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

this field trip more than he did, Heath let Tess lead the way and the conversation. She chattered on about clerical issues he had little understanding of, but they seemed important to her, so he did his best to keep up with what she was telling him. As they strolled alongside Sterling Creek, she seemed to relax a bit more with each step, and he was glad to see the fresh air seemed to be making her feel better.
    For his part, he’d taken this path many times over the years, but it never failed to impress him. With some of their leaves already gone, the branches overhead let plenty of sunlight through, and it played over the bubbling water like a spotlight. He saw a flash of minnows under the surface and assessed the progress a family of beavers had made on their small dam since the last time he was out here.
    When he was growing up, he’d often explored the acres of forest surrounding the mill with Will Barrett and his grandsons. Mostly a way to get them out from underfoot while people were trying to work, Will also used those hikes to teach them how to identify various trees and critters they shared the property with.
    In his memory, he could still hear the old woodsman’s voice.
Give the wild things their space, and they’ll do the same for you
.
    When Heath shared that memory with Tess, she gave him a sad smile. “Every time someone mentions Granddad, I love him more. I wish so much that I could’ve met him.”
    “Me, too. Whenever I’m here, I get the feeling he’s still around, keeping an eye on the place.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure he’s real proud of you.”
    She gave him a long, doubtful look. “You honestly believe he’s up there somewhere—” she arced her hand through the air “—watching over all of us?”
    “Yeah, I do.”
    “What makes you so sure?”
    “Faith means believing in something just because you do,” he explained gently, hoping to make her understand. “You must’ve felt that way about something in your life at one point or another.”
    After a moment she gave him a sour look. “Yes, and look where it got me. Dis-engaged and unemployed.”
    “You’re too young to be that cynical.”
    “And too old to be naive,” she spat back. “So where does that leave me?”
    Clearly frustrated, she stared off into the distance, and he assumed her question was intended to hang in the air, unanswered. He sent up a quick prayer for this bitter, disillusioned young woman who’d lost so much and seemed to have no idea where she was going next. Not long ago he’d experienced something very similar, and he understood all too well how demoralizing it could be.
    Eager to change the subject, he said, “I finished with Olivia’s car this morning. Fred’s dropping it off on his way home.”
    “That’s nice of him.”
    “Nice, nothing,” he corrected her with a grin. “Everyone knows she bakes on Saturdays, and he’s probably hoping to get himself something good to eat.”
    That made her laugh, and he congratulated himself on lightening her mood a bit. She was edgier than usual, and while he was anxious to learn what was bugging her, he didn’t want to push her to talk. He hated it when folks did that to him, and he wasn’t about to make that mistake with Tess.
    “Oh, look,” she murmured, stopping to point out a red fox edging from the woods to get a drink. When another appeared, she sighed quietly. “They’re so beautiful.”
    “Yeah, they are.” They watched the animals until they were finished drinking and trotted back in the same direction they’d come from. Figuring this was as good a place as any, Heath flung the blanket out and motioned to her. “After you.”
    She rewarded him with a bright smile that rivaled the sunshine. “You have to be the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. After I just about bit your head off, too.”
    “I hate to break this to you, darlin’,” he said with a laugh, “but you don’t scare me. My rig boss in Alaska was way