trip."
"Seriously?"
"Michaela. Kidnapped. Twice."
"She's worried I'm some sort of kidnapper?"
"No. But trust takes time to build, and you make a living selling your photographs."
"I sell nature photographs."
I just stared at her. Finally she averted her gaze. "Fine."
"Zoe..."
"It's fine, Elisabeth. It just seems a little paranoid."
"Maybe it is," I replied. "And maybe she wouldn't care. But if you don't take photos of any of us, then no one is going to ask what you intend to do with them. It's your first outing with us. It's kind of a big deal when we invite an outsider on our trips. But there will be trips, won't there?"
"You're right," she said. She offered a hint of a smile. "I'll be on my best behavior while you introduce me to your family."
I stilled. I hadn't thought about it that way. She'd already met Lara and Michaela once, but not quite in the same context. It hadn't occurred to me she'd see it as going to meet the family.
Zoe stepped closer then leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Got everything?"
"Of course."
"I could carry something."
"I've got it," I said with a smile.
She put her camera away, and then we stepped around the corner of the hangar.
Over the years, we'd had to build a second hangar. We used to keep two modest airplanes and rent the rare time we needed three. But as Lara's family had grown, our needs had grown more complicated. So , spurred on in part by me, we now we had five airplanes and a helicopter, although we kept the latter in a small hangar across the road from the main compound.
Both hangar doors were open, and I could tell Lara and Michaela hadn't finished negotiating which aircraft we were taking. I could already have answered that, but I knew neither Lara nor Michaela were going to be happy.
Everyone was standing around, waiting for us. They would have heard us approach, so the casual posture everyone carried was feigned. Michaela also would have heard our entire conversation and may have relayed it to everyone else. But they all waited for us to approach before turning to us. Six pairs of eyes focused on Zoe and only one on me.
Zoe slowed under the attention, and I automatically adjusted my pace to match hers. Her hand reached out, looking for a hand to hold, but mine were busy.
"They're so big," she said.
"It's not quite a requirement to join the clan," I said, trying to make it light. "But yes. We tend to run big."
"All women?"
"On this trip," I said. "We made the men folk stay home."
The one pair of eyes on me was Michaela's, and she wasn't happy.
"Come on," I said. I stepped forward, then veered to the side and set everything down in a pile on the floor of the hangar. Then I took Zoe's camera b ags from her and added them to the pile.
"We're going to have to weigh all that," Michaela said.
"Maybe we should let Elisabeth introduce Zoe to everyone first," Lara said.
I took Zoe's hand, but she held back. "Am I in trouble?"
"No." I pulled her forward. "Michaela, Zoe think's your angry at her because she brought more than a pared down toothbrush."
Michaela eyed the pile consisting of a cooler of food, two modest duffle bags, and two camera bags. It wasn't that bad. Really it wasn't. But there were nine of us, and that meant she wasn't going to get to ride with Lara.
"No," she said. "Zoe, I'm sorry. I was trying to cram us into fewer aircraft than we're going to end up taking." Then she smiled. "At least I get to fly the Bonanza!" Then she stepped forward and gave Zoe a quick hug. "I'm glad you could come."
She took over from that point. I wasn't surprised. "You remember my wife, Lara." Zoe and Lara shook hands. "And Angel and Scarlett." That was a couple of little waves. "Has Elisabeth talked to you about my security detail."
"She mentioned something."
"This is Serena. She's the head of my security."
Serena stepped forward and shook Zoe's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Zoe," Serena said.
"Serena is also a dear, dear friend," Michaela explained. "I love
"Seriously?"
"Michaela. Kidnapped. Twice."
"She's worried I'm some sort of kidnapper?"
"No. But trust takes time to build, and you make a living selling your photographs."
"I sell nature photographs."
I just stared at her. Finally she averted her gaze. "Fine."
"Zoe..."
"It's fine, Elisabeth. It just seems a little paranoid."
"Maybe it is," I replied. "And maybe she wouldn't care. But if you don't take photos of any of us, then no one is going to ask what you intend to do with them. It's your first outing with us. It's kind of a big deal when we invite an outsider on our trips. But there will be trips, won't there?"
"You're right," she said. She offered a hint of a smile. "I'll be on my best behavior while you introduce me to your family."
I stilled. I hadn't thought about it that way. She'd already met Lara and Michaela once, but not quite in the same context. It hadn't occurred to me she'd see it as going to meet the family.
Zoe stepped closer then leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Got everything?"
"Of course."
"I could carry something."
"I've got it," I said with a smile.
She put her camera away, and then we stepped around the corner of the hangar.
Over the years, we'd had to build a second hangar. We used to keep two modest airplanes and rent the rare time we needed three. But as Lara's family had grown, our needs had grown more complicated. So , spurred on in part by me, we now we had five airplanes and a helicopter, although we kept the latter in a small hangar across the road from the main compound.
Both hangar doors were open, and I could tell Lara and Michaela hadn't finished negotiating which aircraft we were taking. I could already have answered that, but I knew neither Lara nor Michaela were going to be happy.
Everyone was standing around, waiting for us. They would have heard us approach, so the casual posture everyone carried was feigned. Michaela also would have heard our entire conversation and may have relayed it to everyone else. But they all waited for us to approach before turning to us. Six pairs of eyes focused on Zoe and only one on me.
Zoe slowed under the attention, and I automatically adjusted my pace to match hers. Her hand reached out, looking for a hand to hold, but mine were busy.
"They're so big," she said.
"It's not quite a requirement to join the clan," I said, trying to make it light. "But yes. We tend to run big."
"All women?"
"On this trip," I said. "We made the men folk stay home."
The one pair of eyes on me was Michaela's, and she wasn't happy.
"Come on," I said. I stepped forward, then veered to the side and set everything down in a pile on the floor of the hangar. Then I took Zoe's camera b ags from her and added them to the pile.
"We're going to have to weigh all that," Michaela said.
"Maybe we should let Elisabeth introduce Zoe to everyone first," Lara said.
I took Zoe's hand, but she held back. "Am I in trouble?"
"No." I pulled her forward. "Michaela, Zoe think's your angry at her because she brought more than a pared down toothbrush."
Michaela eyed the pile consisting of a cooler of food, two modest duffle bags, and two camera bags. It wasn't that bad. Really it wasn't. But there were nine of us, and that meant she wasn't going to get to ride with Lara.
"No," she said. "Zoe, I'm sorry. I was trying to cram us into fewer aircraft than we're going to end up taking." Then she smiled. "At least I get to fly the Bonanza!" Then she stepped forward and gave Zoe a quick hug. "I'm glad you could come."
She took over from that point. I wasn't surprised. "You remember my wife, Lara." Zoe and Lara shook hands. "And Angel and Scarlett." That was a couple of little waves. "Has Elisabeth talked to you about my security detail."
"She mentioned something."
"This is Serena. She's the head of my security."
Serena stepped forward and shook Zoe's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Zoe," Serena said.
"Serena is also a dear, dear friend," Michaela explained. "I love
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