Page 39 of Where the Heart Is

And ensure she couldn’t trace it back to him.

CHAPTER

23

If Mila’s earlier emergency meeting with Dazza made her frazzled, the usual weekly update from her farm manager didn’t help.

This year’s crop prices were lower than expected, meaning she’d be struggling to make mortgage repayments let alone have anything left over to progress the farm-stay cottages.

She’d hated lying to her grandmother about the first cottage being uninhabitable, but if any good could come out of her shambles of a wedding—namely, her grandparents sorting out their crap—she was all for it.

She had no doubt Gramps would let Gran stay on at the bungalow. He’d actually been smiling when he picked Addy up earlier. Not that Mila had been spying from the living-room window—not much, that is. But seeing her gruff grandfather who rarely had a smile for anyone beaming at Addy vindicated Mila’s decision to push the two of them together.

If only she could solve her financial crisis as easily.

Whenever she needed to solve a problem, she worked. Keeping busy with her hands meant her mind didn’t have time to wander, so after donning overalls, sticking her earbuds in and cranking up a rock playlist, she tackled the next task on her farm-stay to-do list.Painting the interior of the second cottage.

She’d already prepped with tarps and masking tape, so after popping the lid on the shade she’d chosen—a pale blue—and pouring the paint into a tray, she dipped the roller and got to work. The simple up and down action of the roller against the wall soothed her mind as she’d hoped, and she soon found herself singing along to an eighties ballad.

It took eight songs to cover an entire wall. She stood back to admire her handiwork, pleased with the result, when a tap on her shoulder made her scream and whirl around to find Sawyer grinning at her.

She plucked the earbuds out and slipped them into her pocket, glaring at him. ‘That’s the second time in as many days you’ve scared the living crap out of me. Don’t you have anything better to do than sneak up on me?’

His grin widened, smug and infuriating and too gorgeous. ‘Maybe if you weren’t intent on auditioning as lead singer for one of those eighties bands you love so much, you might hear when others are around you.’

‘I like to sing. Sue me,’ she said, embarrassment heating her cheeks as his gaze roved over her and she wished she wasn’t wearing her oldest, tattiest overalls. ‘What are you doing here anyway?’

‘Can’t an old friend pop around to say hello?’

‘I suppose,’ she muttered, wishing he didn’t make her feel so damn flustered all the time.

She’d been doing just fine, not seeing him for fifteen years. Out of sight, out of mind. But having him waltz back into her life when she’d least expected it had thrown her, and she hadn’t recovered since.

He’d always had this way of looking at her, like his deep blue eyes flecked with green could see right through her, and now she’d been stupid enough to blurt the truth about the crush she’d once had, it made her want to crawl under the nearest rock.

But there was nothing but kindness in his eyes and she knew his teasing never held malice. He’d made her feel safe growing up, protective like Will but without the whole ‘pain in the arse big brother’ vibe.

‘What are you thinking?’

‘About how nice you were growing up.’ She paused, her smile cheeky. ‘What happened?’

He chuckled. ‘I’m still nice. In fact, I have a feeling you’ll think I’m the nicest guy in the world when you hear what I have to say.’

She couldn’t get a read on him, not when the glimmer in his eyes shifted between excited to wary. ‘Okay. Spit it out. What’s going on?’

‘I took the liberty of using my influence in the industry to sort out your subdivision clause, so if you’re agreeable, I have a buyer for the land you were willing to give to Phil. At a good price too.’

For a second, Mila wondered if she’d had the music up too loud earlier and she was having an auditory hallucination, because she could’ve sworn Sawyer had just solved her monetary problems.

‘How … When …’ Overwhelmed, she swallowed to ease the tightness in her throat courtesy of his consideration. ‘I never asked you to do that.’

‘I know, but if you were willing to marry Phil to save the farm, I thought selling the same land would be an easier solution.’

‘I don’t know what to say,’ she murmured, his thoughtfulness making tears well in her eyes.

‘You don’t have to say anything now. I’ll get the contract drawn up once you tell me the precise amount of land you’re willing to sell, you can have your lawyer look it over, and if you’re happy with it, sign on the dotted line and you’ll have the cash in your account soon after.’

Those damn tears prickled harder, and her chest expanded with emotion until she thought it would burst.

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