Page 21 of Where the Heart Is

But she knew where her jealousy for Jack’s new place stemmed from. She would love to live in a place like this, a place she’d once dreamed about. A dream he’d torn down with his scoffing. A dream she’d left behind when she’d abandoned their marriage.

She’d never been happier, so why was the touch of cool sandstone beneath her fingertips making her feel maudlin?

‘It’s sparse but comfortable.’ Jack opened the door and dumped her duffle. ‘The sofa folds out into a bed. The kitchenette is stocked with basics. The plumbing works.’

‘Great,’ she said, following him into the bungalow, annoyed by the sting of tears yet again.

The place was perfect. From its exposed sandstone walls to its ash floorboards, from the low-slung pale green and white striped sofa to the cutest kitchenette she’d ever seen, the bungalow beckoned a weary traveller. Oddly, it felt like home.

‘This is gorgeous, Jack.’ She smiled. ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he mumbled, a faint blush staining his cheeks. ‘Help yourself to everything. Call me if you need anything.’

The last thing she needed was Jack in his sleep attire—nothing but jocks—coming to her aid in the middle of the night. But she forced another smile, her gaze landing on a door next to the bathroom.

‘Where does that lead?’

His expression morphed from reluctant to downright hostile in a second. ‘It’s locked for a reason, so stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.’

She must’ve gaped a little at his swift change of mood because he swiped a hand over his face and when he lowered it, his anger had faded.

‘Sorry. Long day. And the shock of … this … us …’—he waved a hand between them—‘has taken a toll.’

‘I get it,’ she said, wishing for the second time today she could comfort him, aware she’d given up that right a long time ago. ‘I feel the same way. It’s overwhelming.’

‘Yeah.’ With one hand on the doorknob, he eyeballed her. ‘It’s good to see you, Ads.’

Her heart turned over at the use of the nickname only he’d ever called her, but before she could say anything, Jack slammed the door.

CHAPTER

13

Mila had a theory. There was nothing a good parma at the pub couldn’t fix.

But when she’d forked the last morsel of perfectly fried chicken schnitzel smothered in tomato and cheese into her mouth and emptied her glass of Barossa Valley chardonnay, she still couldn’t shrug the sadness that dogged her.

As if that phone call from Chris hadn’t been bad enough, she should’ve been celebrating her wedding today.

After the ceremony and brief celebration, she’d envisaged sharing a bottle of shiraz with Phil as they did regularly, joking about their nuptials, relaxed in each other’s company. Then later, poring over plans for the third cottage, securing vendors, being able to afford the finishing touches and an online PR company to promote the farm stay because Phil said he’d transfer the money once they were married.

With Phil’s cash injection removed from the equation, she was screwed.

And she wished she hadn’t sold last year’s harvest of lentils to pay the mortgage sixteen weeks ago, effectively removing her safety net.

How many times growing up had Gramps stressed the importance of a safety net? Countless, and she could hear his voice in her head now.‘Lentils won’t go mouldy, so we can store them for years and wait for the best price. And that price is paramount to a small farm like ours. In our good years, we yield about 2.5 tonnes per hectare, and with the long-term average price around seven hundred dollars, it pays to hold out for that higher range when it gets up to around a thousand bucks per tonne. Never forget that, Mila. Always keep some in storage.’

Now, she had nothing for a rainy day, leaving her in deep trouble. Even if the next crop yielded, it would be too late.

‘I got us lemonades as we’re both driving,’ Sawyer said, placing a jug and two glasses on the table before resuming his seat opposite. ‘You looked deep in thought. Not still lamenting the loss of your groom, are you?’

‘No.’ Though not marrying Phil was part of her problems.‘Thanks for lunch. A parma is just what I needed.’

‘What about the company?’

‘You’ve been alright.’

He saw through her flippancy. She could see it in the astute gleam in those beautiful bluey-green eyes.

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