Read Online Harlequin Heartwarming May 2016 Box Set by Rula Sinara - Free Book Online
Authors: Rula Sinara
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front porch, leaning against the wooden log that supported the thatched overhang, watching her, the piercing blue of his eyes intense and knowing. Maybe it was the way the Kenyan sun had left its warmth on his skin or how stubble shadowed the hard lines of his jaw, but the way he looked at her sparked a smoldering ache in her chest. She swallowed hard to extinguish it. If only Mac hadnât wanted to get away from home so badly. Maybe they would have eventually become friends. But heâd wanted to escape and explore and sheâd wantedâneededâstability.
And now she didnât even have that.
Was this her sign? That the one thingâthe one personâwho would make her and Nickâs life whole and balanced was the one man sheâd turned away from years ago? The one man who knew how small, insecure and insignificant she used to be? She stared down at her feet as she walked up the path toward him.
Life could be so cruel.
CHAPTER FOUR
âH EY . D ON â T TOUCH that yet.â
Mac gave Nick a warning look and didnât break eye contact until his nephew pulled his hand away from the basket of fresh, warm chapati.
âWhat? Itâs there to eat, isnât it?â Nick said, eyeing the traditional flatbread like a hyena with its tongue lolling out. The boy was acting spoiled, like these were free-for-all breadsticks at an Italian restaurant, but this wasnât a restaurant. They werenât campers paying for a safari stay. Those meals were served outdoors. Come to think of it, Mac didnât think heâd ever been just a guest here. They were dining in the Lagatsâ home. Very dear friends who deserved respect.
âItâs there to eat after Mugi and Kesi join us and you thank them for the meal. Itâs called manners,â Mac said, glancing at Tessa to read her reaction.
âWe donât always have sit-down meals,â she explained. âBrice isnât usually home for dinner because of work, and Nick is so hungry after school that he stuffs himself then. And then again about every hour after that,â she added, smiling at Nick. Her attempt to soften him up with good-natured teasing went right over his head.
Mac looked pointedly at both of them. He remembered well the consuming hunger that would hit him as a teenager during bouts of raging hormones or growth spurts. It had to be the closest a guy could get to understanding pregnancy cravings. It hadnât been unusual for him to eat an entire roast down to the boneâby himselfâand then get hungry again soon after. So he got it, but that didnât excuse bad manners or lack of respect.
Nor, as far as he was concerned, did living on riches. Heâd seen one too many kids come through Hodari Lodge with families who could afford the place and then some, acting careless and entitled. No nephew of his was going to act that way. Losing oneâs parents wasnât an excuse, either. Life wasnât always fair, but a kid had to grow up understanding how to handle punches like a manâwith morals, honor and dignity.
Wow. He was sounding like his own father.
There had to be some give and take, though. Mac leaned back in his chair and rested his palms on his khakis. Who was he to judge Nickâs behavior and attitude when heâd willingly left him with Tessa and Brice? In a convoluted way, he was just as guilty as Brice when it came to putting a lot of value on money. As a millionaire investor, Brice wasnât around to be the quintessential family man because making money was his priority. And Mac wasnât around because he needed to make money to live and help support his nephew. And given Air Walker Safarisâ financial state, Mac knew full well that money was important. However, some people didnât have their priorities straight. Need and want were very different things.
But Macâs ideals and values were essentially meaningless if he wasnât around to
And now she didnât even have that.
Was this her sign? That the one thingâthe one personâwho would make her and Nickâs life whole and balanced was the one man sheâd turned away from years ago? The one man who knew how small, insecure and insignificant she used to be? She stared down at her feet as she walked up the path toward him.
Life could be so cruel.
CHAPTER FOUR
âH EY . D ON â T TOUCH that yet.â
Mac gave Nick a warning look and didnât break eye contact until his nephew pulled his hand away from the basket of fresh, warm chapati.
âWhat? Itâs there to eat, isnât it?â Nick said, eyeing the traditional flatbread like a hyena with its tongue lolling out. The boy was acting spoiled, like these were free-for-all breadsticks at an Italian restaurant, but this wasnât a restaurant. They werenât campers paying for a safari stay. Those meals were served outdoors. Come to think of it, Mac didnât think heâd ever been just a guest here. They were dining in the Lagatsâ home. Very dear friends who deserved respect.
âItâs there to eat after Mugi and Kesi join us and you thank them for the meal. Itâs called manners,â Mac said, glancing at Tessa to read her reaction.
âWe donât always have sit-down meals,â she explained. âBrice isnât usually home for dinner because of work, and Nick is so hungry after school that he stuffs himself then. And then again about every hour after that,â she added, smiling at Nick. Her attempt to soften him up with good-natured teasing went right over his head.
Mac looked pointedly at both of them. He remembered well the consuming hunger that would hit him as a teenager during bouts of raging hormones or growth spurts. It had to be the closest a guy could get to understanding pregnancy cravings. It hadnât been unusual for him to eat an entire roast down to the boneâby himselfâand then get hungry again soon after. So he got it, but that didnât excuse bad manners or lack of respect.
Nor, as far as he was concerned, did living on riches. Heâd seen one too many kids come through Hodari Lodge with families who could afford the place and then some, acting careless and entitled. No nephew of his was going to act that way. Losing oneâs parents wasnât an excuse, either. Life wasnât always fair, but a kid had to grow up understanding how to handle punches like a manâwith morals, honor and dignity.
Wow. He was sounding like his own father.
There had to be some give and take, though. Mac leaned back in his chair and rested his palms on his khakis. Who was he to judge Nickâs behavior and attitude when heâd willingly left him with Tessa and Brice? In a convoluted way, he was just as guilty as Brice when it came to putting a lot of value on money. As a millionaire investor, Brice wasnât around to be the quintessential family man because making money was his priority. And Mac wasnât around because he needed to make money to live and help support his nephew. And given Air Walker Safarisâ financial state, Mac knew full well that money was important. However, some people didnât have their priorities straight. Need and want were very different things.
But Macâs ideals and values were essentially meaningless if he wasnât around to
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