Page 71 of Sheltering Instinct

It had to mean something, her being here with him, right?

Hailey knew Gwen and suggested the vineyard; Gwen brought her friend, Tess, home with her on vacation; his connection with Enrico—all of that was like the weather systems that Tess and Gwen were talking about.

The convergence of elements could shift everything.

Maybe, just maybe, Fate was moving the game pieces around the board, and she had a plan.

Maybe he could hope just a little.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Levi

That night after the safari, Levi was too riled to sleep. He tossed and turned, and Mojo kept lifting his head to check on him. Mojo seemed to be on edge, too.

Levi thought maybe taking Mojo for a run would help them both unwind.

Tennis shoes tied, Levi was dressed in fleece for the chilly night.

It was well after midnight when he rounded the corner of the vineyard, and he found Tess reaching for the handle on the pickup.

Where could she be going this late and alone? He wondered if she was retreating to Windhoek until Iniquus left.

He made sure that she could hear his shoes crunching through the gravel so that he didn’t startle her when he asked, “Where are you going?”

“Hey there. I thought I’d drive a bit to get away from the light pollution and take a look at the sky.”

“Alone?”

“Out here? Yes, who would get me out here?” She climbed in and rolled down her window before she shut the door.

“Who? I don’t know. Maybe you’re thinking of the normal dangers. I know for sure you’re the kind of a woman who would rather be alone in the woods with a bear than a man. Right?

“Statistically, that’s a no-brainer. But you’re the only man. And not a single bear to be found.”

“Other critters?”

“Maybe.” She pulled her hat lower over her ears. In the glare of the outdoor light, her nose was already pink from thecold. “I brought some pillows and blankets and thought I’d just go out, lay, and look.”

He peeked into the bed of the pickup—pillows, sleeping bag, hiking bag—it looked like she’d planned to camp.

“I was in bed, flailing around, unable to sleep,” she added.

“I’m sure you didn’t sleep much at the hospital either, not with all the nurses’ checks.” He kept his voice low so as not to wake anyone. And he kept his tone light so as to not impose his emotional upheaval on her.

“And the night before that, I slept in the car—”

“Your cheetah side adventure.” He smiled.

“Exactly. And the night before that, I was on a jackal-dotted search and rescue in the middle of the night to help a fellow traveler who was lost coming back from the loo.”

“Which is what one does for a fellow traveler.” He put his hands on her window sill. “You’re exhausted, Tess. Why can’t you sleep?”

“Too riled.”

“Me, too. I get that. And so you thought matter ...”

“The Metz have their exterior lights on so people can move about safely at night. I thought I’d drive out a bit, so it was just me and the stars.” She hitched her thumb toward the bed of the truck. “I sleep best when the air is cold, but I’m warm and snug.”

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