Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
“Y ou sure you don’t want me to come out for a few days?” her mom asked in an anxious voice.
“I appreciate the offer, Mom, but no thanks,” Xanthe said into her phone.
“Things are all up in the air. I’ve still got a ton of work to get done, and we both know I’d be shit company right now.
” The outcome of yesterday’s vote was like the mouse dropping sprinkles on top of the shit sundae that had been her life lately.
Pretty much rock bottom, as far as she could see. No way but up from here.
She sincerely hoped, anyway.
“Like that’s ever held me back before?” her mom teased.
She laughed softly. “Hey, I’m way better than I was in my teens.”
“True. And thank the sweet Lord for that.”
“I know. Thanks for not kicking me out or putting a contract out on me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’d love to plan a visit in a few weeks though.”
“Really? Oh, good, because I could really use a change of scenery.”
Losing her husband to pancreatic cancer in August had been devastating for her, even if it was a blessing that his suffering had ended. “You doing any better?”
“A little, I think. I’m glad he’s not in pain, and I’m glad I don’t have to watch him wither away without being able to do anything to stop it.
It hits me in waves, you know? I’ll be doing something, and wham.
A song comes on that reminds me of him. Or something on TV, a dish I’m cooking. Things like that.”
“I get it. Same. But I’ve been fortunate to have my work to keep me occupied.”
“And the protest campaign. Honestly, honey, I’m proud of you. Your dad would be proud of you too. I’m sorry things didn’t turn out the way you hoped. And for poor Onyx and her sweet little calf.”
“Thanks. The wine and chocolates were really thoughtful. They’re all gone already, by the way.”
“That’s what I was hoping when I sent them. You sure going into work’s a good idea? Maybe you need a change of scenery too. Take the day off and go hiking. Stay off the water for a bit.”
“Tempting, but this research paper’s due soon, and I need something to take my mind off everything anyway.”
“How long do you guys have left at the station?”
“Not sure. Not long, maybe a couple months. All depends on how fast they get their permits done. And given that they managed to get the votes they needed despite personal assurances to the contrary last week from the councilors, I’m not hopeful it will take that long.”
Her mom sighed. “Aww, honey. I know how disheartening this all must be.”
“Never rains but it pours, right? And hey, you and I’ve been through worse. Compared to losing Dad, this is nothing.”
“True, except I know how important it all is to you. All you can do is your best, Xanthe. And as your mom, I know your determination firsthand. You did all you could. You have to be at peace with that part at least.”
“I am. Mostly.” She downed the last sip of her smoothie. “I need to get going, but we’ll talk soon. Love you.”
“Love you too. Call me if you need a pep talk.”
“Will do, and same. Bye.” She set her phone on the counter, reminding herself of how lucky she was.
Sure, she’d failed to stop the start of the capitalistic and inevitable environmental ruin of the island. Sure, she and her team were going to be homeless soon and without the funding to set up a new facility. Sure, her beloved Southern Resident orcas were one step closer to extinction.
But she had her health, and she needed to be grateful for that. She still had a job she loved. And for now, at least, she lived in the most beautiful place in the world. So what if she got a bit lonely living by herself in the little cabin she was about to be evicted from?
Her phone rang. She almost crushed the wet glass in her hand when she saw the number.
Slater.
A rush of anger swept through her. She forced it down, refusing to let him have that much influence over her emotional state.
She almost convinced herself to ignore his call, take the high road, and pass up the chance to tell him to go to hell. Then…
Nah.
She snatched up the phone and answered, keeping her voice calm. Pleasant, even. “Good morning. You calling to gloat?”
“No. I’m calling to see if you’re okay.”
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him know otherwise. “You weren’t there at the vote.”
“I was working.”
Yeah, I guess corporate greed requires working long hours.
She held the bitter words back. She refused to let him turn her into a bitch. “I’m just on my way into work. Is that all you wanted?”
“Actually, I wanted to see if you’re free for lunch later.”
She frowned. “Lunch?” What the hell? “As in you, me, and Maddy?”
“No. Just you and I.”
She gave a humorless laugh. But if this was a joke, it wasn’t funny. “No offense, but what makes you think I would be remotely interested in going to lunch with you?”
“Because despite what you seem to think, I’m not the enemy.”
Okay, that was sort of funny. “Well, we’re sure as hell not friends.”
“Let me take you out to eat so we can talk. I’d like to get your take on a few things. An hour or two of your time, tops. Please.”
The please was unexpected. “That’s a generous and sorely tempting offer, but unfortunately I’m booked today. On top of my regular work, I’ve got two more interviews scheduled with networks about Onyx and her calf.”
She was looking forward to those as much as she would a root canal, but she was hoping all this attention might finally put enough pressure on the powers that be to do something about the low Chinook stocks and noise pollution from all the traffic in the Salish Sea.
The universe owed her some sort of win after everything it had put her through these past few months.
“Then how about tomorrow?” he asked.
“Pretty sure I’m booked solid tomorrow too.”
He sighed. “I understand, and to some degree I respect your level of commitment to hating me.”
“Hate’s a strong word. More like extreme dislike.”
He was quiet a moment. “I’d still really like the chance to talk to you in person.
Maybe you could offer some suggestions on sustainability and ways to incorporate environmentally friendly materials or features in the development.
Or how we can mitigate damage to the local ecosystem and minimize the risk of pollution. ”
“I mean, you could just not build it and leave everything as it is. That would be a big plus on all those fronts.”
He gave a grudging chuckle. “I’m hoping you’ll change your mind about my invitation.”
I won’t . “I’ll let you know if I do. Thanks for the call,” she added, something compelling her to add that bit. Because damn, he actually sounded sincere.