AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It half made Finn want to push, but since he really didn’t want to talk about why he was fussing around with Beth, all he said was “Deal.”
And went into the kitchen to dole out some soup.
Chapter 9
The helicopter trip from Brightwater Valley to Queenstown only took twenty minutes, and it was a pretty and very scenic trip, especially when the weather was good.
The weather was good now, yet Beth found it hard to concentrate on the scenery and not because she was feeling sick. Her nausea had settled down earlier that morning, after a piece of toast, but nothing was going to help the nervousness that gripped all her muscles tight.
Neither Indigo nor Izzy had commented when she’d told them she was heading into Queenstown for the day, Izzy merely shrugging and offering to take on her shift in the gallery.
Indigo had been more suspicious, muttering something about Beth perhaps needing to stay at home, seeing as how she wasn’t well.
Beth had ignored that, meeting Finn at HQ and following him to the little Airbus helicopter that Pure Adventure NZ owned. Levi had already completed the preflight checks, so within a couple of minutes of her getting in, they were in the air and flying over the mountains that ringed the valley to Queenstown.
Finn and Levi were chatting in the cockpit while she sat behind them, happy not to take part in the conversation, her brain going around and around with what Finn had told her yesterday.
Move in with me, he’d said. As if it were no big deal. As if it were the most logical thing in the world rather than being completely insane.
They weren’t together, not in any way. He wasn’t her partner. Hell, he was barely even her friend, so why on earth would he want her living in his house? Surely that was taking responsibility too far?
And what if something happened during the pregnancy? Would he then want her to move out? Get rid of her like an unwanted gift?
That wasn’t even considering Indigo and what she would do if Beth moved out. She didn’t drive, and someone needed to ferry her up and down from the farmhouse since it didn’t seem fair to leave her having to walk.
Then there was the wonderful workshop and her newly acquired workbench. Would she have to leave those behind too? Did Finn have a place she could work, or did he simply think she’d give up her job now that she was pregnant? Because that sure as hell wasn’t happening.
Beth glared at the back of Finn’s dark head, since he was seated in front of her.
How dare he make this difficult, and yes, hewasmaking this difficult.
Or are you just feeling ill and scared and taking it all out on him?
Uncomfortable awareness shifted inside her. Perhaps she was. He’d been so good yesterday, remaining calm and certain and looking after her, while she’d been…
Well. She hadn’t handled it, had she? She could blame tiredness and feeling sick, but the reality was she’d gone to pieces, and he’d picked those pieces up and put her back together again.
Which wasn’t exactly in line with the strong, brave person she was supposed to be here. The person who looked forward to the future positively and who was ready for anything that came her way. Ready to create happiness for herself, leave all that depression stuff behind.
She wasn’t going to be that Beth again, the one that let herself fall apart.
She couldn’t be that Beth again.
The thought settled her, and by the time the helicopter went in to land at Queenstown Airport, she was feeling stronger if not any less nervous.
Queenstown was a picture-perfect little alpine town. Like Brightwater, it sat on the edge of a beautiful lake, jagged snow-topped mountains soaring around it.
It was very much a tourist town, full of cafés and bars, and shops supporting the outdoor adventures the town was famous for. Skiing and hiking were its main draws, but it was an area famous for its vineyards and restaurants too.
There were also docks at the water’s edge where boats were tied up, as well as a giant old-fashioned paddle steamer that took people across the lake and back again.
Beth loved Queenstown. It was big enough to feel like a bustling town yet small enough not to be too overwhelming like a city would be. There were quite a few little artisan stores scattered around that sold jewelry and other cool, arty things, and Beth had made friends with a number of the people who owned them in the hopes of one day being able to sell her jewelry there as well as at the gallery.
Except you’re not going to be doing that anytime soon, are you?
Beth ignored the snide thought as Levi dropped her and Finn off in the town center. Levi had a place in Queenstown, up in the hills, and an old truck he used for running around town in, even though he spent most of his time in Brightwater, either sleeping at the Rose or in the little bedroom in HQ.
Beth was curious about his Queenstown house, but Levi had never offered to show her around, and she didn’t like to ask. She thought Levi was actually quite private, despite his open and charming persona.
