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suggested they catch up. She felt like she owed it to Pierre.

Jim was an old friend, even if he was brutally obnoxious most

of the time. She could handle small doses here and there.

“Oh, I don’t know. Because it’s something to do? Because

they have a passing interest? Because they’re fans of yours

and want to see you speak and meet you in person? Because

they’re bored and have nothing better to do?”

“Amateurs,” Jim scoffed. “Why come to a workshop on

advanced settings if you don’t know how to actually use a

camera?”

“Not everyone shoots with the same equipment,” Adalynn

reminded him. “And a lot of people are professionals, but they

don’t do wildlife. They shoot indoors. People and whatnot. In

the city, there isn’t a huge opportunity for connecting with

nature in a meaningful way. The only lions and tigers people

see here are in shows.”

“That’s not true,” Jim huffed. “People come from all over

the world to these things.”

“You’re right.” Adalynn reached for a tomato slice. She

hated tomatoes by themselves, and this one was overripe, but

she dunked it in the creamy dip, bit, chewed, and swallowed

quickly so she didn’t have to taste much of it. “They do come

from all over. I don’t know…”

“I don’t know why you agree to do the speaking and the

workshops. I don’t know why I agree. It seems like a waste of

time. We’re established. We don’t need the publicity.”

Adalynn swallowed her annoyance. “Maybe it’s a way to

give back.” The silent reprimand was there in her words. She

basically could have shouted that they did it because Pierre

would have done it. It would have silenced Jim if she’d said as