Where the Heart Is

Chapter 38

CHAPTER

38

Mila wanted to enlist Adelaide’s help in planning the B Gran would be keeping her distance in the bungalow. But the fact they were both on the same property could only bode well. She hoped.

As she neared the front door, movement inside the front window caught her eye. More precisely, the movement of her grandparents strolling into the living room.

Holding hands.

Mila gawped, stunned by the sight of the two people she loved most in the world holding hands when they hadn’t communicated in years after Gran broke Gramps’s heart.

So much for her matchmaking plans with the ball. Looked like her grandparents were doing a fine job themselves of rekindling an old flame.

Not wanting to interrupt, she took a step back, and trod on a rake Gramps had left propped beside the verandah. It clanged against the railing and alerted her grandparents to her presence, leaving her no option but to knock on the door. It opened quickly and she struggled to hide her surprise.

Gramps sported a grin the likes of which she’d never seen before.

He looked … happy.

‘Hey, kid, nice to see you.’

‘You too, Gramps.’ She hugged him and glanced over his shoulder in time to see Gran smoothing her hair. Heck, what had these two been up to? On second thoughts, Mila didn’t want to know.

‘Your grandmother is here.’

‘Great. I need to talk to her about something, but thought I’d drop in here first and say hello.’ She paused for emphasis. ‘It’s good to see the two of you together.’

‘We were just talking.’

To her surprise, her stoic grandfather blushed, and Mila knew they’d been doing more than talking.

‘That’s good,’ she said, squeezing his arm before walking into the living room. ‘Hey, Gran. How are you?’

‘Fine.’ Gran’s response came too quickly, and when a faint pink stained her cheeks too, Mila couldn’t help but smile. ‘I was just heading back to the bungalow after a cuppa. Nothing like it to get the blood pumping.’ Addy’s blush deepened. ‘Anyway, thanks, Jack. I’ll see you later.’

For the second time in as many minutes, Mila gaped. She’d never seen her poised grandmother so flustered.

‘We’ll talk more then,’ Gramps said, sending Gran a pointed look that couldn’t be misinterpreted as anything other than ‘Running away now won’t solve anything’ .

Whatever they’d been discussing must’ve been big for them to be holding hands. That’s when it hit Mila.

Maybe they’d been discussing formalising their divorce?

Rather than reconnecting as she hoped, they might’ve been talking about the past and getting nostalgic or saddened by the prospect of divorcing and had been comforting each other.

Whatever had gone down, she hoped the B & S ball might spark memories for them and give them a gentle nudge in the right direction: towards reconciliation.

‘Gramps, I need to talk to Gran, but I’ll stop by when I’m leaving.’

He shook his head. ‘I’m headed out. I might drop by the farm tomorrow and we’ll catch up then?’

‘Sounds good.’ She pressed a kiss to his cheek. ‘If I’m out in the paddocks, Sawyer will be around.’

Gramps’s eyebrows rose, and she continued. ‘He’s staying in town a bit longer and the motel isn’t conducive to comfort for more than a few nights, I’ve got the room, so I invited him to stay.’

As expected, Gramps frowned. She may be thirty-two and capable of making decisions, but Gramps still treated her like a teenager at times. But before he could say anything, Gran said, ‘I’ve got a fair bit on today, Mila, so if you want to chat, we’ll have to do it now.’

She shot her intuitive grandmother a grateful look. ‘Okay. Bye, Gramps.’

With that, she all but bolted from the room into the kitchen and out the back door with Addy. Only after the door closed did they slow down and take one look at each other before bursting into laughter.

‘You should’ve seen the expression on your face.’ Addy chuckled. ‘It was exactly the same when we had the period talk.’

Mila smiled. ‘Gramps looked like he was going to launch into a spiel about the inappropriateness of having boys sleep over.’

‘He loves you. He’s protective. Nothing wrong with that.’

Considering the dynamic of what she’d just witnessed, Addy leaping to Jack’s defence didn’t surprise Mila.

‘You two looked awfully cosy when I arrived,’ Mila said, fishing for information. ‘Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.’

‘Don’t be silly.’ Addy snorted, but the colour in her cheeks deepened again. ‘Your grandfather and I had dinner at the pub last night, because I wanted to thank him for letting me stay here, and we were just discussing that.’

‘Right,’ Mila said, stifling a giggle at the blatant lie. ‘So talking about dinner at the pub makes your cheeks blaze the same colour as a fire engine.’

Addy made a pfft sound and Mila couldn’t contain her laughter. ‘Gran, I think it’s great you and Gramps are on speaking terms, let alone able to coexist in the same room. I was incredibly nervous at the thought of you two seeing each other at my wedding after not speaking for so long, so being civil is nothing to be embarrassed about.’

Addy didn’t speak as she opened the bungalow door and after they entered, Mila spied the easel and paints in the corner by the window where natural light streamed in.

‘That’s great you bought some supplies—’

‘Jack did it,’ Addy blurted, her voice quavering, and for a second Mila thought her grandmother might cry. ‘I never expected him to be so welcoming, let alone thoughtful, when I don’t deserve it.’

Mila had a feeling where this was heading—her gran playing the blame game—so she headed her off. ‘We all make mistakes, Gran. And if it’s not a mistake, we make choices we think are right at the time. So whatever happened between you and Gramps in the past, I think it’s incredible you’re both big enough to acknowledge it and move on, without animosity.’

Addy sniffed and dabbed at the inner corners of her eyes with her pinkies. ‘I don’t want to hurt him again.’

‘Is there a risk of that happening?’

Because that meant her grandparents had moved beyond friendship and Mila shared Addy’s concern. Gramps didn’t deserve to have his heart broken again, but if he’d opened himself up to Addy, and she left as intended, that might be a distinct possibility.

‘There might be.’ Addy sighed and sank onto the sofa. ‘There’s still a spark between us.’

‘Wow.’ Mila sat beside her. ‘If you want my opinion, Gran, it’s this. Tread carefully. Gramps is living his best life these days. He’s come to terms with you leaving him. So if you start something up … it could get complicated.’

‘Don’t you think I know that?’ Addy snapped, instantly remorseful as she reached out and clasped Mila’s hand. ‘Sorry, sweetheart. I’m edgy and confused.’

This is why Mila didn’t do relationships. What she had with Sawyer was two friends indulging in some fabulous benefits, without the complication of feelings. They’d have fun, Sawyer would leave, and she’d throw herself wholeheartedly into making the farm-stay project a success and making a dent in her sizeable mortgage.

Gran and Gramps didn’t just have a relationship, they were married, and with age came supposed wisdom. But now that she’d seen Gramps happy and Gran flustered, should she be dabbling in matchmaking? She’d thought reminding them of the past might rekindle feelings, but what if they’d already done that and were reeling from it?

‘I’m not surprised you’re edgy, Gran. It must be hard dealing with what happened in the past and everything that’s now being dredged up. But for what it’s worth, I think it’s great you and Gramps are getting along after all you’ve both been through, and I reckon just play it by ear for now.’

Gran tweaked her nose, like she used to when Mila was a kid. ‘Who made you so wise?’

‘You did, considering you raised me.’

The twinkle in Gran’s eyes faded. ‘Have you heard from your parents recently?’

Mila shook her head, quelling the familiar surge of resentment that surfaced whenever she thought about her folks—which wasn’t very often, by choice. ‘Nope. It’s been a few months. You?’

‘About the same.’

Addy never badmouthed her son, but Mila thought Cam was lousy with family. He might not acknowledge his kids very often, but his parents were ageing, and he should keep in touch more often.

Keen to change the subject, Mila said, ‘Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about was giving me a hand planning a B & S ball.’

Addy brightened, before her excitement faded. ‘I’d love to, but I won’t be around long enough.’

‘Actually, Phil’s hosting it on his property next week.’

‘Next week?’ Addy’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘How on earth does he expect to pull together a ball on such short notice?’

‘By coercing others, like you and me, to help.’

Astute as ever, Gran said, ‘Is this because his reputation is in tatters after he ditched you at the altar?’

‘It wasn’t quite at the altar.’

Addy waved away the clarification. ‘Regardless, I bet townsfolk can’t stop pointing the finger at him and he’s sick of looking like the bad guy.’

‘Yeah, that’s about right. So, will you help?’

‘Sure. It’ll give me something to do while I wait for …’ Addy trailed off, her gaze oddly guilty as it slid sideways.

‘For?’ Mila prompted.

Addy blinked rapidly. ‘For my car to be fixed.’

Once again, when Addy couldn’t look her in the eye, Mila had a feeling her gran was lying.