After I swallow, I tell him, “I miss the simplicity of my life back in Caraica.”

“How so?” Randall asks.

“Well, everything here is about rules. You live in the land of the free, but you are governed by so many rules that it’s hard to keep track of sometimes. For example, if I want to cross the street, I have to wait for the light to turn green. In Amazonia, I go where I want, when I want, without anyone telling me differently.”

“Ah, but that rule about the green light is in place for your safety,” Cara points out.

“Agreed,” I tell her. “And I understand that well, but it’s a product of having too many people and too much technology. Your life here is actually stunted to some degree because of that.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Cara says dismissively.

I take another bite of my food, but then Moira pipes up. “I think what Zach is really saying, is that in Amazonia, he grew up with absolute freedom. He didn’t have rules and boundaries to shape him, but led his life the way he wanted. When someone is given that amazing opportunity, I think the potential to become whatever you want is endless. Sometimes, simple is better.”

I look across the table at Moira and am humbled at the way that she gets me. I first thought she would try to change me into something I’m not capable of but, instead, she celebrates my diversity from this life.

She appreciates it.

I give her a smile of thanks and return to my dinner.

The rest of the meal, I’m happy to let Cara and Clint do most of the talking. Randall has taken a backseat, refusing to overwhelm me, and I just listen to Cara prattle on about her latest shopping expedition, and Clint talk about some new sports car he just purchased. I get the feeling these two don’t do much but spend their money.

“Oh, I have an idea,” Cara says with a wide smile. “Clint and I will take Zach out on the boat tomorrow. It will be so much fun.”

“Moira can come too, right?” I ask because I get the feeling that she was deliberately not invited.

“Absolutely,” Clint says, shooting Moira a weird smile that sets me on edge. I notice Cara looks put out.

“Not tomorrow,” Randall says. “I want to spend some time with Zach. He’s only committed to two days here, and I want to be able to talk to him about his parents. I want to take him over to the house he lived in as a boy. But if he wants to stay, I think that sounds like a fine idea.”

I turn my head in surprise to Randall. “My parents lived near here?”

Randall nods with a smile. “I actually bought their house when they went missing. It went into foreclosure, and I always hoped they’d come back. When I found out that you were alive, I went ahead and transferred the deed into your name. It belongs to you now, Zach.”

I swallow hard, emotion overwhelming me. I’ve been remembering bits and pieces of that little house, but I never thought I’d get to see it again. Putting my utensils down, I wipe my mouth with my napkin. All so very civilized.

When I place it back on my lap, I say, “Thank you, Randall. That means a lot to me, and I’d like to see that tomorrow as well.”

“Absolutely,” Randall says. “We’ll leave after breakfast.”

For the first time since we landed in Georgia, I’m actually thinking that I may want to stay here a few more days than originally planned. Just so I can take the opportunity to see everything from my past.

That way, there will be no wondering. I can have closure. It will be easier, I’m sure, to let it completely go when I finally return to Caraica.

Chapter 14

Moira

I stare at myself in the vanity mirror as I sit and brush my hair out. I’m sad that I’m sitting here alone because I half expected Zach to come in to my room with me after we had finished eating. I’m not sure why, but I guess I just felt we had reestablished our connection today.

Dinner turned out to be better than I could have expected, despite the incessant jabbering and flirting Cara did with Zach. She clearly has him in her sights, and I don’t like that one little bit. She’s beautifully stunning and a bit of a bimbo. Someone I’m sure that would bend easily to Zach’s will, which will make her of interest to him. I’m sure he sensed it about her, and Zach is a man with huge, sexual appetite. He’s made it clear what he wants.

After dinner, we sat in the library again and had another drink, except Zach abstained. The first time he took a sip of his bourbon, his nose wrinkled and he left the rest of it untouched. I had another glass of wine though because my nerves were all jangled watching Zach trying to converse with Randall, and watching Cara hit on Zach, and suffering Clint giving me sly looks. I was thankful when we called it a night and Zach walked up to our rooms with me, while Cara and Clint made their way back to downtown Atlanta where they shared an apartment.

But when we came to Zach’s door, the two glasses of wine I drank had not loosened me up enough to say anything to him more than a murmured, “Good night,” and I entered my own room, shutting the door softly behind me.

I can see the connecting door to his room in the reflection of the vanity’s mirror. I’ve glanced at it a time or two, wondering what would happen if I just got up and went over to it… opened it up and walked into Zach’s room.

Would he be naked? Would he be masturbating, which I’m betting would be a safe assumption? What would he do if I crawled into bed with him and latched my mouth onto that piece of him that I’ve been dying to taste?