A Sheltering Heart. Terri Reed

his father had been home and not off trying to save the world that fall. The coverage on TV had seemed overwhelming at the time.

      The minivan soon left the airport behind. Driving on what seemed to be the wrong side of the road, they drove through Kampala, the capital of Uganda. There was a noticeable lack of streetlights on the still-active streets. Tall buildings rose to obscure the skyline.

      Once out of the city, the darkness closed in. The headlights showed little of the countryside. They bumped along on uneven pavement, stopped at the checkpoints where armed guards inspected Moses’s papers and flashed bright lights into the van. They were waved on.

      Eventually the pavement turned into a dirt road that they traveled down for several hours before stopping in front of a dark squat structure, unlit and forbidding.

      They climbed out. Dust rose, choking in swirling gusts as the group moved about unloading the van. Derek looked around. Not much to see at night. The outline of trees and in the distance other dark structures.

      The air was still heavy but the smell of diesel had lessened, accentuating the strange smell he’d noticed earlier. Joyce hadn’t been kidding when she’d said the hostel was a palace compared to here.

      “What is that smell?” Derek whispered to Craig.

      “Probably charcoal.”

      “Charcoal?”

      “It’s the fuel they use to cook with,” Craig replied.

      Derek took in the sight of the destination. There were no streetlights or even a porch light offering welcome.

      He followed the others inside, which was no better than the outside. A few bare bulbs dimly lit the interior. The front door opened to a big room. The concrete floor and walls made him feel boxed in.

      “This way.” Ned nudged him forward as he passed by carrying a heavy-duty flashlight.

      Derek followed down a narrow, unlit hallway. They turned right into an enormous room with several bunk beds. Ned deposited his pack on the mattress of the nearest bottom bunk.

      “Take your pick,” he said with a tired grin.

      Derek put his stuff on a nearby bottom mattress and realized with dread that the mattress was really just a chunk of foam. Good thing he liked to camp.

      “Restroom?” he asked Ned just as Craig walked in.

      The other two men exchanged a glance and then chuckled softly.

      Craig threw his pack on the top bunk over Ned. “Come on. I’ll show you out back. The outhouse is not as deluxe as the typical portable restroom.”

      “Great,” Derek said without enthusiasm. He followed Craig back down the hall and outside. Gwen was talking with Ethan and Moses. When she saw him, she came over.

      “You okay?” she asked, worry softening her gaze.

      “Dandy,” he muttered, uncomfortable with the way her concern warmed him.

      She laughed. “You’ll do fine. I’ll see you in the morning. That’s when the real fun begins.”

      He reached out to finger her silky braid. “How on earth can you be so chipper?”

      “Working on adrenaline here.”

      “I didn’t realize it would be so…rustic.”

      She gave him a soft smile. “This is paradise compared to some of the places I’ve been.”

      His brows drew together in confusion. “What?”

      Reaching up to remove his hand, she said, “Good night.”

      He watched her walk inside. At times she seemed so buttoned-up and reserved. Yet, he’d seen glimpses of a softer side. A side that told him she was a woman with a great capacity to love.

      A very interesting woman. He reminded himself he didn’t want to be interested.

      Chapter Four

      Gwen woke as the first rooster crowed. Through the small, square window in the room the sun was barely visible on the horizon. She heard movement in the building, the others already working. There was so much preparation to do before the villagers began to arrive.

      She’d planned on waking earlier, but since she hadn’t been able to rest on the flight, she’d fallen into an exhausted, deep sleep as soon as she’d hit the foam mattress.

      She blamed Derek for her inability to relax on the flight from the UK. Every time she’d close her eyes and start to doze off, she’d jerk awake expecting to find Derek standing in the aisle watching her again.

      And every time she experienced a burst of disappointment when he wasn’t there.