“So,” Drew said. “You’ve told us. Did Hayden come up with some answers?” he asked Luke.
“Yeh,” Luke said. “Some good ideas, I think. It’ll mean another investment, though. He’s prioritized things that he thinks will bring maximum reward for minimum outlay, but it’s still outlay.”
Everybody was silent as they digested that. Whether to sink more into this, or to cut and run.
“If you go on like this for the entire project,” Drew said. “Or for both projects. If nothing changes. Will you be late on the final?”
I had to say it. “Yes. I would be. But I don’t plan to go on like this for the entire project. I’ve taken on more men, and I’ll be putting in whatever funds I need to in order to recruit more. Time to get a hiring firm on it, though, and have them do the checks, so we can get them hired faster. I should’ve done that sooner. I’ll be getting them onto it on Monday.”
“And the migraines?” Drew asked. “What does the doctor say?”
“I haven’t gone,” I said. “I’ve got tablets. Not much they can do, otherwise.”
Drew didn’t say anything, but he may as well have. That’s not why. It’s because you don’t want to know.
“What kind of triggers do you have?” That was Kane, talking for once. “Victoria gets migraines. My wife. I can predict them before she does, because they happen when she’s not paying attention. When she’s too stressed, too busy at work, stops taking care of herself.”
“Well, yeh,” I said. “Stress, lack of sleep, not eating.”
“That’d be the answer you want it to be,” Drew said. “Make sure it’s not the answer you go to, just because you want it.”
Bloody hell, this was uncomfortable. “Got it,” I said.
“Tell us in a week,” he said. “Listen to Hayden’s presentation, and make a plan. Then tell us what you plan to do. And we’ll decide about the money. Vote, eh.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
Drew stopped pulling the cart and turned to face me. He put a hand on my shoulder and said, “I’ve known you a long time. I trust your judgment. I always have. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have put my money in. You’re not saying you’re going down the tubes. If you were, you’d tell us.”
“I would,” I said. I had too much emotion to say more. “And I’m not.”
He went on, “You’re saying you could be late on an interim deadline. That’s not good, but you’ve told us. And I’d say—take care you’re not blowing this out of proportion. A bad game isn’t a bad season, and a bad training session isn’t a bad game. Which is this?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “It could be a bad game. But it’s not going to be a bad season.”
“Right, then,” Drew said, pulling out his driver. “Let’s golf. Maybe now that you’ve got that off your chest, you could try not sucking. I’d like to finish this round before morning.”
It wasn’t as mad as I’d thought it would be when we got back to the yurt. Just Mum and Daisy in the kitchen, Mum chopping pumpkin with mighty thwacks of the knife, and Daisy beside her, all bare feet, summery white dress, and swinging dark hair, dispatching a pile of veggies.
I gave Daisy a kiss and asked, “Sleep well?”
“Brilliant,” she told me. “Until about half an hour ago, to tell you the truth. I’m pretending I’m helping now. Hi,” she told the others. “I’m Daisy. I work nights.”
“RN,” I told them. “She’s brilliant.”
“You don’t know that,” she said.
“Oh,” I said, “I think I do.”
I did the introductions, then gave Mum her own peck on the cheek. She waved her knife at me and said, “I’ve got Jamaican jerk chicken marinating in the fridge. You’re going to barbecue it for me at the last minute. Also prawns for starters. Get the barbie ready for six or so, and we’ll be good.”
“Got it,” I said, and pulled out the beers. Luke refused, but the others indulged. I asked, “The others not back from the art show yet?”
“Half an hour or so,” Mum said.
“Where are the girls?”
“They took Drew’s kids on a walk to Tunnel Beach.”
Daisy said, “My sisters came out of Mount Zion a couple weeks ago. I came out of there myself when I was sixteen. I guess you all know that.”
Drew said, “No. I didn’t. Good on ya.”
Luke said, “I did.”
“Because you’ve been guarding Honor’s house,” Daisy said. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry you’ve had to.”