was going to be lucky to make it at all.
He shrugged off the concern. His parents were more important than the opportunity to tour a piece of real estate, even if that piece of real estate was one of a kind. It was just a house and a garden at the end of the day.
He followed his parents into the conservatory and sank into one of the wicker chairs around the rustic table. Rosina appeared almost immediately, a tray of tea and banana bread in hand.
“I swear, you’re psychic, Rosie,” his mother said.
Out of the corner of his eye, Flynn watched his father fiddling with the newspapers, aligning the stack of supplements into a neat pile. Flynn guessed that he was feeling self-conscious now that the crisis had passed, and very aware that Rosina must be privy to at least some of what had occurred.
“How is the Aurora development coming along?” his mother asked as she slid a brimming cup of tea toward Flynn.
It has been a little over a year now since Flynn had stepped in as CEO of the family business. He was still feeling his way, learning the ropes, but somehow he was managing to keep his head above water.
“It’s getting there. We’ve had to renegotiate a few contracts with suppliers thanks to the high Australian dollar, but we should be starting the groundwork on schedule.”
His father’s gaze was sharp as he eyed Flynn from across the table. “How has it affected the margins?”
They launched into a business discussion as his mother handed around slices of banana bread. His father was asking after the latest news from the sales department when his mother straightened in her chair.
“I just remembered—weren’t you and Hayley going away for the weekend?”
Flynn shrugged easily. “There’s no rush.”
“But you’re looking through Summerlea, aren’t you? I’m sure you told me you had an appointment with the real estate agent,” she said.
“It’s fine. I’ll reschedule.”
“What time is the appointment?” his father asked, looking at his watch.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t want you missing out because of my stupidity,” his father said.
Flynn frowned. “I’m not missing out, and you’re not stupid, Dad.”
“What time is your appointment?” his mother asked.
Flynn sighed. “Midday. But it’s really not a big deal. I was only taking a look at the old place out of curiosity.”
“Rubbish. You wouldn’t be going down there if you weren’t serious,” she said.
Flynn opened his mouth to protest but his mother fixed him with a knowing look. He lifted a shoulder.
“I’ll admit I was excited when I first heard the estate was on the market. But the agent said the house needs a ton of work, which probably means it’s a money pit.”
“If there is one thing we have plenty of, it’s money,” his father said dryly. He pointed toward the door. “Go.”
Flynn gave him an amused look. “I take it that’s an order?”
“It is. Don’t make me give it twice.”
Flynn pushed his chair back. “A guy could get a complex over this sort of rejection.”
“Call me and let me know if the garden is as magnificent as always,” his mother said. “And before you ask, that’s an order, too.”
“A joint dictatorship. Lovely.”
He kissed them both goodbye and ducked his head into the kitchen to say goodbye to Rosina before heading for the door. He phoned Hayley the moment he was in the car, aware she’d be wanting an update.
“Flynn. Is everything okay?” she asked immediately.
“All good. Dad was upset about something.”
“Thank God we hadn’t left already.”
“Yeah.”
“Speaking of which, I called the real estate agent and pushed our viewing back an hour.”
Flynn smiled as he negotiated a left-hand turn. “Have I told you lately that I don’t know what I’d do with out you?”
“Hold that thought.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Can’t tell. It’s a secret.”
“Oh, well, in that case…”
“When do you think you’ll be home?”
“Five minutes.”
“Then I’ll see you soon.”
She was waiting on the doorstep for him, her long auburn hair pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, which she’d paired with a snowy white turtleneck and the tailored brown leather jacket he’d bought for her birthday, and she looked effortlessly elegant, as always. His overnight bag rested on the step beside her, as well as her own Louis Vuitton duffel.
“You packed for me,” he said as he got out of his car.
“Didn’t want to waste time,” she said with a smile and a shrug.
He ducked his head to kiss her. “Thanks.”
She rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled into his face, her brown eyes steady. He kissed her again, comforted as always by her no-nonsense calm. They’d known each other since they were children and had always been friends. Only in the past year had their relationship become something more, much to their respective parents’ delight.
“So. Are we going to go buy a house or not?” Hayley asked.
“Why does everyone keep talking as though it’s a done deal?”
“If you could see your face when you talk about Summerlea, you’d understand.”
Flynn gave her a skeptical look.
“I know you hate the idea of having a bad poker face, Flynn, but it’s true.”
“I haven’t seen Summerlea for at least ten years. The house is probably falling down. I’m going with no expectations at all.”
“Please. As if you care about the house. It’s all about the garden, admit it.”
He shrugged a little sheepishly. Summerlea was all about the garden for him, but that didn’t change the facts of the situation.
“It’s not practical. It’s too far out of town, too far from Mom and Dad,” he said, voicing the objection he hadn’t been
