Page 88 of Where the Heart Is

This had to work.

His terse response to her text,‘See you then’, hadn’t inspired her with confidence. But at least he’d arrived and that was something. She’d had her doubts after the way she’d spoken to him when she’d kicked him out two nights ago. She wouldn’t have blamed him for not showing up. Then again, he owned this tract of land so perhaps he was protecting his investment.

He took his time getting out of the car and her heart kicked as he strolled towards her, long legs clad in denim, a black T clinging to his chest, but without the usual laconic smile. She’d done that, wiped the smile from his face, and she’d do anything to coax it back.

His strides slowed as he neared her and she pasted a smile on her face.

‘Thanks for coming.’

‘No worries,’ he said, but there were plenty, and she hoped to address some of them now.

‘Firstly, I want to apologise for the way I spoke to you the other night. I was way out of line.’

He gave a terse nod. ‘Apology accepted.’

She took him at his word but he sounded dubious, like he didn’t really buy her apology.

‘I overreacted, when you were obviously trying to help me out, so thanks.’

‘You’re welcome.’

Yikes. The garrulous guy she loved hadn’t spoken more than two words at a time since he arrived.

Loved?

Yeah, of course she loved him. She wouldn’t be doing this otherwise. The emotion had snuck up on her and was nothing like books and movies portrayed it. There hadn’t been an exact moment she could pinpoint when she fell for him. No instant lust. No swoonworthy meet-cute. She’d known and trusted Sawyer for over half her life and the teen she’d considered a good friend had morphed into an amazing man she couldn’t help but love.

‘This is the land you bought,’ she said, sweeping her arm wide.

‘I know.’

Still with the two-word responses. Maybe what she said next would change that.

‘I want to discuss what we do with it.’

His eyebrows arched slightly. ‘I’m listening.’

‘This tract hasn’t been used for sowing in years, so I was thinking it could be used for housing? That way, you’d make a killing on your investment and have enough money to retire now if you wanted.’

His other eyebrow joined the first. ‘Why would I retire now?’

‘Well, you wouldn’t necessarily have to retire. But having that much money would mean you wouldn’t have to work, and travel so much to do it, and you’d have to spend all your time here to oversee a project of that magnitude …’

Heck, why couldn’t she just come out and say it?

She didn’t want him to leave.

Ever.

He took an eternity to answer, his face an impassive mask, and she knew she’d blown it.

‘Never mind. It was a crazy idea from left field—’

‘Is that your weird way of asking me to stay?’

The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement, giving her hope.

‘What if it is? Do you think it’s something you’d be interested in doing?’

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