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By Saturday afternoon Elizabeth was exhausted, but excited. The past couple of days had been filled with tours of the basin, thankfully led by Sameera. Jason wasn’t around much, and whether that was by design or just the way it happened, she didn't know, and frankly, she didn't care.
Sameera had taken them out in kayaks on Friday and again today, leading them down the Combahee River, showing them exactly where they would be working on Ashe Island. Elizabeth would be working with Marie, Thomas, and Sameera. Paul and Lisa would work mainly with Jason and one other employee from the basin.
Elizabeth was glad she’d remembered to bring along her camera on both days; the diverse wildlife and beautiful scenery had her reaching for it constantly. And the sunsets… They were stunning, and although she tried not to think about him, they always brought Will to the forefront of her thoughts.
After playing phone tag with Jane, the sisters finally spoke on Saturday night. Elizabeth had already decided she wouldn’t tell Jane about Jason being here; between the concussion and all the stuff with Will, Jane was already worried enough. There was no need to make it worse.
“How's the wedding planning going?” Elizabeth asked.
“Fine.”
“Can you give me some details? What have you done?”
“Booked the chapel, secured the caterer, and hired a band. It's the same one that played at the Memorial Day cookout. We liked them, so, you know, we figured they would be fine.”
“How's the dress hunt?”
“I haven't really looked. No time,” Jane responded brusquely.
Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose.Jane, with no time to shop?“All right, what's going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You sound so...blah. About the weddingandabout Charles.”
“It’s fine. It’s nothing. We're just–we're getting on each other’s nerves a little, that’s all.”
“Why? Is it because of Will and me?”
“You let me worry about me and Charles, okay?”
Elizabeth knew that Jane had questioned Charles—repeatedly—about what was going on with Will, but Charles had remained tight-lipped, refusing to break Will’s confidence. As frustrating as it was, Elizabeth understood it; just as Jane was her sister, Will and Charles were like brothers, and Charles’s loyalty was strong. But the last thing she wanted was for the issues between her and Will to affect her sister’s relationship with Charles.
“Come on, Jane. What's the deal?”
Jane sighed loudly. “It's just wedding shit, nothing—”
“Wait, did you just sayweddingshit? Now Iknowsomething is wrong.”
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, they both laughed.
“We're fine, Lizzy, really. I love Charles, he loves me, and we’re getting married. All you need is love, right?”
That's what I used to think. “Do you promise to call me if something is really bugging you so we can talk about it? I'll be working during the day, but I’m available every night.”
“I promise. Have a great day tomorrow; I know you'll be in your element.”
“Yes, in the mud and the muck. Perfect for me.” Elizabeth sighed. “I miss you. Please kiss and make up with Charles, okay? And if you find a dress, text me a picture of it.”
“I miss you too, and yes, I'll kiss Charles. But I would rather shop for a dresswithyou, so maybe I'll wait until you’re home.”
“I'd like that. Something to look forward to.”Because there won't be much else. “Love you, Jane. I'll talk to you soon.”
“Love you too, Sis.”
* * *
