jungle. Most kids don’t make it through infancy. You learn to survive, or you die. Simple as that.”
“How can you be so cold? It must have been horrible. How did they die, if you don’t mind me asking?”
His jaw twitched, and she knew he was biting the inside of his cheek. Maybe she’d pried too far into his past. He obviously was still shaken by the incident.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said softly. “I understand how you feel. I couldn’t even imagine what I’d do in such a situation if I ever lost Ryder.”
He closed his eyes briefly, his lips turning down in a frown. Then he opened them and once again looked away.
“Your clothes are clean and dry,” he told her. “And you’re welcome to the shower if you’d like to freshen up.”
It was all she could do not to ask him more, but she knew he’d tell her nothing more that day. Neither would she ask.
"Thank you, but I don't think I'll be taking a shower. I'll just come get my clothes."
He looked at her now, with pain burning in his eyes. If only she could reach the hurt he hid away, and help him like he’d helped her.
"Suit yourself,” he answered softly. “But if you change your mind, there's still water in the shower bag. It's still warm."
He made his way to the entrance and only stopped when she called his name. The sunlight illuminated him from behind, and she really noticed how handsome he was now that he’d showered and shaved.
"Conrado, thank you. For the use of the night shirt."
He didn’t even acknowledge her gratitude before he disappeared from sight.
She plopped down in the wooden chair, feeling emotion wrack her body. She kept thinking of the way Conrado’s hands felt on her hips, and the way he cleaned up so nicely. And also that pain he held inside all these years. She wanted to reach out and pull him to her bosom and bury him in a hug. Her brother was right in befriending this man. She changed her mind about him. She didn’t need to fear him any longer, she decided. She would put her trust in him the way Ryder had done. Conrado would be her jungle protector on this journey.
Chatter decided to use that moment to drop in from nowhere, and landed on the dresser. Startled, she jumped and then put a hand over her chest to still her racing heart. He looked at her with his dark face that reminded her of a mask, and extended his lips into an 'o' as he did a bit of monkey talk.
"Stop sneaking up on me," she told the little monkey. "You scared the living daylights out of me."
The monkey hung his head and even seemed to pout a little. It reminded her of one of her students when she made them sit in the corner for throwing paper airplanes in class.
"Oh, stop it you big baby. Come here.” She ran her hand over its head gently.
The monkey took that advantage to scurry up her arm and sit on her shoulder just the way it did with Conrado. It tickled and she laughed, never having had a monkey on her shoulder before. Conrado said Chatter liked her. That was a good sign.
Maybe she wasn't such an outcast in the jungles of Peru after all. Besides, if her brother, Ryder, could get used to living in the wild, then maybe she'd give it a shot as well. At least for a few days until they met up with him.
She felt honored the monkey sat on her shoulder, and got to her feet and walked slowly toward the ladder. Chatter’s long tail swished back and forth as he balanced himself. She wanted Conrado to see that the monkey accepted her. She also wanted him to see how at ease she was becoming with jungle life only after one night.
She started down the ladder, noticing Conrado cooking something over the fire. Before she got to the last rung, he was there at her side, reaching out a helping hand.
"You don't have to run to my side every step I take," she told him. "I'm managing to get along just fine out here."
He looked at the monkey on her shoulder and nodded his head. The animal chattered away as it took to inspecting her hair.
"I see
“How can you be so cold? It must have been horrible. How did they die, if you don’t mind me asking?”
His jaw twitched, and she knew he was biting the inside of his cheek. Maybe she’d pried too far into his past. He obviously was still shaken by the incident.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said softly. “I understand how you feel. I couldn’t even imagine what I’d do in such a situation if I ever lost Ryder.”
He closed his eyes briefly, his lips turning down in a frown. Then he opened them and once again looked away.
“Your clothes are clean and dry,” he told her. “And you’re welcome to the shower if you’d like to freshen up.”
It was all she could do not to ask him more, but she knew he’d tell her nothing more that day. Neither would she ask.
"Thank you, but I don't think I'll be taking a shower. I'll just come get my clothes."
He looked at her now, with pain burning in his eyes. If only she could reach the hurt he hid away, and help him like he’d helped her.
"Suit yourself,” he answered softly. “But if you change your mind, there's still water in the shower bag. It's still warm."
He made his way to the entrance and only stopped when she called his name. The sunlight illuminated him from behind, and she really noticed how handsome he was now that he’d showered and shaved.
"Conrado, thank you. For the use of the night shirt."
He didn’t even acknowledge her gratitude before he disappeared from sight.
She plopped down in the wooden chair, feeling emotion wrack her body. She kept thinking of the way Conrado’s hands felt on her hips, and the way he cleaned up so nicely. And also that pain he held inside all these years. She wanted to reach out and pull him to her bosom and bury him in a hug. Her brother was right in befriending this man. She changed her mind about him. She didn’t need to fear him any longer, she decided. She would put her trust in him the way Ryder had done. Conrado would be her jungle protector on this journey.
Chatter decided to use that moment to drop in from nowhere, and landed on the dresser. Startled, she jumped and then put a hand over her chest to still her racing heart. He looked at her with his dark face that reminded her of a mask, and extended his lips into an 'o' as he did a bit of monkey talk.
"Stop sneaking up on me," she told the little monkey. "You scared the living daylights out of me."
The monkey hung his head and even seemed to pout a little. It reminded her of one of her students when she made them sit in the corner for throwing paper airplanes in class.
"Oh, stop it you big baby. Come here.” She ran her hand over its head gently.
The monkey took that advantage to scurry up her arm and sit on her shoulder just the way it did with Conrado. It tickled and she laughed, never having had a monkey on her shoulder before. Conrado said Chatter liked her. That was a good sign.
Maybe she wasn't such an outcast in the jungles of Peru after all. Besides, if her brother, Ryder, could get used to living in the wild, then maybe she'd give it a shot as well. At least for a few days until they met up with him.
She felt honored the monkey sat on her shoulder, and got to her feet and walked slowly toward the ladder. Chatter’s long tail swished back and forth as he balanced himself. She wanted Conrado to see that the monkey accepted her. She also wanted him to see how at ease she was becoming with jungle life only after one night.
She started down the ladder, noticing Conrado cooking something over the fire. Before she got to the last rung, he was there at her side, reaching out a helping hand.
"You don't have to run to my side every step I take," she told him. "I'm managing to get along just fine out here."
He looked at the monkey on her shoulder and nodded his head. The animal chattered away as it took to inspecting her hair.
"I see
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