"I have unfinished business," I say. "In Port Promise."
"Business? Aris, you just got the grant. Take a break! Get a pedicure!"
"I can't," I say. And then, the truth comes out, surprising me with its force. "I left something there."
My heart. My sanity. My favorite wool socks. The only man who makes me feel real.
"Well, have them mail it to you!"
"It's too heavy to mail," I say, smiling for the first time all day. "I have to go get it."
I hang up.
I need air. I need cold, something that feels real.
I scroll through my contacts, my thumb hovering over a number I hadn't called in weeks because I hadn't had a signal.
I hit dial.
"Crystal Creek Lodge," a male voice answers. It's Finn.
"Finn," I say. "It's Aris."
"Aris! The exile returns. Or calls, anyway. How's the ivory tower?"
"It's beige," I say. "And the coffee is confusing. And Greg Meade is crying about a two-block walk to the parking lot."
Finn laughs. "Sounds terrible. Is Nash there?"
"No, he headed home this morning. Been in a foul mood since you left—yelled at a wrench while he was loading his sled to head out. Called it a 'useless piece of city metal.' Mags heard him from the porch."
I laugh, and the knot at the base of my throat loosens. "Tell him to stop yelling at tools."
"Tell him yourself. Try the landline at the meadow first. If he doesn't pick up, he's got an emergency sat number for when theweather takes the copper down. Nine-oh-seven, five-five-five, two-three-four-one. That one always rings."
"You're a lifesaver, Finn."
"I know. Tell him to eat something."
I hang up and dial. It rings twice.
"Hello?"
His voice. That low, gravelly baritone that hits me right in the knees. It's better than the wine, better than the heated room.
"Hi," I say.
"Aris?" The grumpiness vanishes instantly. "Is everything okay? Did Reynolds fire you?"
"Reynolds is terrified of me," I say proudly. "I think I scared him with biology terms. The grant is safe. The money is unfrozen."
"Good," Nash says. I can hear it land. "So … you're a big shot again."
"I guess. But Nash?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm heading to the airport."
