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Eight months later…
Imight be imagining things, but after my first encounter with Mandi, every time I’ve stayed at the inn, it seems like she’s dodging me. And I think I might know why.
She wasn’t there to check me in late last night. Trina, the middle-aged brunette, was polite enough at first, but when I asked where Mandi might be, she said it wasn’t her job to keep track of her.
I sneaked out earlier this morning to take some pictures. I love my profession, but lately, I’ve felt plagued by the lack of freedom to shoot what I think is photoworthy. National Geographic, and other magazines like it, pay me for a specific job, and often what I see as beauty—like the snow hanging off the mountain—isn’t as lucrative as two animals fighting, or an animal who’s going extinct trotting along with her babies.
Squatting, I snap a picture of the slow, easy tide rolling into the bay.
“Is there something in the water?” A woman’s voice distracts me.
When I turn around, I’m surprised to find a woman dressed in scrubs sitting on the bench and drinking a coffee. I hadn’t noticed her.
“No, just the water,” I answer, getting up and leaning on a rock closer to her.
“Oh, so you’re a photographer?”
I hold up my camera with a lens that definitely doesn’t scream hobby.
She laughs. “Okay, you’re a photographer. Do you take family photos?”
“N—” Before I answer, I stop myself. I am a little bored with what I’ve been doing lately, and the luxury of being a freelance photographer is that I can take time off whenever I want. “Not since school, but I—”
“My boyfriend and I have twins, Axel and Laurie.” She sips her coffee. “I’ve wanted pictures of all of us for a while, but around here, it’s hard to find someone who will do them. Especially if I want them outside and not in some stuffy studio.”
“Okay.”
“So, you’ll do it?” She grins.
Now that she’s offering me the job, I second-guess myself. “I’m probably rusty.”
“Come on, please? My boyfriend is going to be a bear, I promise you, but you don’t look like you’ll be intimidated by him. And it would make me so happy. You don’t want to disappoint a new mother, do you? I don’t get any sleep, constantly feeding them. Oh!” She raises her hand as if we’re in class. “I’m a nurse. If you’re ever on the run and need stitches or something, I’m your girl.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “I’m not in the mob.”
“You never know when you may find yourself in a tricky situation.”
“I suppose.”
“So will you do it? Are you a local? You don’t look familiar, but I’m originally from Anchorage and, more recently, Lake Starlight. I’ve only been here a little less than a year.”
I shake my head. “No. I’m just passing through.”
That sounds suspicious. I could’ve said I’m from Greywall, but I never go there because it’s exhausting to be in the middle of a family feud all the time.
“And how long are you here?” she asks.
“I leave the day after tomorrow.”
“Perfect! My boyfriend has tomorrow off and that gives me time to get my hair done.” She touches her dark hair. “How about we meet down here on the beach?” She quickly hops to her feet. “Oh, I have to go get outfits for all of us.” When she pulls her phone out of her back pocket, we exchange numbers. “Does three work?”
“Sure.”
“I’m so excited! Again, I apologize ahead of time for my boyfriend. He’s the sheriff and kind of gruff.” She leans forward. “I’ll promise him something sexual to behave himself. Don’t worry.” She pats my arm, then she’s walking up the ramp.
Following her, I spot Mandi peering down from the outside dining area of the inn. My stomach does some weird thing where it feels light and fuzzy. I lift my arm in a wave and she softly smiles, raising her hand. I put my camera away and walk up the steep hill to the inn.
“Hey,” I say to Mandi when I’m close enough.
