Page 3 of Where the Heart Is

For a multitude of reasons. Most of which he didn’t want to acknowledge, because they revolved around a past he’d rather forget. And had tried his utmost to do by moving away from Ashe Ridge and never coming back.

Seeing Mila again after all this time would’ve been hard. Watching her marry Phil Baxter even harder, which is why he’d arrived a few hours earlier than the scheduled wedding so Mila wouldn’t be blindsided by his appearance. While Will couldn’t make it, he’d wanted to surprise his sister and had asked Sawyer to be at the ceremony so she had someone akin to family by her side. But if memory served correctly, Mila hated surprises.

She hadn’t taken kindly to the tadpoles Will had tipped into her bath when she’d been seven. She hadn’t liked the rubber snake he’d put in her boot at ten. And she sure as hell hadn’t been enamoured of Sawyer’s offer to be her deb partner in Year 10, which he’d sprung on her the week before when her original partner pulled out.

By the death glare she shot him now as she scrambled into a sitting position, she still wasn’t big on surprises.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’

She ignored his outstretched hand to help her up and stood, dusting off her dress to little avail. Red dirt streaked the skirt that ended mid-calf and a thin strap had broken, leaving the ruched bodice precariously dipping on one side.

She looked beautiful, with her upswept blonde hair and makeup accentuating her blue eyes and full lips, and his gut twisted with how close they’d once been. There’d been a heart of gold beating beneath tomboy Mila’s tough exterior, and she’d been the only one to almost guess his secret back then.

Which is why he’d run as far from Ashe Ridge as he could the day after finishing high school.

‘Nice to see you too, Gumnut.’

He made the mistake of grinning and her eyes narrowed to fiery indigo slits.

‘Don’t call me that.’

‘You used to love it.’

‘Says you.’ She eyed the mallet and for a second he thought she might take a swing at him. ‘And you didn’t answer my question. Why the hell are you here?’

‘Will hated the thought of not being at the ceremony and he wanted you to have a friendly face at your wedding, so he asked me to be here.’

Concern creased her brow. ‘I hope he’s okay.’

‘I spoke to him this morning and he’s feeling better. The usual fatigue and dry cough is lingering, but he’s on the mend. Still couldn’t travel so here I am.’ He flung his arms wide, surprised when her gaze zeroed in on his chest and he glimpsed a flicker of appreciation in her eyes. ‘By your demolition job on that arbour, I’m guessing there won’t be a ceremony today.’

She slow clapped. ‘Way to go with the astute observation.’

‘What happened?’

‘Phil can’t go through with it.’ She shrugged like it meant little, but tension bracketed her mouth and her jaw clenched.

The extent of his relief shocked him. He shouldn’t care who Mila married, but he did. She deserved so much better than Phil Baxter.

‘Want me to beat him to a pulp? Pulverise the dweeb?’

She shook her head. ‘Not necessary.’ She rolled her eyes and pointed to her left. ‘We’re still neighbours so it pays to be civil.’

Her nonchalance surprised him. If the love of his life ditched him at the altar, he’d be devastated. Not that he had one of those, and probably never would. He’d have to let a woman get close for that to happen and so far, he’d done a good job of self-preservation.

‘At the risk of you picking up that mallet and having a swing at me, you don’t seem too distraught about losing your groom.’

‘My heart’s not broken, if that’s what you think.’ Her heartfelt sigh made him want to envelop her in his arms. ‘Phil and I had an arrangement. Our marriage was predominantly based on business.’

Shock rendered him speechless, and she barked out a laugh devoid of amusement.

‘I know it sounds crazy when articulated, but we had a solid plan. I’d give him some of my land to expand his flock in exchange for him funding the farm-stay project I want to build.’

‘When you put it that way, ain’t love grand,’ he muttered, and she flipped him the middle finger.

‘Getting tourists to come and stay here is the only way to save Hills Homestead,’ she murmured. He only just caught her whispered, ‘This place is all I have left.’

His heart twanged and, giving in to impulse, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Independent to a fault, she resisted at first, before her body relaxed against his and he tightened his hold.

---