EIGHTEEN
Xan loaded the last bag into the resort's four-wheel-drive just before the skies opened up. She'd bought too much, she knew, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, it was nice to have the time to experiment in the kitchen again. She hadn't done that since her last Christmas at home, almost three years ago.
If she stayed here much longer, Australia's hot, summery Christmas would seem normal, Xan thought as she bumped along the track to the boat ramp through the driving rain.
The boat was there, but Baz wasn't, so she left the car by the water's edge and sprinted up to the pearl showroom for some shelter.
A harried-looking Erica was on duty at the reception desk today, nodding wearily as she listened to someone on the other end of the phone line. "No, ma'am, I'm af
