Page 110 of Lime Tree Hill

Tayla chuckled. “Sure.”

Mitch:I have a bedtime story for you.

Tayla:Describe its plot in one word.

Mitch:Perception.

Tayla:Sounds interesting. Sweet dreams xx

Mitch:Don’t go. What have you been doing today?

Tayla:Valentina and I went out for dinner. It was great. I met her mum when I dropped her off. She’s lovely.

Mitch:Yes, she is.

Tayla:What about you? How was your day?

Mitch:Kind of lonely to tell you the truth.

Mitch opened the sliding door and settled himself in her chair, the novel in question on the side table. Staring at his phone, he wondered if she’d text back. He’d told Tayla to take her time. And while he understood her reasons for pulling back, the longer she stayed away, the more he questioned her need to do so. Granted, Hayden had betrayed her, but infidelity wasn’t part of Mitch’s nature—never had been—and he hoped he’d made that clear.

The memory of their last time together surfaced. How confident she’d seemed when he reached for her. And when he’d arrived in Queenstown to an overcast afternoon, he’d wished she was there. To share the sight of the snow-capped peaks, to smell that fresh mountain air, and to make love to in his hotel room overlooking the lake.

Mitch:I miss you. More and more each day.

He imagined holding her, kissing her until she moaned his name. Tayla had only to ask, and he’d jump in his truck, race into town, and take her in his arms.

But she never asked.

Tayla:I miss you too. But thank you.

Mitch:For?

Tayla:Giving me breathing room. You’re a good man. Night xx

48

UNDER THE DOGWOOD

Through the frontwindshield of his Hilux, Mitch watched Tayla as she waited for her turn in the lineup. She paddled backward several times, moving to the end of the group as if she didn’t have the nerve to take the wave.

Willing her forward, Mitch left the truck and strolled along the beach until he had a better view. The day was hot, and a light breeze stirred the pines. Instead of a wetsuit, she wore a high-necked black rash guard. Although her torso was completely covered, with her hair wet and athletic body glistening in the sunlight, she couldn’t have looked sexier.

And he couldn’t have been prouder.

Tim paddled close by, her partner of choice in the water now. It saddened Mitch. He wanted to be there for Tayla, but maybe she had to conquer her fear without him. As she moved down the lineup, her gaze scanned the shore. She noticed him. Waved.

Her board lifted with the swell, and while he struggled to read her expression, there was no mistaking the determination in her body language. She paddled forward into the pocket, generating enough speed to stand up.

When she glided along the wave, her feet, head, and weightwere exactly where they should be. He wanted to jump up and clap, to race into the water and pull her into his arms. Instead, he sat in the sand and watched from behind his sunglasses, wondering if she’d ever change her mind.

At one stage, he thought she might come and say hi, but it was Tim who made that initial contact.

“Thanks for the text,” Mitch said as he continued to watch her. “She’s doing great.”

Tim sat beside him. “Out there, maybe. Not so much otherwise. I’ve never seen her like this…well, not since high school.”

“I feel like we’re caught in a whirlpool, being sucked away from each other.”

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