Thunder in the Night (Crimson Romance) (12 page)

“It seems to me he brings a great enthusiasm to his work,” I said. “He’s very dedicated to those ideals you dismiss.”

“Well, we all see what we want to see,” Sylvia’s cold words were meant to put me in my place.

But I wouldn’t go.

“I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know I’m planning a series of articles when we return. I’ll be exploring Mart’s views — as well as the more traditional ones. Consulting other sources and examining the role of a zoo today. What it is and what it should be.”

In a swift move I wasn’t expecting, Sylvia stood. From her vantage point towering over me, she said, “Good luck with your work, Miss Belsar. I’ll be ever so anxious to read it.” With a few rapid strides, she marched off around the corner of our shady nook to join the others. Her arms moved in steady cadence, her hat dangling from one hand.

“Well, you’ve done it now.” It was Dan, tuning back in to the encounter. “Couldn’t help hearing all that.” He spread his hands to plead innocence and I nodded. “She looks like a cool cucumber, that one, but she’s actually a real fiery gal. If you weren’t already on the wrong side of her, I’d warn you not to end up there.” He shrugged. “Too late, now.”

No kidding
, I thought, pressing my lips together tight to keep the words back. “She shouldn’t be so touchy. She must love Clark very much to get so defensive.”

Dan closed one eye in concentration. “Don’t know if it’s him she loves so much these days.”

“What?”

That head of white hair shook. “No, no. I shouldn’t tell tales out of school.” He gave my hand a paternal pat of reassurance, which I tolerated with a smile.

“Let’s go find Elaine,” I suggested.

Easing himself up from the stone, he said, “She should be to the top of the temple by now.”

With my mind elsewhere, I followed the elderly man. It would feel good to get out of the cool shadows. They were beginning to chill me straight through.

Chapter Fourteen

The next several hours were magical ones, much to my surprise and delight. At the base of the temple that dominated one end of Altun Ha’s plaza, Dan and I stood with our hands shielding our eyes, gazing up, up, up.

Our search was rewarded with a shout of “Yoo hoo!” Little Elaine stood at the top, waving both arms enthusiastically over her head. Once she had our attention, she yelled “C’mon! It’s an easy climb!”

Beside me, Dan sighed deeply, as if he knew when he was beaten. “I suppose I’d better do this,” he said with resignation. “I like Elaine to be happy.” He nudged me. “What do you say?”

This temple wasn’t as high as those at Tikal, but it still rose awfully far overhead. Standing in front of the steps, I looked up and swallowed.

Dan read my expression with little trouble. “We’ll do it together, Allison. Let’s be brave, eh?”

How could I say no to the overweight, elderly gent ready to risk life and limb?

“After you.”

He stepped back, hands up and head shaking. “Oh, no, dear. Ladies first.”

I scowled at him and he laughed in a great bellow.

Cautiously, slowly, we made the climb, one chipped, ancient step at a time.

“I think the key is to not look down,” Dan puffed from behind.

“Could be.”

“Because, if you look down and see how high up you are, well, that would be frightening,” Dan prattled on, to cover his nervousness, I figured.

I didn’t answer anymore, but the monologue continued. The distraction must have helped because it seemed like only moments later we were standing upright at the very top of the temple. We were on the platform just outside the walled room where sacrifices had taken place hundreds of years ago. The gaping, dark hole of the entrance loomed before me, but I turned away. And caught my breath.

Oh, we were high! And all around us, the blue sky stretched off to the horizon. The green canopy of the forest top ran parallel, an unbroken carpet of foliage.

Dan let out a long whistle, sweeping off his hat and mopping his brow.

“Well? Was it worth the effort?” Elaine practically danced over to us, sliding an arm around her husband’s paunchy middle and beaming.

“It’s magnificent!” I agreed, turning to look in each direction.

We weren’t alone at the top, of course. Plenty of other tourists were present, exploring the ruins, as well. Several couples had young children along. The kids climbed up and down the temple steps with no hesitation and limitless energy.

I saw their smaller feet fitting easily onto the narrow steps and wondered how I’d tackle the climb back down.

When the time came, Elaine had a suggestion. “Bump down one step at a time, dear, on your behind.” She gave her own a pat.

Dan and I turned to face each other, chagrin painted on our faces. At his forlorn look, I had to laugh. With the saggy corners of his mouth drawn down even further, he looked for all the world like a basset hound.

I chucked him familiarly under the chin. “If we made it up, we can make it down!”

One white eyebrow rose in question. “I hope so,” was all he said.

“We’ll caravan,” Elaine said brightly. “One behind the other.”

In her self-appointed role of group leader, Elaine went first. She moved slowly, feeling carefully for the next slab before edging down.

Staying off to one side, out of everyone’s way, our little trio eventually landed on terra firma.

Dan dropped to his knees and delivered a resounding kiss to the earth.

“Oh, Dan, honestly!” Elaine squeaked in embarrassment.

We each grabbed an elbow and helped him to his feet. He took his time dusting off his knees and pulling faces.

“That’s enough of that,” Elaine scolded. She glanced at her watch — a tiny sapphire-and-diamond masterpiece — and let out a gasp. “We’ll have to hurry if we’re going to see the reservoir!”

“Wouldn’t want to miss that,” Dan grumbled as his wife marched away.

This was certainly more fun than wandering around on my own, so I tagged along once more.

Elaine set a strenuous pace, her running commentary as fact-filled as a guidebook. I covered page after page in my notebook as we toured the grounds.

Later, the group reconvened for a picnic lunch. Aside from the predictable American fare, there were plenty of local dishes to try. I had grown especially fond of chile relleno, a delicious stuffed pepper, and tamales de chipilin, which consisted of cheese and tomato sauce surrounded by seasoned corn paste all wrapped in a banana leaf.

I sat on one of the colorful blankets strewn on the ground, listening to Dan describe to the others our hazardous descent from the temple. He told the tale in a hilarious fashion, and we all roared with laughter. As I chuckled at another of his wild exaggerations, I felt eyes watching me. It could be Sylvia, I thought, remembering the enemy I had made earlier in the day. Borrowing a gesture from Mart, I pushed my hands through my hair, massaging my scalp and relieving some of the tension that thought had produced.

This whole trip was getting a bit too complicated for me. Clark tracking criminals, Mart following Clark, Sylvia in a snit, and Ishani just existing were all succeeding in distracting me from my real work. It was impossible to ignore these situations, however. It was especially impossible to ignore Mart and the undeniable attraction between us.

I swiveled around, looking quickly over my shoulder. Mart stood a short ways off, leaning against a tree trunk and looking like his photo from the zoo trek brochure. Except now, he wasn’t smiling.

The noisy chatter of Dan seemed to fade away as we looked at each other. My heart set up a thumping that echoed in my ears and I could feel every muscle tense up.

His dark eyes were solemn, wide, and deep. Little wrinkles curved on either side of his tightly clenched jaw, like commas setting off a sad phrase. After a long, long moment when it was hard for me to sit still, he jerked his head to one side, silently inviting me over.

Why should I go?
I thought, looking back at him, thinking, debating.

His shoulders lifted and fell as he sighed. Then, he mouthed one word. “Please.”

Slowly, deliberately, I stood up and excused myself from our group. I know they all watched me leave. I’m sure they had plenty to say, too, but I didn’t care. I only wanted to hear what Mart had to say.

“Yes?” I stuffed my hands deep in the pocket of my shorts in a defensive posture.

He shifted from one foot to another. “I’d like to talk to you.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “About what?”

“Earlier. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, Allison,” he said. “You’re just doing your job and you’re the person best qualified to know exactly what that means. If it’s stuff like that article, well, then it’s stuff like that article.”

As far as apologies go, it wasn’t much.

“Thanks,” I said, accepting it anyway. I wouldn’t forget his response to my article, but I wouldn’t let that color my work, either.

“And I think your idea for a series is a good one. I’m sure Clark would be willing to cooperate on a project like that. If you want, I’ll speak to him about it.”

I smiled and it felt good. “Thanks, Mart. I’d appreciate that.”

He smiled, too, and the commas disappeared. He looked better without them. “Let’s walk,” he suggested, putting his hand on my crooked elbow.

We moved away from the group and the sound of their voices faded to a murmur.

“So, what do you think of Altun Ha?”

“Oh, it’s fascinating. I’ve had a very interesting day!” I said, launching into my own description of my travels up and down the temple with Dan. I must have told the story well, because Mart ended up laughing out loud.

He stopped laughing when I described my conversation with Sylvia. “She’s a piece of work, all right,” he commented, dismissing the subject when I tried to pursue it.

Further efforts on my part produced similar side-stepping, so I abandoned that topic and we lapsed into a cozy silence. I’d taken my hands from my pockets and he reached for one now. His fingers tightened pleasantly around mine and I returned the squeeze.

“You know,” he began after a while, swinging our hands between us, “I was surprised to see you get defensive this morning when I didn’t like your article.”

“Why is that? You’d be furious if I implied you didn’t do your job properly.”

Bobbing his head, he agreed. “That’s true.” The hand not holding mine fanned the air as he went on. “Seeing you get all fired up made me realize just how seriously you take your job. Integrity is pretty high on my list of admirable traits, Allison,” he continued, footsteps slowing to a full stop. Turning to face me, he took my other hand and looked down into my eyes. In a voice so quiet, I had to strain to hear it, he said, “I’m glad you’ve got it.” He paused before concluding, “Gorgeous and ethical — a lethal combination.”

No one had ever called me gorgeous before and my cheeks burned with the compliment. Plenty of folks had called me ethical. Or stubborn. Both descriptions made me proud. But I wasn’t dwelling on that now with his face so close to mine as he bent his head. I knew then that he was going to kiss me and that I’d kiss him back. And, sure enough, I did.

His lips touched mine, briefly, gently, as if he was unsure of my reaction. This was what I’d daydreamed about quite frequently, so my own reaction was spontaneous. I returned the pressure against his mouth, closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of his skin. He kissed me again, firmly and with no hesitation. Our noses bumped and then our chins and I felt the scratchy tickle of his whiskers against my flesh.

Our hands had left their place between us. Mine were curved around his neck, resting on his sun-warmed nape. His were settled none too gently at my waist, the heat from them burning easily through my blouse.

I’ll never know how long we would have stayed there, smooching in delightful abandon. At just that instant, one of those colorful, raucous birds let out a screech from close by. I leaped at the sound, not away from Mart, but closer to him. He held me tight and chuckled.

“I’d heard you were afraid of birds, but right now, I can’t say I’m sorry.”

My eyes moved swiftly from the offending creature in the trees to the man who cuddled me close despite the heat.

It was good to not be angry.

Chapter Fifteen

“Yes, Mom, I’ll be home in a few days,” I said, checking my tote bag for supplies. “Today we’re going to tour a cave by inner tube. We float down some river and go into these caves. I think we wear headlamps to see. And then we’re going to a resort where we’ll be staying in cute cabana huts for the night. It sounds pretty neat.” I waited for her to tell me to be careful in the cave and watch out for bats in my hair.

Since it was Friday morning, I’d given Mom a call while I got ready for the day. We talked every Friday morning and just because I was thousands of miles away, that was no excuse to miss a conversation.

I hadn’t told Mom about my fall or the fact that I was using a camera I borrowed from Mart because mine had been stolen. No need to give her more than bats to worry about.

“I sent you a postcard but I’ll probably be home before you get it,” I said. “Watch your mailbox!”

After assuring her I’d call the minute our plane touched down on U.S. soil, I tossed the phone into my bag and scurried out the door.

We were headed to one of the many caves found all over Belize. As I’d told Mom, we’d be doing our touring from the water and had been warned to wear swimsuits and bring a change of clothes. On the tour bus, I sat next to Jen, evading her questions about my growing relationship with Mart.

At the venue’s headquarters, a rustic, rough-hewn lodge, I was surprised to see you could also rent ATVs and drive them along trails through the forest. This didn’t seem quite the ecologically responsible thing to do. What must Mart think? Did he know?

One look at his face gave me that answer. His lips pressed tight and his jaw clenched. I wondered if he’d refuse to participate or make us all get back on the bus and go do something else. But with Clark at the head of the ticket, the die was cast. As we queued for inner tubes, I saw Mart pull his boss aside. From the arm gestures and head shaking, I could have provided the dialogue of their conversation myself.