Free Helsinki Sunrise by Marion Ueckermann Page B

house tomorrow.”
    “A week without food will do that to you, Adam.”
    “Six days…”
    “Still, it’s a long time to be without sustenance. I don’t know how you do it. Are you sure you can’t break your fast at the same time as Mikko?”
    “You know what’s at stake.”
    Her gaze never left Adam’s as she rattled off the answer. “Finland, Helsinki, me…not necessarily in that order, I hope.”
    Heartened by her response, Adam brushed his hand across her cheek before tucking her hair behind her ear. He leaned in closer. “You were listening.”
    Eveliina’s mouth curled into a smile. “Of course I was—both times.” She closed her eyes, cupped her hand around his and pressed it against her cheek before turning her face into his hand. She planted a kiss on his palm.
    Adam took a deep breath. “Who’s Joel?”
    Her eyes flew open. She hesitated a moment before answering. “He’s my boss.”
    “And he misses you?”
    Eveliina’s eyes narrowed.
    “I’m sorry. It was hard not to overhear what you were saying. I’m not trying to pry…only to understand.”
    “What boss doesn’t miss his faithful workhorse?” She lay back on the deck.
    Adam looked down at her, resisting the temptation to stretch out on the warm wood beside her. “And you miss him?”
    “Just making him feel good. After all, he does pay my salary.”
    “We do need to love our employers.” At least the Bible spoke of obeying and respecting them with a sincere heart. But Adam’s comment had little to do with work—he was fishing.
    “Good thing you work for God. Must surely make that command easier for you to obey than for me.”
    “Your boss called to give you work?”
    “A bit.”
    “Sounded like more than a bit, Eveliina.” Was Joel a hard taskmaster? Is this why she’d escaped to the summer cottage? To get away from work? Or to get away from Joel? Adam couldn’t figure out whether there was more to their relationship.
    She sat up and with a sigh, hugged her knees to her chest. “OK, quite a lot. I’ll get to it if I have time. Life has to be about more than work, work, work.”
    “It is. So much more.”
    “I’m on leave, and I have plans.”
    Adam grinned. “Like painting a house?”
    “That, and more.”
    “You have more you want to paint, or more things you want to do?”
    “More things I want to paint.” Eveliina grabbed a handful of blueberries and squashed them onto Adam’s thigh. With a giggle, she smeared the purple juice down his leg. “Starting with you.”
    Adam returned the favor—squishing berries on her face and in her hair.
    When the bucket was empty, and they were covered in sticky blotches, Adam discarded his shirt and plunged into the lake. Still clothed, Eveliina followed. Maybe God was opening the way for Adam’s talk with Eveliina. Tomorrow he’d try again, over a different bucket of paint. One the color of their lifesaver’s blood.
     
    ****
     
    After changing out of her wet clothes and hanging them up to dry, Eveliina made herself a snack while Adam bathed in the sauna. She’d insisted he go first—she wanted to eat while he wasn’t around.
    Deciding to finish the design she’d started yesterday, Eveliina sat down in front of her laptop. Thankfully, this was one that Joel had requested earlier. As she ate her ruisleipä , cheese and cucumber sandwich, she gazed through the windows at the lake, lost in the memories of the fun they’d had this evening. She hadn’t laughed this much in a very long time. She thought of their blueberry fight, their water fight, and the way Adam had chased her around outside between the birch trees, and then back into the lake. Would all fights with Adam be so much fun?
    Not all. Eveliina remembered their first encounter in the sauna, and their confrontation earlier in the forest. But how different the day had ended—it could so easily have turned into something she didn’t want.
    She sighed. When last had she felt such contentment? Only two