‘Look, lass, we know you want to leave this place too. We can wait to see if another buyer shows interest.’
‘Don’t be silly, Frank.’ That was Adelaide. He recognised the low, rich tones of her voice. ‘Who knows if another buyer could be found, let alone when?’
‘Lucy, Colin and I need to leave as soon as it can be arranged. I know that sounds hard and I’m sorry, but...’
That was Eric Seymour. Flynn didn’t like the other man, but then he didn’t have a seriously ill child in need of surgery either. In the same circumstances he’d probably be just as ruthless.
You are that ruthless.
He pushed that thought away.
Eric spoke again. ‘If you decide to turn down Mather’s offer, Addie, then I’m going to insist you buy out my farm like you once offered to. I can’t wait any longer.’
The bank would lend her the necessary money. Flynn didn’t doubt that for a moment. But it’d put her in debt up to her eyeballs.
‘Don’t get your knickers in a knot, Eric. I intend to sign the contract. All of us here understand your situation and we don’t want to delay you a moment longer than necessary. We want the very best for Colin too. We’re behind you a hundred per cent.’
‘Lucy and I know that.’
‘But, love,’ Jeannie started.
Time to step in. Flynn strode across the veranda, making sure his footfalls echoed. He entered the front parlour. ‘I’m sorry. I had a couple of business calls to make.’
Addie opened her mouth, but he continued before she could speak. ‘I get the distinct impression, Ms Ramsey, that you’re not exactly thrilled with the prospect of being bound to Lorna Lee’s for the next two years?’
‘Addie,’ she said for what must’ve been the sixth time that day. ‘Please call me Addie.’ Although she tried to hide it, her eyes lit up in a way that had his heart beating hard. ‘Have you changed your mind about that condition?’
‘No.’
Her face fell.
His heart burned. ‘Obviously the offer of a very generous salary package hasn’t quite overcome your objections.’
‘Oh, I...’ She trailed off. She attempted what he suspected was a smile but it looked more like a grimace.
He held himself tall and taut. ‘So I’ve been mulling over some other bonuses that you might find more tempting and will, therefore, lead you to signing the contract without hesitation.’
She glanced at her neighbours, opened her mouth and then closed it again. ‘Oh?’
‘I want to make it clear that you won’t be confined here. It’s not necessary that you spend the entirety of the next seven hundred and thirty days chained to the farm.’
Her shoulders sagged.
‘You will be entitled to four weeks of annual leave a year. Would an annual business-class airfare to anywhere in the world, return of course, sweeten the deal for you? I will offer it for every year you work for me—whether that’s the two years stipulated in the contract or longer if you decide to stay on.’
Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened, and he suddenly realised they were the most startling shade of brown he’d ever seen—warm amber with copper highlights that flared as if embers in a hearth fire. He stared, caught up in trying to define their colour even more precisely as Frank, Jeannie and Eric all started talking over the top of each other. Addie’s expression snapped closed as if the noise had brought her back to herself and he suddenly discovered he couldn’t read her expression at all.
She laughed and clapped her hands, and he was suddenly reminded of the way she’d whistled as she’d walked away from Bruce Augustus’s pen. ‘Where do I sign? Mr Mather, you have yourself a deal.’
‘Flynn,’ he found himself saying. ‘Call me Flynn.’
‘I have another offer slash request to run past you as well.’
She blinked. How on earth hadn’t he noticed those eyes earlier? ‘Which is?’
‘I have business in Munich later this month.’
‘Munich? Munich in Germany?’ She rubbed a hand against her chest as if to ease an ache there.
‘The same. The business that calls me there is moving more quickly than originally anticipated so I find myself in a bit of a bind. I promised my PA that she could have several weeks’ leave over Christmas, you see?’
‘Your PA?’ Addie said.
He could tell she only asked from politeness and had no idea where he was going with this. He straightened. ‘Would you consider accompanying me to Munich and acting as my assistant for three or four weeks?’
Her jaw dropped.
She wanted to say yes; he could see that.
She hauled her jaw back into place. ‘Why would you offer that position to me? I’ve never been a secretary before or even an office assistant.’
‘You keep all of the farm’s financial records. You put together the marketing and PR documents. You have a filing system that’s in good order. I don’t doubt you have the skills I need.’ To be perfectly frank what he needed was a lackey, an offsider, someone who would jump to do his bidding when it was asked of them.
‘Germany, love,’ Jeannie breathed. ‘What an adventure.’
Addie bit her lip and peered at him through narrowed eyes. ‘I expect I’d be on call twenty-four seven?’
‘Then you’d expect wrong. You’ll have plenty of time for sightseeing.’
Why didn’t she just say yes? Or wasn’t she used to good fortune dropping into her lap? If she didn’t want it there were at least five other people ready to jump at the chance to take her place.
‘I do have an ulterior motive,’ he said. ‘I want to learn all I can about Lorna Lee’s breeding programme. That means I’ll be spending a significant amount of time here over the course of the next two years. Once I’m up to speed I’ll know what changes to implement, where an injection of capital will be most beneficial...where to expand operations.’
She frowned. ‘Changes?’
He almost laughed at her proprietorial tone. ‘Changes,’ he repeated, keeping his voice firm. Once she signed the contract, and after the obligatory cooling-off period, the farm would be his. ‘As we’ll be working closely together over the next few months, Addie—’ he used the diminutive of her Christian name deliberately ‘—the sooner we get to know each other, the better.’
She stared at him as if seeing him for the first time. ‘You actually mean to be hands-on at Lorna Lee’s?’
It wasn’t his usual practice, but he’d taken one look at this property and a knot inside him had unravelled. Lorna Lee’s might, in fact, become his home base. ‘That’s right.’
She shook herself. ‘Okay, well, first things first. Let’s deal with the contract.’
That suited him just fine. He added in a clause outlining her new bonus before scrawling his signature at the bottom and moving across to the other side of the room.
Eric signed first. Frank and Jeannie added their signatures next. Jeannie held the pen out to Addie. She cast her eyes around the room once before taking the pen and adding her signature in turn.
Deal done.
Eric slapped his hat to his head. ‘I’m off to tell Lucy the good news. We plan to be gone just after Christmas.’
Both Frank and Addie nodded.
Jeannie