Safari Moon

by Rogue Phoenix Press

“When will we see the wolves?”

  “In a minute.”

  “This doesn’t feel any better in the moonlight.”

  “Hush. They’ll hear you.”

  Although Nyssa was huddled in the middle of a thick growth of bushes, and although she knew they had to talk about the fake engagement, this wasn’t the time.

  They were watching a family of wolves and any noise might frighten them away. Solo had his camera perched on a tripod next to her, and they were so close she could feel his warm breath whisper against her neck when he spoke.

  The soft click of the camera blended into the night sounds and the ruckus coming from the wolves. Nyssa pulled her jacket tighter and scrawled a description of the family’s antics. No wonder the sleeping arrangements hadn’t concerned Solo enough to protest his grandfather’s railroading. He had no intention of sleeping. No sooner had the Colonel climbed the ladder to bed than Solo pulled her away from the bedroom, found her an Alaskan size jacket, and hauled her tired carcass outdoors.

  They had been out here so long, the night didn’t seem so dark nor the shadows of the forest so deep. Her head nodded and her eyes closed. She leaned back against Solo, his chest making a hot backdrop for her chilled body.

  He nudged her. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but the sun was clearing the eastern horizon and the wolves had vanished.

  “Good morning, sleepy head. I could get used to this.”

  “What?” Nyssa pushed her hair from her eyes and stared at Solo. “What?” she repeated for her benefit alone.

  “I could get used to this. The engagement,” he said. “You do know Grandmother will want to see an announcement in the paper. She won’t believe this confirmed bachelor is really getting married unless she sees proof.”

  Nyssa saw the resolve in his eyes and knew that somehow she would have to find a way to compromise. “If we could keep the announcement to one newspaper, the one and only one Sarah ever reads, we might be able to pull this off. The news can not get anywhere near a paper that Robert reads.”

  “I’ll talk to grandfather but he won’t understand.”

  “Tell him I don’t want a big wedding. Which I don’t. Tell him we don’t like people prying into our private lives.”

  “I’ll make him understand. I promise.” He glanced down the trail toward the cabin. “There is no way Robert will find out although I’m still of the opinion you should tell him. So don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Well, well, well, imagine finding the two of you out here so early in the morning.” The Colonel’s voice boomed out in the quiet serenity surrounding them. As if he managed to startle the birds to, they sent up a cacophony of noise that could wake the sleeping wolves. “Why don’t you two love birds stop cooing to each other and get back to the cabin. I’ve already sent a message to Sarah and she’s on her way. There is no time like the present. We have a wedding to plan.”

  Colonel St. John grinned that devilish smile again while Nyssa made little choking noises at the back of her throat.

  The Colonel had taken charge.

  Charge being the operative word.

  Chapter Six

  “We’re back,” the Colonel’s voice boomed through the cabin.

  Solo focused on the two figures entering the cabin and grinned with recognition. “Grandma Sarah.”

  He rose from the chair and gave her a big hug.

  The Colonel did tell the truth. His grandmother looked fragile and tired, her face pale. He hadn’t expected his grandmother so soon, but here she was in front of him.

  Helpless, he waited for his grandmother to sit down, and studied every feature from her short-cut silver hair to the white flat sandals she wore. He did want this to turn out well for everyone--Nyssa included. But he didn’t see how they could provide his grandmother with a grandchild.

  After making sure Sarah was settled comfortably, his grandfather left to collect the luggage.

  “My darling, Solo,” Sarah said when the door closed behind the Colonel. “It’s so nice to see you again, even if it’s only for a few days. Did you know your grandfather brought Reverend Thomas with us?”

  Solo nearly choked then, “No, he didn’t tell me.”

  His grandmother’s eyes twinkled with happiness, and Solo wanted to groan. When Nyssa found out the Colonel had brought the preacher with him, she’d blow a fuse.

  He motioned his grandmother to a comfortable chair, wishing she’d relax for a few minutes. “My darling Colonel thought of everything. See,” from her black leather handbag, she pulled out a stiff official piece of paper.

  “A marriage license,” Sarah said. "I guess money can buy you anything when you have a judge in your hip pocket."

  Solo did groan this time.

  “Of course the Colonel says we’ll have to give both of you a huge reception when you finish the research.”

  A reception, a wedding, he repeated with a sense of approaching doom. What next? And what about his promise to Nyssa that no one else would know about the engagement? His grandmother had come for the wedding, and she would expect the grandchild in nine months.

  “We don’t need a reception,” Solo said, in a feeble attempt to change her mind.

  His grandmother dismissed him with a wave of one hand. “What about Nyssa? She’ll want something special. All this haste will deprive her of a beautiful wedding. She should at least be able to celebrate with her friends, you too. The Colonel called David and Michael and they should arrive tomorrow morning.”

  He had no idea how to stop this, and he knew Nyssa would rake him over the coals if he didn’t. No torture would be too harsh for him if he didn’t follow through with his promises.

  “She doesn’t want--special. It’s supposed to be small, private. Intimate.”

  Under normal circumstances he would have been more forceful. It just wasn’t in him to hurt his grandmother, and he searched for a way to convince her gently and without making her health worse. He knew that since his parents died in a plane crash, his grandmother had been there for all the major events in his life.

  Unlike the Colonel, she didn’t care if he followed in Colonel St. John’s footsteps. Had she known the Colonel forced this wedding, she’d blow a fuse just like Nyssa. That picture made him smile.

  The Colonel brought in a small bag for Sarah then settled himself at the other end of the couch.

  “By the way, where is the bride to be?” Sarah asked. “I’d like to know if this rapid-fire wedding is all your idea or if Nyssa agrees. I’d like to hear it straight from her if she really doesn’t want a reception or a real wedding.”

  “She’s asleep. We’ve been awake the last three nights hard at work.”

  “As soon as she’s up, we’ll have a talk. Afterwards the Colonel and I will go back to the trading post.”

  “You’re not staying?” Solo wanted to sky write, thank you. He’d had horrible nightmares over this--three days worth. The cabin was not big enough for the four of them.

  “No, of course not. The man at the trading post has a nice big home and he’s offered to put us up for the week. He’s lonely, you know. Ever since his wife died, poor thing, he’s been out here all by himself. I knew you’d want to be alone with Nyssa. You must be so much in love. Why, if we stay here, you’ll never get the chance to kiss her.”

  His grandmother blushed and Solo knew what she imagined.

  This was downright embarrassing. He couldn’t believe it, yet, he was the one with the urge to look away. Before he could change the subject, his grandmother gave him one of her wonderful, tender looks as if she could read his mind.

  “Love isn’t the problem,” he said.

  “Well you ought to take advantage of every opportunity you can get. Life is short.

  “Grandma--”

  “I wouldn’t mind if you started that grandchild a little prematurely. The sooner you have a woman to give your heart to and I get a baby to hold the better I’ll feel. Nyssa is asleep, half the day
passed by, and you’re out here with me. You should be in that bed with her.”

  “She needs her sleep. There’ll be time for all that stuff later,” he said lamely.

  “I want you to have as much latitude as we can give you. A young couple needs time. Now, I realize that you’ve known Nyssa for a decade but you’ve seen her in a new light, haven’t you? She’s been your pal but you’ve always loved her, deep down you loved her.”

  “You knew all that?”

  “Of course, and anyone with eyes could have seen how much she loved you. Always has.”

  He sat up straighter. “If she loves me so much why is she engaged to--”

  “What dear?”

  “Nothing,” he said quickly.

  “I’m sure you planned to say something about your engagement. It is what you want?” His grandmother’s gaze was shrewd, too knowledgeable.

  “Of course I want to marry her. It just took me a long time to figure it out.” He stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I think Nyssa’s wonderful in every way. But we are--we planned--the wedding night, you know.”

  Sarah clapped her hands together. Her smile was bright and her eyes alight with joy. “I’m so glad. You won’t regret that decision.” She reached out to touch his cheek. “You didn’t have to tell me.”

  “I didn’t want you thinking that Nyssa,” Hell. He didn’t want to think of Nyssa in that light and he couldn’t help himself. With one word, he was grinding his fists together and struggling to control the rapid acceleration of lust sweeping through him. Because that was what he felt, pure and simple lust, nothing more.

  He needed to put this back in perspective because Nyssa was not the kind of woman a man’s hormones went bonkers over. She was intelligent, kindhearted--too innocent and he respected her. She liked to play Monopoly on rainy days--and beat the socks off him. Deep down she loved his adventures, the research. He knew that because she always went with him and the pictures she shot were dynamite.

  “You don’t need to work her so hard, and I don’t understand why you don’t court her.” His grandmother’s stare was intense as if she discussed his love life everyday along with her tea. “A little romance is always good.”

  “Romance?” he asked. “Court her?”

  “Well, of course. I thought I brought you up better than that. You sound as if the very idea disgusts you. I’ve seen you with other women. I know you can turn on the charm when you want to.” While he assimilated that tidbit, Sarah said with a grand announcement, “If you want to make the marriage last past the honeymoon, you’ll have to change your tactics. A woman doesn’t like to be left alone too long.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “Come on, Solo. Do I have to spell it out? Why, when your grandfather and I courted,” her eyes twinkled again. “We were nearly caught in bed by my father. Of course,” she added hastily, “we weren’t actually in bed, just very close. Your generation would call it hormones. But we were madly in love. He couldn’t keep his hands off me and I didn’t want him to. I felt so cherished and he was such a romantic devil.”

  “We call it lust,” he said. “Just like you did.”

  “Good, then you understand what you feel. You have to have a bit of good old fashioned lust or the marriage won’t last. By the way, Solo, have you given her a ring?”

  What could he say to that? “We haven’t had time to shop.”

  Sarah clapped her hands together again. “She can have my mother’s.” Sarah slipped a small red box from her purse then handed it over to Solo.

  He opened the box slowly, awed by the enormity of the gift. A large sapphire surrounded by diamonds stared back at him. The stones caught the light and rainbow prisms decorated the walls.

  “I can’t accept this,” he said, realizing how precious the gift was.

  “Of course you can. I’ve wanted to give this to you for a long time. It’s always been my intention for the woman you married to have it. I’ve saved it for you, and I think you should plan a lovely dinner, just for two, so you can give the ring to her over candlelight and roses.”

  “I can’t get roses.”

  “Of course you can dear. They’re in the car waiting for you to agree to this. In case you don’t have the hint by now, I want this engagement and marriage to work out.”

  And then she smiled at him. She looked stronger already and Solo didn’t know how to refuse the simple request. Of course Nyssa would wear the ring. Of course he, Solo, would give her a beautiful dinner to celebrate it with. Why on earth wouldn’t he? Why would her real engagement to old Robert keep him from making a complete fool of himself?

  ***

  A few hours later, Sarah and the Colonel left Solo’s cabin with the promise to return bright and early the next day. When Solo looked in on Nyssa, she was waking up. Her hair was in disarray and her eyes were huge and sleepy.

  “Solo,” she said softly.

  She pushed her hair back out of her eyes, the covers slipping to her waist before she pulled them to her chin. In the dim light before Nyssa could cover herself, Solo got a complete picture. She had on a little black thing, sexy, lacy, and too provocative. He watched her while she held onto the sheet and assumed a pose of casual nonchalance.

  “Why are you staring at me?”

  “What? Oh,” Why? A ridiculous question--he gaped openly at her because he couldn’t keep his eyes away. It was all he could do to keep from joining her. Presented with the two options he figured he was noble in the extreme.

  “Never mind. Did I hear your grandmother or was that my imagination?”

  “No--it wasn’t your imagination. She’s here.”

  “Why do I have the notion this scenario has gone from bad to worse?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Solo--”

  “I promised you this would work out fine. So don’t you think it’s about time you trusted me?”

  “I can’t trust you when you sound so defensive.”

  He was disappointed when she said that. Nyssa had always trusted him before, so why not now? After all they were engaged and their plans included marriage if only for a few short weeks.

  “What did Sarah say? Will she stay until the wedding? I don’t think I can stand the tension much longer. It’s a lie, Solo. What if she finds out and has a relapse?”

  “Nyssa, don’t babble,” he said, grinning. “Did you wake up with all this confusion in your head?”

  “Of course I didn’t. It’s just that--this--that all this has," she paused for breath. "It has made me sick to my stomach with worry.”

  “Relax pumpkin. I’m here for you. Tell me what bothers you and I’ll fix it.” He clenched the little red box in his hand and wondered if he should give the ring to her now.

  “Can’t you find something else to call me?”

  “I suppose so.” She got upset over the strangest things. What was wrong with “pumpkin”?

  “You don’t get it, do you?” she said. “Don’t give me names of endearment you don’t mean, and don’t call me pumpkin.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. What was it he didn’t get?

  “I need to get dressed,” she said. “Don’t we have to watch the wolves? And Solo, I don’t want to be reminded I’m unfaithful and my fiancé knows nothing about it, nor do I ever plan to tell him. And of course if he does find out, I don’t have one excuse for my behavior. You should have found some other man’s fiancée and propositioned her.”