Lantern Bay Box Set by Sophie Haydon

Author:Sophie Haydon [Haydon, Sophie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bay Books

7

Turned out their new relationship wasn’t so much slow as stationary. Between the filming at Belendroit and Zane’s work on the tribal council, which was taking him all over the South Island, over a week had passed without Rachel so much as setting eyes on him.

Rachel wandered over to the window for the hundredth time, wondering if she’d see Zane’s car in the drive. He said he might come direct from the airport. But the only cars belonged to her father—his ancient, prized Daimler—and the film crew, bumper to bumper along the drive.

She fingered her cellphone in her pocket. He’d rung during his absence, but only late at night, after he’d finished work. During those phone calls he’d told her about the kind of work he and his Maori Board did—about protecting and investing the assets which had been granted them by the Waitangi Tribunal which made them the wealthiest tribe in New Zealand and, more important to Zane’s heart, protecting the culture and families of the tribe. She’d listened with a heavy heart as he described the issues facing his people, issues he’d faced as a youngster. She felt his need, she felt his compassion and she also felt, quite viscerally, his anger. Because it was an anger she feared might be directed at her once he found out his niece was also her daughter.

“Rachel!” called the producer.

Rachel jumped around. There were people everywhere, her father in the midst of them all, entertaining and hindering the team by turns. “Yes?”

“Can you finish these photos off here and then we’ll get back to shooting the last sequence.”

“Sure.” The photos were to be included in the new book which accompanied the series. But as she slid a crème caramel under the grill to brown, her phone buzzed. She automatically checked the screen. She sighed. It wasn’t Zane. Only a text from her friend, Lucia, who lived on her husband’s family estate near Wellington, inviting her to stay the weekend. She smiled at Lucia’s excitement about a weekend party she was arranging with the Mackenzie clan. Rachel’s sister, Lizzi, and her family would be there, being close friends of Callum and Gemma Mackenzie. She was tempted. She adored Lucia and Guy’s long-awaited-for twins. But, she tapped the phone against her lips, she was torn. There was a lot of unfinished business around here, in more ways than one.

“Rachel!” said the photographer, frowning at her as if she’d gone mad. “You’ve described it as golden in the book. That”—he waved his camera lens at the offending dessert—“is more like burnt.”

“Damn!” Rachel put on the oven glove and grabbed the dessert from under the grill and slid it onto the wooden board. She wafted the smoke away with her hand, feeling flustered. “It’s okay. I made a backup.” She slid the new one under the grill and gave herself a talking to. She had to focus. She suddenly had a vision of herself performing the circus trick of spinning plates on the top of long poles.

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