Page 38 of A Summer Mismatch
“Well, I’ll cover for you any time if she needs help again.”
“Thanks. I may need to take you up on that.”
Logan’s radio crackled. “Cameron and his sister are here,” Martha, the volunteer up front, said.
Kai stood with a groan and stretched out his back. “I’ll go deal with the Ryan/Raza situation.”
“I can’t leave Adia.” Logan felt torn between Raza, Adia, and seeing Julia and Cameron.
“Have you even taken one break today?” Kai pushed on Logan’s shoulder. “Get a candy bar from my desk and go see Cameron and Julia. Adia doesn’t need twenty-four-seven observation.”
Logan debated as he watched Adia drink some of her water, but the thought of disappointing Cameron was too much to handle on this stressful day.
He stood and went to the metal grating of Adia’s stall. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, Adia.”
Her ears waved in an indication that she’d heard him. He went into the office, inhaling the refreshingly cool, dry air, and grabbed a candy bar from the top drawer of Kai’s desk. Everyone knew about Kai’s sweet tooth, and he could always be counted on to have a ton of candy at the ready.
Logan ate it as he jogged out to see Julia and Cameron watching the elephants. Cameron hugged him, and then Julia hugged him next, from the side, acting a little shyer than the last time he’d seen her. His body turned warm at the thought of her lips on his, so painfully quick. He held her a little longer than he probably should, but her arm stayed looped around his waist as well.
“Are you okay?” she asked him quietly, tipping her face up tantalizingly close to his.
“Hard day.” His eyes flicked to her tempting lips. “But it’s good to see you.”
Her cheeks turned an inviting shade of rosy pink, and she averted her gaze quickly. “Same.” It looked like her students had put her through the wringer that morning. Her hair had half-fallen out of her ponytail, she had blue paint streaked across her cheekbone, and her black-and-white striped button-up shirt was tucked in on the right side but not the left. He could look at her all day and never get bored.
Though it might creep her out if he didn’t stop staring at her. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to brush his thumb over the paint on her cheekbone. Then let it trail around her ear and down the velvety skin of her jawline.
Would his touch be welcome? He didn’t know where they stood after everything that had happened in the library. This push and pull between them was undeniable, though.
Unaware of his thoughts, and seemingly unaffected by their closeness, Julia turned to study the elephant enclosure. “Where’s Adia?”
Logan let out a short breath.Focus, Logan.“She’s not feeling well, so we put her into quarantine while we figure out what’s going on.”
“Oh no.” Julia’s pulled away from him and her hands gripped the rail. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes. She should be.” And this time, he believed it. Just because he’d lost his mom and Matis didn’t mean he was bound to lose Raza or Adia too. Yes, loss happened, but healing happened too. He had to believe that. His mom, ever the optimist, would want him to believe that.
Julia rocked back on her heels and still wouldn’t quite look him in the eye. “I have a few more questions for my book, if you have time.”
“Give ’em to me.” He smiled for the first time that day.
“I wanted to ask you about your everyday routines with the elephants.” She paused, and he saw the hint of a smile cross her own lips. “Also, I saw a video while researching, and I really have to ask you something kind of strange.”
Curiosity sparked in him. “Okay, shoot.”
“Have you ever given an elephant an enema?”
He started laughing, and Cameron joined in loudly even though he was too far away from them to have clearly heard their conversation, which made Logan laugh harder. “Sorry. I was not expecting that. Yes, I have.”
“Was it terrible?”
“The first time, absolutely. But once I knew what I was doing, it wasn’t so bad. Next question?”
“But I want more details on the first time! You can’t leave me hanging.”
He shook his head, still smiling. “Trust me, you don’t.” But he relented when she shook her shoulders in an eager way. The awkwardness between them was gone again.
“Fine, but remember, you asked for it.” He raised his brows and she nodded excitedly. “When I first arrived in Kenya, some of the locals offered to help ‘train’ me. I was ambitious and these guys are brilliant. They know everything there is to know about elephants, and I couldn’t believe they were willing to tutor me.
