Page 23 of Where the Heart Is

She’d been a homebody growing up, but he’d always assumed she’d follow in her parents’ wanderlust footsteps and leave Ashe Ridge after she finished school. He’d been shocked to learn she’d bought the farm and had hated the thought of her settling down with one of the bozos he’d gone to school with. She deserved so much better.

When Will couldn’t make the wedding and asked him to attend instead, the thought of watching Mila get married had gutted him a little, swiftly followed by disgust when he learned the groom was Phil Baxter. Will had been unfazed, saying he trusted Mila’s judgement and wanted his sister to be happy, and Sawyer had bitten his tongue.

He hadn’t wanted to attend in Will’s stead, not trusting himself when it came to Phil having his hands anywhere near Mila, but he’d been fuelled by curiosity and masochism, so he’d come.

Thank goodness he had because Mila needed him despite her bravado. He would’ve happily joined her in demolishing that arbour, then taken the mallet to Phil too if she’d asked. She may not have a broken heart, but Mila’s financial worries were weighing heavily, and he’d do whatever it took to help.

He waited until her tail-lights faded into the distance before heading to the motel. He hadn’t made a booking, expecting to attend the wedding then hit the road back to Melbourne late afternoon. It didn’t matter. The place was rarely booked out—not many tourists stopped in Ashe Ridge, preferring Nhill or Kaniva—but disappointment filtered through him when he saw the ‘Vacancy’ sign, because a full motel would’ve meant Mila had to offer him a bed for the night.

‘Idiot,’ he muttered, grabbing the gym bag with toiletries and clothes he always kept in the boot, and heading up the cracked concrete path to reception.

The motel had been painted, the olive-green exterior now a gleaming ecru and the window trims a shiny ebony, but the neon still had a flashing R in theAshe Ridge Motelsign.

He pushed through the glass doors and approached a tidy front desk lined with maps of the region. The place appeared abandoned, so he tapped a bell, not having to wait long before a woman a few years younger than him popped her head out from a room at the back.

‘Be there in a sec,’ she called, and he waited, remembering the last time he’d been in here.

He’d been caught with Simone in one of the rooms at the end of Year 11. Simone’s mum Shazza had run the motel so she had easy access. Unfortunately, someone tattled on them and Shazza had barged into the room—thankfully before there’d been any frantic teen undressing—and dragged them out. Simone had been banished home and Sawyer had to wait in reception for his mother, who’d appeared resigned rather than disapproving when she’d finally shown to pick him up.

He’d steered clear of Simone all through Year 12, even when she made it blatantly clear they wouldn’t need a motel room to have fun. Seeing his mother look at him like she expected him to disappoint had hit hard and he’d made sure during his final year at home that she wouldn’t have any reason to look at him like that again.

‘Are you wanting a room?’

He turned back to the desk and smiled at the woman who looked vaguely familiar. ‘Yes please. Not sure for how long, but let’s say three nights for a start.’

‘No problems.’ She tapped at a keyboard and scrutinised a computer screen. ‘We’ve got our best suite available at the moment, two hundred a night.’

‘That’ll be fine.’

She continued typing, not asking his name, which he thought odd, until she glanced up, a cheeky glint in her eyes. ‘Pity Simone isn’t around. Or Mum for that matter. Could’ve made your stay interesting.’

Startled for a moment, Sawyer tried to place her and she laughed. ‘I’m Maggie, Simone’s younger sister. I was in Year 7 when you were caught here by Mum. I laughed my head off.’

He didn’t remember Maggie. Then again, he barely interacted with the kids in his own year, let alone kids four years younger.

‘Glad I could amuse you,’ he said, with a smile. ‘How is Simone?Your mum?’

‘Mum does the day shift here, I do nights. Works well, because it’s quiet and I’m doing some part-time study online. Though I had to cover Mum’s afternoon shift today.’

Thank goodness Sawyer hadn’t checked in earlier.

As if reading his mind, Maggie smirked. ‘I’m sure Mum will be pleased to see you tomorrow.’

‘I’ll make sure I’m gone by dawn,’ he deadpanned, and they laughed.

‘I’ll just need a credit card and you’re all set,’ she said.

‘No worries.’

He handed over his card and she swiped it through a terminal before handing it back to him, along with a key card for the room.

‘You’ve gone high-tech, I see?’

She smiled. ‘I reckon Mum updated when she realised it was easy for us girls to swipe keys to access the rooms, but not so easy to program the computer for cards.’ She winked. ‘I guess I have you to thank for that.’

He chuckled and pocketed the card. ‘It’s been fifteen years since I left town, and sixteen since your mum caught me with Simone. Do you think there’s a hope she’s forgotten?’

‘Not a chance,’ Maggie said, her eyes alive with amusement. ‘Do me a favour? Make sure I’m here to witness your reunion with Mum.’

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