Harlequin Heartwarming May 2016 Box Set (6 page)

Maybe she should have told Mac what was going on last night in his office...where a computer was available. She drank the last sip of her soda. No. Her instincts had kept her from doing so. She needed to trust her gut. He wouldn't have listened then. She wouldn't have been able to dish the note-writing excuse to him. Just as he'd pointed out that more modern conveniences would have made running away easier for Nick, the same could have applied to Mac. He could have acted in defense before listening to anything she had to say about Nick or Brice. Maybe she needed to trust her gut more often.

The aroma of spices and the warm char of open-flamed cooking drifted past her, a solid reminder that she'd been too nervous to eat breakfast this morning—a saving grace considering how she reacted to not being on solid ground. She went inside to thank the Lagats for letting them stay, but soon realized she needed more fresh air.

The flaming Serengeti sun burned directly overhead and a chicken, of all things, ran past her, squawking like it was being chased by an invisible predator until it found the safety of its flock under a fig tree. Maybe her mind was also making up things to fear about Brice. Did she subconsciously want out of her marriage? Was she looking for reasons to leave?

There was no point in procrastinating any longer. She couldn't let Nick hate her. She couldn't let him think she didn't want him around or that she had priorities greater than him. True, she had to make a decision to leave him with Mac, but not for the same reasons her parents had left her alone so often. They were so busy with their aquatic research that they couldn't focus on their children, too. She finally understood how important their work was, but back then she'd been like Nick. Just needing someone to be around...a safety net to catch her as she muddled through her teens...a home and family like all the other kids had. As a child, she'd wanted to feel secure and not have to worry every night—especially during storms—that one or both of her parents might not come home.

She wanted to be that safety net for Nick, but right now, the only way to keep him safe was to pull that net out from under him. And hope Mac was there to catch his fall.

The air vibrated with the trumpeting of elephants in the distance, as if they'd heard her thoughts and were trying to share their wisdom about motherhood and the delicate cycle of life.

If only she spoke elephant.

As a child, she spoke to her adopted cats and sometimes believed they understood her. They'd give her a sign: a lazy blink or a sedating purr that rumbled deep against her chest.

She needed a sign now.

The roar of a lion had her turning quickly toward the path to the cottage. Mac stood on the front porch, leaning against the wooden log that supported the thatched overhang, watching her, the piercing blue of his eyes intense and knowing. Maybe it was the way the Kenyan sun had left its warmth on his skin or how stubble shadowed the hard lines of his jaw, but the way he looked at her sparked a smoldering ache in her chest. She swallowed hard to extinguish it. If only Mac hadn't wanted to get away from home so badly. Maybe they would have eventually become friends. But he'd wanted to escape and explore and she'd wanted—needed—stability.

And now she didn't even have that.

Was this her sign? That the one thing—the one person—who would make her and Nick's life whole and balanced was the one man she'd turned away from years ago? The one man who knew how small, insecure and insignificant she used to be? She stared down at her feet as she walked up the path toward him.

Life could be so cruel.

CHAPTER FOUR

“H
EY
. D
ON
'
T
TOUCH
that yet.”

Mac gave Nick a warning look and didn't break eye contact until his nephew pulled his hand away from the basket of fresh, warm chapati.

“What? It's there to eat, isn't it?” Nick said, eyeing the traditional flatbread like a hyena with its tongue lolling out. The boy was acting spoiled, like these were free-for-all breadsticks at an Italian restaurant, but this wasn't a restaurant. They weren't campers paying for a safari stay. Those meals were served outdoors. Come to think of it, Mac didn't think he'd ever been just a guest here. They were dining in the Lagats' home. Very dear friends who deserved respect.

“It's there to eat after Mugi and Kesi join us and you thank them for the meal. It's called manners,” Mac said, glancing at Tessa to read her reaction.

“We don't always have sit-down meals,” she explained. “Brice isn't usually home for dinner because of work, and Nick is so hungry after school that he stuffs himself then. And then again about every hour after that,” she added, smiling at Nick. Her attempt to soften him up with good-natured teasing went right over his head.

Mac looked pointedly at both of them. He remembered well the consuming hunger that would hit him as a teenager during bouts of raging hormones or growth spurts. It had to be the closest a guy could get to understanding pregnancy cravings. It hadn't been unusual for him to eat an entire roast down to the bone—by himself—and then get hungry again soon after. So he got it, but that didn't excuse bad manners or lack of respect.

Nor, as far as he was concerned, did living on riches. He'd seen one too many kids come through Hodari Lodge with families who could afford the place and then some, acting careless and entitled. No nephew of his was going to act that way. Losing one's parents wasn't an excuse, either. Life wasn't always fair, but a kid had to grow up understanding how to handle punches like a man—with morals, honor and dignity.

Wow. He was sounding like his own father.

There had to be some give and take, though. Mac leaned back in his chair and rested his palms on his khakis. Who was he to judge Nick's behavior and attitude when he'd willingly left him with Tessa and Brice? In a convoluted way, he was just as guilty as Brice when it came to putting a lot of value on money. As a millionaire investor, Brice wasn't around to be the quintessential family man because making money was his priority. And Mac wasn't around because he needed to make money to live and help support his nephew. And given Air Walker Safaris' financial state, Mac knew full well that money was important. However, some people didn't have their priorities straight. Need and want were very different things.

But Mac's ideals and values were essentially meaningless if he wasn't around to instill them...to set an example. Even if staying in South Africa was best for Nick on so many levels, in the end, all Mac was doing was sending his nephew money. He wasn't really in a position to judge Brice, or his own father, for that matter. Or Tessa.

He rubbed his jaw against his shoulder and stretched his neck.

“Yes, well, consider this a lesson in manners. The Lagats are like family to me. It doesn't matter that they just met you. You've been invited into their home because anyone I care about they care about, too. That's the kind of people they are.”

Nick slumped back and looked away from both of them, arms folded and face flushed. The rims of his eyes turned pink. Poor guy was fighting for control. He'd never asked for any of this. Not losing his parents. Not being here in the middle of nowhere. And certainly not being juggled between the only two people in the world he had left.

The last time Mac had been in the same room with him, Nick had not quite hit thirteen yet and he'd retreated into himself. He'd changed a lot since the days after the funeral. It was like he was ready to discover himself...but he didn't know how. And his safety net was full of holes. Apparently, so was Tessa's. Good thing Mac didn't need safety nets. Not having to rely on anyone had been his most liberating discovery as a young man. Maybe that's what Nick had to learn.

Tessa was nibbling on the corner of her lip. She shook her head ever so slightly as she studied the back of Nick's head. Everyone was feeling disappointed and frustrated. No one felt in control.

“Hey, man,” Mac offered. “Wait until you try Kesi's cooking. Trust me. It'll be worth the wait.”

“No more waiting,” Mugi said, coming in the back door with a large bowl of what appeared to be a vegetable curry. Mouthwatering aromas permeated the room and lingered, despite the soft breezes floating through the screened windows and doors. He set the plate on the old wooden table and smoothed the simple black-and-brown patterned
dashiki
shirt that Mac recognized as the one Kesi had recently made. She'd made him one, too, only she'd chosen a brighter yellow-and-orange pattern for Mac, saying it was because he liked to be in the sky with the sun. Kesi was right behind Mugi with several more dishes.

“Kesi makes the best chapati. She cooks it in an iron pan over an open flame out back. Please, help yourself,” Mugi said. “And this is vegetable and potato curry and this other dish is
sukuma wiki
. Fried onion, tomato and spinach.”

“My gosh, this looks like it was so much work. I wasn't expecting a vegetarian meal. I'll admit, I was prepared to just eat bread and claim to not be hungry, out of politeness, but boy, am I relieved. I'm starving. We didn't mean to bother you,” Tessa said.

“It's no bother when it comes from the heart.” Kesi smiled and laid her worn hand on Mac's shoulder. “Any family of Mac's is family of ours.”

“Thank you,” Tessa said, dipping her chin. The corner of her mouth tipped into a grateful but slightly sad smile.

Mac felt her kick his boot lightly and raised his brows. Her eyes opened wide and pink spread to her cheeks. She glanced sideways at Nick, and from his abrupt thanks to Kesi and Mugi, Mac figured she'd kicked the wrong foot the first time. He couldn't resist messing with her. He tapped hers back, anyway.

* * *

T
ESSA
DID
HER
best to ignore the way the corner of Mac's mouth lifted lazily after he kicked her foot under the table. If he added that flirty wink he was famous for in school, she'd scream.
Don't...don't...
He did it. She took a deep breath and turned her attention to the Lagats. She knew Mac wasn't really flirting. She was a married woman. He'd never even gone out with ex-girlfriends of his buddies back in school. But he had always enjoyed giving her a hard time. If it was at all possible for a sexy wink to be aggravating, he'd just pulled it off. Why did that not surprise her?

“You look a lot like Mac did when I first met him, Nick,” Mugi said with a deep chuckle. His accent was highlighted with a different quality than Kesi's musical voice. Tessa couldn't place it. He sat down at the end of the table and eyed Mac to his left and Nick to his right, then scratched his graying sideburns. Tessa had no idea why, but the scene struck her oddly as one of grandfather, father and son.

“I look like my dad,” Nick said, raising his chin as if to uncover his face and prove his point. He totally had his mother's chin.

“I'm not surprised, given your uncle carries the same blood,” Mugi pointed out. “I never met your father, but I can already see pride runs deep in your family. It makes a man strong, if not stubborn.”

“Stop giving our Mac a hard time.” Kesi laughed at the opposite end of the table, closer to Tessa. She wore pants and a white cotton top embroidered around the neck. A printed scarf was wrapped around her head and beaded earrings added beautiful traditional touches to her outfit. Her style would have made a great subject for one of Tessa's fashion columns. Kesi couldn't have been much younger than Mugi, yet her warm skin had such a youthful glow.

“Are you two calling me stubborn?
Me?
” Mac asked. “I don't know what you're talking about.” He took a piece of chapati, tore it and offered half to Nick. Nick took one bite and immediately reached for another piece.

“Oh, should I tell embarrassing stories of the first time you landed here?” Kesi smiled as she waved her hand across the table. “Please, everyone, fill your plates and don't be shy. There's enough for seconds and thirds.”

“I think I need to hear this story,” Tessa said.

“Yeah. Embarrass Uncle Mac.
Please.
” The way Nick's lopsided smile mirrored Mac's was uncanny. She wished she had a camera.

“Did he run out of gas and get stranded?” Tessa ventured.

“Worse. He ran out of gas on the wrong side of the river,” Kesi said. “You tell them, Mugi. I love hearing this story.”

“They don't want to hear it,” Mac insisted.

“Yes, we do,” Tessa and Nick said simultaneously.

Mugi laughed and put his elbows up on the table. He leaned a few conspiratorial inches toward Nick and jerked his head at Mac.

“Your uncle here was out on his first flight in the area. No passengers. Just him...a fledgling.” Mugi chuckled. “So he had lost his bearings and realized he was too low on gas to make it back safely. According to him, he had been told over the radio that there was a camp nearby, but the trees had just greened up, lush enough to make spotting this place from the air difficult. So he went for a clearing...but not the one where you landed today. No, this one was across the river. Kesi and I were sitting at the edge of the camp watching the various herds make their way upstream for water when we saw him land. Now, mind you, where there's prey, predator is not far behind.”

“So you called out to him?” Nick asked, chewing more slowly.

“Of course not. We just watched to see what he'd do. After all, even lions have babies to feed. He was just part of the food chain we were observing in action. There's no television out here. A guy needs entertainment.”

At that, Nick stopped eating and stared at the older man. Kesi covered her mouth with one hand to keep from laughing out loud and squeezed Tessa's arm with the other. Tessa struggled to keep a straight face.

“Remind me never to put my life in your hands,” Mac said, spooning curry onto the rice in his dish. He looked like he'd heard this story more times than he cared to.

“Let him finish,” Kesi said.

“Okay, so we did call out—not that it helped,” Mugi confessed. “I called and asked if he needed assistance. Surrounded by hungry, thirsty wild animals and blocked by a river that most certainly hid jaws of death, Mac answered that he had everything under control, but thanks, anyway. So we watched him strut back and forth assessing the situation and too stubborn to admit he needed help. That's when the lion roared less than ten yards away.”

This wasn't funny anymore. Tessa parted her lips, but Nick jumped in.

“For real? What happened?”

“He wet himself,” Mugi said.

“As in he fell in the river?” Tessa asked.

“No. As in, he
wet
himself,” Mugi repeated.

Everyone burst out laughing. Even Tessa couldn't hold it in, but the best part was seeing Nick relax.

“Did
not
,” Mac said. “I got splashed when the herds panicked.”

“You say that if it makes you feel better.” Mugi sniggered.

“Did you kill it?” Nick asked. “The lion?”

Mac's face sobered.

“I don't kill anything unless I'm forced to put it out of pain and misery,” Mac said.

“Not even for food?” Nick asked.

“Not even for food anymore. I have nothing against anyone who eats livestock raised humanely and taken with gratitude, but I personally have seen so much merciless killing that I've lost my taste for meat. Now, if I were forced into a situation of self-defense, that would be another matter.”

“But you
were
in danger,” Tessa said.

“I was unprepared. No gun. No tranquilizers.”

“No way,” Nick said. “How could you be so stupid?”

“Hey. Watch what you call me, huh?” Mac said, then he grinned. “I was
very
stupid.”

Nick smiled right back and pushed his hair out of his face.

“So what
did
happen? After he wet himself,” Tessa asked, raising one brow at Mac. He'd never live that down. Indiana Jones and the Moment of Doom.

“He was rescued by a woman,” Mugi said.

“Ooooh, shame!” Nick hooted and clapped.

Tessa looked at Kesi in surprise.

“You swam across the river and rescued him, Kesi?”

“No way.” Kesi laughed. “Mugi wasn't really just watching. He had a radio on him and had called a researcher we knew was studying elephants in the area and who we'd heard, over the air, was nearby that day. She drove up in her jeep just in time, but Mugi did have his rifle ready and aimed just in case.”

“Wow,” Nick said. Tessa shuddered at the scary, albeit funny in retrospect, situation Mac had been in. But she'd always known that he'd wanted adventure. Even in high school he'd loved adrenaline rushes. He used to skip school just to go for a swim that involved diving off cliffs; there was the time he'd taken off in his father's car before he had a license to drive. All of it used to fry her nerves. Especially when her sister went along for the fun of it. But Tessa knew he also took risks just to rebel against his dad and to prove he didn't care what anyone thought of him. He'd wanted a life where he'd be putting his life at risk. The exact opposite of what Tessa had always wanted. They still were opposites, which was why raising Nick
together
was so impossible.

“Rescued by a woman.” Tessa folded her arms and shook her head.