Building on Love

by Kat Bellemore

  They moved a lot quicker along the river than Davis had expected, the lean shape of the boat allowing less resistance. It helped that no one else was on the river and they had it to themselves. The wind whistled past and water sprayed. This was how he imagined heaven. So peaceful. Beautiful. And he was with someone he cared about. The thought that it wouldn’t last more than a couple of days persisted, despite Davis’s attempts to push it out, so he instead focused on the water as Chloe was doing.

  The combination of wind and water was too loud to strike up a conversation, but Chloe attempted it anyway. She leaned in close to Davis’s ear. “My parents dragged me to Thailand as a teenager for humanitarian work. I didn’t embrace it as readily as your brothers have.” She paused. “Do you know why I stayed?”

  Davis turned to look at her. She was close, her nose nearly brushing his. “Why?”

  She looked back out over the water. “A boat ride just like this. It wasn’t in Chiang Rai; we were in the east of Thailand at the time. But I realized this was something you couldn’t find back home in Tennessee. This was…something special. And I wanted to explore more of it. Then, as I came to know the people here—really got to know them, not the occasionally forced pleasantries—I no longer felt the need to explore, but to become.”

  Davis raised an eyebrow, trying to prompt her to continue, but she wasn’t looking at him, her gaze landing somewhere in the distance. “Become?”

  “I suppose I wanted to become a part of the country—feel like I belonged. But in the end, the country became a part of me. I couldn’t leave. Just after I turned twenty-four, my parents left to go back home, having spent eight years here. I didn’t follow them. Not this time. I could speak the language well enough by that point but had no useful job skills. So I decided to do the one thing I knew how. The thing I’d been taught to do for the past eight years. Help people.”

  Davis knew a thing or two about that. It was why he’d taken over his parents’ hardware store. It wasn’t for his customer service skills—any of his customers could attest to that. But they knew they could count on him to help. Whether they wanted to hire him for a handyman job or had questions about how to use a certain tool, they knew Davis would be there.

  The difference was that he’d never felt like he’d belonged—Starlight Ridge had never become a part of him.

  Davis leaned in close to Chloe. “I wish I was as brave as you.”

  She stilled, then gave him a side glance. “It’s not bravery when I can’t see myself doing anything else—being anywhere else. Everything is easy at that point. What’s truly brave is leaving what’s comfortable for something better. Those are the people I admire.”

  Somsak yelled something to them in Thai, and Chloe yelled back.

  “We’re here,” she said, throwing a grin at Davis.

  Everything looked the same as it had for the past forty-five minutes, with palm trees lining the river and stretching as far as he could see. But if he squinted, he could just make out a small dock to their right. Somsak slowed the boat, and the noise dropped, making the air eerily quiet.

  “Naan taow rai?”

  Chloe glanced from Somsak to Davis. “He asked how long we’ll be. He’ll go off on his own and meet us back at the boat when we’re ready to leave.”

  “That’s nice of him.”

  “Yes, well, with how far we are from anything, he can’t very well leave us stranded,” she said, her lips quirking up at the edges. “Is six hours all right?”

  Six hours seemed plenty. More than enough. To be honest, Davis didn’t know if he wanted to be wandering around the jungle for that long, but Chloe had gone out of her way to plan a special day that he’d enjoy. The least he could do was just that—enjoy it. And he had a feeling that as long as Chloe was there, no matter what they did, that would be no problem.

  “Six hours would be perfect,” he said with a wink.

  Davis inwardly cringed. Since when did he wink?

  But Chloe didn’t seem to think it as lame as he did, and she smiled, pink tinging her cheeks. “Six hours it is, then.”

  Somsak tied up his boat, gave them a wave goodbye, and disappeared quicker than it took Davis to get his land legs back. “Guess he has plans,” he said, watching as Somsak followed a wide trail in front of them and disappeared around a bend.

  “He has family that lives in a village close to here,” Chloe said. “A brother and sister and their families. That’s why he was so excited to bring us. Somsak said that he works so much, he doesn’t get to see them often.”

  Even without having gone anywhere or done anything yet, that already made the trip worth it. Davis took in their surroundings. Trees. Trees. More trees. “Where to, boss?”

  Chloe winced. “Let’s not call me boss. That makes me feel weird, because I’m not supposed to be out here alone with a volunteer, and we’re definitely not supposed to be doing what we’ve done the past couple of days.”

  Davis chuckled and waved a hand through the air. “I’m not a full-time volunteer, more like a guest who you allowed to help on your project.”

  Chloe’s expression smoothed. “I like the sound of that better.” She grabbed Davis’s hand, interlocking her fingers with his. “Since you’re a guest, I suppose I better take good care of you.” Chloe gave him a quick wink of her own, and Davis’s insides went gooey. So, that was what a wink did to people. “Where we’re going is about a half a mile up the trail. You okay with that?”

  “Sure. Are you planning on telling me where we’re going?”

  Chloe’s hand merely tightened around his, and she gave him a playful smile before sauntering up the trail, dragging Davis along with her.

  He laughed, feeling absolutely free for one of the first times in his life. He would follow Chloe anywhere, because he knew she wouldn’t steer him wrong. And he would be with her. And that would be enough.

  That was what he thought for the next half a mile.

  Until he saw the elephants.

  20

  Chloe hadn’t thought she’d receive any resistance to visiting elephants, but Davis seemed like he wouldn’t mind putting some distance between himself and the large animals. “When we were in Chiang Mai, your mom mentioned that you wanted to visit an elephant sanctuary,” she said.

  “I know. I just didn’t realize we’d be able to get so…close.”

  Just several feet away, an elephant rolled onto its back in a large mud puddle. A low fence kept visitors from getting up close and personal, but this wasn’t anything like the American zoos.

  Chloe laughed. “If you think that’s close, follow me.” She didn’t wait, but a moment later Davis was by her side, holding her hand, sending anxious glances around them. “Relax. These elephants have been tamed. Granted, in cruel and horrible ways, which is why they are here now. Rescued. The sanctuary’s goal is to help them adapt to not being ridden, to not being beaten, and to give them the safe home they deserve. They can go anywhere, and they even form their own herds here.”

  “No riding?” Davis perked up at that. “That sounds exactly like the one that I had been hoping to visit. I mean, the things people will do in the name of tourism is atrocious.”

  Chloe didn’t know as much as she’d like about Davis, but what she did know was that playing the tourist was not something he’d ever choose for himself, and above anything else, he’d rather be helping people. This had seemed the perfect thing, and she was happy to know that she’d been right.

  “I took the liberty of signing us up for a half-day tour. It involves feeding the elephants. Are you okay with that?” Chloe crossed her fingers behind her back.

  To her surprise, Davis grinned. “Yeah, that would be great. I couldn’t have planned a better day for myself.” And then he leaned in and laid a long kiss on her lips. It was full of excitement and passion and left Chloe feeling dizzy and breathless.

  When Davis stepped back, the reaction his kiss had evoked must have been obvious because his grin widened. “Sorry, I�
��ve just never met anyone who gets me like you do—who understands.” Guilt briefly flashed across his expression. Chloe blinked and it was gone, but she knew what she’d seen, and why.

  “It’s okay to have feelings for someone else,” she said, her voice soft as they moved along a wooden walkway. “I know it feels wrong, especially when the way Bridgette was taken from you was not something either of you chose. It was horrific. But it’s okay to find happiness again.”

  Even as she said it, Chloe wondered if she had any right to. Why was she urging him into a relationship that couldn’t last? Selfishness. Chloe wanted to pretend they had forever.

  “I’m sorry, that was out of line—”

  Davis squeezed her hand. “No, it wasn’t. You’re right. This day is going to be about us. And the elephants. And just enjoying the world for what it is. Because I do need happiness in my life.” He gave her a side glance. “And when I’m with you, I’m happy.”

  Chloe’s stomach felt like it had flipped upside down, and she couldn’t help wanting to make him happy every day. And for longer than just this week. And that scared Chloe.

  A little hut sat at the end of the walkway, and she hurried toward it, longing for a distraction. “This is where we check in for our tour,” she said, releasing Davis’s hand.

  Chloe glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of confusion, like Davis was wondering if he’d done something wrong.

  She paused, taking the time to pull in a long breath, then turned, her smile back in place. And it was genuine. Anxious, maybe, but genuine. Chloe took his hand in hers. “Sorry, I got a little excited there.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Davis said, relief smoothing out the worry lines that had crossed his forehead moments before. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “When I’m with you, I feel nothing but excitement.” His breath tickled, and desire surged inside her. Then Davis stepped back as if he’d done nothing out of the ordinary. Extending a hand, he said, “After you.”

  Chloe turned, tugging on his hand as they entered the small hut.

  This was going to be the best day ever.

  * * *

  “You may be wondering how, after our elephants are fed all day long, they can keep coming back for more,” a volunteer said, addressing their small group. Other than Chloe and Davis, there were only four people on their tour. The volunteer stood next to an elephant who was probably twice her height, her hand resting on its side as she held out a piece of fruit. The elephant snatched it up with its trunk and stuffed it into its mouth.

  “They eat twelve to eighteen hours a day,” she continued after a dramatic pause. “And can eat 150 to 600 pounds of food per day, unlike the measly three pounds you eat. That is one reason we offer these tours. As you can imagine, making sure our elephants get the food they need is quite the feat, so thank you for being here today.”

  The volunteer scanned the group, as if looking for someone. Her gaze rested on Davis. “You look like you’d love to make sure Lilac here gets a good lunch.”

  Davis looked around, as if hoping the volunteer was talking to someone other than him.

  “Oh, you don’t need to be afraid of Lilac. She’s as gentle as they come.” The volunteer motioned for Davis to come closer. “All you need to do it hold this piece of watermelon out, making sure it’s resting on one hand. Think you can handle that?”

  Davis looked to Chloe, as if she could help him out of the situation. She just laughed. “I thought this was what you wanted—what you were so excited about.”

  “I-I am,” he stammered. “I just… That’s really close.”

  Chloe didn’t allow him to talk himself out of this. “You’re as tough as they come. I’m sure you can handle a piece of watermelon.”

  Davis threw her a look of skepticism, but she gave him a nudge forward, and he continued the rest of the way on his own. His steps were cautious, but once he held the watermelon, all nervousness seemed to vanish. Lilac reached down with her trunk, snatching it from his hand.

  “Can I touch her?” he asked the volunteer.

  “Certainly.”

  Davis stroked Lilac’s neck, then her ear. In response, she raised her trunk and moved it along Davis’s shirt, as if checking to see if he had more watermelon to give. He laughed and took another piece from the volunteer. They two were so cute together, like best buddies, and when the volunteer told him it was someone else’s turn, Davis didn’t look like he wanted to offer anyone else the chance. He finally relented, but no one else seemed to make the same connection with Lilac as Davis had.

  Before they continued to a lookout tower where they could see most of the sanctuary from above, the volunteer approached Davis.

  “You have a gentle way with animals.”

  “I never had any pets growing up,” Davis said, “but I did grow up next to the ocean and I learned how to respect animals. Never actually touched any of them, though, aside from a turtle here and there. And the jellyfish that I stepped on once. I kept my distance after that.”

  The volunteer chuckled. “You’re right to be cautious around wild animals, which these elephants are, even if others have tried to beat it out of them.” She paused. “Every elephant here was rescued. And we could use someone like you. Ever think of relocating halfway around the world?”

  Chloe perked up, even though she knew what his answer would be. He had a home, a business, and people didn’t just leave all that behind because someone said they had a way with elephants.

  But Davis didn’t laugh off the idea, as she had expected him to. Instead, he stayed silent, his expression thoughtful. “I hadn’t,” he finally said. “But I wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”

  Chloe’s heart pounded against her chest. Davis hadn’t said it off the cuff, like he was just trying to be polite. He had actually taken a moment to think about it. She hardly knew Davis, and it was ridiculous that she found herself hoping it wasn’t just a moment of idle musing on his part. That he could actually be serious.

  But still…ridiculous or not…

  “You would leave everything behind to work at an elephant sanctuary?” Chloe asked Davis as they walked through the tall grass on their way to the lookout tower. She hoped her tone was casual enough, like she didn’t care about the answer one way or the other.

  “This past week…” Davis began, then stopped. He tried again. “I don’t know if it would be the elephant sanctuary. But since I arrived in Thailand, I’ve never felt more myself. Building huts in your village, spending time with the people here—it’s as if everything I am makes sense here. I actually feel like I could make a difference.” He paused. “It sounds crazy, I know, because it’s been a difficult adjustment. The monsoon rains, tuk-tuks, the smells, the noise… When I first arrived, it was all so overwhelming. And yet…” He shook his head. “Well, anyway, like I said, it sounds crazy. Because it is. I can’t just up and leave Starlight Ridge.”

  The way he said it, though, a spark of hope lit in Chloe; she tried to smother it. Yes, Davis could see himself leaving everything behind. But he’d also said it was impossible. And he’d never said he’d come to Thailand for her—to be with her. Still, the hope remained despite all of Chloe’s best efforts. Because if it hadn’t yet been obvious, she knew she had feelings for Davis. And not just because he was a surprisingly good kisser for someone who claimed he didn’t have a lot of experience.

  But because of who he was. A genuinely good person, with a kind heart, who loved deeper than most people knew how. He’d allowed his idiosyncrasies and quirks to keep that part of him hidden for a long time, but in the ten days she’d known him, he’d begun to break free from that. Life seemed brighter when Davis was around.

  And she wasn’t ready to let him go. Not yet.

  His family would arrive the next day, and that just wasn’t enough time.

  * * *

  It was mid-afternoon when they left the elephant sanctuary. There had been no elephants painting or standing on balls, doing tricks.
Just people trying to do some good, and Chloe had been able to tell the difference. The elephants had a bond with those who took care of them—the same type of bond she’d seen Davis create with Lilac. Like he had wanted her to know that no one else was going to hurt her. Not anymore.

  Davis took Chloe’s hand and squeezed it, sending little shocks of electricity up her arm. “Thank you,” he said.

  They wound their way along a path that led them under a large archway that thanked them for visiting the sanctuary.

  “You’ve had a nice day?”

  He smiled down at her, the edges of his eyes crinkling. “The best.”

  Chloe returned his smile, then checked her phone. “We still have an hour before we need to be back on the boat. Want to take a walk through a small hill-tribe village? They make money by selling handmade gifts along the road.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  As they approached the village, Chloe could see various wares hanging outside roughly made wooden huts. There were purses with brightly colored embroidery and long dangling tassels. On the other side of the road were headdresses that tinkled in the wind, the metal pieces that had been sewn into them catching the light.

  “Wow, this is amazing,” Davis said. “Much better than if we had spent the day in the city.”

  Or at least it would have been, had they not been pelted by a bucket of water at that moment. A small girl stood to the side of one of the shops and held an empty, dripping bucket. And she was grinning. A boy who appeared to be her brother then ran toward them and motioned for the still-spluttering Davis to lean down. Davis seemed to be on autopilot, still in shock from being hit by the cold water, and did as the boy asked.

  The boy dipped his finger into a jar of white powder and wiped it onto Davis’s wet cheeks. The action was repeated for Chloe before the boy and girl ran off, laughing, probably in search of more water.