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She sighed "It’s calledup with her phone in her hand--though she didn’t dare open it and run the battery down--she thought for a minute and then offered, "My name’s Brontë"

"Brontë? After Charlotte or Ely went up a notch Normally people cracked jokes about dinosaurs rather than realizing where her name was from "Either Both, I suppose My ot her anywhere"

"I see we share a commonality in mothers, then"

"Do we? Was yours a total dreairl," he said flatly "I ahly impractical and extremely irresponsible"

"Oh Um" That hadn’t been quite what Bront&eu woman, even if she didn’t have a practical bone in her body She’d also stubbornly refused to see anything but the best in people, which hy Brontë’s childhood had been so idyllicand so very false She shoved away the bad ative about my mother She just didn’t have sensible side That’s all She was a good woman Anyhow, she liked books--especially classics"

"And you have inherited her love, I take it You seem to have an obsession with ancient philosophers"

"Everyone has a hobby," she said cheerfully "What about you?"

"I do not"

"You don’t have a hobby? At all?"

"I work It takes up allpithy quotes to zing back at unsuspecting men in elevators"

Well, now she felt stupid "ISorry I just--"

"I was teasing you," he said, his voice that same crisp, abrupt sound that she’d mistaken for rudeness Perhaps that was just his manner and she hadn’t realized it because she couldn’t see his face

"Oh" Now she felt silly "I didn’t realize" There was a long pause between thee the subject "So, what’s your na the benefits of telling her "Logan Hawkings"

"That’s a nice name"

"Indeed" There was a hint of amusement in his voice now, definitely

"What’s so funny?"

"Nothing at all"

It sure sounded like he was ae annoyed, Bront&eu her cheek on her folded clothing "So how long do you think we’ll be here?"

"I suppose it depends on how direct of a hit the hurricane anization of rescue efforts"

She yawned, feeling sleepy again due to the heat "So far I’m not impressed with them"

He snorted "That makes two of us"

There was another lull in the conversation, and she figured she’d best fill it again before he decided he was fine being silent once an?"

"No" That syllable was definitely clipped and short Not a conversation he wanted to have, then

"Me either Since I’ ht crossed her mind "God, I hope we’re not stuck in here for a week"

"I doubt that will happen"

"Why is that?"

"Because we’ll die fro before that"

She felt the sudden urge to fling one of her sandals at hiht then, we’ll die thanks to the hurricane"

"The glass is definitely half es that way Maybe one of the hotel e for you Did you assign anyone to check the floors?"

"Assign anyone? Why on earth would I do that?"

She frowned into the darkness "You’re wearing a badge Aren’t you the er here?"

"Ahyes And no, I didn’t assign anyone to check the floors"

Lovely Not only was the ood at handling an e her so sleepy She hadn’t gotten ht before, thanks to the people in the next room and their acrobatics Which reestion?"

"I can’t stop you"

"Thicker walls"

"Pardon?"

"You definitely want thicker walls You can hear everything through so"

"I’ll keep that in ain

The histled, and she heard a crack in the distance She bolted upright "What was that?"

She heard hi," he said