Loving the Country Boy. Mia Ross

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      “I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet Will,” Heath said gently, as if he’d picked up on her melancholy train of thought. “He was one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever known.”

      She knew Heath meant for her to view the comment in a positive light, but it only made her choke up again. Pulling herself together wasn’t easy, but for both their sakes she dredged up a halfhearted smile. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I was fine at the cemetery with Gram yesterday.”

      “That’s ’cause he’s not there. He’s here.” Heath nodded in the general direction of the rushing water.

      The rugged mechanic didn’t strike her as the philosophical type, and she eyed him with curiosity. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

      “Sure. I know it’s not a big, exciting city, but for most of us, this little swath of land beats them all, hands down.”

      He said it without hesitation, but something flickering in his eyes made her suspect that for him, there was more to it than mere loyalty. Since neither of them had the time for a story right now, she opted to let it go. “Since you said you were dropping off that old truck, I’m guessing you need a ride back into town. Did you want to come in and say hello or get going now?”

      “No hurry,” he replied with a grin. “This is Barrett’s Mill, remember?”

      Yes, it was. She still wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but she was looking forward to finding out. She and Heath climbed the steps together, with Boyd lumbering up behind them. When Heath pulled open the door, the dog eyed the lobby then turned his large brown eyes on Tess as if he were waiting for her.

      “What nice manners you have,” she cooed, patting his head on her way past. Paul was standing inside, and she teased, “Did you teach him to do that?”

      “Yeah, right,” he laughed before hugging her. “So, whattya think of the old place?”

      “It looks fabulous, just like you described it.” The praise came easily, because even a totally non-mechanical person like her could tell how much effort had gone into bringing the archaic family business back to life.

      “Thanks.” Shaking hands with Heath, Paul added, “How’s the old beast running these days?”

      “Are you kidding me?” Heath growled, although the proud twinkle in his eyes gave him away. “She makes a Swiss watch look like a clunker.”

      “That’s great, ’cause the lease just ran out on one of our trucks, and we could use another delivery vehicle around here.”

      What he wasn’t saying, Tess noticed, was that he hadn’t renewed the lease. Which meant finances weren’t in the best shape right now. Maybe she could do something about that, she thought, relishing the idea of using her college education for something more worthwhile than catering to wealthy customers. She couldn’t imagine anything fitting that bill better than pitching in to help improve the mill’s bottom line.

      For now, though, she needed a way to get herself to and from work. “Speaking of vehicles...”

      “Don’t tell me,” Paul groaned.

      “It was an accident. Gram and I were up late, and I couldn’t find the bag with my shoes, and—”

      “I sort of cut her off turning onto Mill Road,” Heath interrupted with a sheepish look that would have convinced the most jaded Hollywood director to hire him on the spot. “The damage isn’t bad, and I’ll have it fixed in a couple days, tops. For free, since it was my fault.”

      Even though he’d told her the same thing earlier, Tess still couldn’t believe he was so blithely taking responsibility for their run-in. She was trying to figure out why when a soft voice asked, “Are you all right?”

      Tess glanced over and saw Paul’s wife, Chelsea, silhouetted in the hallway that separated the front end of the mill house from the saws on the production floor. Wearing a burgundy dress with a high-waisted tie, she slowly waddled over to join them.

      Not wanting to worry her very pregnant boss, Tess forced a smile and stepped forward for a reassuring hug. “Just embarrassed to be late for my first day of work. How are you?”

      “Fine. I wanted to be up front when you got here, but the baby’s been pounding on some uncomfortable places this morning.”

      Tess caught Paul’s concerned scowl and studied his wife more closely. While she was clearly trying to hide it, she appeared to be far past exhausted. Beyond that, the way she was standing betrayed the fact that she was actually in pain.

      “Chelsea,” Paul began in a gentle voice, “I think you should sit down.”

      “I’ve been sitting down,” she snapped in frustration. “I took a walk, I lay down on that old settee in the store room. Nothing I do makes any difference, so I’m going to stand.”

      Obviously accustomed to a hormonal mood swing or two, he didn’t respond but met her stormy look head-on. She glared at him for a moment before relenting with a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry, everyone. I’m just having a bad morning.”

      “It’s not the first one,” Paul pointed out. “I’m glad we’re seeing the doctor today.”

      “Our appointment’s at one,” she said to Tess. “I hate to leave you alone so soon, but you can call me if you have any questions.”

      “Not a problem at all,” Tess assured her warmly. Looking around, she noted the feminine touches in the waiting area, from the gingham cushions to the curtains waving in the breeze. Admiring the framed photos of the mill from its Civil War beginnings to the present day, she turned to Chelsea. “Everything looks great. You’ve done an amazing job in here.”

      “You should check out the saws,” Heath piped up enthusiastically. “It’s awesome to see them when they’re all running.”

      While she appreciated his enthusiasm, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his boyish reaction than simple nostalgia. In deference to her sanity, she didn’t normally dwell on her less than stellar past. But Heath’s fondness for his made her wish she held that kind of affection for the life she’d been living.

      Pushing her brooding aside, she shifted her focus to Paul. “At the wedding, Chelsea told me your dad converted the equipment to run on electricity years ago. What made you decide to go back to water power?”

      “Waterwheels are cool,” the two guys said in unison, making her and Chelsea laugh.

      “Well, I can’t argue with that,” Tess allowed. “Do you have time to show me now?”

      He grinned proudly. “I’m between runs, so come on in.”

      Giving in to her fatigue, Chelsea waved them along. “Daisy and I will be in the office when you’re done.”

      “Your kitty assistant,” Tess recalled. “How is she?”

      “More trouble than ever, and since she’s deaf she can’t hear me scolding her. I keep telling myself it’s good practice for when I’m chasing after a toddler who won’t listen.”

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