Loving The Country Boy (Barrett's Mill Book 4) by Mia Ross Page A

scowl made it clear that he noticed everything. “Actually, I was thinking we could eat lunch together. After our conversation this morning, I thought you were warming up to me. Am I wrong?”
    Was that the impression she’d been giving him? Tess wondered. Taking a moment to think it over, she realized she was standing as far from him as she could, arms crossed in a defensive gesture she hadn’t been aware of until now. What on earth was wrong with her? He was an old family friend who’d generously agreed to leave his paying job and drive out into the woods to help them. She should be embracing him, not giving him a hard time.
    Then again, hugging him wasn’t the brightest notion she’d ever had, and she reminded herself of her vow to keep him at a safe, friendly distance. Summoning her brightest smile, she said, “Not a bit. I’m just a little out of sorts is all. It’s been an eventful morning.”
    “You don’t have to pretend everything’s okay, Tess,” he murmured, sympathy flooding his eyes. “Take my word on this one—it doesn’t work for very long.”
    “I’m making do.”
    Studying her for several long, uncomfortable moments, he slowly shook his head. “You wanna lie to me, fine. Just make sure you’re being honest with yourself.”
    * * *
    The drive out to the mill was uncomfortable, to say the least.
    Tess didn’t glance at him even once, and the firm set of her delicate jaw told him in no uncertain terms that his comment about honesty had hit a very sore spot. It underscored his belief that she was hiding something from her family, but he figured now wasn’t the time to try to shoehorn any closely held secrets from her.
    Now was the time to apologize. He’d learned long ago that when it came to women, it didn’t matter who was wrong and who was right. What counted was who made the amends. So he swallowed his pride and said, “Tess, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    “You didn’t.”
    The airy tone was obviously meant as a verbal brush-off, but her stony expression told him otherwise.
    Least said, soonest mended. His grandmother’s wise advice echoed in his memory, and he decided to follow it. If Tess wanted to take up the subject with him again in the future, she knew where to find him.
    When they reached the mill, she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Bolting from the truck, she went up the steps and into the lobby, shoulders stiff and her cute little nose in the air. He suspected that if the screen door would’ve cooperated, she would’ve slammed it for good measure.
    Leaving Tess and her puzzling attitude behind, he strode toward the lumberyard and was greeted by a rousing cheer. He acknowledged their enthusiastic welcome then held up his hands in a calming gesture. “Okay, boys, what’ve you done now?”
    “We’ve got no clue,” Scott admitted in the same direct way he’d used since they’d squared off on the playground in kindergarten, each determined to be the first one to go down the new slide. When they weren’t looking, Jimmy Griggs had scampered up the ladder and skunked them both. Angry at being outdone by their quick-thinking classmate, Heath and Scott had been friends ever since.
    “Everything’s covered in oil,” Jason chimed in. “Does that help?”
    “Maybe,” Heath allowed, going onto the bridge to inspect the mechanism that ran the waterwheel. His first thought was that some debris that had floated downstream might be caught in the paddles or the dam opening, but they were clear. Since everything looked okay outside, the three of them went up the side steps that led into the saw room. When he got a glimpse of the mess, he groaned.
    “Yeah, that’s what we said, too,” Scott told him with a grim look. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
    “It’s not good, that’s for sure.” He wouldn’t be needing any tools until he could figure out what to fix, so he set his box down on the side porch to keep it clean. “Anything else I should