Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 120230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
“Smart.”
A delicate lift of the shoulders. “I traveled a ton as a kid, got used to adapting. Anyway, paper says there’s been a slip on the road out of here. About a twenty-minute drive from the bridge in normal weather. Entire side of a large slope just came down onto the road—it’s a mess of boulders and mud. Total blockage.”
I groaned. “Seriously?”
She nodded, her lips turned down at the corners. “I don’t have all the details because only half the article came through before the signal cut out again, but it’s bad. Like that slip out in Kaikoura after the quake, the one that cut off the entire town. I took a screenshot in case the app blanked after the signal cut out.”
Removing her phone from the pocket of her robe one-handed, she brought up the image. Below the headline was the image of a tumble of soil and rocks and broken trees. The road had vanished under the mass. On one side of which was the hillside, on the other a sheer drop.
No way around it.
The first few lines of the article also made it clear that nothing could be done until the storm passed. It was too dangerous out there right now.
We were stuck.
27
Damn it.” Even my photographer’s heart was fast falling out of love with this house and its remote location; the idea of being stuck here for far longer than planned was a nightmare. “I hope it is just food poisoning then, because if Kaea’s really sick . . .” I didn’t want to say it, didn’t even want to think it.
Grace chewed on her lower lip. “Do you think I should tell the others? I showed Aaron already, and I did want to tell everyone at breakfast, but with Kaea and all, I’m second-guessing myself. I think it’ll stress everyone out even more.”
I agreed with her. “Maybe hold on to it until someone brings up the idea of leaving.” No point in putting an even bigger downer into the mix.
Exhaling, as if my agreement had given her the confidence she needed, Grace slipped away her phone. “I know it wasn’t Aaron’s food,” she said, her tone passionate. “We all ate the same thing. It had to be something Kaea had on the track.”
“But that would mean it took over twelve hours to set in.”
“I don’t think that’s that long,” Grace argued. “One time I ate fish at lunch that didn’t agree with me, and didn’t get sick until early morning the next day.”
Since neither of us were physicians, I dropped the subject. “Let’s hope the worst is over for today, and the rest of it will be smooth sailing.” My chest shivered, the chill working its way into my bones. “We can stay warm and cozy and eat tons of Aaron’s delicious food. And if he gets sick of cooking for us, Nix and I aren’t too bad.”
“Are you kidding?” Grace’s expression softened. “He’s been itching to cook for a larger group for ages. Most of the time it’s only me and him.”
She nudged me with her shoulder. “I love how you’re so supportive of his dream of opening his own restaurant. He never discusses it with his family—to them, he’s a suit-wearing accountant who cooks as a hobby. His mum is always boasting to her friends about how he’s going to make partner at the firm.”
“You understand why that is?”
Grace nodded. “Oh, yes. I don’t judge them for it. Especially when it’s obvious they adore him. I think they’ll be fine with his shift in career direction once the restaurant is actually in place—a physical symbol of success, with him as the owner. It would be much harder to sell them the dream.”
It struck me that I wouldn’t have expected such insight from a woman who’d had a life wholly different from Aaron’s. “You have a good heart, Grace.”
When she put her head against my shoulder, her curls tickling my neck, I realized I didn’t mind it. “I come from money,” she admitted. “All I’ve seen my entire life is how people use it to control others, woo others. I knew I loved Aaron the instant we met, but I didn’t know how to make him love me, so I tried to give him enough to start his business.”
“He wouldn’t take it, would he?”
“No, and I thought that was the end of us, that he didn’t want me. I thought my only value lay in my trust fund. Messed up, huh?” A wry laugh. “Aaron is so proud, but that’s part of what I love about him—that he stands on his own hard work, no one else’s. And the irony is that my capitalist monster of a dad also loves that about him. I’m pretty sure he likes Aaron more than his own sons.”
I went to reply . . . only my teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.