to her feet, dusting herself off, and for one crazy moment, Sawyer wished she’d taken him seriously.

Not that he’d meant it. It had been a throwaway comment, part of their sparring, but did she have to react like she’d rather marry anyone but him? Could she have got off him any quicker?

‘Do you want to see the rest of the place?’

She didn’t wait for his answer, her strides long as she walked away from him, shoulders squared, her ponytail bouncing with every step.

Sawyer had no intention of marrying anyone, but her quick refusal stuck like a burr and resurrected insecurities he’d long buried. According to everyone in this godforsaken town when he’d been growing up, he wasn’t good enough. His family hadn’t believed in him, his teachers hadn’t either. He’d shown them. He wasn’t kidding about being loaded and he knew one thing for certain.

He’d help Mila out financially whether she liked it or not.

CHAPTER

9

Adelaide had been grateful when Jack said he needed to fix a broken fence an hour ago and absconded. It had given her time to gather her wits following the shock of seeing him after all this time. She hadn’t moved from the sofa, despite her curiosity about the rest of his place, for the simple fact it was wrong to poke around in his new life. And going by the beauty of this living room, a new life he was thriving in.

She could’ve called a tow truck or mechanic in his absence, but it would’ve been rude to leave while he’d been out, so she’d waited, demolishing the crackers and brie, sipping at her drink. Now, with Jack stomping as he came through the back door, her reprieve was over.

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