The Unexpected Father

‘May as well minimise the risk of being seen,’ he said as she got out to help him. ‘That way we can sleep a little easier.’

By the time the sun had gone down the Jeep was festooned with branches and leaves.

‘Pretty good handiwork,’ Josh remarked as he stood further back on the road to survey their efforts. ‘Shall we break out the dinner rations before putting our heads down?’

Samantha nodded and then glanced around at the dark undergrowth that surrounded them. ‘I’m going to have to pay a visit to the little girls’ room first.’

He grinned and held out a torch towards her. ‘Better take this and watch out for snakes. We have all the mod cons out here.’

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. ‘I think I’ve just gone off the idea.’

‘Go on.’ He waved her towards the bushes and then added jokingly, ‘Don’t be long or your dinner will be ruined.’

‘Well, we can always reheat it in the microwave,’ she said, joining in the spirit of things as she turned away. Her smile faded a little as she moved carefully into the lush vegetation behind her. The thought of snakes and God knew what else made her decide not to go too far. She was back to the relative safety of the car in a few seconds.

At first she couldn’t see Josh, just the vague, camouflaged shape of the Jeep. Then he peered up over the branches. ‘I decided to book a table for two in here,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Can you climb in so as not to disturb our handiwork?’

‘I might just manage that.’ It took her a moment to hoist herself up and then swing her legs over the door. ‘Don’t leave the waiter a tip,’ she panted as she slid into her seat. ‘Damn bad table he’s given us.’

‘Good view of the conservatory, though.’ Josh handed her the dry biscuits that had become part of their staple diet at Chuanga since the supply trucks hadn’t been getting through.

‘Definitely no tip for the waiter,’ Samantha said as she bit into one. ‘The food here is terrible.’

‘I can’t understand it—I ordered us both a steak,’ Josh said with a shake of his head. ‘And, believe it or not, this place came highly recommended.’

‘Who by? Kermit the Frog?’ Samantha smiled.

‘Actually it was Fozzie Bear.’ Josh crunched into another biscuit and washed it down with water. ‘Hell, these are awful. Soon as we get back to civilisation I’m going to treat you to a good meal.’

‘Is that a promise?’

For a moment their eyes met and held.

Why had she said that? she wondered, her heart jumping nervously.

‘I believe it is.’ He reached out a hand and touched her cheek. It was a curiously tender gesture and it sent a shiver racing through her.

‘Of course, the offer is subject to availability,’ he said, moving away from her again.

Then Samantha just smiled. He was joking, of course. When they got back to civilisation they would just say goodbye and their ways would part for ever.

She leaned her head back to look up at the sky, her dark hair falling away from her face, leaving its youthful, classical features exposed to the silvery moonlight.

The night was incredibly beautiful—the stars were big and bright and clear, and the moon looked almost like a piece of costume jewellery, sparkling and too large to be real.

For a moment she found herself remembering how she had looked out at the sky the night of the mortar attack on the hospital. She had wondered that night which direction she should take next...what to do about Ben’s rejection of their baby.

It seemed that fate had decided those things for her. One direct hit on the hospital and her life had veered sharply on a path for home, in the company of a stranger she barely knew.

Who decided these things...? Had Ben’s death been written down in some book up in heaven? Was her fate written there too? She shivered at that thought. Of course her fate wasn’t written; life was what you made it. She remembered her mother saying that to her many years ago.

‘Are you cold?’ Josh reached into the back of the Jeep and pulled out one of the blankets to throw it over her legs. ‘The nights are colder up in the mountains.’

‘Thanks.’ Her voice held the edge of a tremor.

‘Eat up,’ he urged gently. ‘The management have sent a good dessert to make up for the main course.’ He held up a squashed chocolate bar.

She laughed. ‘You are full of surprises, Mr Hamilton.’

‘The surprise is that it hasn’t melted completely. At least the cold night air is good for something.’

Samantha smiled. She liked the way Josh could turn a dreadful meal, a dangerous situation into something light-hearted. She was about to reply when he suddenly moved, and his hand clamped firmly down over her mouth.

A wave of surprise flooded through her. If this was Josh’s idea of a joke she didn’t think it at all funny. She was about to struggle, make her discomfort and annoyance at such an action clear, when Josh whispered for her to be quiet in a tone that held no hint of a joke.

Cold fear trickled down her spine in that moment as she heard what he must have heard seconds before her: the distant sounds of voices.

Her eyes, wide and horrified, met his as those voices came closer and she recognised the native dialect of one of the fiercest warring tribes.

She knew that if they were found now, their time was up.

CHAPTER FOUR

HER breath froze inside her and her heart slammed against her chest as the voices came nearer.

Josh took his hand from her mouth and pulled her down towards the floor, his finger going to her lips in a caution to keep absolutely silent. He needn’t have worried; Samantha couldn’t have made a sound even if he had wanted her to.

Petrified, she could only stare at Josh’s face as they crouched together on the floor. The voices stopped and for a moment there was just the sound of the insects in the undergrowth. Samantha hadn’t realised before what a racket they made; the noise filled her eardrums as she strained to hear any movement from the people outside.

The sound of a match striking nearby made her heart leap wildly. It sounded as if someone was standing right next to the Jeep.

There was a low murmur of voices again.

Samantha didn’t think she had ever been as frightened. Her hand moved instinctively towards her stomach, her thoughts for a moment veering to her baby. All sorts of weird thoughts spun around her mind in a terrifying couple of seconds. Then the voices seemed to move away from them just a little.

Josh moved back from her with the stealth of a cat and cautiously climbed a little way up on the seat to risk a look over the branches that had hidden them. He dropped back beside her a second later and came close to whisper against her ear.

‘Just six of them.’

His voice was so low that she had to strain every muscle to hear.

‘Looks like they’re going to make camp here.’

Samantha’s eyes widened. If the group stayed until morning they would definitely be found. The Jeep’s camouflage might work at night, but as soon as daylight broke she felt sure they would be easily spotted.

He saw the panic in her eyes, the nervous pulse that beat in her throat, and he reached out a hand to stroke the smooth curve of her cheek in an instinctively reassuring gesture. ‘We’ll be all right.’ Then he pulled her in close against the warmth of his body and held her tightly.

She didn’t try to pull back from him. Strangely, the close human contact was just what she needed at this moment. It was reassuring, comforting. She buried her head against him, listening like a frightened animal for any sounds outside. The only sound that she could hear was the steady beat of Josh Hamilton’s heart.