Free Free Fall by Catherine Mann Page B

different.”
    A monkey stole another’s banana and took off swinging from limb to limb. Stella laughed, the sound floating out, echoed by a baboon hanging from one arm.
    “So, do you come to Queen Elizabeth National Park often?” she asked, loving the thrill of discovery, of learning even seemingly insignificant details about his life.
    “Actually, this is my first time here.” His smile reached his eyes, glinting like the sunlight refracting off the waterfall. “But I do a lot of nature hikes through national parks wherever I travel.”
    “Clearly you’re active, given your job.”
    His eyes slid over her, lingering just long enough to be complimentary without turning smarmy. “You’re no slouch yourself—given your job.”
    “We could compare PT scores.” She tapped his chest just over the Boston Marathon logo on his T-shirt. The well-worn cotton carried the heat of him, and she ached to flatten her palm against his heartbeat. “But I would wager yours beat mine. I’m a code breaker, not a superhero.”
    He closed his hand over hers, holding and lowering. Not letting go. “Can we stop with the superhero stuff? I’m just a guy out with a girl on a date.”
    “A date in Africa, complete with a helicopter ride.” And hand holding. “But hey, okay, if this is normal for you, I can’t wait to see your follow-up.”
    He winked. “Prepare to be dazzled.”
    She already was—and it had nothing to do with the grand gesture of a helicopter. It had more to do with his instinctive thoughtfulness, from noticing which flavored water she preferred to remembering how her nose burned in the sun. She didn’t need a keeper, but after taking care of herself since elementary school, she had to confess it felt nice to have someone who… cared.
    Leaning back on her hands, she watched the way the sun dappled along the lean lines of his face. “What if I’d given out halfway to the waterfall?”
    “Then we would have watched the water buffaloes instead.”
    “Water buffaloes are cool. Elephants and lions too.”
    “True, true.” He nodded toward the cluster of trees. “But these little dudes? Cooler. Way cooler.”
    “Why is that?” she asked, realizing he had a point in bringing her here. This wasn’t a random choice.
    For a moment, she didn’t think he would answer. He just stared out over the glistening waterfall surrounded by trees. The wind rippled his T-shirt and khakis as his booted feet hung over the edge. “Every year, my dad gave my sister and me money to buy summer passes to the zoo while he worked. My sister—Bianca—and I would pack a sack lunch and a jug of Kool-Aid. We would spend all day at the zoo hanging out.”
    “Sounds like fun.” An idyllic image took shape in her mind. “How old were you?”
    “We started when my sister turned eleven and could babysit me.”
    “Your mom worked?”
    He shook his head, scooping up a handful of pebbles and tossing them from hand to hand. “She was… sick.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said, waiting, but he didn’t elaborate. “How many days a week did you go to the zoo?”
    “Monday through Friday. We slept in late, then my sister and I headed over. It was walking distance.” He tossed a small rock over the edge into the swirling waters below. “I know. Sounds bad, two kids walking alone.”
    “I’m not judging.” Okay, that was a lie, but she wanted him to keep talking. “I’m listening.”
    “There were lots of things to do at the zoo that came along with that pass—movies and learning centers. Plenty of places to duck inside if it got hot.” He flicked stone after stone over the edge, never still even when he was sitting. “After a while, the staff knew us, so we got lots of perks.”
    “Such as?” She didn’t want him to stop. She wanted to know everything about him.
    “Like free train rides around the zoo. I always rode up front and rang the bell. After a while, the tour guide would let me narrate parts of the ride.”
    “And you