He stuck his hand out. Lindsay stared at it for a moment before sliding hers into his strong, firm grip. She felt his thumb rub a couple of times across the back of her hand before giving it a gentle squeeze and releasing it. Oh, she wanted to say something. To tell him that wasn’t allowed either, but the more she objected to things, the more he was likely to realize how it affected her. And that was the last thing she wanted.
“Hello, Than.”
Lindsay looked up to see Barb standing in the aisle.
“Hey, Barb,” Than said as he pushed to his feet and moved out of the row. “It’s all yours.”
“You can stay if you want. I can sit in your seat.”
Than shook his head. “It’s all good.”
As Barb reclaimed her seat, she gave Lindsay a curious look. “Everything okay?”
“Yep. We just made a friendly little wager.”
The woman’s eyebrows rose at that. “A wager? You really think betting against Than is a good idea.”
“In this particular instance, I think it is. It’s pretty much a guaranteed win for me.”
“Really now? What exactly was the wager?”
As Lindsay shared the details, a slow smile spread across Barb’s face, and she gave a slight shake of her head. “Oh, honey, I think you better brace yourself for that second date. In fact, I have a feeling that Than is sitting back there right now planning it.”
Lindsay frowned as she fought the urge to lift herself up and look back over the seat to where Than sat. “Why would you say that?”
“Because as far as I’ve seen that boy has flirted with no one but you since we started out on this journey. My guess is that he won’t have much trouble keeping that under control for just two weeks if the outcome means he gets his way.”
Lindsay let her thoughts drift back over the trip. Aside from helping that one woman with her luggage and then chatting with her—which may or may not qualify as flirting, depending on what they’d talked about—he really hadn’t flirted with anyone else. Certainly none of the women on the team. And definitely not the woman his aunt had brought along.
Her stomach clenched at the realization that Barb might be right. Had she wagered herself right into that second date?
Thankfully, Barb didn’t press on that topic of conversation as the bus continued its journey through small towns and dark green fields. They made a quick bathroom stop midway. If she had thought she’d last until their destination, Lindsay would have turned around and left the bathroom once she’d seen the facilities. But then she’d reminded herself that part of this trip for her was about experiencing something different from her life. And that bathroom had definitely been different. But she’d survived and was rather proud of herself for that. But she resolved to drink less water before embarking on any longer trips.
When they’d gotten back on the bus, Than had handed her a paper bag that felt warm to the touch. Inside she’d found a little bit of heaven. Freshly made circles of bread with white sugar on the top. Than had called them ensaymada and said they were a Filipino specialty. After sharing with Barb and eating two of them herself, Lindsay hoped it was a specialty she got to try again soon.
Just around five o’clock, while driving through one of the larger towns they’d come across, the bus turned off the main highway they’d been on since leaving Manila. They drove through a residential area for a little bit and then the houses stopped, replaced by trees. The road narrowed as it wound its way up a hill through the forest.
Soon the bus came to a stop and Lindsay looked out her window to see a barbed wire fence that disappeared into a thick forest of trees. When the bus jolted forward again, Lindsay saw that they were passing through a gate. Another couple of turns and suddenly they were in a large clearing at the top of the hill.
Lindsay pressed her face to the window to get a glimpse of the place she’d be calling home for the next ten days. There were several large buildings around the edge of the clearing as well as one in the center. What she loved most from just the first glance was the abundance of green. In the lushness of the trees. In the grass that covered all but the dirt road where the bus came to a stop.
“Well, folks, welcome to Hope Mission Center,” Mark said as he stood up. “We’re going to unload the bags and show you all to your rooms, but we’ll save the unpacking until after we get some supper.”
Lindsay was aware of Than behind her as they moved toward the front of the bus, but she forgot all about him as she stepped out into the wonderfully fresh air. She could smell freshly cut grass in addition to something that made her stomach rumble appreciatively.
A couple of people who Lindsay assumed were missionaries came to welcome them. It took a little while, but soon they had sorted out the luggage and carted it to their rooms. Since school had finished at the end of March, the dormitory on the center was empty. The two story cement brick building was nothing fancy, but it was clean and spacious. They put the single mission team guys and the older couples on the main floor. On the second floor, Than had the room closest the stairs with Mark and Mel across from him. The family of four had the room next to his, and Lindsay, Barb, and Amanda had the room beside theirs. The women’s bathroom was at the end of the hallway by their room.
Rolling her bags behind her, Lindsay stepped into a large room and looked around. The three sets of bunk beds dominated the room. At least there wouldn’t be a fight over who got the lower bunks. There were large windows along the outside wall with thin curtains over them that drifted with the breeze. The beds were all jutting out from the windowed wall, and it appeared there were closets along the inside wall opposite the windows.
Barb went to the middle set of bunk beds and flopped down on the lower bunk. “Feels pretty good to me. I think I’ll claim this one.”
Lindsay waited for Amanda to choose her bed before going to the remaining one. Like Barb, she relaxed back on the bed for a couple of minutes. It did feel good. As good as the bed the previous night had been.
Home sweet home for the next ten days.
~*~*~
After dropping his bags in his room, Than took a few minutes to go over what he’d seen in his mind on the final approach to the center. He really didn’t believe that Lucas’s fears for Lindsay’s safety were necessary. Everything he’d read up on the area had indicated that there hadn’t been any threats to foreigners at any time in recent history. If they’d gone south from Manila, he might have been more concerned, but they’d gone north to a relatively peaceful area of the country.
Still, he was being paid to do a job, so he would do it. The fence surrounding the center really wouldn’t keep out anyone determined to gain access to it. Mark had told him that they did have a guard on duty twenty-four hours a day so that was good. Most likely not for protection from terrorists but from thieves who thought there might be something worth stealing from the place where the Americans lived.
Though he was pretty sure nothing was going to happen, he slipped the weapon his uncle had gotten for him into the holster he wore in the small of his back. He tucked his T-shirt in and then pulled on a loose button shirt that he left open and untucked to hide the gun. Now that he’d seen the property, he’d talk a bit to Lindsay just to clarify a few things. He knew she’d likely balk at even discussing it, but Lucas was counting on him to keep her safe.
He knew that Mark hadn’t been too thrilled to have the two of them on the same floor. No doubt the man had picked up a bit on the sparks in their “relationship.” Whether Lindsay wanted to acknowledge them or not, they were there. But Than had told him that he needed to be close to her and that a room at the top of the stairs as the first line of defense, if the worst should happen, was necessary. He’d assured him that there would be nothing untoward in their behavior with each other—if for no other reason than he had a bet he needed to win.
He left the door open to his room and listened for Lindsay’s voice. Once he heard it, Than stepped out into the hallway and greeted the thre
e women with a smile.
“Ready to go eat?”
Lindsay gave him a skeptical look, but all he did was smile at her just like he did the other two women. Barb slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and said, “Escort me to dinner, young man.”
He did just that, hoping that Lindsay wouldn’t interpret that as flirting. After all, Barb had initiated it, and his mother had raised him to never be rude.
Once out of the dormitory, they made their way across the grass to the large building in the middle of the center. He reached out and opened the screen door and let the women go in ahead of him. Just as he stepped in, he saw another group making their way over from the dormitory.
The smells that had been just a whiff on the late afternoon air intensified once they stepped inside the building. His stomach rumbled in anticipation of the meal that was to come. Growing up, his mom had made sure they ate as much Filipino food as they did American, so he had no doubt he’d enjoy whatever they served. He just hoped that Lindsay would as well.
Like the mission house they’d stayed at in Manila, this room was filled with round tables. Way more than was needed for their group, but no doubt filled to capacity during the school year. The room had windows on the two longest walls, and it looked like the kitchen was at the far end.
“Hey, guys,” Mark greeted them as they walked a little further into the room. “We’ll be using the tables closest to the kitchen. Take a seat anywhere at the tables set with plates.”
Than went to lay his hand on Lindsay’s back to guide her forward but then closed it into a fist and lowered it to his side, not about to give her any ammunition to use against him. He glanced over at Barb and saw a twinkle in her eyes as a smile tugged at her lips. It appeared that Lindsay had shared a bit about their bet with the older woman. He smiled back at her, figuring it couldn’t hurt to have an ally in his quest to win his wager.
The tables were set for eight and once they’d sat down, there were still four empty seats. Though he was sure that Lindsay would have preferred it another way, he took a seat next to her with Barb on her other side. The newlywed couple ended up joining them as well as a couple of the single guys.
Once they were all seated, Than realized that, in addition to their group, there were a couple of tables with a mix of missionaries and Filipinos. One of the missionaries got up and introduced himself and then welcomed them all before saying a prayer for the meal. Soon bowls and platters of food were brought from the kitchen to their table.
Than recognized pretty much all of it and knew they would eat well that night. He could tell from the expression on Lindsay’s face that she was a bit uncertain about the dishes that now sat on the Lazy Susan in the middle of the table. Probably the only thing she recognized was the big bowl of white rice.
Hoping to ease her concern, Than reached for the bowl that was in front of him. He used the tongs to lift the contents onto his plate then handed it to Lindsay.
Leaning close, he said in a low voice, “It’s pancit. Rice noodles with chopped up vegetables and chicken.”
She shot him a quick glance before she used the tongs to put a helping onto her plate. “Thanks.”
Next was the rice which he figured she would know, so he passed it on to her without comment. The next bowl he got, he hoped that they made it the way his mom did as he knew that different types of meat could be used. He would give her that version and keep his fingers crossed.
“Adobo. It has pork in a sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, and other spices. It’s not spicy hot.” It happened to be one of his favorite dishes, and it smelled almost as good as his mother’s did. He noticed that Barb was leaning close as he handed the plates to Lindsay and figured she was curious as well. “These are lumpia, the Filipino version of spring or egg rolls. They usually have chopped up vegetables and ground pork. Very good.”
When the person seated to his right handed him the basket containing the bread, he smiled. “This is pan de sal which is another Filipino specialty bread similar to what you ate earlier only without the sugar. Also very good, especially fresh.”
For some reason, Than found himself hoping that Lindsay would like the food. He didn’t know why it was important, but it was. Though he didn’t often talk about his mixed heritage, he was proud of his Filipino roots and the culture and all it entailed. He knew Lindsay would be able to win his mom over if she knew and enjoyed the food of her native land.
Than sat back as the thought went through his head. Wait. What? Win his mom over? That was the first time he’d ever had that thought when it came to a woman. What on earth had even brought that to mind? Introducing a woman to his mother was a sure invitation for his mom to begin to plan a wedding. Than never—ever—brought a woman to meet his family.
“Than?”
8
Hearing Lindsay say his name, Than realized he must have missed something. He looked at her. “Sorry. What did you say?”
Lindsay gestured to the man on the other side of him. “Jeff was asking you about your knowledge of the food.”
Than turned to the man. “Sorry about that. My mind wandered there for a minute.”
“No problem. Was just wondering why you know the foods so well?”
As they ate, he talked a bit about his background. He knew that the group was becoming aware that his presence there was for Lindsay, but he appreciated that they seemed more than willing to welcome him as part of the team.
As the meal was winding down, the missionary once again got up.
“Welcome again. I just want to go over a few things for your stay here. Breakfast is served at seven, lunch at noon and supper at five thirty. We ask that you please be on time for meals. Starting tomorrow night after supper we will have a time of sharing and prayer. We have two projects we will be working on while you’re here. In the morning we will assign you to your project and begin to work.” The man looked toward a woman who stood to his left. She murmured something and he nodded before saying, “Oh yes. Just so you know, we have a guard on duty twenty-four hours a day. They are armed, so if you see a man in a blue uniform with a gun, don’t be alarmed. We’ve never had any problems, but it is a precaution we take just to be sure. I know Mark and Mel are your direct contacts, but please don’t hesitate to talk with any of us if you have a question or a concern.”
Once they were dismissed, Than walked beside Lindsay as they left the building. Night was settling over the center. Because they were closer to the equator, the sun set earlier than it presently did in Minnesota. The length of the days didn’t vary to the degree they did in North America.
“Can I talk with you for just a minute?” Than asked as they neared the dorm.
Even though there were lights mounted on the building that cast some light, he couldn’t read her expression in response to his request. He took her arm and tried to lead her out of the way of the others.
When she tried to pull away, he said, “It’s job related. I just want to cover a couple of things. Okay?”
At that, she relented and followed him. “Job related?”
“Now that I’ve seen the place, I just want to touch base as bodyguard to client.”
“Okay. I’ve already promised not to try to ditch you.”
“I know, and for that I thank you, but there are a couple more things. First,” Than reached out and took her hand. She tried to jerk free, but he held firm and placed her hand on the small of his back where his holster was then released it. “I’m armed. I just want you to know that and to know where I’m carrying. I will do my best to keep it concealed, but since protecting you is my job, I must be armed.”
“But here? Really?”
“It’s just a precaution. I agree with you, it’s probably not needed, but if it did become necessary and I wasn’t prepared… Well, that’s just not going to happen.”
“Is that all?”
“No. I realize that this is your mission trip, and I will do my best to not interfere with what you do here, but I wil
l at all times be within your vicinity. If you’re planning to go somewhere off the center, I will need to know and will have to accompany you. I don’t have to be glued to your side, but I need to be able to see you…well, with obvious exceptions. Which leads me to my next thing. Please wear presentable clothes to sleep in.”
“Say what?” Her frosty tone almost made him smile.
“If you have to leave your room in a hurry or if I have to come get you, I don’t want to have to stop and wait while you get dressed. Sleep in a T-shirt and shorts at the very least. And I’ll do the same, so if you need to come get me for some reason I, too, will be presentable.”
“Oh…okay. Mel had already sort of suggested that for sleeping.”
“I didn’t realize that. I just know that there are different standards on this particular job being that it involves another culture and a more conservative environment.”
“Is that it?”
Than sighed. “No. One more thing and it’s the most important. If things go south—and I really don’t anticipate that happening—but if they do, you must do exactly what I say. Please, Lindsay, this is important. I know we have had our issues, but when push comes to shove, I will protect you with all that I have. Don’t second guess what I’m telling you to do, just do it. Promise me.”
Silence stretched between them for a long moment before she said, “I promise.”
“Thank you.” He paused for a moment, fighting the desire to pull her into a hug. “Is everything else going okay?”
“Yes, so far. The food was great at supper. Thank you for telling me what it was. I might have been a little more leery to eat it if you hadn’t explained.”
“I figured that might be the case. If you have any questions about cultural or food stuff, let me know. Or if you need someone to translate something.”
“You should be charging Lucas double for your skills as a bodyguard and a cultural expert.”
Than touched her arm to indicate they should move toward the dorm and then fell into step beside her. “I might just do that. You’ll have to give him a rave review first though.”
Guarding Her Heart: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 1) Page 9