Page 49 of Lime Tree Hill
Full of second-rate juice and worry, her stomach lurched. “Is this why you’re angry? Because you think I encouraged her?”
“I’m tired and a little hungover, not angry.” He sighed. “Look, I don’t blame you for what went down, but I don’t understand why you didn’t walk away sooner.”
“Oh, I wish I had, believe me.” Tayla picked up his fries and started to eat. “She’s a bully.”
“I know what she can be like, and I trust you to be discreet. But that discretion doesn’t apply between us.”
“Surely that discretion works both ways?”
He took back the fries. “Meaning?”
“A little heads-up would’ve been good. But you just went about your night without even a thought for how I might feel.”
He nodded, picked up his coffee and sipped it. “I didn’t expect her to be there, but Otis is a family friend. I had no idea they were even together, neither did CeCe. Look, Prue can be an abrasive drunk, but despite everything, she’s not a bad person. She does have a habit of lashing out when she feels threatened though.”
“Yes, I got that vibe.” She looked him straight in the eye. “But then, she obviously still loves you and says the feeling’s mutual. That doesn’t make my position an easy one when I’m around your family and friends.”
“I understand.”
Tayla noticed he didn’t address her comment. Never said he didn’t love Prue. Did his friends see her as the bitch who’d stolen another woman’s fiancée, as Prue had so eloquently put it?
She reached for the fries again. “Do any of your family know about the conditions of Norman’s will?”
“Just Mum and Frank. But I haven’t discussed the purchase of Cherry Grove with them in depth. They’re curious about our marriage, but it’s no one else’s business. As long as Ken’s satisfied, it’s all good.”
Was it? All good? Living a lie where the truth would never be told? “And what about Prue?”
“She knows Norman left me the orchard but not about his final condition. I wasn’t marrying her to get the money, so the subject never came up. She wasn’t interested in my business affairs.”
“She probably thinks I married you for your money. In a way, she’s right, isn’t she?”
With a shrug, Mitch grabbed the now almost empty pack of fries and helped himself to the last few. “It doesn’t matter what she thinks, or anyone else. We both had our reasons.”
“Maybe, but no matter your reason for marrying me instead ofPrue, I’d like to try to get through the next few months without any more drama.” Tayla stood. “I’ll be outside.”
Mitch followed her through the door and into the truck. “Hope you enjoyed my fries.”
She clicked her seatbelt into place, then looked at him. “I did. Thank you.”
22
LAST MOVE
For the next few days,overwhelmed by packing at Cherry Grove and busy shifts at the hospital, Tayla kept her distance from Mitch as her feelings for him struggled for order. He didn’t seem to notice. Even when she left the loft early and arrived home late, he never asked where she’d been. By Friday, she’d transferred most of the smaller items, one box at a time, to her parents’ condo in the retirement complex.
That same day, Mitch left for Tulloch Point just after breakfast. An invitation to join him was refused. Visiting Tulloch Point no longer held any appeal, and anyway, she had too much work to do at the house and full shifts at the hospital the following week. Even so, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d gone to visit Prue.
The removal company arrived at ten on Saturday morning. Several hours later, the only thing she needed for her parents’ new home was a bunch of flowers and some food for the fridge. But with no word of their return, the flowers and groceries could wait.
Back at the loft, Tayla trudged up the stairs. She fed Edward, then flopped down on the sofa and flicked on the wireless speaker, losing herself in moody music as memories of her teenage years atCherry Grove floated over the tree rows, up the stairs, and around the room.
The sound of her phone ringing brought her back to the present.Mitch.She picked it up and moved to his office so she didn’t have to turn down the music. “Hello.”
“Hi. How’s Edward? He seemed a bit off when I left.”
I’m fine, thanks for asking.“He’s okay, eating well. I might let him sleep in my room tonight.”
“Lucky dog. Is everything else all right?”
