"Um - hey," she stammered feebly and stared at him all owl-faced. For a moment, it seemed he wanted to say something more, but he didn't. He just gave her another sunny smile before leaving the building. Navajo Hunk started his motorbike and put his helmet on before tearing off at break-neck speed.
She groaned inwardly. Way to go with the conversational skills. Where was her language? A comatose patient could have come up with more syllables than that.
Hannah paid for the fuel, her face like thunder. She sped the last couple of miles to St. Mary's Port, praying there were no speed cameras installed anywhere. If she didn't get there soon, she would starve to death in her car or eat herself up out of frustration.
It would be nice to cook a big meal together with Ben. Or maybe they should go to the local restaurant. Ben wasn't famous for his culinary talents, and the last thing she needed now was slaving away in the kitchen herself. Hannah fumbled around in her bag to find her phone. One missed call, from her brother. She phoned him back.
"Heya sis!" Ben picked up on the second ring. "Where the heck are you?"
"I'll be there in ten minutes. Where the heck are you?"
"On the beach. Where else? I'll come home and help you unpack."
"Okay, cool. See you soon!" She clicked off.
When Hannah turned into the driveway next to the log cabin, Ben was sitting on the stairs leading up to the porch, smoking a cigarette. His dark-blonde hair had already turned a lighter shade in the sunlight. He was wearing a big, showy pair of sunglasses that were hiding eyes just as bright-green as hers.
"You're here!" he boomed enthusiastically, jumping up and giving her a bear hug.
"Hi bro. How've you been the past few days?"
"Incredibly hot. I've been on the beach a lot." Ben dragged Hannah's suitcase up the stairs, while she carried two heavy bags with food and toiletries. She put the food in the kitchen and walked to the door of her old bedroom.
Opening the door, she fell silent for a moment. Everything was just as she remembered it. The big, comfortable bed in the corner, the sturdy table against the wall, the flowery curtains in front of the window looking out on the lake - it was like no time had passed at all.
"I've already made your bed," Ben pointed out, coming in after her and putting the suitcase down.