Page 7 of The Geography of Happiness

Zach clapped his hands, then rubbed his palms together. “Okey dokey, then I’llbe on your doorstep at eight thirty sharp.” He caught my eye. “You’re welcome to watch if you want, but you’ll need to keep your distance.”

I raised both hands. “Nope. I’m gonna let you guys do your thing while I head into town for a few supplies and a bit of a look around. Hannah can fill me in at the end of the day.”

Hannah gave a long-suffering groan. “It’s because I told him he wasn’t allowed to hover.”

I ruffled her blond locks. “Never say I can’t take a hint.”

Zach chuckled but there was no hiding the obvious relief in his expression, and I totally got it. Doting parent hangers-on had to be the pits in his kind of work.

“In that case, you will spend the whole day with me, lunch included,” he informed Hannah. “And we will be working on and off the station. I want to see how you perform as a team in different environments. I’ve been through your medical reports and read through the questionnaire you completed, but is there anything else I should be aware of? Any situations you find particularly challenging or scary?”

Hannah’s chin jutted rebelliously, and I swallowed a smile at my daughter’s defiant independence. “No,” she said firmly, then glanced at me and sighed. “Okay, well, I might not be up to scaling these mountains—” She waved a hand toward the Southern Alps. “—yet, but anything else is just a problem to be solved, right? That’s what Judah always says.”

Zach smiled. “I think I might like this Judah, but just remember that it’s not weakness to admit when something is challenging or even beyond what you think you can manage right then. I’m sure this Judah person would say the same thing.”

I nudged Hannah with my knee and she grumbled, “Yeah. Okay. There’s stuff even he can’t do, I guess. Jeez, it’s like you lot are telepathic.”

Zach barked out a laugh and patted Hannah on the shoulder. “You and I are going to get along just fine. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

Hannah slid her arm around Gabby’s neck. “We’ll be ready.”

Zach turned to me. “I’ve also allowed a couple of hours in the schedule for you and me to have a chat, if that’s okay?”

Hannah scowled. “You’re going to talk about me, aren’t you?”

Zach chuckled. “Absolutely. Along with a few other things. But you and I will be talking plenty about your dad and Painted Bay as well. Sound fair?”

Hannah pulled a grumpy face. “I suppose.”

Zach lifted an eyebrow my way. “How about you?”

“I suppose,” I mimicked and we all laughed.

“Good. Then I’ll leave you in Gil’s safe hands and see you tomorrow.” He whistled for Nina and the two headed for a red truck.

“Right, then. Let’s get you to your cottage.” Gil whistled Spider up onto the bed of the remaining truck, stowed our bags,and then helped Hannah into the back seat. Gabby shot up next to her charge and I rode shotgun.

“See, Dad, this is going to be the best week ever,” Hannah announced sunnily.

“Sure is.” I tried to match my daughter’s excitement but knew I’d failed when Gil shot me another curious look. It was going to be a long week.

Seven days stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Seven days with no distraction from the tangled mess in my head.

Seven days to start being a grown-up for my daughter’s sake.

How hard could it be?

CHAPTER TWO

Terry

True to his word,Zach was at the cottage on the dot of eight thirty the next morning. Hannah and Gabby had been waiting on the deck and were down the ramp before the poor guy even made it out of his truck. The retriever’s golden coat had been brushed until it gleamed, and Hannah almost vibrated with excitement.

“Whoa there, tiger.” I made it down the steps just as Hannah opened the back door for Gabby to jump in.

She huffed impatiently. “What?”

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