Page 107 of Lime Tree Hill

“And was she?”

He huffed. Smiled. “Turns out I’dunwittingly enrolled in Rebound 101, with Ella as the tutor. She wrote to me three weeks later saying it was over, and while she’d never forget me, she’d gone back to Chris. The guy’s despised me ever since, but not only because of Ella. His family was interested in the orchard before Norman died, but the old man took an instant dislike to the Stones. Chris expected me to walk away once it was mine, so he made me a crazy low offer. I said I wasn’t selling, and he took it personally.”

“So, you and Ella are obviously still friends?”

“Not so much. She’s interested in organics so came to me for advice. We’ve had several meetings.”

“Then who took the photos?”

Mitch shrugged. “Who knows. Someone Chris hired? The guy’s an asshole. But I’m not going to bullshit you and say the opportunity wasn’t there with Ella, because it was. She wants an affair and makes no bones about it.” He moved to sit beside her on the sofa. They sat face-to-face, the distinct inhale and exhale of his breathing audible in her ears; her rehearsed words diluted by his honesty. He reached for her hands, and his touch gave her strength. “But I don’t want her; I want you.”

“We married for the wrong reasons.”

“Maybe we did, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have the right outcome. We fit…make sense. This thing we have, it’s bigger than the both of us. Bigger than Ella and Prue and Hayden. It’s even bigger than Norman and his need for control. Fate brought us together, and fate knows a shitload more than it ever lets on.”

Tayla swallowed back the tears, desperate to stay in control. “This past year… I thought I was doing okay. But the whole Hayden thing. Moving from Sydney, Dad’s illness, even the sale of Cherry Grove. I didn’t want to step up, didn’t know if I could. And now that it’s over, I feel like I’m falling apart. The one thing I wanted the least is now what I want the most.”

“And what’s that?”

“You.” She shook her head and whispered, “But you didn’t pick me, Mitch.”

“Of course I did.” He reached out to smooth a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Not traditionally, maybe, but why does that matter?”

She searched for a reason. “Because without that traditional foundation, it’s hard to know what’s real. I need time to get my head around that.”

“I love you. That’s what’s real. And even if Ella and I were both single, she’s the last person I’d want to be with. I can honestly say, there’s been no one else since Prue and I broke up—physically or emotionally. I hope you can say the same.”

He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her. She returned the kiss, putting aside her hesitation from earlier.

Mitch pulled back, his expression one of acceptance. “I’m gonna go now. I’ll see you at home when you’re ready. But take your time. I don’t want you to have any doubts.”

46

PAYBACK

Mitch pickedup his phone and glanced at David Wong’s name lighting up the screen. He hitAccept. “David. What’s up?”

“Do you have time for a debrief this morning?”

He checked his watch. “Sure. I can be there in half an hour.”

“Great. We’ve been over the CTV footage while you were away and finally found the needle in a haystack. It appears Ella Stone paid you a visit recently, but when she found no one home, she let herself in anyway. Also, that lead on the grapefruit checked out, and the reviews definitely came from an IP address linked to Mrs. Stone’s mother. The avocados are proving more difficult, but it’s just a matter of time before someone talks. Anyway, it’s not looking good for the Stones, that’s for sure.”

Mitch grabbed his keys from the sideboard then bounded down the stairs and out the packing shed door. “What about the OCA?”

“It’s not a crime to make a complaint to the OCA, but if it came from Chris Stone, he might get a slap on the wrist for harassment. Theft is a different story, as is home invasion. Anyway, I’ll see you soon.”

“Yep, I’m on my way. And, David, thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

The Stone and Pip Group owned a suite of offices on the southern side of Clifton Falls CBD, in an area known as the Exchange. After parking his Hilux next to King’s Gardens, Mitch crossed the street and walked the couple of blocks to their office, the envelope tucked under his arm and a USB flash drive in his pocket.

It had been two days since David Wong’s call. Time to make the Stones squirm.

Frigid air-conditioning hit him as he walked through the entrance. He’d expected the usual commercial space, with gray walls and austere furniture, so the fruit-tree murals and lush potted plants surprised him. He stopped at the front desk. “Is Ella free?”

The receptionist raised a brow as if he were her bodyguard. “Mrs. Stone is busy right now. If you give me a second, I’ll check her diary. May I ask your name and the nature of your business?”

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