Page 51 of Lime Tree Hill

Leaving Mitch with his questions, Tayla shut the bedroom door and flopped down on her bed. She hadn’t brushed her teeth or removed her makeup, but she didn’t want to go out there again, not while he was still up. She stood and reached into her gym bag for a wet wipe to rub over her face and hands. Not ideal, but it would have to do.

With the curtains and window open, she lay on the floor, the cool breeze wafting over her as she watched the hazy band of the Milky Way fill the window frame. She sat up when he knocked.

“Tayla? Are you all right?”

“Yes, fine.”

“Can I come in?”

“I’m almost asleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

When Mitch didn’t respond, Tayla wondered if he’d given up and gone to bed. She wanted to open the door, to have him hold her and tell her everything would be okay. But their agreement didn’t include touch. Or empathy. Or companionship.

“Okay. Sleep well.”

Her mouth parched, Tayla woke as she’d slept—still in her cotton dress. When she opened her closet, panda eyes stared back at her from the mirror, and her cheeks looked tight from lack of moisturizer.

Mitch had left for work by the time she entered the kitchen, which meant she didn’t have to face him over breakfast. Edward moved to her side and lay down, openly loving her with those big brown eyes. “Hey, boy. Are you happy here?” He blinked and rested his head on his paws.Too cute.

As she drove to work, her thoughts struggled for somesemblance of order. She frustrated him, that’s what he’d said. Did he want her to move out?

Later that afternoon, as her last patient left, her mother called with unexpected news. “They’re taking your father back into the operating room. He’s not doing so good, they’re not sure why.”

Tayla struggled to focus on her mother’s words as she hurried down the stairs. “What? I thought you guys were almost ready to come home.” Knowing the risks involved in two surgeries in a row at his age, she went to say more but stopped herself. Her mother needed support, not more reasons to worry. “I’ve just finished my shift. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay, darling. But only if you have time.”

“Of course I have time. What did the doctor actually say?”

Her mum sighed down the phone. “She said it could just be a failed stent. I knew something was wrong. He’s been so uncomfortable. Too scared to come home. Anyway, how’s Mitch?”

What could she say? That her husband was concerned for her welfare, her state of mind. “He’s fine. Busy as usual. Anyway, I’ll text you my flight details. Talk soon.”

When she arrived home, Mitch was nowhere in sight. She called his phone, but his voicemail kicked in after several rings, and she didn’t have the energy to leave a message. Right now, her father was her priority.

Tayla dragged her full suitcase down the stairs and caught a ride with one of the staff, who dropped her at the airport an hour before her seven-thirty flight departed. As she waited to move through to the departure lounge, she called Mitch again to the same response. “Mitch Harrington. Leave a message.”

23

ICE QUEEN

Mitch satin his Hilux at Petrie Bay, his mind on Tayla and her recent preoccupation. Her tears the night before had him wondering what, or who, had made her so sad. He understood her concern for Barry, but something else was troubling her.

He picked up his phone and brought up her number. The call went straight to her voice mail. When Luka pulled up beside him, Mitch left the cab and unclipped his surfboard from the roof rack, thoughts of Tayla slipping away. “Are you ready to hit these waves?” he asked.

“Yep. More than ready.” Luka untied his board. “How’s married life?”

Looking to the horizon, Mitch searched for the right word. “Complicated.”

“Yeah? Want to talk about it?”

Mitch zipped up his wetsuit and secured the back flap. “Nope. Nothing a bit of chilly saltwater won’t cure.”

“I thought you guys would’ve sorted out your differences by now.”

“Yes, me too. But there’s nothing straightforward when itcomes to Tayla. She’s complexity in motion. The proverbial ice queen.”

“Yeah, I’ve met a few ice queens in my time, believe me.”

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