The supermarket shelves were well stocked, and the prices weren’t too bad.Maia filled a basket with milk, wholemeal bread, a bag of apples, two cans of baked beans, a dozen eggs, sliced ham, and a small packet of cheese.She lined up behind a stooped gray-haired woman and a freckled teenage male, waiting patiently for her turn at the checkout.
“Good afternoon.”The attractive woman behind the counter had long black hair drawn into a ponytail and was of Indian descent.Her accent was pure Kiwi.“Are you doing the Middlemarch Rail Trail?”
Maia shook her head.“No, I purchased Beatrice Ramsey’s property.”
“Wow!Welcome.We’d lost hope of anyone buying that old house.It didn’t come with sizeable land, which put off prospective buyers.I’m Ambar.”She held out her hand, her smile as bubbly as her explosion of words.
“Maia Jacobs.”Maia didn’t intend to explain her relationship to her aunt.It was enough for her to grapple with without nosy questions from outsiders.“Do you live in Middlemarch?”
“Yes,” Ambar said.“My brother and I moved here from Auckland several years ago.”
“I don’t suppose there is a gym?”
“No, most locals are farmers and don’t need get-fit equipment.”Ambar paused and brightened.“Isabella runs a regular boot camp.If you’re interested, the details are on our community noticeboard near the door.”
“Thanks.Can you recommend places to run where I won’t be in danger of speeding cars?”
Ambar’s nostrils flared, and she sucked in a deep breath before replying.Strangely, her shoulders slumped a fraction, but her smile never dimmed.“The main road is out, but some side roads are less traveled.You could run from your place, do laps around the rugby field, and return home.Isabella does most of her boot camp at the school fields.”
“Thanks,” Maia said.“That will suffice until I familiarize myself with the area.”
“Are you a fitness freak?”Ambar asked.
“I’m a rugby player.Our season starts in April.”
Ambar’s eyebrows lifted.“A professional rugby player?”
“Yeah, I’ve signed a contract to play for the Dunedin team.”
The door opened, the tinkling bell signaling a new arrival.A woman with long, straight brown hair and a freckled face pushed through the door.
“London,” Ambar said, and genuine pleasure shimmered in her voice.“This is Maia Jacobs.She’s new to the area.Beatrice Ramsey’s place.”
The slightly plump woman turned blue eyes on Maia and extended her hand.“Welcome.I’m so pleased someone has purchased the Ramsey property.Maia, I hope you’ll be happy there.”
“Maia is a rugby player,” Ambar said.
London’s mouth opened a fraction, and her freckled nose wrinkled as she gestured at her curvy body.“Rather you than me.I’m not built for sport.”
Maia laughed, charmed by the honest reaction.“Me neither until a university friend dragged me to rugby practice.They were short of players and drafted me before I knew what hit me.I enjoyed it, and the physical exercise balanced out keyboard time for my degree.”
“What sort of degree did you do?”Ambar asked.
“Accountancy.”
“That’s more my scene,” London said with a laugh.“I do administration work plus design stuff for several online clients.”
“No offense, but I find working with numbers boring.I finished my degree because of family pressure, but rugby is my passion.”She didn’t mention her writing because that was private.She wrote under a pen name because she hadn’t wanted her cantankerous aunt to discover her moneymaking hobby.A moot point now.
“Are you in a hurry?”London asked.“I’m heading to Storm in a Teacup for coffee.I can introduce you to a few other locals.”
“Is Isabella there today?”Ambar asked.“I was telling Maia about Isabella’s boot camp.
“She was when I popped in to see Saber,” London said.
“Sure.”Maia blinked.She hadn’t meant to agree, but it would be fantastic to meet locals.
Maybe she’d see him.
