village. The town fell away behind them, and the mountains flourished before them. Sage breathed a little easier and slowed his pace.
“Have you been into the village before?” Luce wiped her brow.
“No. Look how beautiful it is. I mean, when you’re in the city, do you ever think about places like this?” Sage had spent his whole life wishing he could spend more time surrounded by nature. When he was a boy, he used to spend hours in the woods with his eldest brother, Jack. Jack was a born outdoorsman. Burly, confident, and ready to take on the world, he reminded Sage of a lumberjack, while Sage thought of himself as more of a nature lover with a softer touch. Sure, he was as masculine as the next guy, but his love of nature stemmed from the serenity of it, the joy of being surrounded by the living organisms and the natural paths of life that fed civilization in so many ways.
“I think more about places like Maui and the white sandy beach resorts of Belize than I do the villages and towns,” Luce admitted.
He let out a long sigh. “Yeah, most people do.”
“But not Kate. She thinks about helping others, no matter where she is.”
Sage had wondered if Luce was going to try to pry him for information about Kate. He glanced at Luce, with her hair clipped efficiently at the base of her neck, and her tan shorts and her sleeveless, white button-down shirt. She looked as if she’d walked off the pages of a tourist brochure. She’d dressed the part of public relations rep today. Sage supposed she’d had to. He liked Luce. He’d known of her before coming to Belize, and since spending time with her, he liked her feisty and forthright nature. He could tell she didn’t put up with any bullshit, and it was obvious that she cared for Kate. That alone endeared her to him.
“So what you’re saying is that Kate has a generous soul.” He already knew the answer, but this was the easiest way of diverting the conversation away from his growing emotions for her.
“The most generous, or so I thought until I heard your speech back there. Did you say that because of Kate?”
Kate . Sage hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since he said good night at the foot of the stairs to her cabin last night. If he hadn’t forced himself to leave, the stairs wouldn’t have been all he was mounting.
“I would have said it about anyone who work like Kate and Caleb do. They’re selfless in their pursuit of helping others in a way that is genuine and deserves a hell of a lot more recognition than those clowns back there.” A group of small homes came into view. “I’m sorry, Luce. I know your clients are important to you, and I’m sure some are genuine in their efforts. It’s just one of those days.” Pent-up sexual desires and heat don’t mix well .
“That’s okay. Well, I’m not trying to pry…or maybe I am. I’ve known Kate a few years now, and I know how she comes across sort of hot and cold. She’s skeptical, but look at what she deals with day in and day out. She’s my friend, and I care about her. Just give her time.”
Sage thought of how right she’d felt in his arms. “I’ve got nothing but time.”
The first home they came to was built from wide-planked boards, with the same thatched roof as the cabins where they were staying. There were two sections to the home. Sage slowed to take in the smoke rising from the back section of the hut.
“Why two sections?” He craned his neck to peer inside. Two women stood before a cooking area, stirring the contents of two large metal pots, smoke billowing around them. One of the women lifted a woven fan and fanned the smoke away. The other said something, causing them both to laugh.
“One’s a cooking house. The other is a sleeping area.”
“Do they have running water? Electricity?”
Luce shook her head. “Not yet. They get their water from the river. They’re really an amazing group of people. If you think people in the States work hard, then
“Have you been into the village before?” Luce wiped her brow.
“No. Look how beautiful it is. I mean, when you’re in the city, do you ever think about places like this?” Sage had spent his whole life wishing he could spend more time surrounded by nature. When he was a boy, he used to spend hours in the woods with his eldest brother, Jack. Jack was a born outdoorsman. Burly, confident, and ready to take on the world, he reminded Sage of a lumberjack, while Sage thought of himself as more of a nature lover with a softer touch. Sure, he was as masculine as the next guy, but his love of nature stemmed from the serenity of it, the joy of being surrounded by the living organisms and the natural paths of life that fed civilization in so many ways.
“I think more about places like Maui and the white sandy beach resorts of Belize than I do the villages and towns,” Luce admitted.
He let out a long sigh. “Yeah, most people do.”
“But not Kate. She thinks about helping others, no matter where she is.”
Sage had wondered if Luce was going to try to pry him for information about Kate. He glanced at Luce, with her hair clipped efficiently at the base of her neck, and her tan shorts and her sleeveless, white button-down shirt. She looked as if she’d walked off the pages of a tourist brochure. She’d dressed the part of public relations rep today. Sage supposed she’d had to. He liked Luce. He’d known of her before coming to Belize, and since spending time with her, he liked her feisty and forthright nature. He could tell she didn’t put up with any bullshit, and it was obvious that she cared for Kate. That alone endeared her to him.
“So what you’re saying is that Kate has a generous soul.” He already knew the answer, but this was the easiest way of diverting the conversation away from his growing emotions for her.
“The most generous, or so I thought until I heard your speech back there. Did you say that because of Kate?”
Kate . Sage hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since he said good night at the foot of the stairs to her cabin last night. If he hadn’t forced himself to leave, the stairs wouldn’t have been all he was mounting.
“I would have said it about anyone who work like Kate and Caleb do. They’re selfless in their pursuit of helping others in a way that is genuine and deserves a hell of a lot more recognition than those clowns back there.” A group of small homes came into view. “I’m sorry, Luce. I know your clients are important to you, and I’m sure some are genuine in their efforts. It’s just one of those days.” Pent-up sexual desires and heat don’t mix well .
“That’s okay. Well, I’m not trying to pry…or maybe I am. I’ve known Kate a few years now, and I know how she comes across sort of hot and cold. She’s skeptical, but look at what she deals with day in and day out. She’s my friend, and I care about her. Just give her time.”
Sage thought of how right she’d felt in his arms. “I’ve got nothing but time.”
The first home they came to was built from wide-planked boards, with the same thatched roof as the cabins where they were staying. There were two sections to the home. Sage slowed to take in the smoke rising from the back section of the hut.
“Why two sections?” He craned his neck to peer inside. Two women stood before a cooking area, stirring the contents of two large metal pots, smoke billowing around them. One of the women lifted a woven fan and fanned the smoke away. The other said something, causing them both to laugh.
“One’s a cooking house. The other is a sleeping area.”
“Do they have running water? Electricity?”
Luce shook her head. “Not yet. They get their water from the river. They’re really an amazing group of people. If you think people in the States work hard, then
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