Lisa Harris - Deadly Safari

“Have you ever been to South Africa before?”

“I visited once. Many years ago. My mother was from here.”

“So, coming here was more than just a job?”

“You could say that. I’ve always wanted a reason to return to my mother’s homeland.”

“You’ve piqued my interest.” She adjusted the grip of her hand around his waist. The fact that they had something in common surprised her. Her father had grown up in Kenya, the son of a missionary, so she’d learned early on the mysterious lure of the the African continent. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Me?”

“If we’re going to work together,” she said, “we might as well get to know each other. Where is your family from?”

“My father owns a ranch in West Texas, but many years ago, shortly after he passed the bar, his father arranged a hunting trip for him north of here near the Zimbabwe border. My mother’s father owned the game farm where they hunted. And as they say, the rest is history. They fell in love, had a whirlwind romance, and eventually they married and she followed him to the United States.”

“Romantic.”

“It was, but she died when I was twelve.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Every day.”

“Any sisters or brothers?”

“Three older sisters. My father never remarried. I don’t think he ever got over losing her. I think it’s your turn now. What about you?”

Meghan had realized the moment she’d asked him the first question she’d opened up a can of worms she’d prefer left closed. She loved her father, but their relationship had always been strained. It had been weeks since they’d talked and even longer since they’d seen each other. Explaining that to strangers was difficult.

“My story’s a bit more complicated.”

“Isn’t family always?”

She laughed. She liked him, which bothered her. And he was clearly worried and protective over her safety.

But none of that mattered beyond the short term. They had been nearly finished with their filming when Jared, her asssistant, came down with a life-threatening case of malaria. Once the filming was wrapped up and the edits finished, she’d never see Alex again.

She switched her mind back to his question. “I’m an only child. Boarding schools for junior high and high school, summers and vacations with my aunt in Southern California. There really isn’t much exciting about my life unless you want to start comparing who’s visited the most countries or eaten the weirdest food.”

“Deep-fried cantaloupe pie at the county fair is about all I have to offer.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I think I’d opt for a bag of barbecued Mopani worms before trying a slice of that.”

Alex laughed. Maybe the man was actually beginning to relax.

“You mentioned a lot of traveling. Where’s home?” he probed.

“I don’t really have one. My father’s an ambassador. I see him a couple times a year. I love him, but after my mother left him when I was fourteen, things changed between us. It wasn’t his fault, though. I don’t know a man alive who’d know how to deal with a moody teen while trying to save his part of the world.”

Meghan pressed her lips together, wondering why she was baring her heart to a man she’d just met. Even Kate didn’t know the details of her relationship with her father, and they’d known each other for months. “The lodge is just over the next ridge. We should be able to see the lights any moment now.”

“Tell me about this assignment you’ve been working on. I was given some details, but still would like to know more.”

She let out a sigh, thankful for the change in subject. “For starters, this is my first big assignment. As you probably already know, it’s a documentary in connection with the lodge and the reserve’s conservation program, the Chizoba Predator Project. For eight months, we’ve been tracking a lion family and documenting the dynamics within the pride. Now we’re waiting to take the final footage we need, when Kibibi introduces her cubs to their father. It should happen in the next couple weeks.”

Meghan stepped into a shallow hole along the path and felt her sore knee twist. She stumbled against him.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I just need to be careful.” She tried to find her balance, then pulled back slightly from his steady grip. “The ground isn’t even, and the last thing I need is to sprain something else.”

“Make sure you look both up and down.”

“Very funny.”

He winked at her, only managing to intensify the ridiculous stir of her heart.

“We can stop here for a moment if you need to.”

She tried to take another step on her own, felt her knee give and had to press her hands against his chest for balance. He was too close, her emotions too near the surface. Talking about her father always brought with it turmoil from the past. And the handsome cowboy in front of her wasn’t helping.

She drew in a deep breath and tried to relax. Something wasn’t right. “Do you smell that?”

“What?”

“Cigarette smoke again.”

She’d always been sensitive to smells, making her certain this was the same scent she’d noticed earlier today. The same brand the poachers had left. They were out here somewhere. Planning. Tracking. Preparing for another strike. She was certain of it.

The roar of an engine jerked her from her thoughts. She turned toward the noise and felt her breath catch.

“Poachers.”

“Who’s being paranoid now?” He nudged her with his shoulder. “It’s probably just your friends coming to pick you up.”

“Maybe.” She pulled them off the trail and into the cover of the bush, waiting for the vehicle to emerge. He was probably right, but if not... “My paranoia stems from reality. There was something I didn’t mention earlier.”

“What’s that?”

“The last person who got in the poachers’ way was murdered.”

THREE

Meghan let her lungs release the air they’d been holding as soon as the familiar form of Samuel appeared in the disappearing light, driving one of the lodge’s vehicles. Relief spread through her. She’d been wrong. Which meant no more worrying tonight about poachers, wild predators...or needing Alex’s help.

She stepped back onto the trail as Kate jumped from the Jeep and threw her arms around Meghan’s neck.

“Whoa, careful.” Pain shot through Meghan’s knee as she fought to keep her balance. Alex grabbed her shoulders from behind to steady her, but she managed to hobble away from both of them to lean against the front bumper of the Jeep.

“What in the world happened to you?” Kate began. “I’ve been worried sick. I saw you jump into the other vehicle. I thought you were behind us, but by the time we circled around to check on you, you’d vanished.” Kate’s gaze shifted from Meghan’s bruised leg to Alex. “And who are you?”

“Kate, Samuel,” Meghan began. “Meet Alex Markham. He’s our new production assistant. Kate works with photography and editing, and Samuel’s one of the best trackers you’ll find in southern Africa.”

“Assistant?” Kate’s gaze narrowed.

“I am sorry about what happened earlier. I certainly didn’t mean to cause such a commotion.” Alex shot Kate a smile, then held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kate. Samuel.”

Any traces of frustration on Kate’s face disappeared. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mr. Markham.”

“Call me Alex.”

“Okay...Alex.”

Meghan caught Kate’s gaze taking in Mr. Lone Star’s Stetson, boots, belt buckle and all his charm. She was actually fawning over the man.

Meghan shook her head. He was smooth. She’d give him credit for that. And attractive, if you liked the cowboy type. But the last thing she needed was another complication in her life.