Free Her Perfect Mismatch (A Town Named Eden Book 2) by Sonia Parin

shook away all thoughts about Elizabeth Charles.
    “Is this about The Flea?”
    “The who?”
    “Felicity.”
    He threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. “No. Good riddance to her.” He’d been a fool to fall for easy offerings. A blind fool. Felicity liked to make guys itch for her. She didn’t normally follow through, but she’d had an agenda—to make her boyfriend jealous and desperate enough to propose to her. Being used like that had given Mitch the wake-up call he’d needed. He’d had his share of fun. Now he wanted what he’d never had. A once in a lifetime experience. Something unique. Eddie had found it with Theo—
    He sat down again. “I’ve got vandals to deal with.” Right after bumping into Elizabeth, he’d driven out to his place to drop off some timber for the new floors and, looking out the window at the stretch of land he would soon call his backyard, he’d found a clearing that hadn’t been there before. Something... someone had been trampling around the back paddock pulling out rhubarb plants in a neat row...
    “Now you’re making less sense. Oh, hang on, you’re talking about the place no one is supposed to know about.”
    “Shut up about it.” No one knew he’d gone ahead and bought the old house. They’d only laugh at him and say he was nesting.
    Brushing his hand across the light bristle on his chin, he frowned. “Someone’s ripping up my rhubarb. Who’d do a thing like that?”
    “Maybe it’s the ghost of Wilbur.”
    A boar. He hadn’t thought of that. His place sat on a couple of unfenced acres and it backed onto Rosebud Cottage. If a wild pig had come down from the hills, it could make its way to Glenda’s garden and mess it up...
    He jumped to his feet and went upstairs to the room he occupied above the pub. Moments later he strode down, a backpack in one hand and his hunting rifle in the other.
    “Where do you think you’re going with that?”
    “Hunting.”
    “For what?”
    Mitch shrugged. “The ghost of Wilbur.” He grabbed some water bottles and snacks and put them into his backpack, then slung it over his shoulder. “I won’t be back tonight, don’t wait up for me, hon.”
    “Hang on a sec. You’ve been acting funny lately and not in a ha-ha way. Maybe it’s time you called off this ridiculous ban you’ve imposed on yourself.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “You need to get laid.”
    Mitch chortled. “That’s a typical male solution to everything.”
    “It used to be yours too, back in the days when you were normal. Look at you now. I’m having a hard time recognizing you.”
    “You’re being dramatic. I think the Eden Thespians are getting to you.”
    Markus put his hands up. “You know the rules. No uttering their names out loud. It invokes them…”
    Matthew strode in from the dining room and taking one look at Mitch, he set his feet apart and folded his arms across his chest. “What the hell are you up to?”
    “Taking care of business.”
    “I’m worried about you, Mitch. Look at you. You’ve lost your spark. People are starting to ask questions. You used to be a barrel of laughs, now you disappear for long spells, you don’t tell anyone where you go. Are you seeing someone? A married woman?”
    Mitch wished it could be that simple. “I’ve got bigger problems than that. Now, if you’ll step out of the way…”
    “Not until you tell me what you’re up to.”
    He pushed out a breath. “Okay, I’ll tell you. There’s a rhubarb thief among us and I’m going to find out who it is.”
     
    * * *
     
    “Of all the silly things to say… he must think I’m a certified nutcase. Actually, I’m sure there’s no doubt in his mind. He’ll never talk to me again. Ever. I’ll never be able to set foot in town… I’ll—”
    “Knock, knock. It’s me.”
    Elizabeth swung around, and thinking her face was now the color of a cherry tomato, she fanned herself. “Eddie. Hi.” How much had she heard? “I wasn’t