by Rula Sinara
“Look, bottom line is that I’m in a bind and desperate enough to pay well. How long are your tours?”
Desperate. That was Pippa. The runner-up. A last resort. Just like she’d been with her childhood friend Haki. He’d considered her his girlfriend and almost married her...until his first choice—her cousin Maddie—had stepped back into his life.
Pippa pressed a hand against the twinge in her chest. She was over it. She really was. But sometimes the hurt resurfaced, like when she’d seen the happy couple who’d picked up their six kids after the tour.
A year and a half ago, she’d pictured her future like that: happily married and ready to start a family of her own. Not anymore. Her kids were all the children in the tribal villages who were counting on her for an education and more possibilities for their futures. She tapped her steering wheel.
Fine. It wouldn’t hurt to hear him out. Money was money. Still, she wasn’t going to sacrifice time in the villages to teach a rich man’s children unless it was worth it. She had not spent the last year and a half figuring out what she wanted to do with her life only to get sucked into someone else’s schedule and responsibilities.
She turned off her ignition and looked up at Dax.
“My tours are three hours. Ish. I try to be on time, but this is the wild and if that means I’m delayed because we come across something the kids should see, then we see it.”
“I assume you do two tours in a full day, then. I’ll pay you twice what you’d make taking those groups out.”
Pippa’s pulse scattered, but she bit the inside of her cheek to hide her shock. Good-looking and daft. Definitely not business minded...unless he had more money than he knew what to do with.
“But you don’t even know my price yet. Per child.”
“Come on. It’s a tour. It can’t be that much. I know what I can afford. I told you I’d pay well. Deal or no deal?”
She was so going to raise her price just because of his condescension, but heaven help her. Easy money. One week would add up to more cash than she could make in two months. She couldn’t even begin to wrap her head around all the school supplies she would be able to afford, and how much faster she’d be able to get a small school built where the tribal children could gather for lessons.
Play it cool, Pippa. She shrugged.
“Let me get this straight. You want me to watch your girls morning till night, every day, until you can get a permanent nanny.”
“Permanent...yes.”
“Because you’re here for...” She never pried when it came to the parents of her tour kids. It wasn’t professional to do so. But he wanted her watching his daughters full time and she was getting curious about what he did for work.
“I’m here on business.”
Ah. Okay. That was the polite answer for “none of your business.” Fine.
He scratched his head, and his chocolate-brown hair stuck out where his fingers had been. His eyes were the same color, and the laugh lines at the outer corners gave his eyes a serene, kind look. Too bad his personality didn’t match. He seemed too obsessed with his work to laugh enough for creases.
“Getting a replacement might take a few weeks,” he continued. “But yes, you have the idea. I have a schedule laid out for them, so you don’t have to do any prep work. Could you be here by eight tomorrow morning? I have to leave by then. All you have to do is stick to the schedule and keep them with you at all times. Trust me, it’s just easier that way. I want them safe.”
She thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Rich and private about his business and out here in the middle of nowhere for work. She had it. Maybe he was a silent partner for Tabara Lodge. That would explain him wanting to keep his identity under wraps and it’d also fit in with his being able to afford Tabara for a long stay. She looked at him.
“How old are they?” she asked. He made it sound like she’d need car seats and safety gates, or pens of some sort.
“Eleven.”
“And the other one?”
“Um...eleven.” His forehead creased apologetically.
“Twins?”
“Identical. Didn’t I mention that?”
“You skipped that part.”
“Does it really make a difference? Two kids is two kids.”
Then why was that expression “double trouble” so well-known? Pippa studied him, then hugged her book and water bottle to her chest and got out of the jeep.
“Are they around? Maybe I should meet them before I make any final decisions.”
Dax glanced toward the lodge and cranked his neck to one side, then the other.
“Okay. I suppose that’s a good idea.”
He didn’t sound convinced.
“After you,” Pippa said.
He led the way back through the lodge’s foyer and to the dining area.
Alim stood next to a table where two girls sat, one wearing a purple headband and the other a green one. They were otherwise identical and quite pretty. She guessed, by the fact that their eyes were hazel and their dark blond hair was lighter than Dax’s, that they looked like their mother. E-readers were on the table next to three dessert plates—one in front of each girl and one between them—all piled with a powdered-sugar-covered mandazi. A small ramekin filled with chocolate dipping sauce, typically used with fruit, sat within their reach. That was a lot of fried dough—not to mention sugar—for two kids. What was their dad thinking?
“Enjoying your desserts, girls?” Dax said. There was an edge to his tone.
Both girls immediately sat up straight. Chocolate clung to their fingers and the corners of their mouths and powdered sugar spotted their cheeks and clothes. They wiped their mouths and put their hands neatly in their laps. Well behaved enough. This was going to be easy money.
“Um, yes. They’re delicious,” the one in green said, biting her lower lip.
“He brought them to us,” the one in purple quipped, pointing at Alim.
“They ordered them,” Alim quickly said, scowling down at the girls. “When you left, you told them to look at the menu. They said you had given them permission to have dessert. You were gone much longer than five minutes.”
“Three desserts?” Dax raised a brow. “I’m guessing the third wasn’t mine, considering it’s half-gone, too.”
“They said they were ordering for their sister. The one you left to go get from your room. I was explaining something to a new waiter and when I turned around, they were eating their sister’s dessert. I will have another brought out free of charge,” Alim said.
“You didn’t mention three girls. I’m positive you said I’d be helping with twins, not triplets,” Pippa said.
“I did. Interestingly, I’ve never met this sister of theirs and I’m pretty sure they haven’t, either. Alim, another dessert won’t be necessary. I apologize for taking longer than I expected,” Dax said, reaching into his wallet.
Alim shot the girls a disapproving look, then held out his palm. Dax put a bill in it. The palm remained extended. Dax frowned at the girls and gave Alim another bill. He’d paid a waiter to watch his kids? Overprotective much? At that age, Pippa had been climbing trees, working with elephants and disappearing into the tall savanna grasses on wild, exploratory adventures.
“Kuwa makini,” Alim muttered as he passed Pippa on his way back to the kitchen. Really?
“Ku-what?” Dax asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Pippa said. Alim had given her fair warning to be careful. But then, he never did like dealing with children at the dining tables. All things considered, she probably would have pulled a trick for extra dessert, too. Their dad moved the plates next to his half-eaten meal. Not exactly out of reach, but his message was clear. No more dessert.
“We’ll discuss this later,” he told the twins.
“Hi there. I’m Pippa.”
“Yes, sorry. Ivy and Fern, this is Miss Harper.”
“What are you reading?” Fern asked.
Pippa held up the cover of the book she was holding.
“A mystery I found in an antiques bookstore when I was in Spain. Apparently, it’s out of print and a rare find. I didn’t have a chance to start it until yesterday, but it’s such a page-turner, I’m already near the end. The best part of a mystery is when you finally get all the answers and all the pieces fall into place, isn’t it? What are you two reading?”
Pippa wasn’t big on e-readers. Having to rely on generators for power made printed books more convenient out here. And even though she read books on her computer on occasion and could have an e-reader now if she wanted, she preferred to feel and smell the pages. She wanted to be able to read perched on a boulder in the savanna without sun glaring off her screen or the battery dying and having to drive back to camp for a charge. Besides, she taught reading in the villages using print books and liked to be able to share. The Maasai children didn’t have electricity. Their children didn’t have modern distractions like cell phones or televisions or movie theaters. Just books.
“History of the Civil War. It’s for homework,” Ivy said.
“You two must be diligent students.”
“I told you they were smart,” Dax said. “Girls, Miss Pippa has agreed to help look after you for a while.”
Had she actually agreed? Pippa pressed her lips together and peered at him. He cocked his head and gave her a silent, pleading look. Like his future was in her hands. Okay, then. She was in it for the money. And the girls seemed pretty sweet, too. She’d be reducing their sugar intake drastically, though.
“I suppose we should exchange contact information,” she said.
“Yes. Absolutely. I don’t have business cards on me, but I can write down a number for when I’m not at the lodge. I should have a satellite phone on me most of the time and I brought one to leave in the bungalow, just in case I need to be reached. If it works. I’ve been warned reception is spotty.”
“It can be.”
Pippa set her book and water down on their table and pulled out her mini notebook.
“The bartender will have a pen,” she said.
Dax told the girls not to move and followed her to the bar at the end of the room. They scribbled down their info and swapped papers.
“I hope you don’t mind my asking you a few questions. I mean, since you’re going to be caring for my kids. Normally, I would interview anyone I planned to hire to watch my kids, but I figured if the lodge let you take off with the children of their guests, they know you pretty well.”
“Feel free to ask questions, but you already know my name. My vehicle. Where I work and, therefore, my references. I already told you my mom is a vet. She founded the Busara Elephant Research and Rescue Camp twenty-four years ago. The same year I was born. I’ll add that my father is a geneticist. I also have a large extended family that includes friends living at Busara or within a few hours of it. Anything else?”
“No wonder everyone seems to know you around here.”
There was an awkward moment of silence. Eye contact she wanted to break but couldn’t seem to. One of the twins calling out to her dad saved Pippa from the trance.
“I should get going,” she said.
“Yes. I need to get back to my girls.”
They both hurried to the table, and Pippa picked up her things. She’d planned on sitting under a tree and reading for a bit before heading home, but that wasn’t happening now. She wasn’t going to risk Dax shirking parenthood and leaving the kids with her before she was on the clock tomorrow. She wasn’t going to risk any more awkward moments, either.
“Ivy and Fern. It was nice to meet you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay?”
“Sure. See you in the morning,” Fern said.
“Bye. Let us know how your mystery turns out if you finish it.”
Pippa noticed that one of the dessert plates had inched its way a little closer to Ivy. The tablecloth between Ivy and the dish was sprinkled with sugar and had a smear of chocolate on it. The girl grabbed her napkin and wiped the evidence off her mouth and fingers before her dad could notice.
“I will. And you can tell me all about war and battle strategies because history isn’t my thing,” Pippa said.
“Totally. We can teach you all about battle strategies,” Ivy said.
Something in the tone of her voice made Pippa a little uneasy. Alim looked over from another table he was serving and gave her a pitiful head shake.
Dax grabbed her hand and shook it while placing his other hand on her back and guiding her swiftly out of the dining hall. Her skin felt warm under his hands.
“Thanks so much. I’ll have a partial advance on your salary ready for you in the morning. You won’t regret this.”
An advance? He was trying to make sure she showed up tomorrow. As for not regretting this, she wouldn’t. This one job would change everything. She’d be able to bring an education to so many more kids so much faster. But the sudden twist in Pippa’s gut had her wondering who was more desperate about this job.
Dax...or her.
CHAPTER THREE
DAX CRACKED OPEN the girls’ room door and peeked in. Two totally precious, harmless angels—when they were sound asleep. He closed the door and padded barefoot over to the small teak writing desk by his bed. Not being able to sleep had its advantages when it came to getting work done. He’d pay for it tomorrow, though. Especially since he had an early morning.
He checked a surface map of the field extension site he was surveying. Most of the data analysis would happen on-site using high powered computers housed in trailers, but he could still work on paper and make notes from here.
His small crew, who’d been working with him ever since he quit research to start up a small company specializing in subterranean mapping for the petroleum industry, were already at the site. Erebus had provided multiple trailers to cover their needs, including housing, meals and one trailer that served as their recording station.
His crew looked all set to start work when he saw them earlier at the meeting with Ron. A part of him yearned to be out there in the field spending nights under the stars like he used to when he researched quakes.
He hated that Erebus and a few other companies had gotten concessions to explore parcels of land in Kenya’s wilderness. The region was an environmental wonder. It was famous for its beauty, wildlife and indigenous people. It was also known in his academic circle for its fault line along the Great Rift Valley. Not an ideal place to drill and frack—two things Erebus had already been doing...with government approval, no less.
He could see their tank farms, wells and trucks from the area his team was supposed to map out. In fact, that chief engineer, Ron, had mentioned that if things went well with this project, they might have him do another seismic survey in their current drilling field to map out more definition between the subterranean structures shown in their original models. They wanted to improve efficiency in hitting their jackpots and zeroing in on oil pockets. Dax was building a reputation for himself.
He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He really did need to get a little sleep before his morning commute. Erebus Oil had provided a driver, so he wasn’t worried about getting to the site again. He was worried about the girls, though. He would be an hour away, and it was their first day with a new caretaker. Pippa seemed fine, though. Plus, he’d done some checking up on her after she left. He’d told himself it was necessary and responsible to do so. For the twins.
The elephant rescue she’d mentioned had a big website, and most of the photographs on it were credited to Pippa Harper. They were good, too, though he really hoped she’d used a super zoom lens on some of those close-ups. According to some of the lodge employees, she also had relatives with connections in security and the Kenyan Wildlife S
ervice. The twins were probably in safer hands with her out here than with a professional nanny who freaked out at the sight of a toy spider.
He reviewed the list of rules and the schedule he’d laid out for tomorrow. Nothing was missing as far as he could tell. If all went well, they’d be done with their list by the time he arrived back from the site.
I was teaching them about the natural environment here and why it’s so important to protect the land as well as the animals from being destroyed by human ignorance and man’s greedy actions.
Pippa’s voice filled his head loud and clear. She may not have been referring to him at the time, but according to her worldview, he was selling his soul by working for an oil company.
And wasn’t he? He’d abandoned his research on earthquake patterns and prediction. He’d forgotten the Dax who’d become a seismologist because he desperately wanted to figure out how to save people. The Dax who believed in climate change, and wanted to preserve the land, sea and sky and all their inhabitants.
Maybe he wasn’t destroying any of that directly with this new job, but he was guilty of aiding and abetting. He was using his skills and expertise in reflection seismology to analyze and develop subterranean maps that would in turn tell them where to drill...or even frack if they chose to.
One of these days, he’d have to explain it all to Ivy and Fern and hope that they’d forgive him. He was doing this for them. And as far as Pippa was concerned, she knew nothing about him. She had no idea what it was like to raise the twins alone. He was doing what he had to do. Besides, she drove a jeep, and it sure didn’t run on air. Who was she to judge? And why did he care what she thought of him anyway? Why did he suddenly feel guilty?