Free A Damaged Trust by Amanda Carpenter Page A

thanks. “You know, if you hadn’t come after me, I’d probably still be tramping around the place, dying of heat exhaustion and never knowing it!”
    He laughed heartily at this, and she watched his mirth with appreciation. She liked his laugh; it was low and attractive, and it seemed to invite her to share with him his delight. “I somehow doubt that. You’d have quit long before the heat would have gotten you.” Draining his cup quickly, he sighed. “That was good. Thank Emma for me, will you?”
    “I plan on it.”
    “How much more do you plan to do today?”
    She looked at her camera. “I’ve almost shot up this whole roll. I think I’ll finish up today at the end of this, and shoot up the colour film tomorrow. Then, if I may, I’ll develop the lot tomorrow afternoon or early evening, whenever I finish shooting.”
    “Sounds like a good idea to me,” he said. “Why don’t you just stay over for supper tomorrow night, and I’ll have Mrs. Hastings fix us up a real treat.”
    She protested at this. “Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to impose on you.”
    “My dear girl,” Gabe drawled mildly, “I insist. It would be a pleasure.”
    Carrie allowed herself to be persuaded by the charm that he exerted into his voice, and by the encouraging twinkle that she saw in his dark eyes.
    After a few more minutes of conversation and rest, she left the building to continue shooting up the rest of the film. She finished for the day and stopped to poke her head through the door of Gabe’s office. He was bending over some electrical plans with a grey-haired man, and he looked up with a quick smile. Her mouth pulled into an instant response; it was quite irresistible.
    She said quickly, “I thought I’d let you know that I was leaving.”
    Gabe nodded without surprise. “Thanks. See you tomorrow morning. Drive carefully.”
    She waved as she turned and left.
     
    She was surprised to find out how eagerly she was looking forward to the next day, and found herself waking up early without the aid of her alarm. Dressing as quickly and as simply as the day before, she looked out of her bedroom window. If she hurried, she would be able to catch the sun peeping over the mountains, for now everything was suffused with a pale glow that precluded dawn. It would be a wonderful shot in full colour. She cannoned out of her room and sped on down the stairs, grabbing her camera and feeling inside to make sure she had the film as she went. Then, reversing her car in a quick, tight circle, she pressed her foot down hard on the gas pedal, taking up the long, straight stretch of private road in a roaring flash.
    She took the main road at a more sedate pace, although she was still travelling way over the speed limit. All the while, she kept a close eye on the eastern mountains as she neared the shopping centre. With a squeal of the tyres, she careened around the corner to stop dead in the middle of the parking lot, not even attempting to pull into an allotted space. Vaguely she was aware of a dark blue car parked near the office, but she didn’t pay any attention as she fumbled frantically for her camera. The tip of the sun would be topping the horizon any moment.
    The door to the office building opened, but Carrie, dashing about like she was, ignored it. The right angle—she had to get the right angle. Great, brilliant rays were shooting from a focal point where the sun would appear. They were getting stronger every second. She came to a snap decision and started running west as fast as she could. Circling the end of a fence, she sprinted hard into the open field and, judging herself to be at the right distance, she whirled, bringing her camera up to focus frantically. Just as she was bringing the scene into clarity, the sun appeared, spilling gold over the edge of mountaintops and shooting rays in abundance directly over the site. She sighed with pleasure as she snapped three pictures in quick succession. It was a good sight.
    Carrie