Havyn nodded and made a face at him. “Ew to the caviar, but yeah…” She bent over to wave and smile at a little girl with a distended belly and flies crawling on her face. “It breaks my heart that anyone would have to live like this year round.”
Levi pulled a container of orange Tic Tacs from his pocket and shook one into his palm, holding it out to the little girl. He angled her a look as the little girl snatched the candy and took off at a run. “Not a caviar girl, huh?”
Behind them, Chelsea laughed. “Let’s just say Havyn’s adventures in eating stop at pizza and burritos.”
Another thing that made Havyn feel guilty, when the little girl darting away was obviously so malnourished.
Cannon glanced over at Levi. His eyes grew round. “Watch—” But even as he tried to offer the warning, a cavalcade of little kids thronged toward Levi and surrounded him, all holding out their hands as they jumped up and down and begged for a Tic Tac.
“Wait! One at a time!” Levi laughed as he tried to organize the children into a line, but they were having none of it.
The children jostled and pushed until Havyn was afraid a fight might start right then and there.
Levi’s what-do-I-do look, made her chuckle. She shrugged.
One of the older kids took advantage of the fact that he wasn’t paying attention to try to snatch the whole container from his hands, but Levi was quick and raised the container high over his head before the boy could get a good grasp. Instead of cuffing the kid like she might have been tempted to do, Levi chuckled and shook his finger at the boy, then held it up. “One!”
“Modzi!” Cannon waded into the fray and clapped his hands. “Lekani! Imirani kuno.” He pointed to a spot on the ground in front of him, and the little ones scurried to form a ragged line. He cocked an eyebrow at Levi with a questioning grin. “I hope you have enough of those to give one to everyone?”
Levi’s face blanched. “I didn’t realize…”
Hayvn took pity on him and stepped forward. “I have a box of Nerds in my fanny pack.”
“And I have Altoids in my purse.”
Havyn’s eyebrows rose as she turned to accept the tin of mints from Rayne. The woman’s face was stricken as she studied the long line of children snaking through the heart of the village. For the first time Havyn felt an unforced measure of friendship toward the woman.
Levi whistled in relief as she handed him the tin. “Thanks for coming to my rescue, ladies.” Havyn set to work helping him pass out the tiny treats. And when the line of children ended, there were only a few Nerds left in her box.
She stuffed the box back in her fanny pack. “I didn’t think we were going to have enough there for a minute.”
Rayne and Levi nodded, and they all watched the clusters of children scattered around the village grinning from ear to ear and chattering animatedly. Such a little thing had made their day.
By noon, when Cannon called them to a stop for lunch, Havyn had a good-sized blister going on her palm and a severe ache in her lower back.
Hammer clenched in one fist, she stretched out her back as she studied job site. They had all four walls framed and had just started on the trusses of the roof. They’d made good progress, but boy, was she starving.
Cannon gathered everyone around, and Havyn was ultra aware of the brush of Levi’s arm against hers as they all pressed close.
“Normally we’ll return to the house for a couple hours in the worst heat of the day to eat and rest a bit before we come back out, but today the women of the village wanted to make you a special meal as their way of saying thank you for the work you’ll be putting in here.”
Levi prodded her in the ribs and leaned close to whisper, “Don’t worry. It likely won’t be caviar.”
She chuckled but couldn’t deny a measure of hesitation as they said a quick prayer and Cannon instructed them to sit in a circle in the shade of a jacaranda.
After the prayer, two young teen girls brought around chipped enamel bowls of water and a bar of soap and held them patiently as each of them washed in one and rinsed in the other. A third girl followed with a towel, the cleanliness of which was sketchy at best, but Havyn smiled at her and dried her hands nonetheless.
A cloth had been spread on the ground, and in its center a tin plate with an inverted bowl rested. As they all sat, a woman carried over a large pot of steaming meat. The spicy scent made Havyn’s stomach growl so loudly Levi quirked an eyebrow at the sound. Her face heated slightly, but when her stomach rumbled again she gave up all pretense with a shrug and a laugh. She was starving, and it smelled heavenly! Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, after all. The woman removed the inverted bowl to reveal a mound of round, white doughy-looking patties that sent a waft of steam into the air. She gestured for them to proceed and stepped back.
“So here’s how this works,” Cannon instructed. “The white stuff is called nsima. It is corn flour and water and not much else and doesn’t have much taste, and it is really hot, so be careful. You take a patty, and you pinch off a piece and roll it into a ball” —he demonstrated as he spoke—“then you dip it into the pot of meat and eat it.” He popped the ball of dough and chicken into his mouth and licked his fingers, then motioned for all of them to dig in.
Rayne huffed. “We all have to eat out of the same pot?”
Cannon offered a teasing wink and a nod. “Look at it as part of the experience. You’ll have quite a few stories to tell when you get back home.”
That seemed to pacify Rayne only a little.
Havyn’s first taste of the meat sent her taste buds into overdrive. Spicy curry, tomatoes, and onions accentuated the chicken to perfection. And the corn flour paste mellowed it all out with a soft plainness.
The same little birds she’d seen at the house earlier that morning were darting in and out of the leaves overhead. She pointed them out to Cannon. “What kind of birds are those?”
He glanced up. “Those are called sunbirds.”
“Those little guys are gorgeous!” Chelsea gushed.
The birds really were beautiful. Havyn watched them contentedly as she ate her fill of the delicious meal.
They were halfway through the pot when Chelsea gasped and jerked her hand back, staring into the depths of the meat with wide, horrified eyes. “Is that what I think it is?”
Cannon leaned past her and glanced into the pot with a chuckle. “I’ve been waiting to see which of you would notice it first.”
Havyn leaned forward and peered into the black kettle. Floating off to one edge was a chicken head—complete with eyes, beak, and comb. Her stomach curled. She glanced down at the bite of nsima in her hand and swallowed.
Levi was the first to recuperate. He leaned forward and dipped into the meat as though nothing had changed.
Everyone stared at him.
He shrugged. “We’ve eaten over half of it. And besides, this’s some of the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I’m not going to let a beak and a couple of eyeballs ruin it for me.”
Havyn chuckled and followed suit. He was right. And besides, she didn’t want to offend any of the women who’d worked so hard to put this meal together for them.
When she glanced up, it was to encounter the smoky blue, admiring gaze of Levi Carter, and her stomach did a funny little hiccup that had nothing to do with floating chicken heads.
Later that evening Havyn leaned against the wall in the hallway outside the bathroom back at the mission station. She was waiting for Chelsea to finish washing up so they could go to dinner together. Working all day in the blazing hot sun had taken its toll, and she could feel her energy waning fast. She just wanted to get dinner over with so she could fall into her bed and sleep the next ten hours away. She tucked her hands behind herself and tipped her head against the wall, closing her eyes. Her skin felt tight and warm. She’d gotten too much sun, but at least she wasn’t as bad off as poor Chelsea, who’d worn SPF 50 all day and had still ended up the color of a boiled lobster.
; Footsteps sounded, and she glanced down the hall. Rayne sashayed towards her wearing designer jeans, the cost of which could probably feed a village for a month, and a beige silk blouse that accentuated her tiny waist. “Cannon said to tell you two dinner was ready.”
Havyn considered the closed door across the hall. Chelsea always took forever in the bathroom. And she’d be mortified if Havyn left her to be the only one late to dinner. She offered Rayne a smile of thanks. “Tell them to go ahead without us. We’ll be there in just a couple minutes.”
“Will do—” Rayne’s eyes widened as her attention honed in on Havyn’s face. “Oh, you poor thing! Does it hurt something awful? You could rival a tomato!” She raised a hand to touch her own cheeks, which Havyn noticed still looked like they’d just been airbrushed to perfection.
She forced her smile to remain in place. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“Well, after dinner come to my room and let me at least put some cover-up on you.”
Havyn’s cheeks felt like they had been chiseled in place. After dinner she was going to sleep. Why would she need cover-up? “Thanks, but I’m planning on going straight to sleep after dinner.”
Rayne tilted her head in a gesture of pity. “Well, tomorrow morning then before we head out to the site, at least. We can’t have you scaring the natives!” She tittered.
And tomorrow she’d just sweat the stuff off in about two minutes flat. Still, she didn’t want to hurt Rayne’s feelings. She was determined to try and be a friend. She put her off with a shrug and “We’ll see how I’m feeling in the morning, okay?”
“Honey, trust me when I say you always feel better with a little makeup on!” She turned and started away, giving a little wave over her shoulder. “I’ll tell the men you two will be a few minutes. See you out there.”
Thirty minutes later Havyn was stuffed and more sleepy than ever when Cannon pushed back from his plate. “Everyone, you did a fantastic job today! We made good progress.” He glanced around the table with a grin. “Everyone looks like they got a little sun—”
“Some more than others,” Rayne interrupted with a guffaw and a pointed look toward Chelsea, who turned even redder at the attention.
Cannon nodded. “But that’s to be expected. I’m sure everyone will sleep well tonight. Breakfast will be at seven in the morning, and we’ll head to the site again at seven forty-five.”
Everyone scooted away from the table, but Havyn’s attention snagged on Cannon, who was watching Chelsea with speculative consideration and not a little bit of interest.
She pressed her lips together and gently nudged Chelsea with her elbow.
“Ow,” Chelsea whispered, obviously trying not to draw attention to the pain her sunburn was causing her. “What?”
In case he was still watching them, Havyn tipped her head as subtly as possible toward Cannon, who was standing to his feet. “He’s interested in you.”
Chelsea’s eyes darted past her to see who she meant and then widened in shock. She shook her head and whispered fiercely, “No way. There are a few things I know about in life, Havyn Jessup, and one of them is that men like that do not get interested in girls like me.”
“Chelsea?” Cannon spoke from just behind them.
The fact that Chelsea’s face washed white did not help her sunburn—it only heightened it. Wide eyed, they both turned to look at him.
Havyn’s eyebrows rose when she noticed that Levi stood next to Cannon, hands thrust into the pockets of khaki cargo shorts. He wore a casual short-sleeved Oxford over a dark blue T-shirt—a combination that at once emphasized the blue of his eyes and the broadness of his shoulders. Was it getting hot in here? She eased out a restrained breath and forced her attention onto Cannon.
His focus fixed solely on Chelsea, Cannon offered a sheepish smile, scraped his fingers through his blond curls, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, I was wondering…if you”—his eyes flickered to Havyn and expanded as if he’d just noticed she stood there—“both of you would like to come see a new litter of puppies? My dog just had the litter about two weeks ago.” He gestured to Levi. “We were just about to head down to my place.”
Since it was obvious the man really was asking Chelsea, and since she’d vowed to keep her distance from the ever-more-enticing Levi Carter, Havyn held her silence. But after the quiet stretched so long Cannon’s feet shuffled, her gaze shifted toward her friend.
Chelsea stood immobile, jaw slack.
Havyn bit off a grin and laid a hand in the middle of Chelsea’s back. Her gaze darted to Levi’s amused one. He arched a dark brow in challenge.
She swallowed. Be strong. No matter how tempting it would be to spend time with him, she must guard her heart. She wouldn’t give in. She turned to Cannon. “I honestly am about dead on my feet. I think it must be the jet lag combined with too much sun today. But Chelsea loves animals, and I’m sure she’d love to come see them.” She prodded Chelsea with a firm poke to her spine even as she kept her attention on Cannon and offered a smile. “Maybe I could take a rain check?”
“Sure.” Cannon stepped back and waved his hand as though to erase all he’d just said. “Of course. You probably both are tired. Don’t—”
“I’d love to come see them.” The words popped from Chelsea’s mouth as if they’d just been fired from a gun. Then she flashed Havyn a glance. “I-I slept pretty good on the flights compared to you. I’m really not that tired.”
Havyn grinned and leaned toward Cannon to pseudo-conspiratorially offer, “Even if Chelsea was near exhaustion, she’d have time to look at some puppies.” Especially with a handsome guy like you. She didn’t allow the handsome face that leapt to her mind instead of Cannon’s to linger long. Giving Chelsea a quick squeeze, she said, “You have fun, and I’ll see you in the morning. I’m sure I’ll be asleep before my head hits the pillow.”
Rayne popped up at Levi’s side like one of the annoying pins in a whack-a-mole game. “Did I hear you guys are going to see puppies? I love puppies!” She threaded her arm through Levi’s and rested her chin on his shoulder, batting her eyelashes up at him. “When do we leave?”
A roil of jealousy curled through Havyn’s stomach, and she gritted her teeth. She had absolutely no right to be feeling jealous. Especially since she had no plans to pursue a relationship with the man.
Levi’s jaw hardened, and he gently extracted himself from Rayne’s grip.
Havyn’s curiosity crested. That was the second time she’d seen him pull away from the woman. A thrill of hope poked its head up, but she mentally smacked it down. What did it matter if what he’d said about not being in a relationship with Rayne was true? She firmly reminded herself that just because he might not be with Rayne didn’t mean she planned on letting him back into her life. “You guys have fun. I’ll plan to come down next time.”
Rayne didn’t seem to be bothered by Levi’s withdrawal. She waved a friendly goodbye to Havyn. “Have a good night. Don’t forget to stop by my room in the morning so I can give you some makeup tips. You really have some great features, and with a little makeup we’ll have you looking downright pretty in no time.” She folded her arms and offered Havyn a smile that looked so genuine it was no wonder the woman had won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress last year.
Despite knowing Rayne was being catty, Havyn felt her face heat.
The group fell silent.
Her humiliation compounded when of its own volition her gaze darted to Levi and he shook his head in sympathy. Was he shaking his head because Rayne had been rude? Or because she was right?
“Well, I’ll see you guys in the morning.” She beat a hasty retreat, almost running down the hall once she was out of everyone’s sight. She slipped into her room and shut the door, then leaned back against it and closed her eyes. You will not cry. You will not cry.
Why was it that no matter how hard she tried, she never could seem to make friends with other women? Well, there was Chelsea, of course, but they’d been besties sinc
e junior high. She’d honestly tried to be friendly to Rayne, but the woman obviously didn’t like her. And, of course, there was Levi to complicate things.
Behind her someone tapped on the door.
Great! She’d ruined Chelsea’s night with Cannon. She dashed at the moisture on her cheeks, which had spilled over despite her little pep talk to herself, and pulled the door open.
Levi.
She sighed and started to close the door. “I’m fine, Levi. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Just…” He slapped his palm against the wood and applied a little pressure, and she let it swing open.
He stepped closer as his gaze swept her face and then narrowed. He reached out and cupped her cheek, stroking his thumb across some telltale dampness. “You know why she said that, don’t you?”
His touch sent a shock wave of desire through her. She tilted her cheek into his palm. She was too tired to fight this right now…too worn-ou—No!
She jolted upright and turned her face away, pressing her lips together. She didn’t want to talk about this. Especially not with Levi. A conversation like that might unravel her resistance to him till barely a thread remained. She couldn’t risk it. “I thought you were going to look at the puppies?”
He ignored her attempted subject change. “She’s jealous.”
Havyn couldn’t stop a blink of surprise even as her gaze zipped back to his. “Rayne McQuaid, jealous of me? A PE teacher from Seattle?” A bark of laughter escaped.
His blue gaze warmed. “Oh, yeah.”
The man was certifiable. But… Her shoulders slumped. “Well, maybe, but only because she thinks you might be interested in me.”
He took a slow step closer, sliding one hand over her waist and around behind her. His other hand tipped up her chin. “She knows I’m interested in you. But that’s not the only reason she’s jealous.”
Someone must have pulled a plug on all the oxygen in the room, because suddenly she was having a hard time finding any. She licked her lips. “Levi…”
My Blue Havyn (Hearts of Hollywood - Christian Romance Novellas) Page 5