I meant to post this earlier but a broken well pump got in the way. Enjoy this sneak peak (unedited, so be gentle) to my latest book! Everywhere he took her, Evangeline found herself immersed in wonder. Caster was right – the preserve was impressive, and magnificently beautiful. She hadn’t expected it to be so large, nearly intimidating in its size. Animals from all corners of the earth greeted her, some intrigued enough to approach the edges of the fence, others hiding in the shadows of their wooded enclosures. She carefully observed them all, eyeing them as closely as they eyed her, wondering if and when she would have the chance to interact. Caster watched her as well, noting the subtle changes in her demeanor when they came across an animal she was particularly fond of. The goats, for sure. He wasn’t sure why she tried to hide her affections or thoughts, but guessed that her wall would start to come down once they reached the next enclosure. “The last of the big game for today,” he said as they rounded a corner, “are the giraffes.” He kept his gaze on her, seeing the interest register in her eyes. Her back straightened ever so slightly and she instantly turned her attention to the enclosure on their left. “We currently have six females and one male, all reticulated giraffes. We used to have a few Masai, but they were recently reintroduced to preserves in Africa. We run a successful breeding program with our main stud.” He tapped a plaque attached to a wooden post at the front of the gate. Evangeline read the plaque, which stated simply, Ruke. “Roo-key,” she pronounced quietly. “Ruke, rhymes with Fluke,” Caster corrected her. “He’s the top dog here, so to speak. His offspring are in high demand due to his bloodline. He’s pretty temperamental and doesn’t like many people, though, so keep your distance.” Unable to help herself, Evangeline moved forward and pressed herself against the fence, hands clasping the wires. She wasn’t sure why, but giraffes always held a special place in her heart. She loved everything about them – the way they moved, the way their eyes held a look of such peace, the way they stood so tall and proud. Her breath hitched when one of them caught sight of the two humans just outside the gate and started walking over. Excitement curled in her stomach and her fingers tightened on the wire, but she stood perfectly still until the graceful female came to a stop mere feet away, looking first at Caster and then at the unfamiliar face. Evangeline swallowed, eyes never leaving the giraffe. She barely breathed when the female lowered her head and sniffed at her fingers, wet nose tickling her skin. In one slight movement, Evangeline lifted a finger and stroked that nose, then blew out a breath when she was dismissed and the animal returned to its tree to graze. “Well, maybe I oughta call you the giraffe whisperer,” Caster put in with a grin. “That’s Lady Regal, Lady for short. She isn’t usually so curious.” He stepped closer to Evangeline when she shifted to get a closer look, and as she did, the edge of her sleeve slid down. Not much, but enough for him to see the top of a scar hiding behind a thick bracelet. He knew what she’d done; or, rather, what she’d tried to do. They all did – after all, that was the entire point of the program. But to see the reason in person, even if only one small part of it, still caught him off-guard. “Um… Well, that about concludes the tour. How about we get back to the goats? We will start the day there.” He held out a hand, but Evangeline ignored the gesture. Instead they walked back to the goat pen side by side, both with their hands in their pockets.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 00:26:41 +0000
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