by Allen, Jewel
While they drank, monkeys came out to watch them. They were eating out in the open under the shade of huge trees. A monkey came close, just outside the chained-off posts, staring at Lizzie’s ice cream.
“Oh, how cute,” Lara said, taking a photo just as the imp leaped off a boulder and stole Lizzie’s ice cream.
Lizzie cried and was more than a little afraid of the monkeys now. Lara wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry and just hugged the little girl.
“Let’s go see the falls, shall we?” Michael said, swinging Lizzie in his arms.
Lara, whose heart squeezed as she watched Michael with the little girl, told the children, “It’s the largest waterfall in the world, even bigger than the Niagara.”
Mick tried to repeat. “Na-ya...”
“A big waterfall,” Michael said, his amused gaze meeting Lara’s and making her stomach flip with pleasure.
The paths were thick with jungle trees and plants, leading to different overlooks. Giant ferns and twisted trunks grew along the sidewalks.
They followed one path to a viewpoint, and Lara gasped.
Victoria Falls was even grander than she expected. The sun crossed the spray, forming a rainbow. The Falls cascaded hundreds of feet down to the Zambezi River below.
Behind her, Michael stood so close she could feel his warmth. It was a heady sensation, between the height of the overlook and Michael’s nearness. Some overlooks had a rail, but most didn’t. Lara held the children’s hands as they looked. Between her and Michael, they made sure each was in charge of one child. Often, their hands—and heated gazes—collided.
The children had fun running around the paths, where they let them run, and soon tired of the falls. About halfway, they declared they were done. Lizzie was grouchy, and Mick dragged his feet, so Michael hoisted Mick on his shoulders while Lara carried Lizzie. They hit all the overlooks that way and made their way out of the park and to the car.
Once they were back on the road, Lara asked, “Where are we going next?”
Kalinga grinned. “A helicopter ride over the river and falls.”
Mick’s eyes bulged out. “Helicopter! Cool.”
What a day. First stopping at one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Now a helicopter ride over it.
After several minutes, Kalinga brought them to a field where a helicopter waited, its propellers already going. Instinctively ducking at the wind being whipped, they boarded the helicopter and waved at Kalinga as he got smaller and smaller at their ascent. The children oohed and aahed into their mics, Lara oohing and aahing along with them. The helicopter cut a swath across the savanna and then swooped down toward the Falls, making its way down to trace the ribbon of river below.
On the river, yellow rafts of river-running outfits dotted the water. Their helicopter driver swooped down close to those rafts and veered off, flying overhead. The sensation of being in the canyon’s close quarters made Lara’s heart race. They meandered, dipped, and rose, each movement mirrored in Lara’s stomach.
The children looked stunned now, not loving this. Possibly slightly sick. So when the helicopter started to level off and wasn’t maneuvering as crazy-like, Lara expelled a relieved breath.
“Look at the Falls, sweethearts,” she urged the children. They gazed at her listlessly until they caught a glimpse of the water.
The smoke that thunders.
The water tumbled ferociously over the lip of the gorge. The helicopter came close, covering the glass with spray. It was magnificent. Lara simply had no words for it, except...
“Thunda!” Lizzie said in her little four-year-old voice.
Thunda, indeed.
Michael’s hand covered hers, and her heart also rumbled like thunda.
Chapter 37
Their adventure at Victoria Falls wasn’t over yet. The helicopter deposited them back to the field where Kalinga waited.
“What do you do while waiting for us?” Michael asked their driver who was turning out to be more like a friend.
“I read romance novels on my phone.” Kalinga grinned.
“No kidding?” Michael clapped him on the back. “Does it help your marriage?”
He was only joking, but Kalinga sobered and said, “Oh yes. This way I don’t have to read my wife’s mind. If I just follow what the romance novel’s hero does, I am the hero to my wife as well.”
Lara approached them, listening.
“Oh yeah, like what kinds of things?” Michael darted a glance at the children. “Make sure it’s something the children can hear.”
“You touch her hand, you look deep into her eyes, you exchange secret smiles.” Kalinga looked from Michael to Lara. “Just like the two of you do.”
“Us?” Lara’s voice squeaked.
Michael smiled to himself.
Kalinga continued. “You cherish and care for her. Trust is a big thing. You listen so you can know what’s in her heart.”
“So you can trust your heart in his hands,” Lara added softly.
Michael turned to her, and her gaze gleamed meaningfully.
“I hear you,” he murmured, his heart buoyed by her message. He turned back to Kalinga.
“How long have you been married to your wife?”
“This one, four years.”
“What do you mean, ‘this one’?”
“I was a widower, and this woman decided to have me anyway, with my age and all.”
Kalinga wasn’t a bad-looking man. A bit frayed at the edges, but if he did everything the romance novels taught him, then maybe he was doing all right.
“Your wife is younger, then?” Michael asked.
“She’s my same age. She is a widow too. We have ten children between us. All grown.”
Michael pictured him and Lara growing old together. “Thanks, man, you inspire me.”
“If you play your cards right, Doc,” he promised, “you should be able to snag this one.”
Michael’s eyes searched for Lara, wondering if she’d heard. By the looks of her secretive smile, he suspected she did. She wasn’t scowling, and his chest expanded with hope.
Kalinga parked the Rover at the edge of the road next to what looked like a river pullout.
“When you arranged for a raft ride, Doc,” Kalinga said, “they couldn’t put you in a regular outfit because of the ages of the children.”
“I understand.”
“So instead, you’ll have a relaxing trip down this river and stop well before the edge of the Falls.”
“Yes,” Michael deadpanned. “That last part would be good. Thanks, Kalinga.”
“Best of all, it will be timed with sunset.”
Already, the sun hung low on the horizon. Kalinga led them down a trail to a waiting “boat.” It was a double-deck mini-yacht, reserved all to themselves.
On board, they met the captain and crew, and there was a flurry of activity as two men set a table for dinner. Michael followed Lara and the children to the deck above. They leaned against the rail and watched the sunset unfold like a show.
In the light of the sun, Lara’s face glowed. Michael’s gaze traced her lovely profile, willing her to look at him. When she did, he conveyed his feelings for her through his eyes.
He was in love with this woman, and he hoped she would trust him with her heart.
She cast her eyes down with a little smile.
Colors suffused the horizon, bearing down on the water and the trees dotting the shoreline. There were other boats around but at respectful distances so their experience could be private enough. And then it happened, the sun setting in a red glow, until the natural light was extinguished, replaced by an ambient purple afterglow.
Downstairs, silverware clinked as servers set the table for their meal. They came down then, famished. Their dinner featured gemsbok steak with other local delicacies.
After the river cruise, Kalinga took them to that night’s lodging. In order to get there, they had to cross the border to Zimbabwe. Here, the crowds seemed more chaot
ic. Cabs lined up for passengers, which were few and far between.
Kalinga explained, “They shuttle people to Zambia daily so they can get cash.”
Vendors swarmed them. Wanting to help, Michael arranged to get some souvenirs, but at the last minute, they couldn’t make his credit card work.
“Sorry, we need to go,” he told a vendor in a yellow shirt who gave him an annoyed sidelong glance, as if he couldn’t see very well from the one eye.
“Could we stop and get cash at a bank?” Michael asked Kalinga as they left the park.
“Of course,” Kalinga said. He drove to a bank on the main thoroughfare for Michael to use the ATM, but it was broken. Around them, on the steps, people waited in a line that snaked all the way around the bank. They stared at Michael, making him feel guilty.
He remembered Kalinga’s words. What a way to live here, to not have access to their cash and pay for things.
The situation of Zimbabweans weighed heavy on Michael’s mind as Kalinga drove on. A sign outside a walled compound welcomed them to The Elephant Camp.
“This is at the edge of a wildlife sanctuary,” Kalinga said. “You might see elephants.”
Lizzie sat up. “‘lephants!”
“In fact...”
Kalinga stopped the Rover and turned the engine off. Under the moonlight, in front of them, stood a herd of elephants of different generations. A huge one towered over the others. Under him was a smaller teen one, and at their feet, a little elephant squirmed and crawled atop a sleeping one.
Farther down, a herd came up to a fence that kept them away from the camp. The leader elephant seemed agitated that they were watching them and kept trumpeting.
“Can we get out and take a photo?” Michael asked.
“I’m afraid not,” Kalinga said. “He doesn’t seem to like us watching them. I think it’s best if we stay in the vehicle. And go soon.”
Through the open window, Michael took some shots.
The elephant leader of the pack continued to trumpet. He moved toward the fence and shook it.
“If he continues doing that, he’ll crash right through,” Kalinga warned. “Please, everyone, close your windows.”
As if that would be enough to keep an elephant out.
Michael pressed his window button just as the elephant charged.
Chapter 38
Lara suppressed a scream. Luckily, the fence held.
With relieved sighs all around in the vehicle, Kalinga drove to the main building.
The camp was no “camp.” Everything seemed to open to nature, even their family suite. Gauzy silk curtains hung from the rafters. Spotless white linen covered the king-sized beds. As usual, the children got their own little twin beds.
The children ran to the balcony, marveling at the stars, leaving Michael and Lara inside. Michael turned to her. They stood in the dim light of this romantic place.
“Did you have fun today?” he asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“What was your favorite thing?”
“The helicopter ride. That was exciting.”
“I should take you up in mine sometime.”
“Aye, aye, billionaire boss.”
He laughed, and she visibly relaxed.
“Come here,” he said.
Did he really say that, asserting himself like some billionaire boss?
Her eyes widened, but she went, just a few steps short of where he could touch her.
“My favorite was watching your face as we watched the sunset,” he said.
“You’re easy to please.”
“Actually, I’m not. I had been tiring of all the trappings—heli ride, nice dinners, all our fancy hotels. I was happy to enjoy something simple.”
His voice had lowered to a dangerous intimacy, and her flight instincts took over.
Don’t get too close. Wait until after this babysitting stint...
She stilled her anxiety. She’d been doing so well. But old habits were hard to break.
“I should check on the children.” She tried to pass him, but his hand shot out and circled her wrist. She didn’t try to break free, but her pulse raced.
“Don’t be scared,” he said.
“Shouldn’t I be?” Her voice cracked.
They stood there together, just touching, until he reeled her in like a bow being drawn back.
She fell against him softly, into a kiss that overwhelmed her senses. His kiss was slow and sweet, tasting of the strawberry chocolate dessert they had at dinner.
She murmured, “If I had known this was part of the job description...”
“What would you have done?”
“I might not have signed on.”
“Really?”
“I mean, I’m footloose and fancy-free. I wasn’t exactly looking for a relationship...especially with a guy with two kids.”
“Is it the two kids you’re hung up on?”
“Of course not. I love Mick and Lizzie.”
“Then...”
She stepped back. “I’m at a major crossroads, and I need to decide soon what direction that will take. Quitting the law firm felt like an impulse decision at first, but I realized that I’d been working this direction over the years. So I need to think more about this too.”
“Stop thinking and just feel it.”
“Michael...” She warded off his arms as he reached for her again.
The children came in, saving her.
Michael stayed in the balcony, his back to her. She had probably hurt him, but she didn’t know what else to do to stay safe and have room to make a decision she didn’t want to regret.
The children played a board game they found on the shelf as Lara lay beside them and watched, enjoying their little chatter and smack talk.
She wanted to make Michael understand more, how she was feeling. She wanted him to see who she was and where she came from.
He came in shortly, glancing at the domestic scene. A nerve ticked at his jaw, and he jutted it further, as though in frustration.
He went into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later, having changed into a gray shirt and shorts, attracting her gaze to his lean body until she yanked it away.
By continuing to refuse him, she had no right to admire.
Still, that needy emotion rose within her.
“Good night,” he said, standing stock-still and gazing at Lara with sad eyes.
“Are you going to read us a story, Uncle Michael?”
He winced. “Not tonight, dears...”
“Please?” Lizzie batted her eyes. She learned fast, that young‘un.
“Okay,” Michael said, giving in.
As usual, they all piled upon him, even Lara. He stiffened as their arms touched. This time, he didn’t put his arm around her.
Lara wished they could be on the same terms as they’d been on before. But before that could happen, he needed to understand.
After he read the story, the children scampered off.
He didn’t touch her, and she ached with sadness.
“Michael,” she said before she lost her courage. “Would you like to catch the sunrise with me tomorrow?”
His eyes were a steel gray with a sprinkling of surprise. “Okay.”
“I’m hoping the kids won’t be up so you and I can have a good talk.”
He hesitated. “Or, we can do it tonight.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I think I’d prefer tomorrow morning. Both our heads will be clearer too.”
He studied her, his gaze full of curiosity. “All right,” he finally said. “See you in the morning, then.”
Chapter 39
Michael’s alarm woke him at six. He tried to remember what he was doing, why was he up so early. And then it came to him. Lara wanted to talk as they watched the sunrise.
He felt restless. If he were an animal, he’d be a panther, pacing up and down. He hadn’t run in a long time, but today he wanted to. Get his adrenaline going. Get his heart pumping.
With the children, it seemed those carefree days—just pick up and go—were fast dwindling. He could find help to take care of their daily needs, but there wasn’t as much room for him to just take off.
What would life be like after Africa?
Could Lara possibly consider a life with him? Or would she be dropping a new emotional bombshell as they greeted the new day?
She was waiting for him on the balcony. Both children were still asleep, twisted funny in their beds like little dervishes that swirled the sheets in the night.
“Hey,” she said over her shoulder. She was wearing a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt. The air was cool, but he decided it wasn’t worth running inside and missing the sunrise to be warmer.
They stood, side by side, silently. He waited for her to speak. It wasn’t his place to dictate this conversation. He didn’t even know what it was for. So he simply watched the sunrise as it turned the sky purple and orange. Herds of elephants moved around in the near distance. It was surreal, being in Africa and experiencing this.
If he was going to fall in love, what better place than here?
“I grew up in Manhattan,” she began. “Sounds posh, right? But it was far from it. We lived in a gutted apartment. It was close to being condemned. My father thought it was a good deal, and he worked to improve it.”
She sighed. “Bless his heart, he tried. Really tried. But eventually, the money ran out, and he needed to go to work. Find a job that actually paid.”
Michael gazed at her profile. “What did he do?”
“He worked as a bartender.” Her finger traced the rail. “He was gone nights, and Mom worked days. Us kids had to fend for ourselves while Dad crashed from his shift. We were young. Probably the oldest was nine, but we were getting ourselves dinner and breakfast if we were lucky. But at least we had a family.”
Her voice broke. “Until we weren’t. Sometimes, Dad didn’t come home for days. Mom begged him to at least help tend us kids when she was at work, but he was never around. Somehow my siblings and I managed. We got ourselves to school okay. My English teacher took an interest in me. She gave me books to read and assignments to write. No surprise, my parents got divorced.”