“I’m celebrating. Everyone in the canteen is too. We’re happy for you.” His words were hollow.
“What happened to you?”
“Nothing.”
“No, not nothing. You keep feeding me clues about your past life but never enough to piece together what happened. Who hurt you so badly that you had to turn to alcohol?” Gerard stumbled in the direction of his hut. “Don’t walk away!”
On a normal day, Ian would have let him go, knowing he would drink himself to sleep and then wake up with a better attitude. But today was not that day.
“Gerard, I’m not letting this go. Tell me what happened.”
He shook his head and kept walking. Ian followed after him. Whatever bothered Gerard couldn’t be fixed or salvaged with a bottle. And while Ian knew he was far from a deity, he would move whatever mountains he could for his friend. With Gerard’s billion-dollar find, he could move several mountains.
When Ian put his hand on Gerard’s shoulder, stopping him, Gerard swung around with more speed and accuracy than he had moments ago.
“Leave it alone, Ian,” Gerard growled, then he backed away as if he was surprised at the iron edge in his voice. “Just leave it alone.”
Ian held up his hands in truce. “Just answer me this. Could your problem be fixed with money?”
“Life’s not that simple. Money is only a bandage.”
“Would a bandage help at all?” he asked, feeling very inadequate. Was money all he had to offer? Surely he could do better than that. He just didn’t know what kind of problem he was dealing with.
Gerard downed the beer and tossed the empty to Ian. “It just did.”
“You know what I mean.”
“If you want to be a shrink, I suggest finding your clients elsewhere.” He gave a shrill whistle that brought Manni down off a tree and onto his shoulder. “And if you’re looking for one yourself, especially after the wedding, Manni charges a very reasonable rate.”
“How did you know he was in the tree?”
“Didn’t you hear the rustling?”
Ian shook his head.
“It’s a wonder you’re not dead yet,” Gerard muttered. He turned and stalked off with Manni in tow.
When they disappeared from view, Ian retraced his steps back to the canteen where he met up with Harry, who was currently looking for lunch. “You and me both.”
Harry looked up at him and smiled.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Harry made a throaty grunt.
“Well, I guess if Gerard can have counseling sessions with a monkey, I might as well tell you my problems over a head of lettuce. Did you just nod?” He eyed the pygmy hippo, not sure what to make of him.
“Come inside, Ian,” Foday called from the doorway. “We are nearly done preparing the noon meal.”
“Do you have something in there for Harry?”
“Sure. I’ll be out in a moment.” Foday ducked back inside through the broken wall and returned the same way, carrying a small basket filled with leafy edibles that Harry was sure to love.
“I’ll take it,” Ian said, reaching for the basket. “Thank you.”
“Will you come inside? We have your place of honor set up.”
Ian nodded. “I’ll come in a minute. Just want to make sure Harry feels like he’s part of the party.”
Foday eyed him and then nodded. “He is always a part of our family. We welcome everyone, and we welcome your bride as well.”
“What if she leaves?”
“Everything in life is temporary. We are only promised the moment we live in, nothing more.”
“What if I want more?”
Foday smiled. “We will always want more.” He walked back to the canteen.
Ian had never felt so lost or bewildered in his life. For the first time, he was afraid Gwen would run. He just wanted one more moment with her. But if she left, he’d never find her again. He barely found her the first time, and that was by luck and her failure to clean up a stray track. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Did this mean he wanted to marry Gwen?
No. But he didn’t want her to leave either.
Harry nudged his leg.
Ian looked down. “Am I crazy?”
Harry nodded.
“I think you’re right.”
Setting the basket down, Harry happily tore into the greens. Ian watched the little hippo who contentedly ate until his belly was full. Ian wished life was that simple. That a basket of lettuce would make his day complete.
That wish of simplicity took on the form of a blonde who was probably gunning it to the airport as he whittled away his time dreaming about salads and unpromised moments.
Ian picked up the empty basket and said farewell to Harry, who waddled into the river. He then headed into the canteen. There was nothing for him to do but wait until the sun sank to see which trail his life veered off in. For the next few hours, he would lock away all thoughts and just live as the man he used to be. The man that he missed.
He plastered a smile on his face when he entered the canteen. “I thought there was supposed to be dancing.”
He was met with a cheer. Tables and benches were scooted back. And while all the action whirled around him, Ian felt nothing.
Nothing while he circled with the dancers, each swaying and stepping in rhythm to the drums and gourd shakers.
Nothing while he ate and drank.
Just nothing.
Chapter 13
Gwen had imagined her wedding ever since she was a little girl. Those dreams became less and less with each year that passed. Now in her early thirties, she had to laugh at herself. She was wrapped in a sheet and accessorized with cowry shells. Necklaces, bracelets, anklets. They also dangled from her hair. This was far from her vision. But it was perhaps a little more romantic and a whole lot more than she ever thought possible.
“You are so beautiful,” Saba said when she secured the last shell. “Ian is going to have the prettiest bride.”
Gwen felt her face heat. She was never given to blushing, but somehow the situation felt too intimate. For so long she had been on her own, and she never once minded it. But now, simple words of praise and friendship made her horribly self-conscious.
Only a few minutes remained before she’d be brought to Ian. She was selfish for not leaving. But they could talk after the ceremony, and if he still wanted her to leave, then she would. For once, she wanted him to listen to her apology and truly forgive her. It was asking a lot.
She had been pampered the entire day. Food and drink brought to her, a bath filled with flower petals. Songs and laughter. They took care of her.
“Good thing Jasper never returned,” Saba said. “I was afraid that he would ruin everything. I don’t like him.”
“I suspect he won’t return until he can find more information,” Gwen said. “He doesn’t strike me as the type to toil in the fields when he can sit inside an air-conditioned office.”
“Do you think it’s air-conditioned?” she asked, her face lighting. “I have heard about machines like that. You stick them in windows and your room turns to ice.”
“Not quite ice, but cool.”
“Do you have one at home?”
Gwen nodded.
Saba sighed. “Someday I will have one too.”
“You will need electricity before then.”
“Ian was going to get it. But that was before he was taken away.”
“Taken away by the rebels?”
Saba nodded.
“Does he seem different to you?”
Saba’s lips pinched together as she thought. “He is not very different, but there is something about him that has changed.”
“I thought so too.”
“You can ask him tonight . . . if you have time.” Saba smiled widely.
An apprehensive fluttering upset her stomach.
“What’s going to happen when we leave the hut?” Gwen asked. “I’m not fa
miliar with weddings here.”
“You might find things a little different. But Ian spoke with the elders. He wanted to make sure to leave the braided grass on.”
“I’m not familiar with that.”
In the distance, she could hear the familiar sounds of drums and shakers, men and women singing a welcoming chant.
Saba hopped in place. “It’s time. Are you ready?”
Gwen nodded. There was no turning back now. And she didn’t want to.
* * *
Ian stood near the river and looked out at the sunset. He felt ridiculous wearing a white wrap that hung around his hips and nothing else, but he didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t like he had a tuxedo in his hut, nor would Gwen wear a traditional Western dress. And when it came down to it, this is what the villagers expected. This was their tradition, and he would honor it. He just hoped the cloth stayed in place. He didn’t want to surprise Jala again.
When the drums and singers crowded around him, he knew it was time. They waited at the edge of the water until the group of women that had prepped Gwen brought her to him. They didn’t have to wait long, and he could hear the women’s voices blending in with the melody. The two groups joined together, and Gwen was placed at his side.
She was beautiful.
Her hair flowed with petite shells. They graced her entire body and he never thought anything could be more lovely, not even if they were diamonds.
Especially since they weren’t diamonds.
She, like most of the women, was dressed in nothing but a white sheet wrapped around her. And it was perfect. He no longer minded the tradition so much.
There was something so gentle and pure about her when divested of Western clothes. Maybe it was the warm night or the way the lingering sun coated her hair with pinks and reds. For a moment he thought this might actually work. They might have a chance. He tried to push the thought away, but he really didn’t want to and so he let it take hold. At least for tonight.
Gwen looked at him cautiously.
“You didn’t run,” he said softly.
She shook her head.
He should have been upset, should have been nervous, but all he felt was that everything was right. But nothing was. So, why was he relieved she had stayed?
He didn’t want to think about it, not when she looked at him that way, the way that made him lose all coherent thought, the way that made him want to sink his hands into her hair and bring her mouth to his.
Ian took her hand as part of the ceremony, but he would have done it anyway. He wanted to feel her, to know this was real.
He was barely aware of Jala as she wrapped braided grass around his hands and Gwen’s, binding them together. Jala sang with the others, her voice standing out as it cracked and wavered.
Gwen didn’t say anything, just watched in fascination. When Jala tucked in the last piece of grass, she lifted their bound hands into the air three times, then led them to the dance circle. For the first time since Gwen was brought to him, she looked nervous.
“I don’t know how to dance like this,” she said.
“They don’t care. If they did, they’d never let Gerard in.” Ian nodded over to where Gerard had joined in. His steps might have been in sync with the others, but his body and arms were not.
She laughed softly and nodded to proceed. It wasn’t long before she moved along with the rest, and he became acutely aware of how fluidly she moved against him. It made him wonder about the night, made him wonder about many things.
“What happens after we dance?” she asked.
“We eat and drink and probably dance again.”
“No, I meant for the ceremony.”
As realization sank in, Ian smiled. She didn’t realize they had been married already. She was still waiting for vows and “I do.” Would she be disappointed without them?
He pulled her from the circle, their hands still entangled. With his free hand, he curled his fingers through her hair and brought her close. “There’s only this,” he said as he touched his lips to hers. He wanted to deepen the kiss but held back for both their sakes. She surprised him by teasing his lips with her tongue. He grinned and broke away.
“Does that mean we are married?” she asked.
“We were married when Jala lifted our hands.”
Her eyes widened. “That was fast.” Gwen looked down at the braided grass. “How long do we keep this on?”
“All night,” he lied.
* * *
Gwen couldn’t take her eyes off Ian. He seemed light, free, happy. Was it possible? Could it be that he was happy she’d stayed? It seemed like too much to hope for. But as the night progressed and they ate and drank, he never once faltered, never let his emotions sway. He was amazing.
After all she had done to him, he didn’t push her away or make her regret staying. He kept her close. She wished the night would never end, that they could live in this bubble for an eternity.
As she sat next to him, they watched as the party continued. Saba had danced nearly the entire night, and Gwen envied her energy. But Gwen was quite content sitting next to Ian, not that he could go away without dragging her along. They were still tied together.
She liked the tradition.
Ian leaned over, his shoulder rubbing against her, the warmth of his lips touching the shell of her ear. “Let’s go.”
There were still so many people around, all celebrating for them. “Won’t they notice?”
“Of course, but if we don’t go now we’ll be stuck babysitting Gerard.”
Gwen scanned for Gerard and found him stumbling out of the canteen. “Maybe we should get him home first.”
“Foday will see him home.”
“Are you sure?” She would hate for anything to happen to him. While Gerard had been less than civil with her, even tying her up like a mummy, he had made a conscious effort to bite his tongue this evening. At one point he might have bit hard because he winced.
“Trust me,” Ian said, pulling her to her feet. “Look, Saba is already heading over to him. She’ll make sure he gets home.”
“She was very helpful today.”
“She did a good job.” His gaze caressed her. “You look beautiful. I approve of the dress.”
Gwen’s heated gaze cast along his form. He really did look amazing in just a sheet. She wondered how securely wrapped it was. “And I approve of yours.”
He tugged her close to him. “Are there any safety pins holding your dress together?”
She shook her head. “How about you?”
He smiled. “I’d never cheat.” He nudged her down the trail to his cabin, and she was happy to follow.
However, a word tripped in her brain and she wondered at it. Cheat. He had told her he wasn’t married well before the ceremony, but how was that possible? She didn’t think he was a cheater, so what had happened to Nadia, the woman who said she was married to him?
Ian must have felt her slow and looked over at her. “What’s wrong? We can go back to the party if you want.”
“No, I was just wondering about Nadia.”
“Can I tell you tomorrow?”
“Why tomorrow?”
“Because I don’t want you to think less of me, not tonight.”
“How could I think less of you?” she asked. “You have a swarm of admirers here, and you take their best interest to heart. I couldn’t think less of you even if you tried to sway me.”
He reached up, gently grazing his fingertips against her chin. She watched the war as it played in his eyes.
“Do I have to remind you of what I am?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. She really didn’t want to rehash the past. But she would, if only to make him see how wonderful he was compared to her. “How could you possibly have anything to worry about?”
“Then can I tell you the quick version?”
She nodded. “As long as I can ask questions.”
“That defeats the purpose of the quick version. But I’ll
tell you anyway. I’m a younger brother to two of the most obnoxiously perfect men in existence.”
When she raised a brow, he placed a finger on her lips.
“My version of the story,” he amended.
She nodded.
“I tried for years to best them and could only do so by some underhanded stealing . . . of the girlfriend variety.”
Gwen wasn’t sure she wanted to know that. He’d probably had many girlfriends of his own that she wouldn’t want to know about, let alone that he was stealing his brothers’. It added too many people into the mix, and her neck prickled with heat.
“I went too far one night. It was well after you had left the first time.” He raised his eyes upward as if trying to recall information. “In fact, I had received some disturbing news here, so I went to hide the Matahari necklace—that you eventually stole—and then went to see my brother Greyson about help for the village. He knows a lot of lawyers and had a security team that would be able to help me.” He looked at her, grimacing. “This story is actually longer than I thought, but I don’t want questions.”
She nodded for him to continue.
“His assistant blocked me from seeing him. She actually blocked everyone, including his girlfriend who had to basically kick down his door in order get into his penthouse.”
“Nadia did that?” When he nodded, she smiled. “I can see that. I actually liked her the few days I knew her. But did she actually kick the door down or are you exaggerating?”
He put his finger back on her lips. “Shhh. Or we’ll never get through this. Where was I?”
“You were trying to see your brother,” she mumbled from under his finger.
“Yes, and I was told I couldn’t. But I was given Nadia’s cell phone that she dropped in the hall while attempting to break in. So, I returned it to her.”
“And then married her?”
“Well, I was irritated with Greyson for being duped by his assistant, plus Nadia deserved to blow off steam. So after a few drinks, her friend—who happened to own a wedding chapel—married us.”
Her mouth must have dropped open because he gently tapped it closed with his finger.
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