and then it was computer issues. I would get a text message or a telephone call and that was about it.”
“She spoke of you. Said that she didn’t want you to see her like this. To remember her the way she was in the end. She spoke fondly of your time together in New York.”
“I just wish I had known.”
“For what it’s worth I told her that she should have called you but you know her.”
I nodded.
“So it doesn’t bother you?”
“About you being a Wayland? No, we all have baggage,” I said before breaking into a smile. “So what’s your plan then? You just going to do up her place and sell it?”
“Probably, I don’t foresee it as a long-term thing.”
“So you’re not going to stick around?”
“That depends.”
We locked eyes. I felt my chest rise and fall faster. I thought he was referring to me, I don’t know why. Maybe I was entertaining a stupid fantasy, but that was quickly nipped in the bud.
“It depends on what my father wants to do next. I might just sell it to him, or hold on and find someone who can run both of the cottages. Anyway, I’ve taken up a lot of your time. I just wanted to let you know. I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine.”
“What about you?” he asked.
“Emily wanted me to run this place for a year. If I don’t want to do it after that I can sell it.”
“Will you?”
“Depends,” I smiled.
“On what?”
“Whether I can get this place up to scratch in time. I didn’t realize it was going to need so much work. I’m not even sure I can pay to keep it running.”
His eyes flicked up to me. For a second I started to feel awkward. I knew now that he had more money than I could ever imagine. I didn’t want to sound as though I was asking for help in any way.
“If you don’t mind, I’m a little tired.”
“Yeah, no worries.”
He got up and began to head for the door. “See you tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
----
T he next morning , I awoke to the sound of machinery. It took me a second to gather my thoughts. The previous night came back to me and I groaned. I had been enjoying the evening until he dropped that bombshell on me. Honestly, I didn’t care that he was a Wayland. Sure, some of his family acted like spoiled brats but I didn’t pick up that vibe from him. He seemed different. At least that’s the side he was trying to show me.
I hopped out of the comfort of my covers and padded over to the window. I peered out and my eyes widened. There was Ethan with a crew of ten guys. There was some small yellow machinery running and he appeared to be giving them instructions.
I slipped on a pair of shorts, threw on a white V-neck, and ventured outside.
“Oh hey, Hayley. Good morning.”
“What is going on here?”
“Well, you said you needed some work done on your cottages, so I took it upon myself to get a hold of a few guys to get started.”
“But,” I cleared out sleepy dust from the corner of my eye. “How much is this going to cost?”
“Don’t worry about that, I have it covered.”
The noise of the machinery was loud. I could have used some earmuffs. One guy was mixing up cement, others looked as if they were painters. There was already a guy on top of one of the cottages tossing down pieces of the roof.
“A word with you inside, please.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Be right back, guys, just keep on going. Great job.”
As soon as he came in I spun around. “Um…” I looked up, down, and then bit the side of my lip trying to find the words without sounding ungrateful. “Here’s the thing. I know you mean well. And I know I resemble my sister, and you had a thing for her. But… I was kinda hoping to do this myself. I don’t want to owe anybody anything, especially a Wayland.”
“Oh, you won’t owe me anything. It’s a gift. Like a housewarming gift.”
“Housewarming gifts, Ethan, are usually a plant, an apple pie, a card. Not ten men working on cottages.”
He smirked. “Listen, the way I saw it was like
“She spoke of you. Said that she didn’t want you to see her like this. To remember her the way she was in the end. She spoke fondly of your time together in New York.”
“I just wish I had known.”
“For what it’s worth I told her that she should have called you but you know her.”
I nodded.
“So it doesn’t bother you?”
“About you being a Wayland? No, we all have baggage,” I said before breaking into a smile. “So what’s your plan then? You just going to do up her place and sell it?”
“Probably, I don’t foresee it as a long-term thing.”
“So you’re not going to stick around?”
“That depends.”
We locked eyes. I felt my chest rise and fall faster. I thought he was referring to me, I don’t know why. Maybe I was entertaining a stupid fantasy, but that was quickly nipped in the bud.
“It depends on what my father wants to do next. I might just sell it to him, or hold on and find someone who can run both of the cottages. Anyway, I’ve taken up a lot of your time. I just wanted to let you know. I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine.”
“What about you?” he asked.
“Emily wanted me to run this place for a year. If I don’t want to do it after that I can sell it.”
“Will you?”
“Depends,” I smiled.
“On what?”
“Whether I can get this place up to scratch in time. I didn’t realize it was going to need so much work. I’m not even sure I can pay to keep it running.”
His eyes flicked up to me. For a second I started to feel awkward. I knew now that he had more money than I could ever imagine. I didn’t want to sound as though I was asking for help in any way.
“If you don’t mind, I’m a little tired.”
“Yeah, no worries.”
He got up and began to head for the door. “See you tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
----
T he next morning , I awoke to the sound of machinery. It took me a second to gather my thoughts. The previous night came back to me and I groaned. I had been enjoying the evening until he dropped that bombshell on me. Honestly, I didn’t care that he was a Wayland. Sure, some of his family acted like spoiled brats but I didn’t pick up that vibe from him. He seemed different. At least that’s the side he was trying to show me.
I hopped out of the comfort of my covers and padded over to the window. I peered out and my eyes widened. There was Ethan with a crew of ten guys. There was some small yellow machinery running and he appeared to be giving them instructions.
I slipped on a pair of shorts, threw on a white V-neck, and ventured outside.
“Oh hey, Hayley. Good morning.”
“What is going on here?”
“Well, you said you needed some work done on your cottages, so I took it upon myself to get a hold of a few guys to get started.”
“But,” I cleared out sleepy dust from the corner of my eye. “How much is this going to cost?”
“Don’t worry about that, I have it covered.”
The noise of the machinery was loud. I could have used some earmuffs. One guy was mixing up cement, others looked as if they were painters. There was already a guy on top of one of the cottages tossing down pieces of the roof.
“A word with you inside, please.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Be right back, guys, just keep on going. Great job.”
As soon as he came in I spun around. “Um…” I looked up, down, and then bit the side of my lip trying to find the words without sounding ungrateful. “Here’s the thing. I know you mean well. And I know I resemble my sister, and you had a thing for her. But… I was kinda hoping to do this myself. I don’t want to owe anybody anything, especially a Wayland.”
“Oh, you won’t owe me anything. It’s a gift. Like a housewarming gift.”
“Housewarming gifts, Ethan, are usually a plant, an apple pie, a card. Not ten men working on cottages.”
He smirked. “Listen, the way I saw it was like
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