He arrived in front of a modest, two-story house with warmly lit windows that hummed with life on the other side.
You can do this. You traveled halfway around the world to do this.
Mark looked Nathan up and down when he opened the door, not in a sexy way. Nathan wondered if he could tell. Did the hair or eyes give it away that Nathan was his late wife’s bastard child?
“Hiya,” Nathan said to the widower. He tried to read all the microexpressions creasing his face, but there was zero flash of recognition.
“I found him wandering across the field with my livestock,” the farmer said. “He was looking for your house.”
Nathan bit his lip. He felt even more embarrassed now.Thanks a lot, sexy farmer.
“Thanks, Liam,” Mark said. He turned to Nathan. “Can I help you?”
And here it was. This was the moment. This was what his journey was about.
“Yes. You can. I am here because…wow, I just want to say what a beautiful house you have.”
It had a lived-in feeling, like people actually liked being in this house. Unlike his dad’s high-rise London flat and paternal grandparents’ museum-esque abode. A hand-sewn quilt was draped over the couch and the coffee table had slight nicks in the wood, probably from children playing. It was the least posh place Nathan had been in, but it also was the one that felt the most like a home.
“Thank you,” Mark said. “It’s not for sale.”
“Right. Though in this market…” Nathan was stalling for time, but he couldn’t figure out why. The words were on his tongue!Your late wife is my mother!
“Why are you here?” Liam glared icy lasers at Nathan. He was screwing up Nathan’s flow.
“I’m here…”
“Dad, what’s going on?” A boy stumbled halfway down the stairs. His red hair swished and slopped across his head. Red hair!
That’s my brother!
“Who’s there?” A teenage girl followed behind him in a t-shirt and sweatpants and stopped at the step above him.
That’s my sister!
“It’s nothing,” Mark said to them. “Why don’t you go back upstairs? It’s almost time for sleep.”
“It’s way past Uncle Liam’s bedtime,” the girl said with a smile at the farmer, who was in no mood for inside jokes apparently. They returned back into their rooms. Nathan’s eyes landed on a family picture that was on the wall where they just stood. The four of them smiled at the beach. His mum had the prettiest smile, full of teeth, full of life.
Nathan had to catch his breath.
Mark turned back to him, waiting for an answer. His heavenly patience was showing cracks, whereas Liam’s patience was nonexistent from the get-go. He did that windmill hand motion to get Nathan to spit it out.
Nathan froze with fear. What if they reacted poorly? Nathan had one shot with them, and Eamonn’s warnings rushed back into his head. He didn’t want to mess this up. The truth was on his lips, but in that moment, all Nathan wanted to do was lie. Lies were easy.
He noticed a stack of flyers inside, on the table beside the door.
“I’m here for the farmhand position.”
“What?” Liam interjected.
“I saw one of the flyers you posted.”
“It’s actually Liam’s farm.” Mark eyed his designer outfit. “You’re a farmhand?”
A spark of inspiration came to Nathan. That one improv class was about to pay off. “Of course not. I’m an actor. I’m researching a new role I’m shooting in a few weeks where I play a farmhand. It’s…a gritty reboot ofBabe.”
“The kids movie about the pig?” Liam asked.
