Page 7 of Midnight Enemy

I know she won’t be able to give me an answer today because she’ll need to talk to the Elders. I’m sure she wants to reject my offer, but I’m also convinced the commune would benefit greatly from a cash injection, as Jack said there have been rumors of it having financial difficulties.

“Can I make a suggestion?” I ask. “Would you meet me at the Waiora and let me show you the kind of developments we’re suggesting? We’ll take a walk around the site, and you can explain to me what you do there. We can discuss what we’d like to do with our side, and how that might impact on your business.”

It was the right thing to say. She looks slightly mollified and says, “Maybe.”

“How about midday tomorrow? Would that suit you?”

She gives a stiff nod.

“All right, I’ll meet you there,” I say.

She puts her notepad and pen back in her bag, then gets to her feet.

I hand her a business card. “In case you need to contact me.” Then I extend my hand. “Thank you for coming. I really am sorry about your parents.”

She slides her hand into mine. “And I’m sorry about your dog.”

As her warm fingers close around mine and our eyes meet, I experience the same feeling that I had when I did a charity parachute jump last year—the sharp intake of breath you take before you freefall, and the uncomfortable flip in my stomach, thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Then she withdraws her hand, says goodbye to Jack, and walks to the door.

“Midday tomorrow at the Waiora,” I call out.

She nods, then disappears down the corridor.

I watch her go, then look at Jack. He’s smirking. “Orson Cavendish falling for a sweet summer child,” he says, “who would have thought it?”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.”

I scowl and rub my shoulder. “Don’t mock a man in pain.”

“Have you still got a headache, too? Sit down and I’ll get you a couple of painkillers. And then we’d better discuss that plan you justcame up with. Your father won’t be happy with it—you know that, right?”

“He left the details up to me,” I say stiffly.

He holds up a hand. “I know. I’m just saying, he won’t like the idea of Blake’s family having any control over the developments. I’ll get the pills and a cup of water.” He leaves the room.

I sit back down with a scowl. Yeah, she was hot, but I’ve hardly fallen for her. No way would I ever be interested in a girl from Brigadoon who wore real flowers in her hair and didn’t even own a phone.

I think of the way she pulled the dress over her cycling jumpsuit and blow out a long breath. Women were put on this earth to torture us.

I’m not going to give her another thought.

Chapter Three

Scarlett

“Fifteen million?” The eyebrows of Richard—the leader and spokesperson of the Elders—shoot up toward his rapidly retreating hairline. “That’s crazy money.”

“And we’d be part of a stewardship trust?” Dani, who’s in charge of the commune’s small school, sits back with a laugh. “We’d be crazy not to accept.”

It’s seven p.m., and I’m sitting in the meeting house with the Elders after dinner, relating the details of what happened at the law firm earlier today. I’m not an Elder. That position is reserved for a small group of eight older members, voted on by the rest of the commune, but they invited me to the meeting today to report back on my visit to the law firm.

I sit with my hands in my lap, perched on the edge of the chair, my spine straight. I’ve been brought up to respect the Elders, and I know they all want the best for the commune. I also know that Kahukura is struggling financially, and fifteen million dollars would rejuvenate the commune and allow it to thrive and even expand rather than just muddle along.

“I appreciate that it’s a very attractive offer,” I say carefully. “And that being part of a trust would at least allow us to have some control over what happens on our side of the river. But we have to remember that we would no longer own the pool. The Cavendishes would have free rein to do anything they wanted to their side. Orson specifically mentioned the possibility of opening a cafe. I mean, can you imagine what that would do to the atmosphere of the Waiora?”

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