people who produced it finagled me into helping them. They didn’t pay much, so they threw in a box of contributor’s copies.”
Nina saw her with new eyes. What a complex person she was! “Did you take the photos?”
“What? Me?” She pulled back, as if surprised Nina would ask that. “I’m afraid I don’t know which end of the camera to point, if truth be told. I just wrote some of the information, a friend took the photographs.”
Nina loved the way she said “photographs.” She put a certain twist of language on it, a special inflection uniquely hers.
“Well, thank you very much.”
“Welcome.”
Hazy was scowling and muttering as she flipped through the piles of paper, obviously looking for a certain one.
“You’re a short-tempered one, aren’t you?” Nina told her in a teasing manner.
Hazy’s wry look at her was definitely cool, carrying a veiled warning. “I just have little tolerance for foolishness. Ah, here it is. This is the Whitman one.” She pulled out a white folded brochure with an island logo featuring seagulls at the top. “This is a good one, tells all about the little critters that are good to photograph. There’s also information about the spring and neap tides and what to watch out for when you’re hiking about the islands.”
Nina took it from her hand, noticing suddenly how a fine down of sun-whitened blond hair covered the woman’s tanned forearms.
Hazy seemed to notice her interest and quickly drew back the hand. She plucked out several more brochures. “Here, take these too. This one has the times the preserve is open and other regulations we’re supposed to follow.”
Silence fell and Nina began to feel awkwardness between them.
“Well, thank you again. I really appreciate all your help. Even though I’ve been here quite a bit, I still feel like a foreigner sometimes.”
“You are,” Hazy replied bluntly, “unless you’ve got the island blood in you.”
Nina opened her mouth to tell her that she did have the island blood in her but reconsidered. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to let this odd woman know too much about her. She had no idea what Hazy would use for ammunition against her the next time her temper flared. The less she knew the better.
Chapter 10
The combination of Hazy yelling and the cries of the gulls woke Nina very early the next morning. Still half asleep, she pulled herself from an uncomfortable position on the sofa, switched off the viciously hissing television, and crawled into her cold bed to promptly fall asleep again.
Sometime later, loud knocking penetrated her deep sleep. A glance at the clock told her it was almost nine thirty. She was worried. Not many people on the island knew her well enough to casually visit. Perhaps it was bad news.
As the knocking continued, she stumbled from the clinging bedclothes and raced to the door.
It was Hazy. She was standing on the stoop outside, impatient and frowning. “Took you long enough,” she muttered with ill humor.
Nina straightened her spine. “I was sleeping,” she replied indignantly.
Hazy’s eyes roved across her from head to toe, her expression scornful. “Aye, I can see that,” she said quietly.
Nina realized then that she was half-naked, clad only in a thin T-shirt and bikini panties. She probably looked a mess as well, her hair tangled and her face smudged with sleep. Angry because Hazy was seeing her at less than her best, Nina shot words out like bullets, a bit more forceful than necessary. “What do you want anyway?”
Hazy narrowed her eyes and her lips thinned. “Phone for you. In the office.” She turned smoothly and walked away.
Nina felt bad for being so abrupt but decided it was well-deserved payback. Hazy had been short with her plenty of times.
Hurriedly, she pulled on a pair of old jeans and, smoothing her hair, made her way to the office.
“Hi baby,” her father hailed her from across the phone line. “How’s my best girl?”
It was
Nina saw her with new eyes. What a complex person she was! “Did you take the photos?”
“What? Me?” She pulled back, as if surprised Nina would ask that. “I’m afraid I don’t know which end of the camera to point, if truth be told. I just wrote some of the information, a friend took the photographs.”
Nina loved the way she said “photographs.” She put a certain twist of language on it, a special inflection uniquely hers.
“Well, thank you very much.”
“Welcome.”
Hazy was scowling and muttering as she flipped through the piles of paper, obviously looking for a certain one.
“You’re a short-tempered one, aren’t you?” Nina told her in a teasing manner.
Hazy’s wry look at her was definitely cool, carrying a veiled warning. “I just have little tolerance for foolishness. Ah, here it is. This is the Whitman one.” She pulled out a white folded brochure with an island logo featuring seagulls at the top. “This is a good one, tells all about the little critters that are good to photograph. There’s also information about the spring and neap tides and what to watch out for when you’re hiking about the islands.”
Nina took it from her hand, noticing suddenly how a fine down of sun-whitened blond hair covered the woman’s tanned forearms.
Hazy seemed to notice her interest and quickly drew back the hand. She plucked out several more brochures. “Here, take these too. This one has the times the preserve is open and other regulations we’re supposed to follow.”
Silence fell and Nina began to feel awkwardness between them.
“Well, thank you again. I really appreciate all your help. Even though I’ve been here quite a bit, I still feel like a foreigner sometimes.”
“You are,” Hazy replied bluntly, “unless you’ve got the island blood in you.”
Nina opened her mouth to tell her that she did have the island blood in her but reconsidered. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to let this odd woman know too much about her. She had no idea what Hazy would use for ammunition against her the next time her temper flared. The less she knew the better.
Chapter 10
The combination of Hazy yelling and the cries of the gulls woke Nina very early the next morning. Still half asleep, she pulled herself from an uncomfortable position on the sofa, switched off the viciously hissing television, and crawled into her cold bed to promptly fall asleep again.
Sometime later, loud knocking penetrated her deep sleep. A glance at the clock told her it was almost nine thirty. She was worried. Not many people on the island knew her well enough to casually visit. Perhaps it was bad news.
As the knocking continued, she stumbled from the clinging bedclothes and raced to the door.
It was Hazy. She was standing on the stoop outside, impatient and frowning. “Took you long enough,” she muttered with ill humor.
Nina straightened her spine. “I was sleeping,” she replied indignantly.
Hazy’s eyes roved across her from head to toe, her expression scornful. “Aye, I can see that,” she said quietly.
Nina realized then that she was half-naked, clad only in a thin T-shirt and bikini panties. She probably looked a mess as well, her hair tangled and her face smudged with sleep. Angry because Hazy was seeing her at less than her best, Nina shot words out like bullets, a bit more forceful than necessary. “What do you want anyway?”
Hazy narrowed her eyes and her lips thinned. “Phone for you. In the office.” She turned smoothly and walked away.
Nina felt bad for being so abrupt but decided it was well-deserved payback. Hazy had been short with her plenty of times.
Hurriedly, she pulled on a pair of old jeans and, smoothing her hair, made her way to the office.
“Hi baby,” her father hailed her from across the phone line. “How’s my best girl?”
It was
Similar Books
