Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
RYDER
I watched Thaddeus go with a reluctant smile on my face. In no time at all, the feisty young man had crawled under my skin in a way that I wasn’t at all comfortable with. I was attracted to him, sure. He was hot, handsome, and smart-mouthed with it. Plus, Ziggy liked him, which said a lot.
So yes, overall, Thaddeus Grey was pretty much my kryptonite, which should be enough on its own to set all my alarm bells ringing.
But there was more to him than just good looks, and it was that which both intrigued and bothered me.
Along with my mother’s voice in my head, my curiosity about the young man was the real reason I’d invited him for breakfast in the first place, when everything inside warned me not to.
For all of his bluster, Thaddeus couldn’t hide the soft, forgiving nature at his centre.
He also had a penchant for making me laugh, something I could do with more of in my life.
It was clear he’d been hurt by what had happened with his ex, far more than he was letting on.
It showed in the tight lines around his eyes and the defeated way he carried himself when he thought I wasn’t looking.
Thaddeus had lost an awful lot in twenty-four hours but had somehow found the courage to help me out of a tight spot. He’d put himself on the line in a way few people did for someone they barely knew. And he still had time to call me on my bullshit.
“Well, well, well.” Tap clapped me on the shoulder, startling me out of my musings. “Whatever are you going to do now, my friend?”
I didn’t meet his gaze, worried he’d see more than I wanted him to. “I have no idea what you mean. We’ll finish breakfast, Thaddeus will call for his tow, and that will be that.”
A moment of silence was followed by Tap’s hearty laugh. “The best part of that answer is, I think you honestly believe it. Come on, Ryder, the man ordered a sausage, and the least you can do is tell him he came to the right place.”
I groaned. “You are so not funny.” I strode toward the cottage and left him chuckling at his own joke.
Back inside, I grabbed a dry pair of sweats from my bedroom and headed for the kitchen.
I found Thaddeus sitting at the dining table, making a bacon sandwich from the leftovers on his abandoned plate of food.
Ziggy sat rigid at his feet, staring longingly up at his new best friend.
“Get yourself into these.” I handed Thaddeus the sweats.
He hesitated only for a second, then took them and disappeared into my laundry to change. When he returned, looking even better in this pair of sweats than the last, I walked over to take his plate. “I’ll cook some fresh—”
“Leave it.” He brushed my hand away. “I happen to like my bacon cold. Besides, I’m almost full. Where’s Tap?”
“Good question.” I glanced toward the silent hall. “Giving us a moment, I think.” I sat in the chair opposite, and Thaddeus’s eyes locked on mine. I recognised the challenge in their depths, and something unruly fluttered in my belly. “I have a confession—”
“Stop.” Thaddeus raised his hand. “I apologise for what I said outside. It was completely out of line. You’ve been very kind, and your personal business is really none of mine.”
It was a pretty speech that only cemented my decision to be honest. “Just listen for a minute, will you? Yes, I’m gay.
I didn’t tell you when you were open about your own boyfriend because .
. . well, because I’m a shitty person. You’re not .
. . unattractive, let’s just say that, and I was trying to avoid any misunderstandings or . . . complications.”
Thaddeus snorted. “Not unattractive, huh? I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.
” His direct gaze pinned me to my seat. “And exactly what complications would you be referring to? Did you think I might jump you in the chicken shed? Or blow you next to the lily pond?” He chuckled and sat back in his chair, golden eyes twinkling.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Casanova. You’re a nice guy and all, but you’re hardly irresistible. ”
My hand went to my chest. “Ouch.” And then I laughed. “I guess I deserved that.”
“You absolutely did.” He saluted me with his bacon sandwich, and a slow smile spread over his face. “But thank you for telling me. I think I’m just pissed at being on the back foot again. I’m sorry I put you in a spot.”
“And I’m sorry for checking you out so rudely,” I returned.
“Oh, goody.” Tap strolled into the kitchen and joined us at the table. “I love a good mutual apology. I’ve been telling Ryder for years that he’s not irresistible.”
I gave a put-upon sigh. “You were listening from the hall, weren’t you?”
“Of course I was,” Tap admitted with zero apology. “I thought the shitty-person thing was particularly fitting.”
I stole a slice of bacon from his plate. “You are such an arsehole.”
Thaddeus put his sandwich down and took a sip of his cold tea. His expression turned sour, and he quickly returned the mug to the table. “So . . .” He looked across the table. “What’s the story with the council? I think I’ve earned the right to know what I nearly got run over by a dozer for.”
Tap grabbed the teapot and headed to the kitchen. “I’ll make a fresh pot. Coffee, Ry?”
I waved away his offer and turned my attention back to Thaddeus.
“When I took over the lease on the cottage ten years ago, the contract had a right of purchase clause once the lease was up. Every other property on this road has become freehold over the last fifteen years through the same process. Mine is the only one left. I wouldn’t have signed the lease or done all this work if I hadn’t expected to be able to purchase it for the long term.
Since the precedent had been set, I foolishly thought it was pretty much a done deal, but six months before the lease was due, I received a council letter telling me they wouldn’t be renewing my lease or offering the land for purchase as the property had been deemed strategically vital to futureproof the region’s infrastructure. ”
“But if the buyout clause was already in the lease, they can’t just back out,” Thaddeus insisted.
I shrugged. “You’d think, right? But apparently, they can.
Most local government leases include a clause that makes them subject to change with minimal notice if deemed necessary to protect local or regional interests.
I knew it was there, but after fifty years and with the rest of the road having already become privately owned, I thought I was safe.
I tried to challenge the ruling, but the council refused to even have a discussion. ”
Thaddeus was watching me closely. “Do you know what they want it for?”
I gave a weary nod. “They weren’t exactly forthcoming with any details, and I had to get a lawyer involved.
Luckily, my sister’s husband, Tim, happens to be one.
He discovered they intend to lease the land to a tech company called Elosand at some exorbitant rate.
Elosand’s plan is to build a data storage facility, and the big selling point for my particular property is the river.
Those places use a ton of water, especially with the use of AI now. ”
“Oh.” Thaddeus’s throat worked, his expression unreadable. “And you don’t think these data places are a good thing?”
I sighed. “I’m not saying they aren’t necessary. I just—”
“They’re a scourge on the environment,” Tap grumbled, setting a fresh pot of tea on the table and pouring Thaddeus a cup.
“I get that we need them for . . . stuff . . . but they use a ton of power, which jacks up prices for everyone else and pushes our power generation to the limit. The country can barely keep up with what it needs now. We had three regional blackouts last year.”
I blinked. “Three?”
“Yep.” Tap retook his seat. “I’m not blaming data centres alone—our infrastructure for most necessities is at capacity—but they sure aren’t going to help things.
These companies know they’re unpopular. They rely on the fact that the average Joe Blow has no idea what they do or how they do it, and they sweeten the pot for councils by paying a fortune to lease land at a price no one else can hope to compete with.
The first public meeting the council held about it was a whitewash or, more specifically, greenwash of how great it will be for the region at no cost to the average ratepayer.
Unfortunately, most people bought into it. ”
“It was never about futureproofing,” I huffed in disgust. “To the council, it was always about money. I have a hearing scheduled in January to fight the lease clause change. The council can’t do anything to my land before then, but my lawyer said the fenceline is a grey area because some of it does actually stray onto council land.
Unfortunately, there’s also nothing to stop them from creating access at the top of the road into their land beyond.
But what they can’t do is cross onto my property at any point, something they need to do in order to swing their big trucks around and unload equipment. We’re safe for now, I think.”
“But you’re not sure?” Thaddeus argued. “What if they come back when you’re gone?”
“That’s a risk we’ll have to take.” Tap pushed his chair back. “We should get going, Ry. The concrete truck is due at Cumberland’s before ten.”
“Shit.” I got to my feet and walked my plate to the sink.
“If they come back and manage to do what they need without encroaching on my land, then we’ll have to suck it up.
Tim said it would be difficult to protest non-compliance with the injunction if they stick to the sections of fenceline on their side of the boundary.
If they take enough of it down, the rest will probably fall over anyway. ”
Thaddeus pulled a disapproving face. “But you said they needed to turn their trucks on your driveway?”