deeper into the sofa. He wasn’t planning on going anywhere.
Russell gave up and turned back to Rachel. He pulled a small velvet box out of his knapsack. “This is for you,” he said, handing it to her.
She held it in her hands, looking uncertain. “Gee, Russell, you shouldn’t have.”
“Open it,” he prodded.
Drew set his jaw, wondering if Russell dressed like a drifter because he’d spent all his cash on a three-carat diamond ring. Or some exquisite emerald from an African mine. He carefully watched Rachel’s expression as she opened the lid. If she smiled and squealed at the sight of some gaudy ring, then Drew was out the door.
But instead of joy, her face reflected puzzlement.
Rachel looked up at Russell. “It’s a bug.”
He bent down in front of her. “I know. The rare dung beetle I discovered near that village. Unknown until now, it’s destined to make me famous among entomologists all over the world.”
She stared down at the dead black bug in the red velvet box. “That’s...wonderful, Russell.”
“But you haven’t even heard the best part,” he exclaimed.
“You’re going back to Africa?” Drew ventured.
Russell scowled at him, then turned back to Rachel. “No. The best part is that I named it for you. You’re looking at the Rachelona cyanella.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at the beetle. “Gee...I don’t know what to say.”
Russell moved closer to her, grasping her free hand in both of his. “Say you’ll take me back, Rachel. Please let me prove to you how much I really love you.”
When his chest began aching, Drew realized he was holding his breath waiting for her answer. On the one hand, he thought Rachel much too sensible to fall for this guy’s lame excuses. On the other hand, he knew plenty of women who fell for goofy intellectuals like the bug doctor.
Russell took the velvet box from her, carefully closing it, then setting it on an end table. “Don’t say anything yet. I know this is all a shock to you. I probably should have called you as soon as I got back to civilization. But I wrote you a letter every day I spent in that village.” He pulled a stack of ivory envelopes tied with a pink silk ribbon from his knapsack.
“They have hotel stationery in the bush?” Drew asked, not bothering to hide his skepticism.
“I wrote it on tree bark, then transcribed it onto paper later.” He pushed the envelopes into her lap. “You can read these, then give me your answer. We’ll have plenty of time to get reacquainted now that I’m back.”
“Where are you staying?” Rachel asked.
Russell put on a little boy lost expression he’d obviously perfected wandering around in Africa. “I spent my last dime on a first-class ticket back to the States. I couldn’t wait to be with you again. But since I won’t start teaching back at the university until the summer session, I was hoping you’d let me camp out here.”
“Here?” Rachel and Drew said at the same time.
“I travel light,” he said, motioning to his knapsack. “I’ve learned to relinquish material things for what’s really important, like love and friendship. I just want to fill my life and my heart with you.”
Drew thought he might be sick. What did this guy do, memorize Hallmark cards in his spare time?
Rachel nibbled her lower lip. “But this apartment only has one bedroom.”
Russell grinned. “Sounds perfect to me.”
It sounded a little too cozy to Drew. It also made him want to wipe that smile off Russell’s face. Preferably with his fist. But what right did he have to interfere with their relationship? Despite that soul-searing kiss, he didn’t have any claim on Rachel.
Although he still needed to convince her to drop the boycott. That was the prime objective of this date. A date that wasn’t going exactly as he planned.
He looked from Rachel to her love-struck fiancé as a new strategy formed in his mind. He didn’t like it. In fact, he almost considered declaring her the
Russell gave up and turned back to Rachel. He pulled a small velvet box out of his knapsack. “This is for you,” he said, handing it to her.
She held it in her hands, looking uncertain. “Gee, Russell, you shouldn’t have.”
“Open it,” he prodded.
Drew set his jaw, wondering if Russell dressed like a drifter because he’d spent all his cash on a three-carat diamond ring. Or some exquisite emerald from an African mine. He carefully watched Rachel’s expression as she opened the lid. If she smiled and squealed at the sight of some gaudy ring, then Drew was out the door.
But instead of joy, her face reflected puzzlement.
Rachel looked up at Russell. “It’s a bug.”
He bent down in front of her. “I know. The rare dung beetle I discovered near that village. Unknown until now, it’s destined to make me famous among entomologists all over the world.”
She stared down at the dead black bug in the red velvet box. “That’s...wonderful, Russell.”
“But you haven’t even heard the best part,” he exclaimed.
“You’re going back to Africa?” Drew ventured.
Russell scowled at him, then turned back to Rachel. “No. The best part is that I named it for you. You’re looking at the Rachelona cyanella.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at the beetle. “Gee...I don’t know what to say.”
Russell moved closer to her, grasping her free hand in both of his. “Say you’ll take me back, Rachel. Please let me prove to you how much I really love you.”
When his chest began aching, Drew realized he was holding his breath waiting for her answer. On the one hand, he thought Rachel much too sensible to fall for this guy’s lame excuses. On the other hand, he knew plenty of women who fell for goofy intellectuals like the bug doctor.
Russell took the velvet box from her, carefully closing it, then setting it on an end table. “Don’t say anything yet. I know this is all a shock to you. I probably should have called you as soon as I got back to civilization. But I wrote you a letter every day I spent in that village.” He pulled a stack of ivory envelopes tied with a pink silk ribbon from his knapsack.
“They have hotel stationery in the bush?” Drew asked, not bothering to hide his skepticism.
“I wrote it on tree bark, then transcribed it onto paper later.” He pushed the envelopes into her lap. “You can read these, then give me your answer. We’ll have plenty of time to get reacquainted now that I’m back.”
“Where are you staying?” Rachel asked.
Russell put on a little boy lost expression he’d obviously perfected wandering around in Africa. “I spent my last dime on a first-class ticket back to the States. I couldn’t wait to be with you again. But since I won’t start teaching back at the university until the summer session, I was hoping you’d let me camp out here.”
“Here?” Rachel and Drew said at the same time.
“I travel light,” he said, motioning to his knapsack. “I’ve learned to relinquish material things for what’s really important, like love and friendship. I just want to fill my life and my heart with you.”
Drew thought he might be sick. What did this guy do, memorize Hallmark cards in his spare time?
Rachel nibbled her lower lip. “But this apartment only has one bedroom.”
Russell grinned. “Sounds perfect to me.”
It sounded a little too cozy to Drew. It also made him want to wipe that smile off Russell’s face. Preferably with his fist. But what right did he have to interfere with their relationship? Despite that soul-searing kiss, he didn’t have any claim on Rachel.
Although he still needed to convince her to drop the boycott. That was the prime objective of this date. A date that wasn’t going exactly as he planned.
He looked from Rachel to her love-struck fiancé as a new strategy formed in his mind. He didn’t like it. In fact, he almost considered declaring her the
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