by Lisa Harris
A row of yellow lanterns hung above the brick path, creating a warm glow despite the chilly morning temperature. A far different feel from his normal morning commute. City traffic, crime scenes and court dates had been transformed into a safari camp with thatched structures that seemed as if they came from another time or another world.
He drew in a deep breath, relishing the solitude. The only noise was the chatter of birds who’d been up before dawn. Meghan was right—it was amazingly beautiful here.
That almost made up for the fact that he was jet-lagged, freezing and exhausted after staying up half the night to ensure there were no surprise visitors to Meghan’s chalet. He buttoned up the front of his denim jacket to block the chill and shoved his hands into his front pockets. This definitely wasn’t turning out to be a very restful vacation. And the act he’d have to play only added to his stress. While he respected the wishes of her father, he was still worried that Meghan’s not knowing what was going on would only end up putting her at further risk.
Which left him with one probing question. Should he follow her father’s orders and leave her in the dark or let her know that she might be up against something more than just a handful of poachers? After spending half the night weighing the consequences of both actions, he still didn’t have a clear answer. He simply didn’t have enough information.
He walked to the edge of the parking lot, his breath fogging up the air in front of him. A group of Japanese tourists were arriving from their chalets, cameras in hand, their animated conversations interrupting the quiet of the moment. Bundled up like Eskimos with coats and blankets provided by the lodge, they climbed into one of the open Jeeps for their morning safari as their ranger answered their questions.
Alex rubbed his hands together to create some warmth. He’d read up on the family-owned lodge on the plane during the fight over and had been impressed with the long list of amenities the lodge offered. But beyond the luxury suites, world-class cuisine and access to fifty-thousand acres, he’d found himself impressed with the reserve’s conservation efforts, which stretched beyond the moneymaking tourist destination. And while this benefit might not make its way into the tourism brochures on the lodge, he appreciated the upped security since the last poacher’s attack. The night guards would make his job easier, which was why he planned to make friends with them to guarantee he was kept in the loop. Besides, sharing the work would remind him to treat this as just another job. Staying purely professional would be a challenge if he couldn’t let Meghan know why he was really there, but he’d find a way to work with it.
He stifled a yawn. This time, he had no intentions of barging in as a knight in shining armor to save the day. He’d already tried that route…with Shannon. He’d learned his lesson when he hadn’t been able to keep her safe.
He moved until he was standing against the railing that overlooked the veld beyond the lodge. The tawny color of the bush spread out to his left. Memories surged. He’d fallen for her. Hard and fast. And she’d felt the same way. Given time, he’d planned to ask her to marry him.
That was before the shooting. A year later, he’d finally accepted that Shannon was gone, but he could not accept the way he’d failed Shannon. Failed her family. Failed himself. It didn’t matter that the committee had found him innocent of any negligence or that he knew it wasn’t possible to save them all.
I know what You’re thinking, Lord. I need to put the past where it belongs…in the past.
But sometimes, letting go and forgetting wasn’t possible.
Losing Shannon had cost him his heart, something he never planned to go through again. Which was why he had to ignore whatever unexpected attraction had managed to surface yesterday with Meghan. He’d keep his word, ensure Meghan’s safety until the election was over, then he’d be gone.
Meghan appeared from the lodge carrying two tall mugs. Her limp this morning was subtle and her long pants covered what he was sure was a nasty bruise on her knee. She fit the part of safari guide completely in her long-sleeved khaki shirt and fleece vest, lightweight cargo trousers, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and topped with a wide-brimmed hat.
He shoved away any wandering thoughts and smiled. “Morning.”
“A punctual assistant. I’m impressed.”
She smiled back at him, clearly a morning person. He’d skipped breakfast, opting for an extra twenty minutes of sleep. Seeing the mugs of coffee she carried made him regret his decision. Tomorrow he’d have to rethink his routine, but the combination of jet lag, early rising and worry had thrown his schedule off completely.
Meghan handed him one of the cups. “I figured you might need a bit of a jolt to keep you awake this morning. Jet lag can be a killer.”
His smile broadened. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“I wasn’t sure what you liked.”
He took a sip. On the sweet side with a swirl of milk. “It’s perfect. I owe you one.”
“Yes, you do. Starting now.” Meagan handed him the clipboard she’d been carrying under her arm, then started toward one of the parked safari Jeeps. “Samuel won’t be going with us this morning since the lodge is full and they need the extra drivers. Kate will be here in a few minutes to help film, but your job is to keep track of the footage. I’ll be driving, but in case you get any crazy ideas of chasing down another rhino, another accident won’t go over well with the manager.”
“I think we’re pretty safe to assume that isn’t going to happen.” He glanced at the clipboard, then hurried to catch up with her. “What about the other vehicle? Any news on it?”
“Samuel told me they’re planning to tow the Jeep in as soon as it’s light, so it will be a while before we find out what went wrong.”
He’d already decided he was going to find a way to look at the vehicle himself. He might not be a mechanic, but he knew enough to recognize the indicators of sabotage.
Meghan glanced at her watch. “Kate’s late as always. Should be here in couple of minutes.”
He stopped beside her at one of the Jeeps, hating the fact that he felt at a disadvantage. He was used to being in control and chasing leads with the authority of his badge behind him. In charge of an assignment, not assisting with unfamiliar work. Stepping off that plane had thrust him into an entirely different world.
Alex glanced at the clipboard, wishing there was a way to avoid what he was about to say. But there wasn’t. “Because of the rush nature of filling this job, I wasn’t given any specifics on what I would be doing.”
His excuse sounded lame. He couldn’t fake knowing what he was doing, and even if he tried, it wouldn’t take her long to find out he knew nothing about making a documentary. The problem was, he’d been so focused on getting here and evaluating her safety, he’d almost forgot he was here for a real job he’d have to perform to maintain his cover.
“Your main responsibility will be as my production assistant. Besides logging all video footage, we do a lot of social media you’ll be involved in. Beyond that, PA is simply short for gofer.” There was a hint of amusement in Meghan’s expression. “You know, go for this…go for that.”
He forced a smile. “Yeah. I get it. No explanation necessary.” And no explanation offered on his part for what he’d really be doing—which was keeping an eye out for anyone who might try to target her with any more “accidents” or subject her to any more threats.
*
Meghan took a sip of her coffee, chuckling inside at his reaction. He might have experience in tracking and photography, but something in his expression told her he was used to being in charge. This was definitely going to be interesting.
“Good. For starters, then, you’ll need to keep the log sheets. The form is there—you will need to keep it updated with all the key data like location, date, time, description of what was filmed, et cetera.”
“Okay.” He stared at the Excel sheet as if it was a piece of alien technology. What had he been told about the job? “Anything else I should know be
fore we get going?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t help but smile. “I brought you coffee this morning, but—”
“I’m on my own after today?”
“I’m impressed. You catch on quick.”
He took another sip of the coffee, then let out a long sigh. “So what’s on the agenda today?”
“We need to find Kibibi, our mama lion, and her four cubs. In the next couple weeks, she will introduce the cubs to their father and the rest of the pride. It’s the last piece of our footage we need before putting the documentary together.”
“Sounds good.”
“Yesterday, as you might recall, you scared our star away.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
Meghan noted his frown but didn’t let it bother her. She wasn’t going to let him live that one down.
Kate ambled up to them, coffee in one hand and a large duffel bag of equipment in the other, looking as if she’d just crawled out of bed. Which she probably had. Kate’s typical morning routine was to set her alarm so she had just enough time to throw on some clothes and tie back her hair before grabbing coffee and a muffin in order to make it out to the Jeep.
“Sorry I’m late. My alarm didn’t go off.”
“Kate’s always late and always arrives with an excuse,” Meghan explained.
“I heard that.” She climbed into the backseat. “At least I’m creative and, once I’m awake, completely amiable.”
To Kate’s credit, she was a great editor and fabulous photographer. It was just the combination of early-morning drives and cold temperatures that she clearly wished to avoid. This morning, she came bundled up in a knit hat, fuzzy scarf and dark fleece jacket as if she was bracing for a snowstorm.
After eight months of working together, Meghan knew it would take Kate at least another thirty minutes to completely wake up. By noon, the sun would be out full force, and she’d not only pare down to a T-shirt and shorts, but be talking up a storm.
“Morning, Kate,” Alex offered.
Kate looked at Meghan, to Alex, then back to Meghan again and sighed. “Don’t tell me Mr. Cowboy here is another perky morning person like yourself, Meghan.”
Alex laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you, but yeah, I am. Back home on my father’s ranch, getting up at this hour would be called sleeping in.”
Meghan smiled at Alex’s response. She shouldn’t like him. He was too unsettling—and moreover, he clearly had no experience as an assistant producer, which meant he had no business being here. But for some reason, even after calling Karen, she’d still spent half the night lying in bed unable to sleep and the other half dreaming of those blue eyes of his. Which made no sense.
She tried to bury her mixed-up thoughts. “Let’s get going. The sun will be up before we know it, and we need to find Kibibi while it’s still early.”
Meghan winced as she climbed up into the driver’s seat, while Alex got in next to her. The swelling around her knee had gone down during the night, but it was still going to be sore for days and purple even longer.
“I still think you should get it checked out,” Alex said. “Just to be on the safe side.”
There he went again. Mr. Cowboy turned Mr. Protective. “All a doctor would do is tell me to ice it and take pain relievers.” She shot him her best smile. “I’m already doing both.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“Storm keep you up last night, Kate?” Meghan asked.
“Nope.” Kate settled in beside the pile of camera equipment and zipped up her coat to just under her chin, then pulled one of the extra blankets around her. “Fell asleep listening to my sound machine. With the ocean in the background, I almost feel like I’m sitting under the Florida sun.”
Meghan started the Jeep while Alex stretched out his long legs beside her. She focused on the dirt road, avoiding his profile and reminding herself that she didn’t have time for the complication.
“We’ll follow the road back toward where Kibibi and her cubs were yesterday and try to get a signal off her collar.”
“Do all your lions have collars?” he asked.
Meghan nodded. This was good. Talking about work would help her mind stay focused. “Most of the adults have VHF collars.”
“How do those differ from a GPS collar?”
She pointed to the hand receiver Kate was holding on to that was connected to a directional antenna. “There are advantages to both types. VHF are much cheaper. They’re also accurate enough for our needs, and the batteries last about three years. The disadvantage is that we have to be in the field to find them as the range is only about two kilometers. This makes it harder to track an animal that is continually moving.”
“What’s the advantage of the GPS collars?”
“They allow data to be collected any time of day and can be accessed remotely, which means we don’t have to be out in the field to know where they are. It also means we can end up with some amazing tracking results. But they’re also much more expensive. And unfortunately, money is always a factor.”
“So, I’m assuming brand-new GPS collars aren’t in this year’s budget.”
Meghan shook her head. “Only for our rhinos. The radio pulse speeds up if the rhino starts running or lies down in the same position for too long. Of course, if you really want to go high-tech, satellite collars are the most effective way to collect current data on the animals’ location, but while the data is always available, the price tag that goes with them makes them even more unobtainable. Especially with all the extra resources Ian has had to put into the security of the rhinos.”
“Take the dirt road to the right, Meghan,” Kate said from the backseat. “Looks like Kibibi’s a kilometer or so past the water hole.”
Meghan turned off the tar road onto another bumpy dirt road. Thirty seconds later, she pressed on the brakes as a family of elephants emerged from the bush and began filing across the road in front of them.
She started snapping photos, capturing their thick, wrinkled gray skin, long white tusks and wide flappy ears, then paused to catch Alex’s expression. Mr. Cowboy clearly hadn’t been this close to an elephant before. Or at least not one outside of a zoo. He sat forward, eyes wide open, jaw dropped.
She smiled at his awe, glad that she could share this moment with him and yet wishing he wasn’t so ridiculously good-looking. Wishing he didn’t stir up emotions she preferred left buried. “What do you think?”
“That we’re at least a dozen yards too close for my comfort.” His hand gripped the side of the Jeep. “It’s not as if I’ve never seen an elephant, but up close like this…they’re ginormous.”
She laughed. “Besides that?”
“Seriously, I was impressed watching them from a distance, but this…this is incredible. The way they fan their ears, harbor those babies beside them…and those trunks!”
She was enjoying his reaction. Too much. He was right, though. There was something incredible in watching those mamas, sisters, aunts and babies plod past with their trunks swaying in front of them. A moment later, they’d completely vanished back into the sparse winter brush.
“We’re almost to the water hole. We’ll stop there for a few minutes to give you a bit of a taste of an African safari, then track down Kibibi.”
*
The sun was just beginning to make its first splash of color against the horizon when Meghan pulled the Jeep alongside the water hole. Alex stared at the assortment of giraffes, impalas and warthogs as a male elephant lumbered up to take his morning bath.
Here the terrain seemed wild and untouched. Tall beefy tree trunks, flat leafy tops, a scattering of thorny bushes and desertlike flowers in an array of oranges, yellows and reds stretched as far as he could see.
The giraffe spread its legs at the water’s edge and bent over to drink. This was what he’d hoped to experience. The heart of South Africa. His mother’s homeland. To revisit where she’d lived, eat the food she’d loved, experience the people and land she’d called her ow
n. This was why he’d agreed to play babysitter for Ambassador Jordan’s daughter.
He’d expected to be moved. What he hadn’t expected was to feel so overwhelmed by it all. Surrounded by God’s majesty, he remembered what Meghan had said the previous night, about how far away this world seemed from any pain or suffering or crime.
He’d have to remember that was just an illusion. Crime could intrude anywhere—and would, if he didn’t remember to stay on his guard.
A group of reddish-brown impalas, with their white bellies, startled, then bounded away from the water’s edge into the bush.
He heard the click of Meghan’s camera beside him. It pulled him from his thoughts—and a place he didn’t want to revisit. He looked at the woman beside him, still unsure why he felt so comfortable with her. In the little time he’d known her, he’d found her dedicated, focused, charming…everything he looked for in a woman. If he was looking, which he wasn’t.
She shut off the motor, letting the quiet of the morning spread out in front of them. A dozen elephants made their way to the water’s edge, the younger ones trying to keep up with their broad steps.
“I’m guessing this is the same herd of elephants we saw a few minutes ago?”
Meghan nodded. “Ella is the matriarch. You can recognize her by the scar on the left side of her belly.”
“She’s beautiful. Except for infrequent visits to my father’s ranch, I think this is the closest I’ve come to solitude in months.”
“I could sit out here for hours just waiting and watching. There’s always something new to capture on film.”
Meghan snapped photos of the sun rising behind them while Kate filmed from the backseat. He was content just to sit and watch.
“When you visited South Africa with your mother, did you ever get to see something like this?”
Alex shook his head. “I went hunting with my grandfather a couple times, but never on an organized safari. As far as wildlife, all I remember seeing is the backsides of warthogs and a few baboons trying to steal my grandmother’s produce.”
Meghan laughed. “Do you like photography?”
