Women.
She sank into a chair with a sigh.Tawera’s chair, and it smelled like him.Masculine with a hint of green and the outdoors.
Two months to go before she returned to New Zealand.Plenty of time for Tawera to meet other women.More attractive women who didn’t possess the same flaws as her.
The tears she’d been holding back since she’d said goodbye to Tawera escaped and flowed down her cheeks.A sob echoed in the air.None of this was fair, yet she couldn’t fault Tawera.It was her.
She’d informed him their time together was temporary—a friend with benefits deal—so she had no one to blame but herself.
Perhaps he wouldn’t hook up with a woman?
Nyree discarded that idea straightaway.Tawera was a handsome and memorable man.He was strong and masculine, but he listened to others.He was a protector.A warrior.He also bore a curiosity that would compel him to explore his new world.
Yes, there was no way he wouldn’t meet other women, most of them without her baggage and way more attractive.He had the type ofmanathat would draw others to him, and she could see him making a success of whatever he tried.
And she was making this worse.
She had to treat her time with Tawera as a gift, and if he still wanted to see her on her return, she could count herself lucky to have scored a friend.
The two months passed slowly without Tawera.Nyree had her usual busy, full-on days when they had lots of cruise passengers ashore, and as the days crept toward the end of the season, the number of visiting ships decreased.
At first, she received a weekly email from Tawera detailing everything he was doing.His excitement came through when he discovered his official relationship with Ari through Tawera’s half-brother.He’d met Eve, Ari’s sister, and liked her very much, and she was talking about taking Tawera to Australia to introduce him to her parents.Eve intended to move to Australia.
Nyree’s stomach fell at this news.
That bombshell was in the latest email she’d received almost three weeks ago.Other emails contained info about the people he’d met and the places he’d visited.Manu and Jessalyn had driven him around Auckland, and Tawera had spent time with Hone at George Taniwha & Sons.
“I can’t believe the season has almost ended,” Carolyn said, dragging Nyree from her morbid thoughts.
“We’ve had lots of excitement,” Nyree agreed.“Do you think the big iceberg will hit South Georgia?”
“I don’t know.You heard the scientists who are studying the iceberg mention that the evidence points to this happening before.It’s a bit of a waiting game.We’ll pray the ocean current veers it off its present trajectory.”
“I recognize some of the penguins that hang around the station.I hate to think of them dying or having to move elsewhere because of the iceberg affecting their food source.”
Carolyn shrugged.“It’s nature.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier.What’s on the schedule this morning?”Nyree asked, changing the subject.
“We need to do a stocktake.Basically, we’ll note everything we have, look to see what isn’t selling, and offer a discount to move the remaining units.Normally, we don’t do this, but they’re talking about selling different things next year.Are you coming back next season?Keith and I would love to have you as part of our team.”
“To be honest, I have thought little about next year.When is the last day for applications?”
“I’ll check with Keith.I think you enjoy living here, though.Many people find it too isolated.”
“I’ll give it some thought.The principal reason I took the job was to escape my ex.That didn’t work out too well for me.”
“He’s in the past.You’re a lovely girl, and any man would be lucky to win your loyalty.”
“Huh!That’s the problem.My judgment is lousy.”
“I thought that until I met Keith.You’re still young.You have time to find a husband and have children.”
“Hmm,” Nyree said.“Do you have a special way of doing a stocktake?”
She and Carolyn settled into work and soon had the stock sorted and counted.
Nyree used the last weeks to explore the island and take lots of photos.She’d heard from her mother and Hana.Jessalyn had hired her mother as a housekeeper while Hana helped a local vineyard during the weekends, now that she was older.
