The Unexpected Father

‘You bet I’m bloody angry, but what good does it do?’ He was silent for a moment. ‘All I can do is report on the atrocities I see and hope that a small seed of sanity will grow.’

The words surprised Samantha. She hadn’t pegged Josh Hamilton as the type who gave a damn. Suddenly she found herself wondering if that assessment had been unjustly harsh. ‘My experience of your colleagues has led me to believe that most reporters here are only interested in getting a sensational story,’ she murmured lightly.

‘Not wishing to sound rude, but you don’t strike me as the type of person to be experienced in very much except for what goes on at Chuanga Hospital,’ he quipped tersely. For a second he took his eyes off the road to let his gaze rake over the pallor of her skin, the soft, vulnerable slant of her mouth.

‘Like life and death, you mean?’ Her eyes shimmered frostily. ‘Mr Hamilton, I’ve lived in the middle of a civil war for over two years. Take my word for it when I say that I’ve learnt a few things along the way.’

‘I’m sure you have, but it hasn’t toughened you up, has it?’

She frowned. ‘I’m not sure I understand the significance of that question. Have you got to be tough to be worldlywise?’

He shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Put it this way—you don’t look very streetwise. There’s something about you that suggests softness, vulnerability. You look as if you need looking after.’

Samantha was totally outraged at those words. ‘I can look after myself.’ Her voice shook slightly with the force of her emotion. ‘I can assure you that I’m a past master at it.’

He cast a speculative glance at her. ‘So Ben wasn’t the protective type?’

She looked away from him out towards the vast empty plains. ‘I didn’t get married to have a protector.’

‘No, of course not.’ His voice was cool and steady. ‘Why did you get married?’

Her head turned swiftly, her eyes cutting into his with furious intent. How had they managed to skate onto the thin ice of the subject of her marriage? She was damned if she was going to discuss such personal matters with a complete stranger. ‘The usual reasons.’ She bit the words out sharply. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

‘Of course not.’ He sounded totally unperturbed by her anger.

For a moment there was silence, and she thought that the conversation was at an end. Her heart was beating uncomfortably hard against her ribs.

‘By “usual reasons” I presume you are talking about love?’ he said after a minute or two, flicking those cool green eyes over her once more.

‘For heaven’s sake!’ she flared heatedly. ‘Of course I mean love!’ She swallowed hard, trying desperately to quell the rush of emotion flooding through her. She would rather die than admit to Josh Hamilton that Ben had never loved her, that their marriage had been a hollow sham. She had her pride. ‘You knew Ben. Do you think he would have married someone he didn’t love?’ She glared at him with the full force of her feelings.

Josh shrugged. ‘I suppose not.’ Then his voice changed and became surprisingly gentle as he met the shimmer in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Sam...I didn’t mean to upset you. That was crass of me.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’ Her voice was brittle as for a moment she had to fight against the tears that wanted to fall.

Conversation stopped for a while. Then Josh said kindly, ‘I put the food in the cooler unit behind you; why don’t you help yourself to something?’

The last thing she felt like doing was eating. ‘Maybe a little later.’ She leaned her head back against the car seat, trying to appear nonchalant, trying to hide the fact that her emotions were racing around in circles. ‘I’ll just rest for a while,’ she said lightly, and closed her eyes against the glare of the sun.

Inside, her mind was whirling around and around over Josh’s words. ‘Why did you get married?’ ‘Usual reasons... usual reasons...’ The words played over and over like a parody in her head. What would Josh have said if she had turned around and told him the truth—that she had married out of a desperate need for warmth and affection? He would probably have found that terribly amusing.

She opened her eyes, and to her embarrassment found her gaze colliding with his.

‘Aren’t you hungry?’ he asked gently. ‘You should really eat something.’

‘I suppose so.’ Her voice was unenthusiastic. It was only the thought of her baby that made her reach into the back to comply.

She held out some of the meagre rations to him but he shook his head. ‘You go ahead; I’ll have something later.’

Samantha ate mechanically, her eyes fixed on the far horizon. A herd of zebra caught her attention as they ran across the plains, their black and white stripes made hazy by the dancing heat so that they seemed to merge with the landscape as if they were a growing part of it. Slowly she started to relax.

She shouldn’t really have snapped at Josh the way she had, she thought with contrition. Since she had become pregnant her emotions had seemed to see-saw dramatically, making her feel things acutely. These days she was never quite sure if her feelings could be trusted or if they were merely distorted by hormones. Sometimes she wondered if this whole episode in her life was merely a bad dream...one that she would wake up from at any minute.

She glanced back at Josh. He was a tough-looking man, his features etched in a hard-boned face, his jaw square and determined. There was nothing dream-like about him; he was a rugged, vital male from the tip of his unruly dark head of hair down over his lithe, well-toned body. Dominant was the word that sprang to mind as she looked at him. Dominant and powerful—a man who was always in charge of a situation, who invariably got what he wanted.

Why had he got married? she wondered idly. Had he been wildly in love? For some reason she suspected that with Josh Hamilton there would be no half-feelings. He was the type of man to feel something totally.

‘Feel better now?’ he asked, turning to meet her eyes.

She nodded. ‘Sorry if I was a bit sharp before,’ she said huskily.

‘Don’t worry about it. It was my fault anyway. I guess asking awkward questions is one of those idiosyncrasies that a reporter never loses—even when he isn’t working.’

‘Well, let’s just forget it anyway,’ she said brightly, then changed the subject. ‘Would you like me to take over the driving again?’

‘I thought you would never ask,’ he said with a laugh.

After that they travelled in a companionable silence. The road wound higher as they reached the mountainous region of Charracana. At one point the dirt track was just wide enough for one car, and the drop on the left-hand side of the Jeep was sheer, giving dizzying glimpses of the dry river basin hundreds of feet below.

‘I’m glad this isn’t a busy thoroughfare,’ Samantha joked nervously as she negotiated the twists in the road with extreme care.

‘I’m just glad you’re a competent driver,’ Josh said with a gleam of humour in his voice. ‘Because I’m the one staring down at the drop.’

When the road dipped into the valley on the other side the sun was starting to go down in a blazing ball of violent orange. Josh suggested that they pull the car off the road and call it a night.

‘The road is worse a little further on,’ he said seriously. ‘I think we need to negotiate it in daylight.’

Samantha nodded. She had no wish to travel along roads like these in the dark. ‘Where do you think we should stop?’

He pointed ahead towards where the undergrowth was thicker. ‘Up by the trees. Pull it well off the road—that way it will be hidden if anything happens to pass in the night.’

A shiver of apprehension darted through Samantha at those words. She knew very well that he was referring to rebel guerilla forces. They were in very dangerous territory now. No man’s land.

As soon as she had pulled the Jeep to a halt, Josh got out and started to gather pieces of branches and greenery to drape over the bonnet of the vehicle.

‘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.

How long they stayed like that she didn’t know; it felt like hours, but it could have been minutes. When Josh pulled away from her she felt cold, bereft. She watched as he chanced looking out over the top of the door again.

‘They’re asleep,’ he whispered as he sank back down to her.

‘What will we do?’ Her voice was faint.

‘Try and do likewise.’ He smiled at her look of consternation. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll keep watch on the situation.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Approximately seven hours to dawn. We’ll stay put for six hours; if they are still here then we’ll leave.’

‘Leave the Jeep?’

‘We’ll have no choice. As soon as the sun comes up they’ll see it.’

Samantha swallowed hard.

‘Come on, try and get some sleep.’ He reached for the blanket that was lying beside them and put it carefully around her. ‘Use my knee as a pillow.’

‘I can’t sleep,’ she hissed softly.

‘Try.’ He put a hand at her back and pushed her firmly down towards him. ‘It’s important, Sam,’ he whispered urgently. ‘You’ll need all your strength if we have to walk tomorrow.’

She hesitated for a moment and then did as he asked, curling down beside him and putting her head on his lap. It wasn’t very comfortable, and she was sure she would never sleep, but she closed her eyes to please him.

An animal howled in the distance, its cry unearthly, like a soul in torment. Samantha huddled closer to Josh. His arms went around her, his hand stroking the silky softness of her hair. For what seemed like a very long time she was tense and frightened, listening to every sound outside with bated breath. Josh continued to stroke her hair. The touch of his hand was soothingly hypnotic, and after a while she felt her heartbeats slowing, felt her eyes beginning to close as exhaustion started to overtake her best efforts to keep awake.

When she next opened her eyes daylight filtered down on her through the leafy branches draped over the Jeep. She was alone in the vehicle and fear rushed back as she remembered last night and the danger that had surrounded them. Where was Josh? She sat up cautiously, her heart slamming against her chest, and abruptly a wave of nausea swept over her.

She swallowed hard on the awful feeling. Morning sickness was something she had been plagued with since the beginning of her pregnancy. Desperately she fought against it; she couldn’t afford to be ill now.

Josh was standing next to a camp fire, his hands on his hips as he stared down at a pan boiling on it He turned sharply as she moved.

‘Well, good morning.’ His face lit with a smile as he saw her. Then his eyes narrowed on the deathly pallor of her skin.

‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes...yes, fine.’ Thankfully the feeling was starting to subside. Perhaps it wasn’t morning sickness, just apprehension and nerves. ‘What happened?’

‘Well, there are two pieces of good news and one bad,’ he said easily.

She started to relax at his laid-back manner. Relief was heady, like a good wine running through her body. Josh was smiling, so nothing could be that bad. ‘What are they?’ She pushed her hair back from her face, feeling groggy and only half-awake, but gratefully not ill.

‘Our neighbours left about two hours ago, and they were heading back the way we have come so we don’t need to worry about bumping into them again.’

‘Thank heavens for that.’ Her voice was fervent. ‘What’s the bad news?’

‘There’s no bacon and eggs on the menu.’ His teeth flashed white against his tanned skin. ‘Will black coffee suffice?’

The mere thought made Samantha’s stomach protest. ‘I think I’d just like some water, please,’ she said, trying to push at the branches against the door of the Jeep to get out.

He came across to help her. As he opened the door he held out his hand to assist her in climbing out. It was fortunate that he did because she stumbled as she tried to move, her limbs stiff from the cramped position she had slept in.

His arms were strong as they caught her, and for a moment she allowed herself to lean against him. Then she bent to rub her legs.

‘Pins and needles?’ He didn’t let go of her immediately.

She nodded. ‘Must have been the way I was lying.’

Josh laughed and bent to rub her legs with brisk movements. For a moment she was just relieved by the firm massage as he made the pain start to subside. Then she became aware of the touch of his hands in a different way—a way that made her heart stop beating for a second. Abruptly she pulled away from him. ‘That’s fine now,’ she told him crisply.

He straightened and looked at her. For a moment there was a tension between them that she didn’t dare to examine too closely.

‘I’ll get you some water.’ He moved away from her towards the fire.

She watched as he lifted the canister and carefully poured her a cup.

‘Come on.’ He looked round at her as she just stood watching him. ‘If I put this down on the ground the ants will drink it before you get a chance to even sip it.’

She tried to smile and moved closer to accept the plastic cup he held out towards her. Carefully she avoided looking at him as she did so. Had Josh noticed how she had just reacted to the touch of his hands? She cringed with embarrassment as she thought about the charged silence of a moment ago. Of course he had noticed. Josh Hamilton didn’t miss anything.

Her senses reeled. She was shocked by the flare of desire that had started to uncurl inside her at the touch of his hands. No...it wasn’t desire, she told herself forcefully. She just wasn’t awake properly. If Josh imagined otherwise that was his mistake.

‘Would you like a biscuit or some fruit?’ Josh sat down next to a rucksack that he had taken from the back of the Jeep.

‘No, I’m not hungry, thanks.’ She watched as he helped himself to a piece of fruit from the bag. On second thoughts, maybe he hadn’t noticed anything, she told herself as she started to feel a bit better. Knowing Josh, he would have made some sarcastic comment if he had.

He looked remarkably fresh, considering the way they had spent the night. His dark hair sat smoothly back from his face; his denim jeans and shirt were not even slightly creased. The only thing different about him was the dark stubble on his face, but strangely that just seemed to enhance his dark good looks even further. She had to admit grudgingly that she could see why Joanne Kelly had been so smitten with him. He was very attractive.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.