Page 80 of Where the Heart Is

‘Your girlfriend just left.’ Allison poked Sawyer in the chest. ‘Maybe she’s seen your dance moves and they turned her off?’

‘Mila likes my moves just fine,’ he said, earning a groan from his sister. ‘Wonder where she went?’

‘By the goofy expression on your face, you’re about to run after her and find out.’ Allison shook her head. ‘Man, you have it bad.’

He opened his mouth to refute it, but what was the point? Moving in with Mila for however long he was in town, spending every night together, jostling side by side in the kitchen as they cooked dinner, chatting over early morning coffees, merely solidified what he already knew.

He was crazy about her.

The overnighter he’d done in Kaniva had made him realise just how much.

He hadn’t slept a wink that night, and it had nothing to do with the dodgy springs in the old bed at the motel. The cause of his insomnia had been a constant whirring of thoughts, centred around when was the best time to confess about buying her land.

He hadn’t come to any conclusions about their relationship, but the last few days together solidified he had to tell her the truth about the land, and soon. Namely, tonight, after the ball.

‘Just go already.’ Allison gave him a shove. ‘Besides, if Mick’s had a beer, maybe I can coerce him onto the dance floor.’

Spying Mick talking to a bunch of blokes holding stubbies, Sawyer didn’t like her chances. ‘Good luck with that,’ he said, and she smiled.

‘By the way, thanks for that referral to your guy in Melbourne. Are you sure it’s okay we stay with you next month?’

‘Of course. It’ll be great having you in Melbourne.’

Yet the thought of returning home left him cold. Ironic that he once couldn’t wait to flee this town and all it stood for, and now he wanted to linger as long as possible. Mila had addled his brain and captured his heart, and he’d never be the same again.

‘Go,’ she said again. ‘We’ll speak soon.’

‘Love you, sis.’ He gave her a quick hug. ‘See you later.’

Starting up with Mila hadn’t been the only good thing to come out of his visit to Ashe Ridge and he vowed to maintain a relationship with Alli, as well as visit Phoebe and Jocelyn more often.

As he slipped out of the marquee, he saw Mila jogging barefoot towards her ute, sandals in hand.

‘Hey, Mila,’ he called out, but she didn’t stop, so he ran after her.

As he got closer, he yelled her name again, and this time she heard him because she glanced over her shoulder. But she didn’t stop.

Foreboding strummed the back of his neck as he picked up the pace, his long strides outpacing her shorter ones, and when he caught up to her, he laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘What’s wrong?’

She took several seconds before she turned around and when she did, her expression gutted him.

Fury mixed with betrayal. Her eyes narrowed and filled with accusation. Her mouth twisted in anger.

Hell.

She knew.

‘I was going to tell you tonight—’

‘How magnanimous of you.’ Her upper lip curled into a sneer. ‘When what you should’ve done was tell me from the start.’

Guilt lodged like a rock in the pit of his stomach. ‘I wanted to, but Will convinced me not to say anything because you wouldn’t accept any help.’

He could’ve sworn her eyes shot blue fire. ‘That idiot of a brother of mine knew about this?’

‘I wanted to help and acquiring the land myself was the only way I could think to do that.’

‘Wrong!’ she yelled, and he jumped. ‘You could’ve brokered a deal, like you do every day of the week for clients. Instead, you rode in on your high horse tosaveme. Well, thanks a lot.’ She slow clapped. ‘You must think I’m an idiot. And what was you moving in all about? An easy way to survey more of my land? See what you can gobble up in the future?’

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