“You’re not,” Claire and Daniel protested in unison, shifting away from one another as they did so.
“We’ve been talking work, ” Daniel explained. Then he grinned. “As you heard, we were just about to discuss your new role as in-house model!”
Scott, who had noticed their involuntary movement away from each other and heard the unnecessary emphasis in their voices when they told him he wasn’t intruding, inwardly cursed himself for stopping by at all. There was something going on here, so why weren’t they owning up to it? What was the matter with them? He gave an imperceptible shrug. Best play the game.
“As I said, it was blackmail,” he said with a false frown. “Both of them told me I owed it to the company, that if I didn’t do it then any shortfall in our visitor numbers would be all my fault.”
“He means female visitor numbers,” Claire told Daniel with a grin. “He’s just too modest to say it!”
Daniel chuckled. “I’m impressed. In less than a month you’ve managed to turn my ultra macho Operations Manager into a piece of female eye candy!”
“She has not!” Scott growled. “One day is all I’m giving her. One day to take all the photos she wants. After that nobody is allowed to mention it ever again.”
Claire and Daniel roared with laughter at his furious scowl, a scowl that grew blacker as Claire spelled out the sort of shots she intended to take, the poses he would have to hold.
“You owe me,” he told her when she finished. “You owe me big time Claire Harris and don’t think I won’t collect!”
Then, unable to keep up a pretense of fury any longer, he joined in with the laughter. And after that the three of them moved indoors where they stayed until late talking about work and the plans they all had for the future of the company. When Scott eventually stood up to leave, thinking that perhaps it was time he left them alone, Claire stood up too.
“Will you give me a lift home?” she asked him.
“Of course,” he hid his surprise as he glanced at Daniel, but his friend’s face was expressionless as he gathered up the coffee mugs and walked towards the kitchen.
Chapter Sixteen
Scott’s photo shoot was the source of a great deal of amusement in Dolphin Key. Word got around and soon he had an audience of fishermen, shopkeepers and bemused tourists while Claire took photo after photo of him supposedly clearing undergrowth, building a boardwalk, and setting off for the islands in his dinghy. She even took one where he was explaining the finer details of the local flora to Beth who, determined to enjoy her own brief publicity, produced a suitably enraptured expression as if she was hanging onto his every word. They were all good macho shots that showed off Scott’s physical attributes to perfection while also illustrating the work he was involved in. Once she was satisfied with them, she insisted on taking some softer ones too; Scott talking to a group of small children at the local school; a close up of him holding a newly hatched bird that had fallen from its nest and which he was rearing; and finally, at the end of the day, a picture of him sitting on the beach watching a flock of birds fly across the sunset.
“Those last ones are for the ‘ah’ factor,” she told him with a grin as she packed away her camera. “A girl likes nothing better than to see a macho man reduced to gooeyness!”
Then she ran away shrieking as he chased her across the sand. “Mind my camera Scott,” she pleaded when he caught up with her.
He smiled wickedly as he very deliberately removed it from her grasp and put it on the boardwalk while still keeping one arm tightly around her. Then he picked her up, covered the area between the boardwalk and the sea at a run, and dumped her into the sun-warmed water of the bay. She came up spluttering and then, not to be outdone, she started splashing him.
He retreated up the beach. “Mind the camera,” he mimicked, and then he doubled over with laughter as she lost her footing and was submerged for a second time. When she resurfaced she was covered in seaweed.
“You asked for it,” he told her as he helped her out of the water and picked some of the longer strands out of her hair.
“I guess so,” she looked suitably contrite as she pushed her wet hair out of her eyes. Then she dumped a fistful of wet sand down the front of his T-shirt. With a roar of surprise he tried to grab her again but this time she eluded him and ran up the beach to retrieve her camera. When she straightened up she had a sudden sense of déjà vu because a very tall man was standing in front of her.
“Daniel,” she exclaimed, wishing her heart wouldn’t do that double beat thing every time he appeared. “I thought you were in Miami today.”
“I was. I’m back,” he told her. “I guess Scott didn’t enjoy his modeling debut then.”
Ineffectually trying to wring some of the water out of her T-shirt, she shook her head. “You could say that!”
Scott came padding up the beach to join them, a huge grin on his face. “She deserved everything she got. She has done nothing but needle me all day. Professional photographer indeed!”
“I so have not,” Claire protested. “I did everything I could to make it easy for you.”
Scott knew she had but as a matter of principle he kept on bickering with her as the three of them walked back to the entrance of her apartment block. Daniel, however, didn’t say very much at all. He was too busy trying to forget what he had seen as he walked down onto the beach in search of Claire, because the sight of Scott picking strands of seaweed out of her hair with one hand while he pulled her up out of the water with the other had been almost more than he could bear.
It was only when she said goodbye and turned towards her apartment that he finally found his voice. “I came to ask if you would like to come to the State Reserve with me tomorrow. I’ve got a meeting out there and if you come with me it will give you a chance to get to know some of the rangers. It will be an opportunity for you to see a different type of local habitat as well.”
“Yes, of course.” Claire wasn’t sure why she felt so embarrassed standing in front of him in dripping shorts and a wrung out T-shirt. She couldn’t believe that he cared about her and Scott larking about on the beach, especially as it was an hour after the office had closed. Yet there was something deep in his eyes that made her uncomfortable, a look of reproach that didn’t make any sort of sense.
“Good. I’ll pick you up around nine.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he nodded his approval.
Full of confusion, she watched him walk away. She had obviously done something to upset him but she couldn’t imagine what it was. Dispiritedly she trailed damp footprints onto the walkway of her apartment block, waving to Scott as she went.
He returned her wave, then looked at Daniel’s retreating back and sighed. Whatever was going on between those two was far too complicated for him. He set off along the road at a steady jog. A five-kilometer run would clear his head, something that was needed after the day he had just had. There was no way he intended being a photographer’s model ever again.
* * *
By the time Daniel picked Claire up the following morning they had both been up for hours.
Daniel had watched the sun come up as he paddled his dinghy in a desultory fashion around the islands, supposedly checking on nesting sites, but actually thinking about Claire and wondering how he was going to be able to cope with her burgeoning relationship with Scott.
Claire had dealt with her own sleeplessness by watching the sunrise from her balcony and then jogging for a couple of kilometers along the coastal path in the opposite direction from Daniel’s hidden cove. By the time she returned to her apartment, hot and red-faced, and turned on her shower, she had solved her dilemma. Commonsense told her that Daniel’s uncharacteristic moodiness the previous day was nothing to do with her at all because she was sure she hadn’t done anything wrong, so she would just ignore it. And if he behaved in the same way when he arrived this morning, well she would cut him some slack. After all he had a lot to deal with; his parents; his brother; the
family business; his own business; even the breakup of his relationship with Beth which, although it was a long time ago, probably still affected him. She knew from her own experience how long it could take to get over heartbreak. She also knew how close she was to heartbreak again but she resolutely turned the shower up to full blast when the thought surfaced. That was something that she wasn’t going to think about at all.
* * *
When she climbed into Daniel’s car a few minutes past nine o’clock, artful makeup ensured that she looked as fresh as if she had only recently woken from a good night’s sleep. Carrying her camera bag, and dressed in cotton chinos, walking boots and a green T-shirt with the company logo on its vest pocket, she was every inch the professional.
“You look keen,” Daniel smiled across at her as she strapped herself into the passenger seat, and congratulated himself on how normal he sounded; how the pulse at the base of his throat, the one that had begun beating rapidly as soon as he saw her, didn’t seem to be affecting his vocal chords
“I am,” Claire nodded, thankful he seemed to have reverted to his old self. “I checked out the State Reserve’s website last night and saw that it is home to a lot of wild turkeys. I’d really love to capture some on camera.”
He laughed. “There speaks a newcomer. Wild turkeys live all over Florida, Claire. There’s nothing very special about them. In fact hunting them is one of our national pastimes. You’re right about the Reserve though. You are far more likely to see them there than anywhere else because of the way the rangers manage the habitat.”
He gave her a curious look as he started the engine. “You really are into the flora and fauna around here aren’t you? I’ve looked at some of the photos you’ve taken and they’re good. Better than good! Your enthusiasm shines through. What happened to the Claire Harris who so nearly didn’t come to Florida?”
“Oh her, she disappeared halfway across the Atlantic when I started reading a book Scott had sent me! The pictures in it were so stunning I suddenly realized I had been in danger of almost throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime,” Claire told him with a laugh. “That was the moment when I decided I had better change my attitude and just enjoy it…and yes, you can say ‘I told you so,’ if you want to.”
“It’s tempting but I won’t,” he said. “I’m just pleased you changed your mind and decided to give it a try, although I’m surprised you were half way across the Atlantic before that happened. What got you onto the plane in the first place if you were still so uncertain?”
“Pride!”
“Pride?”
“Yes. Having said I was going to do it, I wasn’t prepared to lose face by changing my mind and turning your offer down, although I must admit I came pretty close once or twice. And despite my initial irritation with them, the thought of my parents’ disappointment also proved to be a spur. They were so excited by the thought that I was at last going to do something challenging, so pleased I was showing signs of having inherited a little of their adventurous spirit, that changing my mind wasn’t really an option.”
“And there was I thinking it was my charm that had persuaded you,” Daniel teased as he filtered onto the freeway.
She gave a slight frown as she glanced across at him. “Is that what you call it…persuasion. It seemed more like emotional blackmail at the time.”
He returned her gaze with a twinkle in his eyes. “I probably do owe you an apology for my behavior that weekend but I still think the end result justifies the means. You must admit you are made for this job.”
“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction!” Claire’s attempt at humorous indignation badly backfired as their eyes met, and she was the one to look away moments before he reluctantly turned his attention back to the highway.
Eventually he broke the silence that followed by talking about the forthcoming meeting, the development of the State Reserve, and where they were mostly likely to see the wild turkeys.
“We’ll go look for them as soon as this meeting is over,” he promised as he pulled into the car park. “Spring has been pretty warm this year so there might have been some early hatchings. If there have been then we might get lucky and see a hen foraging with her poults.”
* * *
The meeting took two hours and when it was over someone brought in a huge platter of sandwiches, some bottled water and some juice. Claire, who was feeling ravenous after her early start, tucked in enthusiastically. Now she understood that working partnerships were an integral part of eco management across the State, she had a hundred more questions to ask. Daniel was busy talking to his neighbor so she turned to the man sitting next to her.
“You specialize in bats, right?” she asked him.
He grinned at her. “Bat preservation and conservation sounds better!”
“I guess it does,” she laughed. “And if I ever find an orphaned or injured bat then I need to get in touch with you.”
“That’s about it. Then I put you in touch with a local rescue volunteer who cares for the bat until it’s ready to be released back into the wild.”
“And everyone around the table represents a different organization?”
“Yes. There are people here who look after nature trails or who specialize in gopher tortoise preservation. Others organize wildlife research or maybe just represent a particular area that their community thinks should be preserved. There’s a place at the table for everyone.”
“So it’s a sort of conservation network?”
“You could call it that I guess.” He grinned at her. “And if you have any more questions I’d be glad to answer them over supper tonight.”
“I bet you would, but it’s a no go Stan!” Daniel had stopped talking to his neighbor and turned back to Claire just in time to hear the proposition. There was a hint of steel in his voice as he answered for her.
“Hey! I was just asking,” Stan’s voice was apologetic. “I didn’t know you two were an item.”
“We’re not,” Claire said, glaring at Daniel as she pushed back her chair. “And it was sweet of you to ask, but I can’t tonight I’m afraid. Another time perhaps.”
* * *
“What makes you think you can interfere in my private life?” she asked Daniel angrily as soon as they were out of earshot. “I’m quite capable of making my own decisions you know!”
He didn’t look in the least contrite. “He’s a lech and he knows it. I was just looking out for you.”
“Well don’t! I already managed to negotiate a lot of bad Internet dates if you remember, so I’m quite capable of recognising a bad proposition when I get one.”
“I guess,” Daniel seemed about to say something else, but then he shrugged and changed the subject. “I’ve found out where we’ll see the wild turkeys, so how about we duck out of the networking bit and go look for them.”
Slightly mollified, Claire agreed. She couldn’t begin to imagine what had gotten into him but it was clear he wanted to stop arguing as much as she did, so the sooner they changed the subject the better. Retrieving her camera bag from beneath her chair she smiled apologetically at Stan, waved a general farewell to everyone in the room, and followed Daniel outside.
* * *
“Look! They’re over there in that long grass. Can you see the hen’s head bobbing up and down?”
Claire and Daniel were crouched down close to one another behind a fallen tree, peering through its network of shriveled branches. In front of them was a grassy clearing surrounded by patches of dense vegetation and a few trees. Claire, her camera ready, hardly dared to breathe as the turkey hen led her brood of poults towards them.
“There are so many of them,” she whispered to Daniel in amazement as the last one broke cover.
“Each hen lays anything between ten to twelve eggs,” he told her. “Not that many of them make it to hatching. Bobcats, raccoons, skunk, owls, hawks, bald eagles, even snakes, all enjoy turkey eggs. It doesn’t get any better after they’ve hatched either. Only about
thirty per cent survive more than a couple of weeks. I would guess that this lot are seven or eight days old.”
She stared at him and then returned her gaze to where the foraging poults had suddenly stopped as a group to investigate something in front of them on the ground. “That’s terrible!”
He gave a wry smile. “That’s nature Claire! The wild turkey is what is known as a prey species, which means almost everything likes to eat it, even humans. That’s why the hen lays such a large clutch of eggs. It’s the only way the species can survive.”
Then he laughed. “Hey look! They’ve just found a tortoise.”
Claire, following the direction of his pointing finger, joined in with his laughter. The poults were darting around what appeared to be a slow moving boulder and making excited cheeping noises. She pointed her camera and took several pictures, safe in the knowledge that they were making too much noise to hear the faint click each time the shutter closed.
She was still clicking away when suddenly the little family in front of her was torn apart by a dark flurry of beating wings as a hawk swooped down out of nowhere and seized one of the squawking poults in its claws. Instantly the rest of them vanished and Claire was left staring at an empty space.
“That was awful,” she said shakily, lowering her camera. “I mean I know it’s nature and all that but…well it was still awful to see it happen so close up.”
“It wasn’t nice but you get used to it when you work with nature every day,” Daniel told her sympathetically as he took her camera from her and stowed it back in its bag.
“If that’s the case then I think I’ll give nature a miss for a while and spend more time in the office,” she said as they picked their way out of the undergrowth. “Now that I’ve taken all the photos I need for the leaflets, I can work with Carl on those. Then I must concentrate on doing some cataloguing. I’m afraid I haven’t managed to start that yet,” she added apologetically.
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