He took a deep breath. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
She almost snorted. Jack clearly didn’t know what fun was. But the temptation to relive one of her fondest memories of going swimming underneath a waterfall with her father was too great.
“Fine.” She stood up and started marching toward the waterfall. He grabbed her arm, making her halt. “What, Jack?”
His eyebrows drew together. “You just can’t go off walking by yourself. Snakes like to be around water.”
“Whatever,” she said, sounding more like a teenager than a thirty-two-year-old doctor.
He started to laugh. “Sophie, don’t be mad at me.”
Huh? She wanted to wipe that silly grin right off his handsome face. “I don’t even know why you would care.” She jerked his hand off of her arm. “I irritate you, and I don’t even know what it is I’ve done.”
“I don’t think I know what it is exactly, either.” He blew out a long breath. “Look, I’m…sor…I’ll try not to snap at you anymore.”
She gave him a dubious look. “Okay. But in the future, if you’re going to get mad at me, can you at least let me know why?”
He looked totally exasperated. “I’ll do my best.”
Satisfied, she gave him a small smile and stuck out her hand. “Truce?”
Jack took her hand, and immediately she regretted her actions. “Truce,” he said as he slowly wrapped his large fingers around her hand, stealing her breath.
Tugging back, she tried to distance herself from him. Jack held fast and pulled her with him to the water’s edge. It was hard not to respond to the warmth radiating up her arm. His hand felt good, and Sophie hated to admit how much she liked holding it.
“Hector, are you coming?” she questioned as they walked away.
“Sí. I’ll be there in a minute.”
The crystal blue water looked inviting. Her hair felt matted and sticky and she fantasized what it would feel like to swim under the small waterfall. “So this is safe to swim in, right?” she asked, looking for any signs of something lethal.
Jack sat on a rock to remove his boots. “It’s safe.”
Taking a seat on the same rock, Sophie removed her shoes and socks. She wiggled her toes in the cool, moist grass, glancing down to check for snakes. Jack had his back to her, and it was as if she could feel the heat radiating from his body, making her painfully aware of him.
She pulled her lip gloss out of her pocket and put it inside her shoe. Unclasping her watch, she added it to the pile. The pants she wore could be unzipped at the knee, converting them into shorts.
Finished, she stood up to find Jack assessing her with his cool blue eyes. “Are you one of those women who won’t get their hair wet?”
Sophie didn’t answer him. Instead, she made a shallow dive into the clear water. It felt so refreshing, and instantly her bad mood disappeared. She surfaced, blinking the water out of her eyes. Jack still stood on the edge. “Jack, it feels so wonderful. Are you coming in?”
The minute she asked the question, Sophie knew she had made a mistake. She hadn’t thought it through very carefully, but she should’ve known he would take off his shirt.
Before she could think of something to discourage him, he tugged on the hem of his tee and pulled it over his head. Sophie caught a glimpse of his washboard stomach and immediately turned around. The rest of his upper body would look just as good and she didn’t need another reason to feel attracted to him.
She heard the splash as he entered, the water rippling around her. Maybe swimming wasn’t such a good idea after all, and where in the world was Hector?
Surfacing next to her, Jack’s eyes glistened with mischief. “Wanna race to the waterfall?”
He sure seemed to have a competitive streak in him. She was beginning to think he didn’t like that she could put up her tent faster than him. “Sure. On the count of three.”
They both counted to three and then took off. Sophie wasn’t a great swimmer, and she could never compete with someone taller and stronger than she was. Jack was already under the falls when she came to a stop.
“You win,” she conceded.
He grinned. “What took you so long, Kendrick?”
She flicked water at him. “You’re a poor winner.”
Shaking the water off, he laughed and said, “I am not.” Then he splashed her back. “You’re just a poor loser.”
“It wasn’t a fair race,” she said petulantly. Then she slid her hand along the water and propelled a large wave right in his face.
Jack sputtered, then his blue eyes narrowed, and he moved a little closer. “Wanna race again? I’ll give you a head start.”
“No,” Sophie said with a laugh.
“Chicken.”
This time she gave into her childish side and stuck out her tongue. Jack smiled and clasped his hands in front of him and managed to shoot a stream of water directly at her.
“Would you stop that?” she said, moving out of the line of fire.
“Only if you don’t start up again.”
So, as long as Jack was the last one to splash water in her face, they could quit? He had probably not been any fun to play tag with when he was a kid. The game would’ve never ended because Jack would always have to be the last one to tag someone.
She leaned her head back to float on the water, letting him think she was done. When she came up, she used both of her hands to shove as much water as she could, then she took off, knowing he would come after her.
She tried swimming as fast as possible, but within a few strides she felt him grab her leg. Screaming, she giggled as he pulled her back toward him. “Stop!” she shrieked as he prepared to launch her into the water.
Deep laughter rumbled behind her as Jack’s hands circled her waist. “This will teach you, little girl.” He lifted her fairly high and then tossed her away from him.
When she surfaced again, Jack stood right in front of her. Rising up on her tippy toes, the depth of the water allowed Sophie’s head to be above the surface, her shoulders barely peeking above the water. Jack’s browned shoulders and chest were well above the water. She moved her hands, ready to launch another assault. It was either that or openly stare at the bronzed Adonis in front of her.
Before she splashed him, Jack grabbed both of her wrists. “I wouldn’t if I were you.” Droplets of water clung to his eyelashes, and the blue of his eyes matched the water surrounding them. His mouth tilted up in a crooked smile, and his teeth appeared even whiter against the dark stubble covering his jaw.
Mercy, the man is gorgeous. Her pulse tripped, and Sophie purposely kept her eyes focused on his face. However, her peripheral vision noted every detail of Jack’s muscular and tan body.
“Okay. You win. You can let go now,” Sophie said a little breathlessly. Pulling on her hands, she struggled to escape the hold he had on her—both figuratively and literally.
He shook his head, keeping a tight grip. “What if I don’t want to let go?”
He drew her toward him, making Sophie dizzy at the close proximity. His eyes lowered to her mouth, and, against her will, she found herself wondering what it would feel like if Jack kissed her. Even more distressing was the fact that she wanted him to.
“I think you want me to kiss you,” Jack said smugly.
What? How did he know? “I certainly do not.”
A wry smile tipped his mouth. “Yes, you do.”
Maybe she had, but not now. The arrogant look in his eyes doused her desires as effectively as dumping water onto a fire. More than likely he was toying with her, probably waiting for her to throw herself at him just so he could rebuff her.
Sophie jerked her wrists free and pushed his solid chest away from her. “I think I’m done.”
Chapter Nine
Jack let Sophie swim away, feeling annoyed at how much he had wanted to kiss her. When she climbed out of the water, he hollered, “You just don’t want to admit it.”
He tried not to laugh at t
he incensed look on her face. She put her hands on her hips, her brown T-shirt clinging to her form. “Just so you know, kissing you was the last thing on my mind.”
"If you say so,” he said, making his way to the shore.
Her gaze narrowed. “I mean it, Jack.”
“I’m sure you do.” He climbed out and saw her eyes briefly scan him, causing a pink blush to spread across her cheeks. Abruptly, she turned around and sat down on the rock. Sophie was attracted to him. Somehow knowing that made him feel a little more in control.
“But I really have to say that you looked like—”
She whirled around and cut off his sentence. “I don’t care what it looked like. I do not want to kiss you.”
Obviously not now—which was his plan. But he would bet money that she had wanted that kiss as much as he had.
He reached for a hand towel Hector must have dropped off. He probably saw all the flirting going on and didn’t want to interrupt them. “All I was going to say is you looked like you…were enjoying yourself.”
She ignored him and dried off her feet, then proceeded to put her socks and shoes on. Jack pulled on his shirt, and then sat beside her to dry off his own feet and put on his socks. While he put on his boots, he cut a sly glance toward Sophie and watched as she finger-combed her hair.
Pretty, even with wet hair.
She looked his way and caught him staring at her. The instant their eyes met, the spark of awareness flared between them again. The intensity was alarming to Jack, and he was glad he hadn’t kissed her.
He ducked his head and finished lacing his boots. It scared him to think how easy it would be to put aside his fears and give in to the emotions she evoked. She was dangerous to him, and he needed to put a barrier in place.
“Hey, I’m only teasing you.” He stood up and grinned. “I wouldn’t want your boyfriend to hunt me down after you go home.”
“Peter isn’t the violent type, so I think you’re safe,” she said, standing beside him.
“That’s good to know.” He glanced at her and winked. “Good Christian men are hard to find. You better hang on to him.”
An emotion he couldn’t define flickered across her face. Slowly, she gave him a soft, almost sad-like smile. “I think you’re right.” Then she turned away and walked back toward their gear. Jack followed behind her, keeping a safe distance between them.
Her reaction was exactly what he had wanted. If he made it clear how wrong he was for her, both of them could ignore the chemistry between them. Besides, Jack didn’t plan on getting involved with a woman who could potentially hurt him even more than Heather had.
He refused to analyze why Sophie could do more damage than his former fiancée. Deep down, he just knew that she could.
They found Hector leaning against his pack, taking a siesta. Jack’s nylon pants were already drying, but he encouraged Sophie to change out of her wet clothes. She went behind a big tree while he and Hector turned their backs. Once she was changed, they continued on their journey. If all went well, they should make it to Por El Río by dusk.
* * *
Rain soaked Sophie’s clothes, making her wonder why she’d even bothered changing out of her wet clothes from swimming. Not for the first time, she replayed the events of that swim over and over. Especially the almost kiss.
It was stupid, and she kept telling herself how much she didn’t like Jack Mathison—she kept telling herself that repeatedly. But every time she thought about his tanned, muscled body, or his blue eyes and that mischievous grin, she felt a warm, fluttery feeling inside her chest.
What an absurd reaction. Jack might be nice to look at, but he was not a nice person. Something he had made sure to point out to her with his reference to Peter and hanging onto a “good Christian” man.
She was so confused. While Peter had his faults, he truly was a good guy, and he did share her faith. He enjoyed being involved in church and made generous weekly donations to further demonstrate his commitment. So why couldn’t she feel the same intense feelings for him that she had for Jack?
She gripped the straps of her backpack tight as if holding onto to them could keep her from giving up and sitting down. She squinted against the pouring rain, hoping to see the village they would be staying at tonight.
Part of her wanted to turn around and ask Jack how much further they had to go, but he would probably think she was complaining. Besides, she wasn’t talking to him. It was easier to be mad at him rather than deal with her stupid feelings.
Hector paused in front of her. He grinned and pointed his finger at a thatched roof coming into view. Finally, they’d made it to Por El Río. She knew there wouldn’t be a hotel, but hopefully someone had a generator and enough warm water for a bath. Earlier, Sophie had slipped on the wet grass, and her pants were covered in mud and grass stains.
Jack came up beside her, and she instantly felt the tingle of awareness that only seemed to get stronger each time she was around him. She didn’t dare look at him right now, afraid he might see how he affected her.
She almost jumped out of her skin when he lightly touched her back. “Easy,” he said, laughter evident in his voice. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Taking a fortifying breath, she turned and looked at him. Rivulets of rain poured off his hat, his eyes partially hidden by the bill of his ball cap. “What did you want?” Her question came out with a little more bite to it than she had intended.
Jack noticed and, of course, found her irritation funny, marked by the sardonic grin he gave her. “I just wanted to let you know we’ll only be staying one night. Manuel is a friend of mine, and he has a hut you can stay in so you won’t have to worry about setting a tent up in the rain.”
“And where will you and Hector be sleeping?”
“Hector will stay with you. I’ll figure something out.”
Either the hut was very small or Jack had another reason for bunking somewhere else tonight. Despite her curiosity, she wasn’t about to ask him for clarification.
“Great. Let’s go.”
She started forward, but he held her back with a gentle hand to her arm. The heat of his palm seared her wet skin. She paused, trying to understand her confusing feelings toward Jack. Of all the men she’d ever been acquainted with, why did she have to pick this one to be so attracted to?
“What now?” she asked, feeling frustrated, wet and tired.
“Manuel will want you to stay longer. I’m sure they haven’t seen a real doctor since the last group I brought through here six months ago.”
“Okay.” Unable to think clearly, she took a step away from him, forcing his hand to fall away.
He gave her a questioning look but only said, “I just want you to be prepared for any demands the people will make on you and remind you that we don’t have time to linger more than a day. Out of courtesy, we’ll help all we can but only for a few hours in the morning.”
“Got it. Can we go now?” Thoroughly soaked, her hat was completely useless at this point. All she wanted was to be dry again.
He gave her another one of his lazy smiles before turning her around and giving her a little push forward.
In the fifteen minutes it took them to get to the village, the rain had finally dissipated to a fine drizzle. Por El Río looked primitive, but the locals were dressed in modern clothes. They talked excitedly with each other and, once again, Sophie wished she could speak the language.
Following Jack and Hector to the center of the village, she scanned the faces, wishing her father was among them. She knew he wouldn’t be, but she longed to find him. Her life had been in such an upheaval since he’d gone missing. For a girl who claimed she didn’t need a father around all the time, she had quickly found out how wrong she’d been. Families were important, and she vowed that from here on out, nothing would keep her from having a relationship with her father. It might just be the two of them, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t have the same close-knit relationship Peter’s fam
ily had. She only prayed it wasn’t too late.
Under a large thatch-covered pavilion, a nice looking man smiled at them and motioned them toward him. His dark hair had just a touch of gray at the sides, and Sophie guessed he was probably in his mid-fifties.
“Jack, mi amigo.” He reached out and embraced Jack, patting him on the back.
He had to be Manuel. But who was the beautiful woman standing next to him? His wife? She looked to be half his age, dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight V-necked tee, emphasizing her curvaceous body. Her sleek, black hair hung nearly to her waist. It was beautiful and shiny, making Sophie keenly aware of her own matted hair underneath the sopping wet hat.
The dark-haired beauty openly admired Jack, making Sophie’s stomach tighten with an uneasy feeling of annoyance. You would think with her husband standing next to her and the villagers looking on, the woman would at least pretend not to be so interested in Jack.
“Elaina,” Jack said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.
Elaina wrapped her slender arms around Jack and murmured something in his ear. Jack chuckled and pulled back, his face turning red. Jack Mathison blushed?
Turning around, Jack motioned toward Sophie. “Dr. Kendrick, this is Manuel Carrero and his daughter, Elaina.”
His daughter. Not his wife. But judging by the way Elaina’s dark brown eyes devoured Jack, she must be single.
Fingers of jealousy gripped Sophie’s middle as she contemplated whether or not Elaina was the reason Jack would be staying somewhere else tonight.
Jack pointed out Hector, who greeted Manuel with a wave, while simultaneously keeping a hold on the donkey. Some of the children were interested in Fred and were trying to pet him. Hector was doing his best to keep them in front of the animal instead of behind where they could get hurt.
“Hello,” Sophie said, holding out her hand to Manuel.
“Hola, Doctor.” The older man bypassed the handshake and pulled her in for an exuberant hug, kissing her on the cheek. “Welcome, welcome,” he said in heavily accented English.
Discovering Sophie Page 9