Page 12 of One Sweet Day I Found You

“I was going to give you guys another fifteen minutes before I gave up.”

“So were we.” Kira sneered.

Courtney huffed and turned her attention back to Kira. “Look, I’m, uh, I’m really sorry.” Then she looked up at Nick. “I screwed up. Seems I’m actually pretty good at that kind of thing lately.”

Kira’s tone was ironic. “Great.”

Nick rolled his eyes at Kira.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Kira, but Beecham didn’t give me much to go on. He never even gave me your name.”

Kira pressed the lens cover back onto her camera and placed the camera into her duffel bag. She turned and met Courtney’s eyes. “Sounds like him. Anyway, no biggie. We’re all here now. I can still do the shoot, and you can still do the story. And Beecham ought to let it slide. First timer, after all. No hard feelings.”

She reached back into the pickup truck and began to gather up the rest of her gear.

Ohhh-kay. Courtney shrugged.

Then she stepped back as the rest of what Kira said sunk in. “Wait—Beecham knows about this?”

“Yeah. I had to get your number from him when you didn’t show up this morning. Couldn’t get through to you, of course, but—”

Courtney’s pitch went higher. “So, you told him I didn’t show up?”

“Yeah.” Kira swung the duffel onto her back. “And by the way, he wasnothappy about it. Said you already messed things up the other day. He’s got his eye on you. You’d better watch it.”

Courtney furrowed her brow, huffing again. “Iknowhe does. That’s why I was early today.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Or at least I thought I was. Listen—that was an accident the other day. I just got back from a six-month’s stay in Australia. My brain is still functioning on another time zone and I’m still in a fog. But no one told me I was supposed to meet you guys at the docks. I would’ve been there.”

Nick hopped off the truck and tossed three life jackets into one of the kayaks. “Hey, it’s no big deal, guys. I don’t have any other tours going out today. Let’s just forget about it and move on.”

Courtney’s tone was sarcastic. “Great idea.”

Kira seemed to brush off the whole exchange. “Right. So let’s do this. Nickle. Aussie. I’m ready when you are.”

Seriously? She was already handing out nicknames?

Nick snorted and laughed.

“Good,” Nick replied sarcastically. “Because I need a hand with the kayaks before we can go anywhere, Ms. Nash.”

Kira laughed. “All righty, then.”

Courtney snorted. “No problem.” She walked to the back of the truck, trying not to let a sour look fill her face.

---