Page 120 of Sin City Lights

Adam

Adam watched as Tim removed the last screw, carefully placing it in a cup. He pulled up one half of the floor panel, then leaned in, shining a flashlight into the dark recesses of the G550.

“Found it.” Tim leaned down farther, his whole upper body disappearing inside the floor. “Yeah, this will be no problem. Should have it fixed in no time.”

Adam felt the tension leave his shoulders as Tim expertly replaced the panel. The water leak in front of the coffee console had been going on for a while, and, of course, Tim was the one who finally pinpointed the problem. “Thanks, Tim.”

“You bet.”

To think he’d almost lost his friend and best mechanic. Adam shook his head. His cell buzzed, and he retrieved it to see his sister’s smiling photo fill the screen.

He tappedaccept.“Who’s this?”

“You know who it is, Ug,” came Jannie’s voice. She never failed to use his childhood nickname.

“What’s up?”

“The clear blue sky with palm trees, and fireworks every night, which, luckily for you, you’ll get to see real soon.”

Adam smiled. He already experienced fireworks every night, but he couldn’t say that to his little sister. Instead, he feigned ignorance.“Huh?”

A pause.“Don’t tell me. Don’t tell me you forgot again, or I swear, I’ll —”

“Gotcha.” He chuckled.

“I hate you.”

“I hate you too.”

“Can you get here a day early?”

“Maybe. Why?”

“There’s a, uh, an event I want you to attend.”

He waited. Jannie didn’t elaborate.“And are you going to tell me what this is, for which I’ll need to rearrange my schedule?”

“Nope.”

He shook his head. It was useless to try to get it out of her, he knew.

“Ian is coming, and so are Mom and Dad.”

“Erik?”

“He’s a maybe.”

Adam wasn’t surprised, though he was disappointed. His youngest brother was frequently a no-show at these annual family gatherings, preferring to travel the world in pursuit of the ultimate prize photograph.

“Where the hell is he now?”

“Svalbard.”

Adam’s brows shot up. Erik was back in Norway? He hated Norway. Every year, Erik drove everyone crazy by grumbling incessantly about having to freeze his nuts off during the family trek to visit Grandma.

Adam laughed.“Why? He’s chasing polar bears up there?”

“That is correct. Or so he says.”

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