Page 7 of Lime Tree Hill

“Very funny. I’d be in the river weighted down with a concrete slab by now if I had. Tayla Whitman hates me with a passion.”

“But she seems so wholesome and sweet. You could do a lot worse if you ask me. Besides, a little love-hate tug can be fun.”

“How would you know?”

“I’m old, not dead.” He winked. “Maggie and I still spar sometimes. Making up is the best part of marriage.”

Mitch chuckled. He enjoyed Ned’s sense of humor, always had. The older man had an intuition about him that Mitch admired. “Okay, that’s enough of the relationship advice. I’m going upstairs to get something wholesome and sweet of my own—toast and honey. Tayla may be polite to you, but I’m on her search-and-destroy list, especially now.”

Ned stopped what he was doing. “So you’ve told her?”

“Yep. She’s coming over after lunch. We’ll need some privacy, so keep everyone away while she’s here, okay?”

“Will do.”

Mitch entered his office and sat at the desk. He leaned back in his seat with a sigh, closing his eyes briefly until he heard a knock on the window overlooking the packing shed.

“Morning.” His friend Luka stood in the doorway. “I’m just heading up the Valley. Mum said you have a box of fruit for her.”

“Yeah, it’s on the bench outside the door.”

Luka studied him. “How did the meeting go?”

“Not the best. Do you remember the Whitmans’ youngest daughter, Tayla?”

“The goth girl who worked at the supermarket?”

“The very same.” Mitch stood and followed Luka out the door. “Turns out, she’s their power of attorney.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Let’s put it this way. While we were in Simon’s office, I feltlike she had my balls in a vise and was twisting them slowly every time I opened my mouth.”

Luka winced as Mitch picked up the box of fruit. “Ouch. She always seemed such a timid thing.”

“Not anymore. She’s as cold as a hoar frost…but twice as beautiful.”

Opening the back door of his truck, Luka flashed his usual shit-eating grin. “You’re interested?”

“Maybe. But not in the way you think.” He slid the box onto the back seat. “Last week, I might have looked the other way, but this could be bigger than the both of us.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m not too sure myself. I’ll fill you in on Wednesday.”

Back in his office after lunch, Mitch checked his email for orders. Although he’d never expected to enjoy the lifestyle, after a shaky start, he now loved running the orchard with a passion. Having witnessed way too much destruction at the hand of man, he saw organics as a way to do his bit.

He picked up his phone and checked the notifications.

Prue:Hey. I haven’t heard from you for a while. Are you okay?

Mitch reread her message.Washe okay?

Mitch:Yeah, all good.

Prue:Can we catch up when I’m in CF next? We really need to talk.

Mitch:There’s nothing more to say. Is there?

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