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“My cousin is really excited about working with you.”
“I need to give him a call, reassure him that I’ll be down there in six months.” I was worried that Theo, Chelle’s cousin in Austin, might find another partner, one who didn’t have to spend six months on a mountain making up with her dad for the investment capital she needed to join his business.
“Good plan.”
Her simple statement made me worry. “Why? Did he say something to you? Oh God, I need to call him.”
“No, silly. Everything is fine as far as I know. But yeah, you should keep in touch so he knows you’re still in.”
“I’m definitely in,” I said. “I can’t wait to get out of here and get my real life started again.”
She didn’t say anything to that right away, but I could imagine her face as she thought, and I knew there was something she was afraid to say. I waited her out, and finally she said, “But you can use this time, Strings. Just let yourself heal a little. A lot happened these last few months.”
She was right. “I’m not good at going slow, taking a breath.”
“I know that. We were in yoga together, remember?”
I laughed. I missed my friend. “What else is going on?”
“I met someone,” she breathed, and I could hear the smile in my friend’s voice.
“That’s great! What is she like?”
“Gorgeous. So smart. She’s a teacher.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like you. I thought you liked the fierce executive type.”
“I’ve never done too well with those, though. The corporate sharks always tear me up in the end.” Chelle was an actress, and she had a very sensitive heart. I’d hoped for a long time she’d meet someone who appreciated that soft side of her, and she was right—the girlfriends I’d met before had been brusque and serious. Too rigid for my Wind.
“She teaches Shakespeare at Columbia.”
I let out an appreciative whistle. “I thought you meant like a high school teacher.” My image of a beleaguered public school teacher in a scraggly sweater shifted to a put-together Ivy-League professor in a sharp sheath dress and heels. “At least a Shakespeare professor will appreciate your acting.”
“She appreciates a lot of things about me.” Chelle said this with a tease in her voice, but it also sounded serious.
“I’m happy for you.”
“I have to go actually. She’s staying over tonight.” I heard a door somewhere in the background of the call.
“Oh, sure,” I said, disappointed. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Um, Harper? My romantic life—at least the sex part—is largely constructed of things you don’t do.”
“Right. Well. You know what I mean.”
“I do. Love you,” she said, and the lilt in her voice made me miss my friend violently.
“Love you too. Bye.” I hung up, picturing her putting down her phone and turning to embrace the mystery woman in her apartment.
I blew out a long breath, and then went back up the stairs to finish getting ready to introduce myself at my new job. It should be noted that going up stairs in a pencil skirt is no easier than going down. Since I hadn’t seen the set up of the new Inn, I changed into pants—there was a chance there might be stairs at work, and I didn’t need added complications today.
When I was dressed, made up and properly groomed, I went down to the car. But as I was getting myself settled and trying to breathe out the nerves that were gathering inside me, a howling whine erupted from somewhere across the slope from the cabin. I sat in the driver’s seat of my car, the door still swung open, and let my eyes wander the tree-covered landscape. If there was something over there, something slinking through the brush, winding between the tree trunks, I couldn’t see it. The Azalea was too thick and the shadows beneath the trees too dense.
I shivered when the howl came once more, and closed the car door. This sounded different. Less like a predator, less frightening. But if the rangers said there was a mountain lion wandering around up here, I wasn’t going to wait around to find out.
I started the car and drove into town.
* * *
