EXCERPT

PROLOGUE

January in the Waikato district of New Zealand was usually hot and dry, but the 1999 summer was about to become the hottest on record as the ongoing drought scorched the rural landscape. Even the trees in the brush looked dull and lifeless with their dust-covered leaves shading the parched grass where even thistles found it hard to grow. A slim, auburn-haired woman in brief shorts, a loose pale blue blouse, and large floppy sun hat ambled out along the drive with her sandals squelching in the melting tar. At the gateway of the Blue Mist Motel, she pulled down the hinged letterbox door and reached for the day's mail that the rural delivery van had just dropped off.

Nicole Tucker sighed as she sorted through the pile of letters. There were three bills, inquiries by the look of them or perhaps cancellations, and the usual junk mail. She recognized the writing on a small parcel the letters had been held to by a large rubber band. Grandma had written again. Dear Grandma seemed to be quite lonely and enjoyed the letters she wrote on a regular basis. A parcel, though, was unusual.

Nicole grimaced, glanced around at the bush-clad hills, poked the parcel and letters in a large plastic bag she had with her, and walked back along the twisting, tree-lined drive to the motel.

For two years, her partner, Simon McDoyle, and herself had been running the Blue Mist Motel and camping ground, but attempts to build it up as a tourist center had been only mediocre. She frowned. It had been scorching weather and this tended to drive guests away rather than attract them. The waterfall, one of the main attractions in the area, was now a mere trickle and the stream so shallow visitors could jump across from rock to rock without getting their feet wet.

Of the twelve motel units, only five were in use that night. Three families had canceled bookings and no casuals had arrived where as usually the motel was full and visitors were turned away this time of the year. Also, the campsites were almost empty with only the hardiest of campers braving the scorching, dry conditions. Likewise, only three caravans and two motor homes remained plugged into power sockets and the game room had an empty, eerie look usually associated with the winter off-season.

Simon's theory that they fell between the upmarket hotels that catered to overseas tourists and the massive camping grounds and backpackers places catering for younger people was probably correct. Throughout the country, too, overseas tourist traffic was hit by a recent Asian currency crash. The busloads of Koreans who visited in 1997, the year they bought the property, were a luxury of the past. Nicole sighed again and hoped some rain would arrive soon to settle the dust and replenish the stream.

She walked into the administration block and through the office to the living quarters. Simon should be back from work soon. He'd been doing seasonal farm work for local farmers to supplement their income but all it had really done was make him tired and moody.

* * *

When the tall bearded man walked in the door without even taking off his work boots, Nicole knew he was in one of his foul moods. All summer there had seemed to be something wrong with the man.

"We need to talk," he grunted as he grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator, sat down at the kitchen table, ripped the tab open, and gulped a quarter of the contents down before wiping the froth off his mustache and burping. Nicole shuddered. He only displayed these shocking manners when he was angry or nervous.

"I guessed that," she sighed, gazing intently at her partner and waiting for the outburst." Look," she defended, " this is only a slack period. Once the cooler weather returns and the stream level rises, I am sure the campers will come back."

Simon gulped another mouthful of beer before he fixed his eyes on the young tanned woman. "It's not the business, Nicole. It's us." He drank the rest of the can as if he needed sustenance to build up his nerve.

"Well, for God's Sake, out with it," snapped Nicole. She was usually an easygoing, tolerant person but there were limits to her patience.

The man's eyes turned away. "There's no way easy of saying this, Nicole. The truth is, things have fizzled out between us and I'm leaving."

Nicole stared at Simon. "Just like that," she whispered. "After everything we've done together you've decided it is too much of a commitment and you're leaving."

"It isn't like that. I've just...err..well, you know."

"No," snapped the woman with her eyes blazing. "I don't bloody know. Pray, tell me."

"I'm moving away with Madison Greaves. She's going back to varsity in Auckland and invited me along."

Nicole stood up from the chair where she had been sitting and stared in utter disbelief. She knew Simon and she had been having a rough patch lately due to the stress of the business, but never suspected there was more to her partner's moods. Madison Greaves, a bubbly girl three or four years younger than herself, was one of the students employed over the summer to help out at the motel.

"You bastard!" she hissed as she thought back over the last month. Of course, in hindsight, that could explain a lot. Those late nights home, hay-making he said, then other feeble excuses over the last week. That was the trouble, she was too trusting and had even blamed herself for not doing enough for their partnership.

"I suppose you've been fooling around with her for weeks." She glared at her partner and saw he had the grace to flush red. "No wonder you haven't been so keen with me," Her eyes were wide with the hurt. "And I put it down to tiredness."

Simon nodded. "Well, our relations haven't been much fun lately."

"Fun!" Nicole screamed. "That's all you can think about. Fun! Grow up, Simon. Take on a few responsibilities in your life." She stood and walked over to the window so he could not see the tears welling in her eyes. "Well, I stuck by you, Simon, but God knows why. I don't sleep around. I worked bloody hard to try to get this little venture going and invested all my money in it."

"So have I, but...."

Nicole swung around with the embarrassment forgotten. "Just go, you bastard. Go to Auckland with your young bit of fluff and see how long you last, but don't expect to come crawling back here when she decides the boys there are more fun." She leaned on the table and fixed her tear-filled eyes on him. "I'll speak to my lawyer and bank manager and arrange finance so I can buy you out of your share of the motel."

"There's no need," Simon replied.

Nicole stood back and continued to glare at him before she swallowed and sat down. "I thought it would work out, the business would pick up, and perhaps we'd even get married and have a family," she whispered, jumped up again in frustration, and headed for the door. "Just bloody go!" she stormed, stomped outside, and slammed the door behind her.