Look at her, she was gutted when Cole gave her the news and pushed her away. Kyle was still a kid, one who hero worshipped the man in the beginning. Lately though, things were a little bit strained and she’d put that down to teenage angst and Cole’s inability to deal with it. Little had she known it was because he had an agenda and she couldn’t see it coming. Three years married and still she couldn’t read the man.
“It’s not fair. I thought we were onto a good thing once you guys got married. I would be just like all the other kids with two parents and you would have someone too.”
He looked up and the truth hit her in the gut. Her boy wanted normal and that was something he’d never had, something she’d never been able to give him. Her life had been all about building up a business and running the restaurant. She’d never really been like other mothers who greeted their kids at the door with a sandwich and a hug every day after school. She couldn’t afford to be the parent he wanted if they were to make a living and not be reliant on welfare. There was no father figure to bring home a wage that would allow her to be that mother and it was a decision she’d made when she found herself pregnant and alone, one Lena hadn’t regretted until today.
Kyle had walked himself home from an early age and she’d greet him from the kitchen as she prepped for the busy night ahead. There were hardly any parent days she could show up for with other mothers and once Lena got married, Cole had always insisted it wasn’t his thing. Maybe losing the restaurant had been the best thing for them both. Perhaps now they could be like a normal one parent family and do things together.
I wanted all that for you too, but it didn’t work and I’m sorry for that. “This gives us a chance to do things right then. I can book you into school next week and take you in if the bus doesn’t come past still like it did when I was at school here. I’ll have to check it out. We can do things as a family now. You and me. I can come to school events and be home when you get in after school to help you with your homework. You can have a mother at least who has more time for you. This dark cloud might just have a silver lining, honey.” Tell yourself that and see if you believe it, Lena.
Kyle snorted, a glimmer coming back into his dark eyes. Lena noticed the way his lips curved at the edges as he fought a smile.
“I think it’s time we both took a step back and looked at this with fresh eyes. This could be the opportunity we’ve both needed and didn’t realize it.”
Chapter 4
Adam watched from the shed where he was mixing feed as Kyle walked down the back paddock with a woman he could only assume was his mother, Lena. What a beauty. She stood with her back to him and used her hands the same way Sofia did. Animated conversations with the neighbors were something he looked forward to compared to the stuffy way his own father spoke. There could be no doubt in his mind she seemed to be frustrated by the conversation the way she was gesturing and her son was shaking his head. The joy of having teenagers.
Kyle had told him yesterday his mother was moving down to live with her folks after things went bad in the city. Adam hadn’t thought too much about it at the time, but he wasn’t expecting someone as pretty as Lena. If anything, he was expecting a younger version of Sophia, especially when he learned what her business was. He’d Googled her restaurant and wasn’t surprised to learn he’d eaten there several times when he’d lived on the coast. She had a strong following and once he’d eaten her creations, he knew why. She was a goddess in the kitchen.
The menu was innovative and fresh with a mix of Italian and Australian cuisine based on what was in season at the time. One of the items Adam loved the best were her platters of stuzzichini or bar snacks. The marinated mushrooms were the tastiest morsels of flavor ever to cross over his taste buds. Kyle had proudly claimed to being the creator of last season’s batch.
On impulse, he closed the feed bag and hurried down toward the back of the paddock, slowing his pace when he got closer. No point in looking as though he was over keen to meet her, especially when she would be hurting from her break up, but he wanted to introduce himself and make sure she knew they were all welcome to keep foraging on his farm. It couldn’t hurt to meet her, surely. He got on with her son so why not?
Adam climbed over the fence, using the old wooden style for support. He jumped down onto the long grass, his boots thudding on the ground alerting the woman with her back to him. Lena looked over at him, a startled expression crossing her face. The striking varying shades of blonde hair hung around her high cheek bones, and he resisted the urge to run his fingers through the strands to see if it was as soft as it looked.
“Hi. Sorry if I startled you. I’m Adam. I live there.” Obviously, duh. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Guess that makes us neighbors.” He held out his hand and waited for her to reach out.
“I’m Lena, Kyle’s mum. Sorry if we’re on your land. I don’t want to trespass if it’s not okay.” She bit her bottom lip and pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Her back
