slept in the previous seventy-two hours, since she first chased Nate across the world. Deciding to follow his example, she dumped the perishables in the fridge, left the rest of the shopping on the counter and went to bed.
Crawling into the middle because it stopped the bed feeling so empty, she lay in the dark and mentally went over tomorrow’s tasks, until she fell asleep and dreamed of lambs gamboling across fields while she chased them with rubber bands.
Her first thought on waking was, Freud would have a field day with that one. Her second was that the house was burning down… She could smell smoke. In a panic, Claire fell out of bed and stumbled into the living room.
The patio slider was open onto the deck, where Nate, dressed in jeans and a navy sweater, was barbecuing. “Good morning! Breakfast is in ten minutes. We have to leave in forty if we’re going to make our first appointment in Whangarei by nine-thirty.”
Dazed, Claire checked her wrist, but her watch was still on the bedside table. “What time is it?” The aroma hit her now, the sweet sizzle of bacon and sausages. Her stomach growled.
“Seven-ten. It’s cold out, you might need a sweater.” Nate returned to the grill and something in his comment made Claire look down. Her nipples pushed against the skimpy pajama tank. Refusing to feel self-conscious in front of an old friend, she returned to the bedroom where she pulled on a sweater and dragged her hair into a ponytail. When she came out, Nate was breaking eggs on the barbecue plate. Seeing him, a sudden blush touched her cheeks and she detoured. “I’ll make toast and coffee.”
He didn’t look up. “Good idea.”
Bless him, he’d unpacked the rest of the food she brought last night. Plugging the kettle in, Claire glanced over to the dining table and saw her business plan was open. “You’ve been up for a while?” she called.
“Since five.” Spatula in hand, he leaned against the doorjamb, keeping an eye on the barbecue. His jaw was unshaven and the morning breeze ruffled his hair. “I’ve read enough for today’s meetings.”
Claire measured three scoops of coffee into the plunger. “No need. All you’ll have to do is sign papers.”
“It was a cursory glance.… I’ve got a couple of questions.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “If my brain works…” Claire poured boiling water over the grounds. “I’m not a morning person.”
“That’s why I lured you awake with bacon. I didn’t want my head snapped off.”
She saw a glint of amusement in his expression. So he’d guessed she was prickly about this. “I’m not that bad.” Nate raised a brow. “Okay,” she conceded. “On holidays I’m that bad.” When the SAS buddies were together they’d be up at dawn, clomping around the bach gathering fishing tackle and impatiently waiting for her to rise. Steve knew all the same spots, but the fish only showed when Claire was there.
She poured coffee, added cream and took him a mug. Standing alongside the barbecue, she cradled her own and instinctively checked wind direction and tide. “Did you see Heaven Sent yesterday?”
“Not yet.” Because he didn’t want to feel the pull of her, she suspected. He’d loved that boat as much as she had. She’d already told him she wouldn’t accept his half as a gift, she’d buy him out as planned. Unless… Claire took a sip of coffee, savoring the caffeine hit. Maybe after seeing Heaven Sent, he’d be open to retaining a shareholding? The boat could be an anchor to his old life.
“So you’ve already started the overhaul?” Nate asked.
“Not me. Between work and Lewis I’ve barely had time to eat.” Claire inhaled deeply and her mouth started to water. “I paid a local contractor to scrape the hull and sand her down. As soon as the house sells, I’ll order a new shade canopy. And I’ve got my eye on a new engine that’s on sale.”
“I guess you already know that even with a new engine
Crawling into the middle because it stopped the bed feeling so empty, she lay in the dark and mentally went over tomorrow’s tasks, until she fell asleep and dreamed of lambs gamboling across fields while she chased them with rubber bands.
Her first thought on waking was, Freud would have a field day with that one. Her second was that the house was burning down… She could smell smoke. In a panic, Claire fell out of bed and stumbled into the living room.
The patio slider was open onto the deck, where Nate, dressed in jeans and a navy sweater, was barbecuing. “Good morning! Breakfast is in ten minutes. We have to leave in forty if we’re going to make our first appointment in Whangarei by nine-thirty.”
Dazed, Claire checked her wrist, but her watch was still on the bedside table. “What time is it?” The aroma hit her now, the sweet sizzle of bacon and sausages. Her stomach growled.
“Seven-ten. It’s cold out, you might need a sweater.” Nate returned to the grill and something in his comment made Claire look down. Her nipples pushed against the skimpy pajama tank. Refusing to feel self-conscious in front of an old friend, she returned to the bedroom where she pulled on a sweater and dragged her hair into a ponytail. When she came out, Nate was breaking eggs on the barbecue plate. Seeing him, a sudden blush touched her cheeks and she detoured. “I’ll make toast and coffee.”
He didn’t look up. “Good idea.”
Bless him, he’d unpacked the rest of the food she brought last night. Plugging the kettle in, Claire glanced over to the dining table and saw her business plan was open. “You’ve been up for a while?” she called.
“Since five.” Spatula in hand, he leaned against the doorjamb, keeping an eye on the barbecue. His jaw was unshaven and the morning breeze ruffled his hair. “I’ve read enough for today’s meetings.”
Claire measured three scoops of coffee into the plunger. “No need. All you’ll have to do is sign papers.”
“It was a cursory glance.… I’ve got a couple of questions.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “If my brain works…” Claire poured boiling water over the grounds. “I’m not a morning person.”
“That’s why I lured you awake with bacon. I didn’t want my head snapped off.”
She saw a glint of amusement in his expression. So he’d guessed she was prickly about this. “I’m not that bad.” Nate raised a brow. “Okay,” she conceded. “On holidays I’m that bad.” When the SAS buddies were together they’d be up at dawn, clomping around the bach gathering fishing tackle and impatiently waiting for her to rise. Steve knew all the same spots, but the fish only showed when Claire was there.
She poured coffee, added cream and took him a mug. Standing alongside the barbecue, she cradled her own and instinctively checked wind direction and tide. “Did you see Heaven Sent yesterday?”
“Not yet.” Because he didn’t want to feel the pull of her, she suspected. He’d loved that boat as much as she had. She’d already told him she wouldn’t accept his half as a gift, she’d buy him out as planned. Unless… Claire took a sip of coffee, savoring the caffeine hit. Maybe after seeing Heaven Sent, he’d be open to retaining a shareholding? The boat could be an anchor to his old life.
“So you’ve already started the overhaul?” Nate asked.
“Not me. Between work and Lewis I’ve barely had time to eat.” Claire inhaled deeply and her mouth started to water. “I paid a local contractor to scrape the hull and sand her down. As soon as the house sells, I’ll order a new shade canopy. And I’ve got my eye on a new engine that’s on sale.”
“I guess you already know that even with a new engine
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