Beneath a Southern Sky - By Deborah Raney Page 0,2
only sound that of spoons thunking against pottery bowls.
Daria refused to make eye contact.
“Is there any more of that great salsa you made?” Nate asked.
Daria rose and retrieved a Mason jar from the shelf, setting it in front of him a bit too forcefully.
“Thanks.” Nate cleared his throat.
When they finished, he motioned to her with his finger. “Come here.”
Daria put her hands on her hips, studying him.
“Hey, come here,” he repeated, his voice coaxing and gentle.
She hated when he did that, because she knew he would melt her defenses. But she walked over to him, and he pulled her onto his lap.
“You know that I love you,” he said, tracing her cheek with a slender finger.
The tears came then, and he held her close, stroking her hair.
Finally he told her, “Daria, I’m sorry. I know you don’t want me to go, but I think you understand why I must.”
She nodded, resigned, now desperate to make things right between them before he left.
He put a hand on her cheek. “We need to talk before I leave, okay?”
She sniffed and nodded.
“You heard me speaking to Bob earlier?”
She nodded again. Bob Warrington was their radio contact at the mission in Bogotá.
“He’s going to check in with you almost every day while I’m gone. But you know he can’t always get through, so don’t worry if a couple of days go by and you don’t hear from him. And don’t be afraid to try to contact him. I told him where I’m going, and he felt things were stable enough that it would be safe.”
Nate didn’t say the words, but Daria knew he was referring to the drug runners and the paramilitary who often posed a threat to outsiders. She tried not to think about it.
“I could be gone awhile,” he said gently. “It’ll probably take us three days or so to get there, and I have no idea what we’ll be facing when we arrive. I promise I won’t stay a minute longer than I need to. It’ll seem like a long time. I just don’t want you to panic if it takes longer than you expect.”
She nodded.
“If anything happens and you need to…to get out…of Timoné, you go to Anazu. His nephews know the river well, and they can get you to the airstrip in San José. But you be sure Bob knows you’re coming so he can meet you. I don’t want you there alone.”
She nodded solemnly, hating to have to listen. Why was he talking this way? Fear crept up her spine.
He tipped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You okay?”
“I’ll be okay, Nate. I’m sorry I acted like such a baby. I know that just makes it harder for you.”
“Hey, I can understand how you feel. I am a pretty fun guy to have around.”
She giggled in spite of herself, loving the way he could always make her laugh. But he turned serious and drew her into the tight circle of his arms. “I’ll miss you like crazy, babe. Every single minute.”
“Oh, Nate, I’ll miss you so much.”
As soon as it was dark, Daria dressed for bed and plopped down on their mat. Nathan sat on the bench at the table, reading, his white-blond hair catching glints of lantern light. Watching him, a heavy melancholy draped itself over her. Sleep eluded her, and she tossed and turned fitfully, wishing Nathan would come to bed.
He read until late, then he blew out the lantern and came to her side. Lifting the mosquito net, he crawled underneath, kneeling beside her. “Hey,” he whispered, “are you still awake?”
“I’m awake.”
He took her by the hand, lifted the net, and pulled her up beside him.
“Come on,” he whispered, leading her outside.
“Nate! I’m not even dressed,” she protested, stretching the oversize T-shirt she slept in over her knees, and trying not to lose the flipflop sandals she’d slipped on just outside their door.
He pulled her down the steps and toward the crude path that ran parallel to the river behind their hut. The moon was full so they didn’t have need of a light, though Nate lit a small torch and carried it in front of them to ward off the jungle’s wild nocturnal creatures.
“Shh! Come on!” He had that gleam in his eye—the one he always got when he’d planned something special just for her.
She followed him in silence up a rise to a small clearing. The jungle’s wild denizens made it dangerous to venture too far from the village at this