Page 5 of Lime Tree Hill

Back home in Sydney, Bondi was her beach of choice. She’d stand in the water, with her skirt hitched up around her thighs and the breakers lapping at her knees, willing herself to take one more step. Some people called it grounding. She called it progress. Thinking about it now, she felt suddenly homesick for the full waves and the many hours spent in the Icebergs Pool, swimming away her blues while the surf crashed over the sea wall.

As she walked along the beach, her thoughts turned to Hayden. What was he doing in his role of new father? Did he help with feeding and bath time and bringing up wind? Or was he too busy at the hospital? Had he already found someone else to enjoy an ‘intellectual relationship’ with? Someone other than her.

The sound of her phone brought her to an abrupt stop. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen before hittingAccept. “Hi, how’s Dad?”

“Not so good today.” Ruby sounded strained, and an image of their father lying in the coronary care unit flashed into Tayla’s mind. “Still, the doctor said to expect this. Anyway, how did you get on? Did you see Mitch?”

“Oh, I saw him all right.”

“Is he still as handsome as ever? That man’s biceps could crush me any day.”

What could Tayla say to that?Of course, the bastard.“Are you alone?”

“Yes. I gather things didn’t go well. You sound stressed.”

Tayla stopped walking, wondering how to lessen the blow for her sister. “Mr. ‘Organics’ Harrington, with those selfsame biceps bulging out of his shirt, can’t settle.”

“What? You’re joking!”

“I wish. The details are sketchy, but he’s prepared to forfeit the deposit, so it must be serious.”

“No way. He can’t do that.”

“Apparently, he can. What are we going to do? Even if we scrape together the retirement condo money, we can’t let the bank take the orchard. Mum and Dad would be devastated.”

“Shit! We can’t tell them. Not yet. Mum’s a wreck as it is.”

Ruby was right. Now would be the worst possible time to tell their mother, especially when Mitch and his lawyer had given her no details. “I might just pay the man a visit tomorrow. See what on earth’s going on.”

“Good plan. I’m sorry I’m not there to lend a hand, but I can’t leave Auckland at the moment. When do you have to be back in Sydney?”

When hell freezes over.“I’m not sure. I’ve applied for compassionate leave for a few months, just until we find out what’s happening with Dad. Anyway, give him a kiss from me. I’ll try to fly up next weekend. I need to talk to you about Hayden.”

Ruby hesitated. “Okaaay. Are you sure you don’t want to talk now?”

“No. It’s a face-to-face tale of woe. And, Rubes, best if we don’t tell Lisa in the meantime. Just in case she lets something slip.”

“You know me. ‘Strictly confidential’ is my middle name. Call me if you find out anything. Where are you? I can hear seagulls.”

“At the beach, clearing my head of cobwebs.”

“I forgot to ask you how the surfing lessons went.”

Tayla took a deep breath. It had taken her weeks to muster up the courage to book the lessons, and when she finally had, she’d paid straight away so she wouldn’t back out. Now would she ever conquer her fear of open water? “They didn’t. I came home instead. But one day.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard right now. You have a lot on your plate.”

“Yeah. Bye, Rubes. Love you.”

When she returned to the car, Tayla noticed the garment bag on the back seat and swallowed hard. It was time to visit the Salvation Army Family Store.

Thetish-tish-tishof oscillating sprinklers woke her at 6 a.m.

A self-confessed city girl of late, Tayla had forgotten how noisy living on an orchard could be. She lay there for a moment, resisting the urge to use the bathroom while trying to go back to sleep. But the more she tried, the more the events of yesterday’s meeting crowded her thoughts. Every time Mitchel Harrington appeared in her mind, he stood looking at her, half-naked, with his arms crossed and that sexy grin plastered on his face. Just like the billboard.

Tayla picked up her book and opened it, but after scanning the first few paragraphs, put it down again, her mind racing. Finally admitting defeat, she pushed back the covers and planted her feet on the wooden floorboards.

Shrugging on her robe, she padded through to the kitchen and looked out the window, hoping for a cooler day. But not one cloud floated in the emerging blue.

---