‘Don’t worry,’ I reassured her as I zipped up the front. ‘It’s completely waterproof. We’ll be safe and dry in here.’
‘That rain came on fast.’
‘It often does here on the coast. Conditions can change just like that. I’ve been out on the boat on a beautiful, clear sunny day, and half an hour later I’m battling nine-foot swells and rain so heavy you can’t tell which why is up and which way is down.’
‘I don’t like the sound of that.’
‘That’s why I didn’t take you out today to see the whales. Forecast wasn’t great and the sea is unpredictable.’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I mean I don’t like the sound ofyoubeing out in that.’
‘I’m used to it. And I don’t take unnecessary risks. None of us do. It’s our livelihood sure, but it’s not worth our lives.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ she said softly. We held each other’s gaze for a few heartbeats, before she looked away, clearing her throat. ‘Well, if we’re going to be stuck in here for a while, we may as well get comfortable.’
She pulled off her boots and put them next to the door, crossing her legs and pulling one of the blankets around her. Then she sniffed the air. ‘What’s that smell?’
‘The ocean?’
‘No.’
‘Rain?’
‘No that’s not it. It’s… food, I think. Or maybe I’m so hungry that I’m imagining things.’
‘I nearly forgot.’ I reached for the basket I’d tucked behind a cushion. ‘I packed us lunch. Though I hadn’t counted on our little visit to Ray, so it’s probably cold by now.’
She eyed the basket hungrily as I opened it. ‘What’s probably cold?’
I removed a thermos. ‘Soup. I took a chance. Hope you like tomato.’
‘It’s my favorite.’
‘Mine too.’
We smiled at each other.
‘What else have you got in there?’
I started lifting items out. ‘Mugs, for the soup. Buttered bread rolls. And…’ I pulled it out with a flourish ‘…chocolate brownie for dessert.’
‘I know you can’t hear it right now because of the storm,’ she said as the rain pelted against the tent. ‘But my stomach just rumbled so loud.’
I unscrewed the lid of the thermos. ‘We’d better not keep it waiting any longer then.’
29
MAE
It might not have been the fanciest or most expensive meal I’d ever had in my life, but it was by far the most satisfying. I dipped the buttery roll in my mug and ate it, snug inside the tent while the storm raged outside. The wind battered the tent in an alarming way that at first had me worried, but after a while, I realized the tent was made of sturdy stuff. ‘Designed for all weather’, according to Jonah. After that, it was one of the most comforting experiences of my life, snug inside under a blanket eating soup with a cute guy.
‘That,’ I declared, using the end of the bun to mop up the last traces of soup in the bottom of the mug, ‘was delicious. I guess I worked up an appetite ice skating.’
‘Mm,’ he agreed, licking his fingers. ‘There is nothing like soup on a day like today. I made that from scratch, you know.’
‘You did not.’
He pouted. ‘Why is that so hard to believe?’
