Page 29 of Run Free

One would think that surviving this place would have given me a new lease on life, a second chance, a new perspective, but it didn’t. Clara gave me that.

“What’s left to be done on his list? I know everyone else checked in two days ago with completion,” she said.

“I know. I went ahead and sent vector four and five home yesterday. I hope that’s okay? They were just standing around and I was frustrated with Rick. Didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries.”

Clara snorted. “Oh, please. How many times have I pulled that on you? It may be the first time Jacob left me in charge, but hardly my first rodeo. I’m not even sure why he did that when you’re here. I thought you would only stick around a few days,” she told Dave.

He smiled and shook his head. “Nah. I’ll see it through to the end. Jacob just wanted to test you. He’s going to be tied up in clinicals for much of the next year, which means. . .”

“You’ll be taking over this section of his job,” Clara said, cutting him off. “Congratulations, Dave. I know you’re going to do a fantastic job.”

“Shhh,” he said with a wink. “No one is supposed to know that yet.”

“You know your secret is safe with me. But I guess that means we’ll be working together even more from now on.”

He grinned. “Yup, and that’s why I’m anxious to get you on board quickly, Gage. I don’t know why Jacob has put up with Rick for so long, but I will not accept him on another mission. Since you two have bonded, and I assume you’ll be following Clara on her missions anyway, it just makes sense. You really impressed the team and showed great leadership on the tiger habitat,” he told me.

I was used to getting praise on my work ethic. That was no surprise, but this felt different. I’d had many offers to stay and put up roots in a permanent job over the years, and always politely declined. I knew I wasn’t going to decline this one. As long as Clara continued to work for these humans, I would be there, so Dave was right. It just made sense.

“Thanks. We’ll talk about it when we have time and let you know.”

“You sure? Accept on the spot, and I’ll fire Rick right now and give the rest of the project to you.”

I laughed. “What still needs to be done?”

We walked through the remainder of vector two, stopping to examine each habitat, and writing up a new list of needs. Most of the vector was complete because of my work. What had this Rick guy been doing all this time? I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Bulk of the job is still on the elephant enclosure. There’re only a few other minor things to complete outside that,” I confirmed. “Clara and I could probably have them knocked out in a day, two tops. I can complete it today if you spare me a few extra hands.”

“Take Chelsea and whoever she has left from her team and knock it out. Eddie and I are going to do rounds to check on the animals. If everything looks good, I’ll let the rest of the medical staff go today. The male tiger will have stitches for at least another four days, so we’ll be around a few more days even if the infrastructure completes soon,” Clara informed us.

We departed and went our separate ways. I had the strong urge to kiss Clara goodbye, but I didn’t want to embarrass her in front of her colleagues.

Chelsea was standing around, looking bored. I heard her complaining before I even reached her.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey,” she said back. “Please tell me you’re planning a coup.”

I laughed. “Not exactly, but I’ve been given permission to use you and your team to finish vector two cleanup. Everything except the elephants.”

She groaned. “Those poor beasts are never getting their home back at the pace Rick moves.”

I smiled. “Not my call. You in?”

“Definitely.”

She rounded up four other men I recognized. Chelsea and her team had worked with me in the last stages of the tiger habitat. I trusted they were hard workers and followed orders well.

I shared the list with her and the two of us worked well together to divide up the guys to ensure productivity. We worked non-stop until lunch, then everyone was right back on it after we’d eaten. By four o’clock everything in the park was done, except the elephant enclosure.

I headed to the back of the park and showered and changed into fresh clothes before seeking out Clara. She was smiling and looking happy, so I didn’t need to ask how the animals were doing. My mate wore her heart on her sleeve and I would have known immediately if any one of them were suffering.

She did a double take when she saw me, and my heart filled with the look of love in her eyes. Maybe that was just wishful thinking. I knew better than to trust it, but despite every warning of my past, I wanted to believe things could work for us. I needed to believe that Clara was different.

Dave said something funny and she laughed, placing her hand on his arm when she did. That one small gesture triggered so much jealousy in me I had to take a step back. She worked closely with Dave and for the first time I wondered if they had ever been more than friends. The fear that something was going on between them immediately set in. I cursed under my breath. It was bound to have surfaced eventually. I couldn’t trust anyone, especially not a woman. The bond wasn’t strong enough to keep someone from straying. I knew that all too well.

Clara and Dave? My heart told me no, but my head wouldn’t stop the doubt.

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