Read One Wish for Free Online Page B

give a lot to the students. I have a second job at least ten days a month. Between school vacations and weekends, I manage some time off and Cooper is great about letting me put together days off from his place so I have time to pursue my interests. When I’m not working I look for fun things to do. Mostly skiing, diving or river trips, but since there’s decent skiing and diving right here, I only take about one big trip every year. There are lots of places I need to see—Costa Rica, Barcelona, Paris, Montreal, China, to name just a few. My real passion is kayaking or rafting and, honey, there are some rivers in the tristate area that can keep me busy through spring and summer. Who knows? Maybe you’ll try it sometime, maybe not. But this is a great place, Grace—there’s a ton of stuff to do and see and experience.”
    “You need someone to play with,” she repeated as if that was the only thing she got out of all that. But it wasn’t what she was thinking.
I’ve been all over the world. I could almost work as a guide.
Except, Grace had never toured the countries she’d visited, never really taken in the sights. She’d been all over the world to compete. Usually with an entourage. And now, Troy needed someone to play with?
    Her heart beat a little faster.
    “Well, that’s not the whole story,” Troy continued. “I’m not shy about doing things on my own. I meet people all the time, great people who have like interests. But, Grace, you’re kind of fun. Let’s see if there’s anything you like better than working all the damn time.”
    “You have a point,” she agreed. “The problem is I have my own business. And every day off—”
    “I know, every day off is a day without pay.”
    “You pay attention,” she said.
    “It’s admirable, having your own business. But I think your business is a ball and chain. It’s all about working out a schedule you can live with, Grace. People don’t need flowers twenty-four/seven. And I bet you’ll be a happier business owner if you get out a little more.”
    Of course he had no idea how much getting out she indulged in because she didn’t talk about it much—her yoga, working out, secret skating. “So that’s why you think you can kidnap me like this?”
    “Really, Grace? Kidnap?”
    “Hijack.”
    “Look at that coast,” he said as he drove north. “Damn, not a day to go fishing, I don’t think. Have you seen the coast up this far?”
    “Of course,” she lied. In fact, she’d driven down the coast from Portland one summer, barely took in the landscape, made a bid to buy the shop and went right back to Mamie and Ross, where she spent a week lost in a panic attack, terrified of being completely on her own. She was so nervous she nearly called her mother! In the end, she toughed it out and when her offer was accepted by Iris, she drove straight to Thunder Point, never really taking in the coastal beauty.
    They passed through the outskirts of North Bend and then Coos Bay. It appeared very little was open for business, it being a holiday. There were a few bars and a Chinese restaurant that seemed to have customers. A souvenir shop on the highway had an Open light shining in the door. Gas stations were operational and a firehouse had the big rig doors spread wide. But the traffic was sparse. Everyone was probably home taking in the football games and recovering from New Year’s Eve.
    “Have you ever seen it on a day like today?” he asked as they drove toward the ocean. He pulled into a small lookout that faced the water. The clouds were dark and the wind was blowing wicked and wet. There were patches of rain over the ocean and the waves were huge. The air was frigid and the fun coach was grinning. “Yeah, this is gonna be
great
,” he said.
    “What in God’s name have I let you get me into?” she asked. He laughed as if he found that extremely amusing.
    He put a knit stocking cap on his head and jumped out of the Jeep. When she joined him, he