for impact. Nothing hit me but relief and curiosity.
I opened one eye than the other.
What I saw made no sense. Zane was lowering several poles to the ground without any effort.
“Man! How’d you do that?” The worker stared at the rods, awed.
“You should worry less about me, kid, and more about keeping this work site safe. You could have killed her.” Zane glanced back, his concern obvious, causing my heart to do an unfamiliar flip flop.
Severe shock, again … that would explain my increased heart rate. Of course, I was in shock. What else could it be? The guy had saved my life twice in less than twenty-four hours.
Before I could even begin finding my feet, Zane was lifting me up, holding my elbow to keep me steady. My legs wobbled, but with his help, I remained standing.
Several workers offered apologies.
Joel rushed to my side. “Chloe, I’m so sorry. I messed up. Can you forgive me?”
I nodded and turned toward Zane, more interested in his heroic actions. “How did you get to me in time?” I asked, lowering my voice.
I tried to gauge the distance he must have traveled to reach me. Last I remembered he’d been several long paces away, and I was convinced the steel beams weighed far more than any one man could lift. He’d laid them down like putting pencils on a desk.
This latest occurrence reminded me of yesterday’s rapid rescue effort, and it made no sense. Men just didn’t move that fast, nor could they subdue lions with their bare hands. The whole incident seemed to have a surreal quality to it. And to think I’d wished for excitement.
“Well?” I pressed, waiting for his explanation.
“I’ve been known to respond with adrenaline a time or two.” He shrugged. “No big deal.”
“No big deal. You’re kidding, right? You saved my life, not once, but twice.” The idea that I was indebted to this massive man didn’t sit well in my gut. “Thank you,” I stammered.
Seeming to read my mind, he shrugged. “I’d have done it for anyone. In spite of what you might think about me, I’m a pretty helpful guy.” He released my arm.
“You can help me anytime,” I said, making sure I sounded serious; because I was.
“You can count on it.” Looking uncomfortable, he turned to gather my scattered papers.
“Do you want to continue the tour?” I asked, hoping we could move on. I didn’t want to dwell on my latest dance with death.
“If you’re able, I’m willing.” He smiled, a broad smile that reached his eyes, softening his features.
“Thanks to you, I’m able.” I accepted my paperwork and moved to the next exhibit, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through me like liquid heat. His smile had the same effect on me as the sun had earlier.
Sun lover equals Zane lover? No way! Not a chance. I shoved the ridiculous idea away.
We’d reached the wolves, one of my favorite exhibits in spite of my aversion to dogs. A male and three females lived in the wilderness-inspired enclosure.
Unlike many zoos, the park’s animals had large areas to explore, making their confined existence more bearable. At this point, all the animals had been born in captivity, and I’d never heard any complain about their surroundings.
For the most part, the wolves watched from a distance. They stuck together and avoided human contact, forming their own little pack. Feeding time was the one exception.
Zane fixed his gaze on the big male and made a funny growling noise deep in his throat. Much to my surprise the grey wolf trotted toward us.
“Magnificent creature,” Zane acknowledged. He squatted and faced the wolf through the gaps in the fencing.
After a few minutes of silent staring, the wolf retreated.
Randall, I spoke the wolf’s name in my mind. What did the man say?
All I could decipher was a picture of an enormous black wolf and the word, brother. Another actual word? My ability was morphing from the caterpillar phase into a fully developed butterfly, and I had no clue how or why it was happening, or when it would stop.
“You’re not the only one with a special animal connection,” Zane boasted.
“I’ve never claimed to be the one and only!” I shot back, feeling defensive.
Regardless of his rescue efforts, he still annoyed me on several levels. Later, I’d give Luke my ultimatum: Zane or me. As for the wolf’s strange mental impression, I’d explore that later as well, right along with my growing list of crazy and impossible things to consider.