Lime Tree Hill (A Reluctant Kiss #1)

2. The Hitch

2

THE HITCH

Mitchel Harrington prided himself on being a man of his word. Having to go back on said word tied his stomach in knots. Pulling out of the Cherry Grove deal was bad enough, but after Barry’s heart attack, telling him and his wife would be one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.

Simon Harrow stood as Mitch entered his office. He smoothed his hand over his tie and offered Mitch a chair. “You ready for this?”

“Not even close. Norman’s probably looking down on me right now with a huge I-told-you-so grin on his face.”

“Crap happens, but we’re supposed to walk around it, not through it. Still no movement from your great-uncle?”

“Nope. I thought he might reconsider, but he’s not the type to indulge whims. His words, not mine.”

While they waited for the Whitman Family Trust representative to arrive, Mitch and Simon talked business until his lawyer’s PA knocked and opened the door. “Ms. Whitman’s here.”

Behind the PA stood one of the Whitman girls, but Mitch wasn’t sure if it was Lisa, Ruby, or Tayla. The only one he’d had much to do with was Tayla, and that was before she went to university. She hadn’t spoken to him since. Not that he could blame her after he’d accused her of stealing.

According to her mother, she now lived in Sydney. And as he spent most holidays in Tulloch Point with his parents, he rarely saw any of the Whitman siblings.

The men stood to greet her. “Please come in,” Simon said. “I’m so sorry to hear about your father. Is he doing okay?”

“Thanks for asking. He’s slowly regaining his strength.”

Simon looked at Mitch. “You two have met?”

“We have.” She offered no pleasantries, not even a smile. “Mitch.”

He reached out, shocked at the chill of her skin as they shook hands. With the same hazel eyes as her mother, she looked like an older Tayla, but everything about her was chalk to Tayla’s cheese. This Ms. Whitman held herself with a confidence Tayla had never possessed. He thought back to when he’d last seen her, before she’d left for AUT. At that stage, she’d been in full goth mode, with a pixie cut, purple Doc Martens, and a blood-red ring in her nose. Black, on black, on cherry black. Maybe the woman in front of him was Lisa.

“Hi, it’s nice to see you again,” he said with a smile.

Ignoring his polite greeting, she sat in the offered chair, crossed one long leg over the other, and swung her stiletto-clad foot. Wearing a taupe blazer over a white top and black skinny jeans, she looked casually chic but aloof. With her long slender neck, delicate hands, and full lips, Mitch found it hard to take his eyes off her.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Her tone of superiority caught him off guard. But then, what had he expected?

“I’m afraid we’ve struck a glitch,” Simon said.

“So I gather, but our lawyer was light on the details. What sort of glitch are we talking about? Moving the settlement date?”

Mitch shot Simon a sideways glance. He might as well get straight to the point. “Unfortunately, I’m unable to settle at this stage.”

She stared at him, looking dazed. “I don’t understand. You’ve paid the deposit. And my parents have already purchased a property in a retirement complex.”

Now it was Simon’s turn to speak. “They’ve bought elsewhere? Before settlement?”

“I advised them against it, but my father’s made some rash decisions lately. If you can’t settle on time, they may lose everything.”

“I’m sure the bank will supply bridging finance if they need it,” Simon offered.

“Not now that Dad’s unable to work. And what about the deposit?”

“Under the terms of the agreement,” Simon continued, “Mitch will forfeit his deposit. That should help in the interim.”

Ms. Whitman kept her gaze on Simon, her dismissal of Mitch clear. “I spoke with their accountant this morning. Cherry Grove is heavily mortgaged. Before the sale, the bank was threatening foreclosure.” She turned to Mitch and looked him straight in the eye. “How could you do this to them?”

“I’m sorry. Jean and Barry have been good neighbors. I didn’t expect this to happen.”

“Expect it to happen? Didn’t you crunch your numbers before scribbling your name on the dotted line?”

The hairs lifted on the back of Mitch’s neck. The woman could pack a verbal punch, that’s for sure.

“Look, Tayla, we’re trying to do our best here,” Simon said.

Mitch stared in disbelief at the woman sitting in the adjacent chair. Tayla? Surely Simon had made a mistake. But she didn’t contradict him.

“Excuse me if I sound cynical,” she countered. “But I fail to see what y our best is at the moment.”

“We’re willing to do whatever we can to help, but unfortunately, Mitch is right. His offer for Cherry Grove was genuine at the time, however, there will be no settlement in the foreseeable future.”

“So, what do you suggest I tell my father?”

“I’ll tell him,” Mitch offered. He’d planned to talk to Barry and Jean anyway, but Barry’s ill health had changed everything.

“No, you won’t,” she snapped. “You’ve done enough damage. And, as I hold enduring power of attorney, I insist this conversation be treated as confidential. I don’t want to worry my parents until Ruby and I have considered our options.”

“Do you think I wanted this?” Mitch kept his cool, but still, he wouldn’t let the way she’d spoken to him slide. He’d thought about her a lot over the years. In his imagination she’d exuded sweetness and innocence despite her goth exterior, but the Tayla sitting next to him didn’t resemble her younger self one bit. “I understand your parents are the innocent party in all of this, but they aren’t the only ones who’ll be negatively affected.”

She scoffed. “I don’t know how you can sit there and turn this around so it’s all about poor old you. My father has just had open-heart surgery. He’s worked hard all his life for this. Now you come along and pull the pin. Unbelievable.”

“Okay, let’s take a breather.” Simon straightened his tie. “I agree. This is an unfortunate set of circumstances we find ourselves in, but?—”

“And what circumstances would they be?” Tayla asked. “If it was all fine months ago, what went wrong?”

Simon shot Mitch a concerned look.

“The reasons are not up for discussion,” Mitch said.

Tayla crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “Of course not.”

“Right.” Simon cleared his throat and addressed her. “My advice is to consult the trust’s lawyer.”

“And tell him what? That we’ve been scammed?”

“No.” Simon stretched out the word. “That, unfortunately, Mitch is unable to proceed with the purchase right now. I understand it will take time to process what this means for your parents. If there’s any way we can turn this around, I’ll be in touch.”

For a moment, Tayla said nothing. She glanced at Mitch with a dismissive flick of her lashes then back at Simon. “Thank you, Simon. I appreciate your concern.”

Tayla stood, her chin held high. Mitch did the same, surprised at how tall she was. “I’m sorry we had to meet again under such circumstances.” He offered his hand.

She showed him her palm. “Don’t. Please…just don’t.”

Simon cleared his throat again, and Mitch knew how he felt. Still, he’d never expected it to be easy.

“If the situation changes, we’ll be in touch,” Simon repeated. “In the meantime, I suggest you have a word with a realtor, just in case anyone else is interested. I know you’re not in a strong position with the orchard landlocked by Lime Tree Hill, but it only takes one person to want it.”

“Thank you.” Tayla sighed heavily as she walked toward the door, and when Mitch held it open, she brushed past him without another word.

He turned to Simon once she was out of earshot. “Now I know how a male praying mantis feels.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Shit! As much as I loved my grandfather, he had a warped sense of reality. I wonder if she knows about the other offer.”

“If she doesn’t, she’ll find out as soon as the orchard’s back on the market. And even if they have to drop a few hundred K, I reckon she’ll take it. What other choice do they have?”

Mitch shook his head. “Imagine having the Stone and Pip Group as neighbors. Chris Stone would love to get his greedy mitts on Cherry Grove, even if it was just to piss me off.” He sighed. “Who knew a broken engagement could cause so much shit?”

“Wait a minute.” Simon stood and reached for his jacket. “I have an idea. Come on. Shout me lunch and I’ll fill you in on the way—strictly off the record though. What does Tayla do for a living?”

“She’s a physiotherapist, or at least she was. I haven’t seen her in ages.”

“That’s a plus. There should be plenty of work around here in her field,” Simon replied. “I bet those hands give a great massage. Do you think she’s single?”

When he caught Simon’s drift, Mitch’s protest was loud and clear. “Piss off.”