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Jackson opened his lanced around the store and saw the row of televisions—all playing the news Showing Golden Bay like he’d never seen it before Showing his hoed by water ‘Crap’
Water ran a trees and kennels and dead cattle with it Broirling water deci in its path Suddenly the only place on earth he wanted to be was in Golden Bay, in the thick of it, with Jess, helping her while she helped everyone else And it had taken a damned disaster to wake him up to that fact
Simon said, ‘I’ll run you to the airport’
‘I’ll have to hire a private plane when I get to Nelson’ Hell, he hoped he could get on a coht from Auckland to Nelson at such short notice He didn’t fancy the extra hour and a half by road if he had to land in Blenheim He wouldn’t consider the time delay if Christchurch was his only option
Five hours later Jackson dus in the corner of the Pohara Motor Ca rooency centre The h the door his eyes scanned for Jess, came up blank
‘Where’s Jess?’ he demanded the instant he saw Grady
‘Hello to you, too She’s seeing to Sa a ditch to divert water fro phone ‘She’s fine, Jackson’
Jackson picked his way around people and bags and boxes of food, heading for the white board on the wall Lists scrolled down the board Properties da evacuated, injured folk needing house calls He’d seen so first by four-wheel drive then by boat and lastly on foot
Jess’s house was listed in the flooded properties, as was her other place, where Mrs Harrop lived Yet Jess was out there doing what she did best—looking out for others She wasto walk away Idiot He wanted to run to her, stick by her while she went about her calls But she’d hate that Anyway, he could be put to better use, attending patients himself
Iripped him as he waited for Grady to finish his call Sounded like soent attention fro up
‘Takeelse you’ll need inside To to tie his fishing boat down’
Jackson snatched the keys flying towards him ‘I’ll be in touch’
‘Good, because I’ve already got another call for you out at Wainui Inlet after you’re done with Tom’
Jess shivered Under her thick jacket her clothes were soaked through On her way to the truck that she’d hijacked froone into a ditch to be sube It would be weeks before the foul taste of mud left her mouth
It ell after seven and as dark as coal This had been the longest day of her life, and it wasn’t anywhere near over Too many people needed help for her to put her feet up in front of Virginia’s fire But what she wouldn’t give for a hot chocolate right about now
Not going to happen If she was lucky she’d get a lukewar out so exhausted All the ehout the day The da its toll on people, anis
Buildings As in houses Her home
No She wasn’t going to think about that Wasn’t going to consider the dae she’d seen briefly when the police had taken her horab some clothes, a few photos and a couple of Nicholas’s favourite toys The rest didn’t bear thinking about
Hunched over the steering-wheel to peer through thelike crazy the vehicle stayed on the road, she drove cautiously towards the te with fatigue, it was hard to concentrate
Focus The last thing the e to be rescued
Finally she pulled up outside the well-lit building, got out and immediately pushed open the door If she sat still she’d fall asleep She’d fall asleep walking if she wasn’t careful
The heat exploded as she stepped through the door into the chaos of e while her eyes adjusted to the bright lights, she could feel her hands losing their grip on the ht inside to replenish She heard it hit the floor with a sickening thud and couldn’t find the energy to bend down and pick it up again
Soently pushed her down A cup of tea appeared on the table in front of her ‘Get that inside you, Jess I bet you didn’t stop for lunch’