Andy Cakes. I am so going to try that here. I’m going to have to track down some raisins, but maybe I can find an alternative.
Track down raisins? He couldn’t imagine being anywhere that was that difficult. Then he realized she was in the freaking middle of Congo where most people barely had food. A month ago, she’d told him people ate grasshoppers. At first he’d thought it was a joke, but she’d actually tried them. He’d thought he understood poverty. He hadn’t understood bupkis.
She was typing. Listen, I need to catch a few z's since I couldn’t sleep. I’ll talk to you when I get back from our trip.
Another trip? How long was she going to stay there? He started to type the questions, but hit the backspace until the line was clear. She didn’t need him to heap any more of his worry onto her. A person would have to be stupid not to know the danger involved. Lucy O’Brien was not stupid.
Yeah, I should have asked why you were up.
Nightmare. Couldn’t sleep. Shrug. Talk to you later, Andy Cakes. Kiss Danny for me.
You got it. Talk to you later, Luce.
Later, Andy Cakes.
They signed off, and he leaned back in his chair. Nightmares? She’d never mentioned having them before, but it wasn’t too surprising when he stopped to think about it. She probably had some form of PTSD after all the places she’d been, things she’d seen.
Even though he was tired, he still couldn’t go to bed. He looked online for new lawnmower models, something they didn’t even need. After fifty minutes of mindless searching, he told himself to go to sleep. Instead, he went to the den. Toys littered the floor, so he stooped and picked them up.
Unlike Danny, he knew why a person cleaned up only to create a new mess later.
Sometimes there needed to be a break in between bouts of chaos. He decided he needed another break. He didn’t care if that meant putting his dating plans on hold.
Nothing good was going to come of it anyway.
Chapter 29
Natalie had stayed away from camp for the rest of the week, though Blake had stayed over at her house each night. She still wasn’t sure if it had been the right thing to do, but since he hadn’t asked her to pop over after work…
He had told her about the camp each night, so she knew that the time after practice was reserved for male bonding, anything from movie night to a dance party hosted by Jordan and Grant. But still... She suspected he understood that if she came, it meant she was willing to publicly declare they were a couple again. It would be the next step in their reconciliation.
She’d struggled all week about making such a declaration. It wouldn’t just be to him. It would be to his friends, her family, the town, and the world. They would be back in the public eye, and she wanted to believe she was strong enough to handle the talk about them because sometimes it could be downright intrusive and cruel.
As the week progressed, Natalie also thought more and more about what Blake would do once camp was over. They still hadn’t talked about the future. It was an unspoken rule, but the suspense was starting to weigh on her. Surely he’d have to decide about the high school job soon? Not only would it be a big step for their relationship, but it would also be a big step in his new career.
She wasn’t ashamed to admit she checked The Western Independent every day for information. Surely he would mention his decision to her before any report was published, but she couldn’t stop herself from looking. The waiting was slowly becoming agony. He was staying in Dare Valley for her, and he needed to have something to do. There had to be other offers—just not local ones. But she knew he wouldn’t want to leave Dare Valley, not when it meant leaving her. The guilt sat in her belly like a bag of marbles.
On Friday, all she could think about was going over to Emmits Merriam. Camp was due to end at four, commemorated by an awards ceremony and then a big party. She realized she wanted to go. She wanted to be there for Blake. People could think what they wanted about her public declaration. At lunch, she strolled into High Stakes’ kitchen to seek out her boss. Terrance Waters was piping out savory rosemary and goat cheese meringue puffs onto a cookie sheet. They served as the accompaniment to his fabulous veal consommé.
“Hey, Natalie,” he said, continuing to dole out rows of the airy white dollops. “What can I do for you?”
She swiped a finger at the batter clinging to the edge of his stainless steel bowl and hummed in appreciation at the taste. Before eating Terrance’s confections, she hadn’t known savory meringues were possible. “Do you have a problem with me taking off a little before four? I have everything wrapped up for the event this weekend.”