“Elafins!”

Ava manages to see the herd from her perch on top of the bus before I do. She has her daddy’s pilot eyes.

“That’s right, sweetie. And what does the elephant say?”

She hangs a chubby arm from her face like a trunk and makes a trumpeting sound that’s utterly exceptional for an almost-three-year-old, if I do say so myself.

Rambeau, our guide, points toward the herd.

“Look close,” he says. “See? A baby!”

Ava’s face lights up as she sees it bumbling alongside its mother.

“Baby!” she wails. “Mommy, a baby!”

Chance picks her up and holds her over his head so she can get a better view. The elephants are pretty much all there is to look at in this particular part of the park. There are a few trees and a watering hole, but for the most part it’s scrub and brown dust as far as the eye can see.

“Make sure you tell Uncle Tre when we get back,” Chance says. “He and Auntie Grace are going to wish they’d come with us.”

I imagine they had more pressing things to do, considering it’s been less than twenty-four hours since Tre popped the question. He thought the Nairobi sunset would be the perfect backdrop. I could have told him that Grace would have said yes if he’d put a Lifesaver on her finger in a bus station, but why ruin his fun?

Chance’s satellite phone begins to warble on his hip. He glances at me with raised brows – sat phone almost always means work.

“Talbot,” he says, extending the antenna.

Ava’s eyes widen. “Gamma Bess? Daddy, I talk Gamma Bess?”

I pick her up and plop her down on my knee.

“Honey, Grandma Bess is sleeping, remember? It’s nighttime back home.”

“Night time?”

“All right, call Blake at the State Department. I need an AW101 ready to go as soon as possible. They should have at least two on standby at Moi Air Base.”

I see the look in his eyes and sigh. Safari is over for now, at least.

Chance kneels on the floor of the rooftop viewing area and plants a kiss on Ava’s cheek.

“Sorry, honey, we’re going to have to say bye to the elephants. Mommy and I have to go to work.”

She nods. Not even three yet and she’s already used to us dropping her with Grace and taking off. Sometimes I wonder if this is really the ideal life I picture a few years ago.

Chance talks to Rambeau, who radios the driver. In less than a minute, we’re on our way back to the resort where Tre and Grace are holding down the fort.

“What is it this time?” I ask as I strap Ava into her seat. “Something local, obviously. Or southern Europe? Please don’t say Middle East.”

He shakes his head. “Northeast Tanzania. Localized earthquake just south of the border with Kenya.”

“How much good can we do with a transport chopper?” I ask.

“That’s just it – the quake is centered in a sparsely populated area. But it’s left a girls’ school collapsed and cut off by a chasm that opened up a few hundred yards away. They need a copter to get in and get them out ASAP.”

“Why can’t the Tanzanians take care of it themselves?”

Chance leans close to me so that Ava can’t hear.

“It’s an all-girls school. In rural Tanzania.”

Translation: they’re not a priority. I nod my understanding.

“Goin’ to school?” Ava asks.

“That’s right,” I say brightly. “Daddy and I are going to see some girls and say hello.”

I just hope we can get there in time.

* * *

Chance points to Mt. Longido in the distance.

“It’s beautiful,” I shout into the microphone.

The Leonardo AW101 is a huge helicopter, capable of transporting at least twenty-five people. But it’s incredibly loud and handles like a hippo on roller skates, judging by how Chance is handling it. But it’s the perfect tool for the job, and the Kenyan government was nice enough to loan it to us after some cajoling by a few State Department diplomats.

Below us is the opposite of beautiful – a huge crack that’s opened along the fault line. The school is cut off on that side for miles in either direction. The other side backs onto a series of low forested hills.

“Why can’t they evacuate there?” I shout, pointing to the hills.

Chance is quiet for a little too long.

“Chance?”

“That might be a problem,” he bellows.

“Why?”

“There’ve been reports of rebels in the hills.”

Oh, that’s just fucking great.

“Why do I let you get me into this shit?” I yell.

He grins. “Because you love me?”

“All I know is it’s a good thing you’re rich.”

A few minutes later, we’re over the school. The sound of our approach draws a group of girls out of the remains of the collapsed brick buildings into the courtyard. They wave their arms wide, which is a good sign. At least the injuries appear minor.

Chance brings the bird down like a wounded goose and I slide the panel door open. I jog to where the girls are standing, hollering and crying. I show them the American flag patch on the shoulder of my Atlas flight suit.

“We speak English!” a girl of about sixteen shouts.

“Awesome,” I say. “How many of you are there?”

“Twenty-three,” she says. “Our teacher is hurt, but the rest of us can walk.”

She leads me into the most intact building and shows me her teacher. The woman, nursing what appears to be a broken arm, is probably only a few years older than her students.

“We’ve come to get you out of here,” I say. “Can you walk?”

“I think so.” The others help her to her feet. “Who are you?”

“I’m with Atlas, ma’am,” I say. It always sparks a thrill of pride.

“God bless you,” she says as we head for the door.

Here’s hoping.

Outside, Chance is herding the girls into the back of the chopper and trying to make them comfortable. He’s kept the rotors running.

“Last ones,” I say with a nod.

He nods back and gets the rest of them seated. As the teacher boards, she turns to face me.

“I cannot thank you enough – ”

Suddenly her eyes are saucers. I turn to see what she’s looking at.

Behind us are three young men in camouflage fatigues and red berets, pointing assault rifles in our direction.

Chance sweeps me behind him, shielding me with his body.

“Get inside!” he barks.

“You get inside! I’ll deal with these guys.”

He goggles at me. “Are you insane? No way!”

“You’re the only one who can fly this monster! I sure as hell can’t!”

He shakes his head. “There has to be another way!”

“Not that I can see!”

He scowls at me for a full ten seconds before he finally nods.

“Be careful!” he shouts, locking his eyes on mine. “If you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you!”

I give him the thumbs-up. “Roger that.”

We stare at each other for a moment, communicating telepathically. It’s not the first time we’ve faced danger together. Each time could be the last time. It makes us appreciate our time together even more.

I break eye contact and trot toward the soldiers, who flinch and level their guns.

“Bring them back!” the one in the center hollers. “Now! No fucking Americans!”

Now that I’m closer, I can see just how young they are. Probably recent rebel recruits who had nowhere else to go. At least, I hope that’s the case.

“We’re taking them,” I say. “That’s a fact. If I have to fight you, I will, but those girls are coming with us.”

The one on the left points his barrel in the air and fires off a dozen automatic rounds. Somehow, I manage not to flinch. I can practically feel Chance having a conniption behind me.

I look the kid square in the eye.

“I’m still here,” I say. “Those girls have never done anything to you. They’re trying to make something of themselves at this school. They want to make things better for your country. Can you care for them until help arrives?”

The three exchange confused glances.

“Do you have enough food and water for all of them?”

Still no response. I fix the middle one with a glare that I hope looks motherly. It’s my only hope.

“What if they were your sisters?” I ask. “What would you do?”

They stare at me for a long moment. The middle one lowers his gun and barks at the other two to do the same. The one on the left keeps his up for a few more seconds before the middle one shoves the barrel down himself.

I nod to him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t come back,” he says.

“Roger that,” I say and jog toward the helicopter.

* * *

“Are you fucking crazy?!” Grace blurts.

I cover Ava’s ears, but it’s too late.

“Fuck,” she says absently, playing with her doll. “Fuck fuck fuck.”

I glare at my sister before leaning down to my daughter’s ear.

“That’s a silly word,” I say. “You should forget it. Auntie makes up words sometimes.”

Grace’s cheeks are rosy with embarrassment and frustration.

“Mommy’s right, sweetie,” she says. “That’s a silly word. I’ve already forgotten it.”

“Fuck!” Ava says brightly.

Tre gives me a sheepish look and plucks Ava out of my lap.

“How about you come with Uncle Tre and we play a game?” he says.

She brightens and wraps her arms around his neck. “Yay!”

Grace composes herself as I watch the two of them go into the adjoining room of our suite. She runs a hand down her face, inadvertently showing off the glittering diamonds embedded in the platinum band on her left third finger.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “But seriously?! That was incredibly irresponsible.”

Chance takes a seat beside me and sips his scotch.

“I felt the same way,” he says. “At first. But Sara made a good point: I had to fly the chopper.”

Grace looks at us like we’ve each grown another head.

“Yeah, or you could have left them there.”

“That wasn’t an option,” I say. “You know that as well as I do.”

She looks at the floor, blood still in her cheeks.

“Yeah,” she mutters. “I know. But still…”

“Still nothing. Each of those girls has a future because of Atlas.”

Chance lays a hand on top of mine.

“Correction,” he says. “Each of them has a future because of you.”

Suddenly Grace’s arm is around my neck and she’s hugging me fiercely. When she whispers in my ear, there are tears in her voice.

“I can’t lose you,” she says. “From now on, don’t tell me when you do stuff like that, okay?”

“Deal,” I say, wiping away a tear of my own.

* * *

“What’s the all-fired hurry?” I ask as Chance closes the bedroom door behind him.

Ava is with Tre and Grace at the resort pool, working off their dinner in the blazing late-afternoon heat. I was planning to join them when Chance pulled me in here.

He turns the deadbolt in the door and draws the curtains closed.

“What are you doing?”

Next thing I know his lips are pressing hard against mine, forcing my mouth open to accept his probing tongue. His fingers fumble my bikini top open, releasing my breasts into his waiting hands.

“Chance,” I gasp, breaking lip contact. “What – ”

His mouth is back on mine before I can finish. I wrap my arms around his neck as his lips begin to move south, until they land on my throat. My motor has gone from idle to overdrive in the space of five seconds.

I match his passion, pulling his t-shirt over his head and running my fingers along his chest, tracing the scar tissue there. It’s a ritual I have, to always remind myself of how precious – and fragile – our lives really are.

His lips find my breasts as his hands work my bikini bottoms off of my ass and send them dropping to the bedroom floor. I return the favor with his cargo shorts as I release his ramrod cock and grab it tightly. It’s hot and throbs at my touch.

“Unh,” he groans in my ear.

He grabs my ass and lifts me off the floor, carrying me to the big four-poster bed. When he drops me onto it, I actually bounce.

His body covers me a second later, grabbing my hands in his and pulling them up over my head. Rock-hard muscle presses down against my breasts and belly as the tip of his shaft presses against my wet slit.

“Oh, Chance,” I moan as I lift my wide-open legs and wrap them around his hips.

There’s no foreplay here, only animal lust. An instant later and he’s fully inside me, prompting my first quivering orgasm.

He holds me tightly as I tremble through it, nibbling on his shoulder, floating on a cloud of desire.

“I can’t wait,” he pants in my ear. His hips start to move, thrusting deeply, quickly, until I have to prop my hands against the headboard to keep from being driven right into it.

It’s never been like this. We’ve gotten really good at fucking over the last few years, but this is something else. As if the future of the human race depends on us both coming as fast and as hard as we can.

He picks me up and turns me so that I’m straddling him, his hands pulling my legs apart as far as they’ll go. My breathing turns into animal grunts as he lifts his hips, driving as fast and as deep as he can go.

The normal pooling of pleasure is a tidal wave now, breaking the dams and overflowing the levees until my entire body becomes a conduit for it. As it overtakes me, I collapse on top of him holding on for dear life until his cannon finally goes off inside me, making my toes curl up until they hurt.

The waves keep on breaking against me, over and over, forcing my whole body to spasm with delight. I can’t catch my breath, and suddenly I fear I might actually somehow come myself into a stupor.

Finally the ecstasy begins to ebb, slowly, setting off a few aftershocks that make me grip Chance’s shoulders until they pass. My breath huffs in his face, blowing his hair back from his forehead in great, heaving gusts.

“My God,” I finally gasp. All my strength is gone. “What… what the hell… was that?”

His chest is heaving underneath me. His effort was so much more than mine; I can’t imagine how he’s still able to speak.

“I had to feel you,” he pants. “Had to know… you were still here. Not just a dream.”

I use the last of my strength to cover his mouth with mine and give him a long, deep, wet kiss, until I have to stop to catch my breath.

“I’m here,” I whisper. “I’m here.”

“Don’t ever fucking do that again,” he breathes.

I snuggle against him and lay my head next to his, my grinning lips against his ear.

“You’re not the boss of me,” I whisper.

* * *

“Are you okay?” Grace asks as Chance and I descend the steps into the pool. “You look a little tired.”

I bite my tongue to keep from grinning like a fool. Chance gives me a look that says he’s doing the same.

“It’s been a long day,” I say, dipping below the surface up to my chin.

“Mommy!” Ava hoots. She’s paddling toward me with her inflatable water wings and splashing up a storm.

“Is that a fish?” Chance says, scooping her up. “Look! I caught a fish!”

“No!” she shrieks, but she’s giggling like a maniac. “Imma girl!”

Tre glides over beside Grace and slides an arm around her.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Couldn’t be better,” Chance says.

“Good. We had something we wanted to talk to you about.”

“Go ahead,” I say, wrapping my arm around Chance’s neck so that he’s flanked by his two girls.

“We were wondering – ”

“If you would stand up for us at our wedding!” Grace finishes.

Chance and I exchange a glance.

“I don’t know,” he says, frowning. “Do I have to wear a tie?”

Tre chuckles as Grace and I roll our eyes. “Ah ah ha ha ha,” we mock laugh.

Ava seems to sense that we’re ganging up on him, so she gives him a peck on the cheek.

“Daddy,” she says, as if summing up her argument.

Chance responds with a raspberry against her neck, sending her into a fit of giggles.

“Of course we will,” I say as Ava splashes off into the pool.

“You know what this means, right?” Tre says to Chance. “We’re going to be brothers-in-law.”

Chance sighs. “Well, I guess you can’t choose your family,” Then he brightens. “Oh, wait a minute! Yes, you can!”

“And you chose well,” I say.

Grace looks me in the eye. “You have to promise me that you’re not going to pull another stunt like you did today. I don’t want to have to find another matron of honor.”

“Sorry, sis, I can’t promise that. What I can promise is that I’ll always be careful. Just like Chance.”

She frowns. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.”

The sun finally dips below the tower building of the resort, offering us some very welcome shade.

With the glare gone, I can see Tre and Grace tossing Ava back and forth, to her utter delight.

“It’s interesting that we saw an elephant family today,” I muse.

Chance’s arm is around my waist under the water. He pulls me tight and puts his lips next to my ear, prompting a delicious shiver as I flashback to our afternoon delight.

“Yeah?” he whispers. “Why’s that?”

“They’re matriarchal animals,” I say. “I read once that all of the females in the herd will help raise the babies and protect them from danger, regardless of blood ties.”

I turn to face him. “Sound familiar?”

He smiles and pulls me close. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I see a tear in the corner of his eye.