He found another clearing so they could set up camp. His men were devastated over the loss of their friend, Carlos. Nobody had spoken a word since they’d left that area earlier. It broke Felix’s heart to lose such a trusted friend, but what disturbed him even more were those crocodiles. What were the reptiles doing out of their element? Crocs didn’t like rushing water. They lived in calm waters.
Nothing made sense. Not anymore. At times, he wondered if the herbs that they were substituting for the quinine even helped at all. He’d had jungle fever only once since coming here three years ago, and it was the worst thing he’d ever experienced. The confusion and strange dreams had made him feel invincible. He’d been dizzy for days, and talked to people he thought were there, but were not. It was as if he walked through clouds of fire—everything around him was hot, but he felt as if his feet couldn’t touch the ground. Now that same confusion filled his mind. Perhaps he did have the fever after all.
Without much talk, the men set up camp and started a small fire. Katrina assisted them by putting up her own tent. They kept the tents close together. Felix still wondered if they should make a large tent and have everyone sleep inside, but then he quickly decided against it. Instead, he’d set up a night watch. Hopefully, that would work better.
Felix didn’t have to issue assignments. The men knew to gather wood and what food they could find. He worked diligently on erecting his own tent. When it was completed, he stood. Immediately, he searched for Katrina... but she wasn’t by her tent. His heart clenched, and he moved in the direction he’d last seen her, scanning his gaze quickly over the small area. If something happened to her, he didn’t know what he’d do. He couldn’t take losing another person he cared about.
Then he saw her. She stood away from camp, facing the waterfall that, thankfully, wasn’t very close. Her head tilted up toward the sky. Sunset settled on the land, bringing beautiful shades of yellow and orange mixed with black and billowy clouds of purple. Even as many times as he’d seen an Amazon sunset, he would always be in awe of the magnificence God had created.
Was she really crazy?An ordinary person would have thought so, and yet, he’d gotten to know her. She might be a headstrong female, and stubborn to fault, but she did have a kind heart. He’d seen it. He’s seen her strength. Perhaps she did have a gift from God, after all.
Suddenly, he wanted to share the sunset with her since he knew she’d never seen one in the Amazon before. It had been too long since he enjoyed such simple pleasures with a woman. Not once had he held a woman and felt content to just stare at the sun as it descended into the horizon.
He closed the distance between them and stopped behind her. She didn’t move, and he wondered if she’d even heard him. He didn’t want to startle her by announcing his presence, so he waited for a few awkward moments, hoping she’d realize someone was behind her.
“It’s very lovely. Breathtaking, in fact,” she said softly.
He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she was aware of his presence. “Indeed, it is.”
“Strange to think, I have never taken the time to watch the sunset. I have never taken the time to look around me and appreciate God’s creations.”
He rested his hand on her shoulder, and caressed it gently, but she remained still. “Your life probably flashed before your eyes when that croc came for you.”
“It did,” she whispered.
“Usually when situations like this happen, one realizes those things that are normally overlooked in life.”
She folded her arms, rubbing her palms up and over her elbows. “Yes, that’s what happened.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I didn’t like what I saw.”
“Are there things you wish you could do over?” He continued to caress her shoulder.
“Plenty of them, but then what I wanted to do requires money. My mother and I were very poor. There was only so much we could do.”
Sadness laced her voice and tugged at his heart. He really couldn’t think of anything to say. Yet there was so much he wanted to ask. Instead, he spoke the first thing that came to his mind. “You are an amazing woman, Katrina Landon. Never have I known anyone like you.”
Finally, she turned and faced him. Her eyes were wide and teary. “Wh—what did you say? That I’mamazing?”
“Indeed, you are, my dear. After all you have been through and all you have overcome in your life, especially out here in the jungle, I believe you are truly amazing.” He smiled. “And to have the kind of gift that you have and use it to help people, that, in itself, is remarkable.”
A tear slid down her cheek and her lips trembled when she smiled. “I cannot believe you said that.”
Using the pad of his thumb, he swiped away a tear. “Why? Do you not think I appreciate brave women?”
Chuckling lightly, she shook her head. “First, I’m amazing, and now I’m brave? However did I manage that?”
He smiled. “Indeed, you are both, my dear.”
“Thank you.” Her voice lowered. “No man has ever said such things to me.”
He took hold of both of her arms, loosely. “Tell me, dear Katrina, besides being raised poor and having forewarnings, is there anything else about you that I should know?”
The shade of her face turned pale, and her eyes widened. Once again, he witnessed her panicked expression. His chest clenched. What else would she tell him? He was almost sorry he’d asked.
* * * *
DREAD WASHED THROUGHKatrina. Just as she was seeing that her poverty didn’t bother him, she was certain this new bit of information about her past would make him turn away from her for good. She was quite sure he’d run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
She really didn’t want to tell him aboutthatpart of her life—those few times as a child when her mother forced Katrina to steal from others just to have enough money to put food on the table. Whenever the tavern was slow, she and her mother always went without a meal or two. Sometimes Katrina just couldn’t take it any longer and wandered out into the cold night to find something—anything she could steal to sell for money.
