Page 24

Jenna was in the office with the boys when Paradise and Blake returned from talking to Clark. Levi’s face brightened when

they came in, but he stayed at his mom’s desk where he was sharpening pencils in her electric sharpener.

“Hey, Levi,” Paradise said. “That’s a super-fun job.”

He nodded. “Mommy told me I could make all of them as sharp as they can get.” Isaac left his job of organizing paper clips

to run to Paradise, and she picked him up. “Hey, little man.”

He scowled. “I’m a big guy now, Paradise. Let’s go see the tigers. I think Tigey misses me. I heard her calling me before

you got here.”

A lion roared in the distance, and Paradise waited for the fear to creep in, but it never happened. This little guy’s escapades

had made her face her fear and conquer it. Or maybe it was all God. She hugged Isaac tight. “We’ll go see how she’s doing

after scaring me half to death yesterday.”

Isaac palmed her face and stared in her eyes as if willing her to listen to him. “She didn’t mean it. I could tell she likes

you. She might even love you like I do.” He planted a kiss on her cheek.

She nuzzled his neck and inhaled the scent of little boy and patchouli soap. “You’re the best, Isaac.” When she glanced at Blake, she found him staring at her with a longing expression. She wet her lips and focused her attention back on the little boy. “Who’s game to go see Tigey?”

“Me,” Levi called. “I have to finish two more pencils.”

Paradise set Isaac back down. “And Blake and I want to talk to your mommy a minute.”

“Aw, man.” Isaac wrinkled his nose before going back to pick up more paper clips off the desk.

Blake touched her back to guide her toward where Jenna sat at her computer, and his touch made her pulse hammer in her throat.

When this was all over, she wanted to drive out to the very tip of Fort Morgan Road and stick her toes in the sand while they

talked for hours. She wanted to hear everything about the years since she’d left him, and she wanted him to hear the things

she’d never spoken to anyone else.

The job in front of them was daunting and required all their attention, but how she wished they could grab a lazy day and

unravel the tangle of misconceptions and misunderstandings that had wrecked them back then. They couldn’t go forward without

backing up and releasing the pain they’d been through. Clear it all out and start fresh.

She gave her head a slight shake and refocused. After a quick peek at the kids, she pitched her voice low. “How’d the employee

interviews go today, Jenna?”

Jenna turned from the computer and beckoned them closer. “There’s a key missing. Evan can’t find his.”

Blake’s hand fell away from Paradise’s back. “What did Evan have to say about it?”

“He laid down his key ring after unlocking the barn door and forgot about it until the next day. When he went back, it was gone.”

Paradise struggled with the rising animosity she felt at Evan’s name. He lived in her old house, and she still wondered about

his involvement in the murders even though the old sheriff was almost certainly the killer.

Her animosity was irrational, but she couldn’t help it. “When was this?”

“Four days ago. And he took some vacation time for a few days right after. Today was his first day back at work, and he came

in my office first thing to ask if anyone had turned in his black key.”

Black meant access to all the gates. Whoever had his key could go anywhere on the property. Paradise was tempted to talk to

him herself. She hadn’t done that since she started work here.

“And there’s no camera back there,” Blake said.

“Oh, your new cameras came today.” His mother pointed to a pile of boxes just inside the front door.

He glanced that direction. “I’ll install them today. Did you get any sense that Evan knew more than he was saying?”

“Not at all, especially since he came to me before I could ask about his key.”

“What about the other employees?”

“No one gave off suspicious vibes. Any one of them could have taken it and used it, even gift shop employees with no top access.

All they had to do was grab it and keep their mouth shut.”

Blake glanced at Paradise. “You went radio silent. Was it the mention of Evan? You want to talk to him yourself?”

He knew her so well. She hadn’t been sure he remembered her suspicions. Paradise nodded. “I’d feel better if I finally faced him. We’ve somehow managed to miss each other on this big place. I haven’t come face-to-face with him yet. Maybe it’s time to lay that suspicion to rest.”

She glanced over at the boys. “But first, I have a promise to keep.” And it didn’t hurt her a bit that the delay would give

her time to form what she wanted to say to Evan.

***

The jaguars were the first big cats on the predator side of The Sanctuary. The distinctive nasal grunting they used to greet

the keepers rumbled from the big black jaguar, and Blake expected Paradise to flinch. When she paused and glanced that way,

she grabbed her shoulder as though it had begun to ache.

“You okay?” he whispered.

She swallowed and nodded, but she didn’t move closer for several long moments. Her feet finally shuffled toward the tall fence

with the wire canopy confining the big cat. “Hello there.” Her brow creased, and she glanced at Blake. “I’ve forgotten its

name.”

Levi stepped forward. “Darth is a boy. Mom says he’s handsome. I love his shiny coat. And you can just barely see his jaguar

spots in his black fur. He’s my favorite.”

Blake blocked the boys from getting closer. “Remember not to poke your fingers through the fence.” He wanted to help Paradise

make this first move, but he couldn’t force her.

“He’s very handsome.” Paradise took a couple of steps closer, and the color came back to her face. She gave her shoulder a

final rub before she dropped her right hand back to her side. “Hello, Darth. Maybe we can be friends.”

The jaguar’s greeting rumbled again like a saw, and his tail lashed the air before he turned and went to the door into his shelter.

“He’s done with us,” Blake said. “I hear Tigey calling us.”

Paradise’s smile had returned, and he put his hand on her back and leaned in close. “Good job. How do you feel?”

“Relieved. It wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it would be to see a black jaguar up close and personal again.”

He’d never met anyone with a more beautiful soul than Paradise Alden. Blake started to lean down and kiss her, but Isaac tugged

on the pocket of his shorts.

“Carry me, Blake.”

Blake scooped up his little brother. Levi held up his hands for a ride too, but Paradise nabbed him. “You’re mine, big guy.”

Levi wrapped his gangly arms and legs around her and smirked as if that had been his plan all along.

She was so good with the boys. How did she feel about having kids herself? He was getting ahead of himself and it was a question

for the future, but he couldn’t help thinking of a little girl with her wayward curls and extraordinary eyes.

He corralled his errant thoughts and walked toward the tiger enclosure. Tigey chuffed her usual greeting and approached them.

The big cats had already received their evening meal, so she wasn’t hungry. Blake started to pet her through the fence, but

he didn’t want to do that in front of the boys. They were already way too familiar with the white tiger, as the escapade with

Isaac had proven.

“Beautiful girl,” he crooned.

She rubbed up against the fence and chuffed another greeting. “I told you she likes you,” Isaac said. “You’re not scared now,

are you?”

“No, but you must promise never to go inside with her again, Isaac,” Paradise said. “She could hurt you without meaning to. She’s very big and has powerful muscles.”

“And long claws like this.” Levi curved his fingers into claws. “I thought she’d eat you even though it would’ve been an accident.”

“Mom already told me,” Isaac said in a sulky voice. “And so did Blake. I won’t do it again.”

“Can we see the zip line?” Levi asked. “Mom said it was going to be done soon.”

“You bet. It’s this way.” Blake walked with the group along the oyster-shell path that led back to the entrance to the new

attraction.

Another company owned the zip line attraction, but Blake had insisted on overseeing it to make sure it was safe. They climbed

the wooden steps to the top platform that looked out over the predator area.

“It’s really high,” Levi said, his voice quavering. “I don’t like it so high.”

“You’re a little young to go on it anyway, big guy,” Blake said.

“I can do it. I’m not afraid.” Isaac puffed out his chest. “You can lift me clear to the ceiling and I’m not scared.”

“This is a little higher than the ceiling. And people will have to be eighteen to ride the zip line.”

Blake planned to be the first to test it, and now that Paradise was recovering from the trauma of her mauling, he might be

able to talk her into going on it with him. There was no real danger. The harnesses and lines were rated to carry several

thousand pounds, and they’d made sure it was overengineered.

He glanced at her. “I don’t remember you being afraid of heights. Does it seem scary to you?”

“Not the height, but what if something goes wrong, and we’re dangling over the big cats? Or even worse, maybe it drops us right into the middle of the hyenas.”

“It couldn’t happen. The engineers made sure it was much safer than required. And we’ll test it well without animals out there

before they open it.”

She gazed off into the distance where the setting sun glowed red and gold over the trees and the lake. “It’s really beautiful

out here. I bet it’ll be a big hit. What about a night ride? You could set up special lights that don’t disturb the animals

but illuminate enough for the viewers to see them in their natural state. They’re night prowlers. It might prove really popular.”

“That’s a great idea—I’ll see what I can do with the lighting. Shouldn’t be a big deal to figure out. We’d have to change

our hours, but it might be worth it.”

Darkness began to fall quickly. “Guess we’d better find Evan before he leaves for the day.”