“I invited them in,” said Goma.
Jack followed her eyes and noticed Bahati for the first time.
“Habari, Jack,” said Bahati.
Jack nodded in acknowledgment. He had no reaction to seeing a muumuu-clad man at his grandmother’s table. Then his eyes fell on Scholastica, and everything changed. If he had been harsh with me before, he was positively hostile toward her. His hands clenched into tight fists by his sides, hackles rising until the air bristled with unspoken tension.
“That’s Lily’s,” he growled.
“So it is.” Goma didn’t seem perturbed by his reaction. “Scholastica needed a change of clothes, so I gave her Lily’s dress.”
Jack’s jaw clenched, like he had just stopped himself from biting someone’s head off. Scholastica huddled closer to Goma, shriveling under his biting glare.
“I think we should go now,” I said to Bahati. I had no idea if they’d let Scholastica board with me at the volunteer’s hostel until I figured something out. All I knew was that I didn’t like the way Jack Warden made me feel. I was used to constants with people—a nice, smooth line, with maybe a few blips here and there. But with Jack, it was like a polygraph test gone wild, the recording needle jumping all over the place. I went hopeful to insulted, from being sympathetic about his loss to infuriated by his attitude.
“No one’s going anywhere in this weather. In case you haven’t been listening to the forecast, the storm isn’t going to clear any time soon,” said Goma. “There are no streetlights for miles and the roads are treacherous in the rain. Besides, you have Scholastica to think about.”
“I’m sure the hostel can accommodate her for one night,” I replied. “I can call ahead and—”
“That’s not what I—”
“It’s not safe,” Jack declared. “You leave in the morning.”
I stared at him in silence. What made him think he had the right to call the shots on what I did? Or when? Maybe if he’d said it differently, like he gave a damn, I would have considered it, but he clearly didn’t want us there, and I wasn’t about to accept any grand favors from him.
“You can’t make that decision for us.” I lifted my chin and met his gaze.
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything. I was pretty sure I was seconds from combusting into a pile of smoldering ash when his scrutiny shifted.
“Bahati.” He held out his hand. “Keys.”
Bahati cast a furtive glance at me, but he clearly didn’t want to lock horns with Jack.
The keys disappeared as Jack closed his fingers over them and slid them into his pocket. “You leave in the morning.” He looked pointedly at me.
“Well. It’s settled then.” Goma shot me an expression that left no room for protest. She got up and filled a bowl of soup for Jack. “Now sit down and have a bite to eat.”
“Later. I’m going to take a shower,” he announced, peeling off his T-shirt and wiping his face with it. He was tanned all over, with no lines marking his skin, except for the dark cuts sculpting his washboard abs. He started heading upstairs and then turned around. Trickles of water ran down his back from hair that was still glistening from the rain. “Bahati, come with me. I have something you can borrow. You need to get out of that . . . thing.”
Bahati glared at Goma before following Jack out.
“What?” She glared back. “You wear that tribal robe all the time. Same thing, just with sleeves.”
“You know Bahati?” I asked, when the men were gone.
“Yes. Anyone who’s been to The Grand Tulip knows him. Jack used to take his wife there on weekends—his ex-wife, Sarah. She wasn’t made for life out here. They met while Jack was studying in Kenya. The farm seemed like a romantic notion to her then, but once she got here, it drove her nuts. She missed the shops and restaurants. The spa at The Grand Tulip was her favorite haunt, so Jack drove her to town whenever he could. He’d take her to see a show afterward. Sometimes they stayed over. He ran into Bahati there. The staff there is nice, but they all make fun of him. He stands out front like a brave warrior, but he’ll squeal if a ladybug lands on him. He’s the first to abandon post at the slightest hint of trouble. They laugh because, in spite of all that, he wants to be an action hero. Not Jack. Back then he was all about chasing your passion. He took one look at Bahati and told him he wasn’t qualified. The Maasai walk everywhere, but that wasn’t going to cut it. How was he going to handle a high-speed car chase, if he broke out in hives at the thought of getting behind the wheel? So, while Sarah was getting her massages, Jack taught Bahati how to drive.”
“I don’t know if I’d be taking credit for that,” I mumbled, thinking of my white-knuckled ride with him.
“What’s that?”
I shook my head and looked around. “You have a lovely home. I hope we’re not imposing.”
“Not at all. I can’t remember the last time we had company. It’s just Jack and me in this big old place. Sarah moved back to Cape Town many years ago. They divorced when Lily was a few years old. I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to having her over. I miss her dearly, and having a little one under our roof again makes me happy.” She wiggled her finger at Scholastica, “We have lots of spare rooms. You can take your pick.” She pointed me down the hall. “There’s a linen closet on the left with bed sheets and extra towels. Help yourself.”