The deadline for the Hargrove meeting kept creeping closer. Thursday wasn't going to wait forever, and Cassandra's patience had limits.
I had a job. I had a life back in the city that Janine had been holding together with sheer willpower and creative excuses for weeks. It couldn't run on goodwill much longer.
I found a quiet corner in the pack house after breakfast and called Janine.
"Hey," I said when she picked up. "How's everything going?"
"Not bad, but it'll get harder if you won't be back on Thursday. How are things for you there?"
I leaned against the wall and stared out the window. "The land situation is more complicated than I thought. And something…" I stopped when I almost told her about Reid. I didn't think it'd be any help if I had Janine asking me about Reid and the real situation here. "But I told Cassandra I'd be back by the end of the week. I meant it."
