Daughter of Destiny by Lindsay McKenna Page A

of anything today, Mr. Johnson. But my husband is an ace at handling camels, so I think you’ll be convinced that we’ll take very good care of your friends here.”
    Nodding, Coober smiled a little. “I understand, missus, I really do. Well, come on, mate, let me show you my four racing camels. They’re in the back…and they’re beautiful. Did you know I’ve won nearly every race here in the Outback with my two geldings? They’re as fit as a mallee bull. They come straight from that sheik’s bloodstock.”
    Jake gave Kai a meaningful look and reached out to grasp her hand. She complied somewhat reluctantly and fell into step beside him as they headed off between the rectangular corrals, trudging through the loose red sand. Holding Jake’s hand after so many years brought back poignant memories to Kai. His grip was strong, firm, and yet he monitored the amount of pressure he exerted so he didn’t hurt her. Heart hammering, Kai swallowed. She didn’t know what to do. She was drawn to Jake, and a huge part of her wanted to reignite her friendship with him…and more. But that scared the hell out of her. She’d had a terrible, wrenching relationship a year ago, and was still healing from it. Yet her heart was starting to yearn for Jake.
    He slowed the pace until Coober was a good twenty steps ahead of them. “I didn’t think you wanted to show Coober how awkward you’d be on a camel,” Jake told her in a whisper. He liked having Kai’s hand in his. For so long, after both of them had left the res, he’d pined away for her. And later, as a man, he could never fully forget her. Feeling as if he were in a dream, he squeezed Kai’s fingers gently. For a moment her eyes went soft with longing, making his heart race with joy. Trying to keep his emotions at bay, he gave her a boyish smile.
    Kai grinned and shyly squeezed his strong fingers in return. Something was happening. It was almost magical. And scary. “Good thinkin’, camel cowboy. I’ll just watch what you do and try to pick it up real fast, so by tomorrow morning I can convince Coober I’ve ridden them half my life.”
    Jake caught her glinting gaze. Taking advantage of their cover as a married couple, he squeezed her hand tenderly once more. For him, it was a powerful moment, one that made his heart open and sing like the sun rising at dawn.
    Kai wanted to hold Jake’s hand forever. From time to time, Coober would turn to make sure they were following. Maybe this cover of being married wasn’t so bad, after all. Jake smiled merrily at Coober and walked with a plucky stride that made her think he really did enjoy holding her hand. Did he? Or was it an act? Kai couldn’t be sure, but she knew it was genuine from her end.
    â€œHere they are, mates. My pride and joy!” Coober halted at a pipe fence and gestured proudly to the animals. Inside were four white camels with single humps. Two of them, the females, were on one side of a barrier, the two geldings on the other.
    Jake reluctantly released Kai’s hand, moved up to the fence and rested his arms on the top rail. “Both of your girls are pregnant,” he observed, seeing the swollen bellies of the camels in the left side of the enclosure.
    â€œYes, they are,” Coober said. “Bred to the best bull in the Outback, Sheik Wind. You heard of ’im?” Coober rested his hands on the fence a few feet from where Jake stood.
    â€œSure have. That bull came directly from Sheik Mohammed’s core stock. Do you own him?”
    Coober grinned proudly. “Yes, I do. My missus thoughtI was fair dinkum about putting out the money to buy him when he was a yearling. I told her he had the goods. And most of my business is using him as a breeding bull for other racing stock here in the Outback. There’s quite a race circuit in the Red Center. Not much else to do out here, and racing