Page 142 of Shattered By the Currents

Ryan: How hypothetical are we talking?

Nora: Five days, four nights, and thirty-seven minutes in the fridge.

Ryan: Trash it.

Nora: It smells fine.

Ryan: Smell isn’t a safety guarantee, Indiana Jones.

Nora: It’s noodles, not rice. And microwaves kill everything.

Ryan: Did you text me because you wanted to know if it was safe to eat, or so I could convince you that food poisoning wouldn’t be that bad?

Nora: Fine. But now I’m sad. I hate wasting food.

Ryan: The bigger waste would be a perfectly healthy stomach.

Nora: Yeah, yeah. Throwing it away.

He shook his head.

Nora was the only family he had. At least, the only family he kept in contact with. Exactly why they spoke so often. Why he’d tried to convince her to move here. So far, he’d had no luck, but maybe one day she would.

He shoved his cell into his pocket.

The hinges of the door groaned as he pushed inside the building, the strong scent of cleaning disinfectant hanging in the air.

He knew exactly where Ferris’s office was because he’d been here more times than he could count. He also knew Ferris would be here on a Sunday because the man never stopped working. Usually, he and the town mayor saw eye to eye. Hell, Ferris was good at listening and usually made smart decisions.

Not this time.

He stormed down the hall, one of the ceiling lights flickering.

One knock and he walked straight into the mayor’s office, not waiting for a welcome.

Ferris’s brows rose as he looked up at Ryan, phone to his ear as he sat at his desk. “Mandy, I’m sorry, I’m going to have to call you back.”

Ryan crossed the room and placed his palms on the desk. Or really, slammed them. The second the phone was down, he growled, “You need to cancel this movie shit.”

Ferris sighed. “Ryan, we’ve been through this.”

“And you didn’t listen.”

“I did. I heard everything you said.You’renot hearingme. The deal is done.”

“Undo it.”

“I can’t.” Ferris leaned back. “This is going to bring great press and money to our town?—”

“Fuck that.”

“Ryan—”

“No. My team and I have been working our asses off! We’ve been doing our jobsandWard’s. You bring a movie production to this town, you’ll stretch us too thin.”

The mayor rose. “Ryan. You guys are former SEALs. You’ve handled a hell of a lot worse than what’s been thrown at you here in Deep River. And we both know you make really good money—that money isspecificallyto compensate for the extra work you do.”

“So that’s it? You’re just moving ahead with this bullshit against our better judgment?”