~ 14 ~

Wednesday, August 13th Port Alberni, BC

Wilma rolled her eyes as she listened to her cousin. Shayna had called her last week to tell her about the geologist that had checked in at the Maple Leaf. Now that he was gone, she wanted to know if anything happened between them. ‘Shayna needs a hobby,’ Wilma thought.

At home two nights ago, however, Wilma’s internet searches had revealed plenty: Dr. David Heath, graduate of Dalhousie, post-Doctorate work with the University of Toronto. Governor General’s Award for contributions to Canada through work with sonar, radar, sound-mapping. Many articles published in geologic and nature magazines, guest lecturer at colleges and universities in Canada, U.S. and the U.K. Speciality expertise: coastal mapping, identification of ocean floor formations, and off-shore sedimentary basins for potential petrochemical deposits.

With this information, she had watched David more closely and realised the significance of his journal entries as she read them that day in the Café. He didn’t see her following him out to the old Taylor place. And, just like that, he had bought the land.

“Nothing happened, Shayna. And I need to get these done, okay? Can I call you later?” She hung up the phone, and worked to finish the never ending tax reports that were due in two days.

Wilma loved the New Moon. She had owned it for several years, and it was doing well. After graduating from the University over on the mainland, she had returned to Port Alberni and landed a job at the café doing the books. Later, with the help of a small business grant from the Federal Aboriginal Opportunities program, she became the new and very proud owner.

Even Hank MacDougall came in a few times a week, usually to meet Elliot Stevens. Wilma knew them back in her college days, and liked it when they dropped in for coffee and a piece of pie. She always paid attention to their conversations. Hank had been spending more and more time building his island holdings. Over the years, she had watched the MacDougall empire grow, listened to the town gossip, read the newspaper reports and monitored the MacDougall website.

At the front counter, Wilma folded and stuffed the forms into the envelope. Sighing, she realised Shayna meant well, it had been over two years since there had been any real passion in her life. As she was thinking about that intense and far too brief affair – the very man that had rocked her world, walked into the café. Flashing his boyish handsome grin, Adam Brooks looked at her and said, “Hi lover.”

Wilma turned to her waitress and said, “You handle things for a while.” Smiling at Adam, she headed for her office, motioned for him to follow her. As soon as they were both within the private room, Wilma closed and locked the door.