Jungle Princess Read online

  “Wait until you see the best part,” he announced excitedly.

  Alex and Bronson followed Holt into the lighthouse living quarters. Despite only being one room, the cabin was larger than it seemed from the outside. There was an old bunk bed attached to the wall, a sturdy, handmade table with benches large enough to seat four, a stone kitchen with fire pit, and a handmade armoire filled with old, musty clothing.

  “We have oil for lamps, candles, blankets, clothing, and towels,” Holt announced cheerfully. “There’s a kitchen for cooking and beds. The stairs lead up to the lighthouse. If the light works, we can watch for passing ships and signal them.”

  Alex looked around and felt some relief yet a pang of concern. “This is great,” she announced while gently rubbing her chilled arms. “I never thought a dark, dirty, dingy room would look so good.”

  “We’ll clean it up and make it livable for now,” Holt informed her with enthusiasm. “There are buckets, rags, and cleaning supplies. We should start with the linens, so we have a place to sleep tonight.”

  “I’m going to check out the lighthouse,” Bronson announced with enthusiasm and hurried up the sturdy, old stairs.

  Alex approached the handmade bunk bed against the wall and ran her hand along the dusty, plush quilt. The mattresses weren’t thick, but the bed beneath was solid wood, which would keep them firm. The top bunk was the size of a twin bed, and the bottom bunk was a full-size bed. Alex pulled back the dusty comforter and drifted out a moment.

  Holt curbed his enthusiasm while staring at her. “Is something wrong?” he asked. “I thought you’d be happy with actual shelter.”

  She snapped out of her trance. “No, this is--” She hesitated and forced an insincere smile. “This is great.”

  Holt’s enthusiasm faded. He approached her, placed his hand on her shoulder, and appeared concerned. “Something is wrong.”

  Alex frowned. “It’s nothing,” she announced. “It’s probably just me.”

  She pulled the dusty comforter off the bed and let it fall to the dirty floor. Holt forced her to face him and looked into her eyes.

  “Rule number one,” he announced. “Always trust your instincts, Alex. Rule number two. Always tell me what’s bothering you no matter how trivial it seems.”

  “I thought rule number one was stay away from the south side of the island?” she teased, attempting to lighten the mood.

  “That’s not a rule, that’s a commandment,” he corrected. “What’s bothering you?”

  She fidgeted and ran her fingers through her mussed hair. “I’m just very uncomfortable around Bronson,” she replied. “I can’t put my finger on a specific reason. I mean, he’s been more helpful lately.”

  “But he still gives you the creeps.”

  “I just can’t help feeling these quarters are too close with Bronson in the picture.”

  “Don’t worry, Alex,” he announced. “You get the top bunk to yourself. No one’s suggesting you share the bottom bunk with Bronson.”

  “I’d actually feel better if I slept in the lighthouse,” she muttered and insecurely rubbed her arms.

  Holt muttered, “I’d feel better if Bronson slept in the lighthouse.”

  Alex managed a tiny laugh, placed her arms around his neck, and hugged him. He held her against him and returned the embrace. Bronson appeared on the stairs, causing Holt to release Alex.

  “I think the light will work,” Bronson announced. “There’s plenty of kerosene, and I saw some fresh wicks in a crate up there.”

  Holt straightened proudly while studying Bronson as he reached the bottom of the steps. “How would you feel about bunking in the crow’s nest?”

  “Awesome view, but I think I should stay down here with Alex,” Bronson replied then offered a strange smile. “You can have the crow’s nest.”

  Holt’s look hardened and turned serious. “I think it would be best if you slept upstairs.”

  Bronson and Holt stared at each other in some bizarre sort of standoff.

  “Could I have a word with you outside?” Bronson finally asked and nodded toward the door.

  “Of course.”

  Bronson and Holt stepped outside and partially closed the door behind them. Alex peered out the opening and attempted to eavesdrop on their conversation.

  “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m uncomfortable with the way you’ve been acting around Alex,” Bronson announced while glaring at Holt.

  Holt stared at the younger man with a stunned look. “Excuse me?”

  “Save the charm for the kids on the playground,” Bronson snarled. “You’re trying to turn Alex against me so you can bang her.”

  Holt stiffened while glaring into Bronson’s eyes. “Okay, all politeness aside.” His look turned cold and hateful. “I don’t like you. You have no respect for women and even less respect for me because you think I’m weak.” His eyes then narrowed. “I’ve been trying to overlook your character flaws, but if you ever again imply my intentions toward Alex are anything but honorable, I’m going to put you in the ground.”

  His words were moderately startling. Alex held back her gasp and suddenly feared for Holt’s welfare. Bronson didn’t have much of a temper, but he wasn’t one to back down from a fight, particularly when his opponent was smaller and older.

  “Don’t threaten me,” Bronson growled while sneering at the man he towered over. “You’re quickly outliving your usefulness. Alex is my responsibility not yours, and I want you to stay away from her.”

  Holt’s eyes suddenly narrowed. “I believe this is the part where I say ‘make me’.”

  Without hesitation, Bronson swung at Holt. Alex gasped with horror and threw open the door just in time to see Holt block the punch. He caught Bronson’s arm, twisted it behind his back, and drove him to his knees. Bronson cried out unable to move. Holt glared at the immobile man now screaming in agony.

  “Make no mistake, I could easily dislocate your shoulder or break your arm, but I’m afraid we might need you,” Holt snarled at him in a tone that surprised Alex. “Keep that in mind the next time you challenge me, because I won’t hold back if you piss me off again.”

  Holt released his wrist and allowed him to fall forward. When Holt looked at the doorway, he saw Alex staring at him with surprise. Holt frowned and fidgeted slightly.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Five months later. It was early afternoon and another beautiful, sunny day in paradise. Holt was on the small beach located down the path from the lighthouse. The beach was isolated from the rest of the island beaches, and Holt was often found there in the early afternoon. The bluffs on either side kept the beach secluded. In his bare feet, he practiced karate moves in slow motion as if performing yoga. Alex ran onto the beach with a sense of urgency. Despite being in a hurry, Alex stopped to watch and held back her laugh.

  “So you’re a karate, ass-kicking archeologist?” she teased.

  Holt turned with surprise and appeared embarrassed. “I thought you were mango hunting.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you knew karate?” she asked while grinning.

  “Because you’d want to learn,” he replied.

  “Hell, yeah!”

  “I taught you how to defend yourself,” he informed her then resumed his practice. “Karate should only be taught by those qualified to teach it.”

  “Oh, please,” she whined. “We’re stuck here until the end of time. Who’s going to know?”

  “I made that mistake once.”

  Alex stared at him with surprise and immediately wondered what he was keeping from her. “Why? What happened?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  She frowned her disapproval. “I wish you’d remember that phrase when you’re rambling on about foliage,” she muttered.

  Holt chuckled and cast a look at her. “What’s the urge in urgency?”

  Her grin soon returned, and her eyes lit up. “
I found something,” she announced excitedly. “I didn’t touch it, but you have to come see it.”

  Holt didn’t bother questioning her finding and was willing to entertain her whims, but that didn’t mean he was ever in a hurry. He casually slipped into his shoes in no particular rush. Alex groaned, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the woods before he even had his foot in his shoe. Holt hurried behind Alex, who dragged him by the hand.

  “I swear, Alex, if you’re dragging me out here to kill another spider--”

  “No, it’s not a spider,” she exclaimed with excitement. “It’s an it.”

  “An it?”

  “As in ‘not yet identified’.”

  “Really?” he gasped with surprise then pushed her. “Move, girl!”

  Holt ran along the path behind Alex. They slowed near a long, flowing crystal clear stream close to the south side of the island. Alex crouched near a rock. Holt moved alongside her. There was a small, black creature about the size of a football with a tail nearly as long resting between two rocks within the stream. The creature had a smooth, tough exterior rather than skin or fur, indicating it was possibly reptilian in nature. The small creature wailed softly as if in pain.

  Holt stared at it with a look of surprise. “What the hell is that?”

  She looked at him as her eyes widened. “You mean you don’t know either?”

  “I have no clue,” Holt replied then gently touched the creature with a stick.

  Alex folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “I could have poked it with a stick.”

  “I think it’s hurt,” he announced. “Go back to the house, grab that small crate, line it with cloth, and get those heavy gloves by the fire pit.”

  §

  The one-room cabin off the lighthouse was clean and homey, having come a long way since they first discovered the building five months earlier. Light brightened the cabin through the open, glassless windows with old-fashioned, wooden shutters to keep out the elements. Alex, Holt, and Bronson kneeled around the cloth-filled crate containing the small, black creature. The unusual creature cried and attempted to stand up in the soft bedding. It fell down several times.

  “I think its leg is hurt,” Holt remarked.

  Alex stared at him with concern for the creature’s life. “You think it’s broken?”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Holt replied with a tense sigh.

  Holt stuck his hand into the crate and touched the creature’s leg. The creature scratched and bit him despite having no teeth and dull claws. Holt flinched with surprise by the aggressive attack but continued to feel the creature’s back leg.

  “I don’t think it’s broken,” Holt announced then sat back on his feet and appeared to weigh his options. “Let’s just give it some time to heal. Our little friend will need some food and water.” He looked back at Alex. “See if you can find something small to use for a water dish. I’ll see if it likes mango.”

  “What is it?” Bronson finally asked.

  “Nothing I’ve ever seen,” Holt admitted. “I’m pretty sure it’s just a baby though. It didn’t have any teeth--thankfully.”

  Alex put a small bowl of water into the crate. The creature drank for several minutes.

  Alex gave Holt a sly look and grinned. “Can we keep it?” she asked.

  Holt groaned and rolled his eyes as if anticipating the question. “We don’t even know what it is yet, Alex,” he remarked.

  Alex watched as Holt placed some sliced mango into the crate. The creature sniffed the mango, picked it up with its front paws, and ate it.

  “Well, it likes fruit,” Holt deducted. “Reassuring in case we run into mom.”

  “Why haven’t we seen anything like this the last five months?” Bronson asked. “It’s obviously a baby. Shouldn’t we have seen the mother?”

  “That is puzzling,” Holt replied. “I doubt this little guy is much older than three months. You’d think we’d have run into the mother at some point.”

  The creature sneezed.

  “Oh, that’s so adorable,” Alex cooed.

  Bronson shook his head while frowning. “Only girls would find snot adorable.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  That night, Holt slept peacefully in the lower bunk while Alex slept in the upper bunk above him. The room was dimly lit by a small fire burning in the kitchen fire pit. The creature wailed softly from the crate. Alex woke, jumped from the top bunk, and sat on the floor by the crate. The creature now stood on its hind legs. It had its front paws on the top of the crate and looked over the edge at her.

  “Do you miss your mommy?” Alex asked while studying the creature. “Me too.”

  Alex placed her hand close to the creature’s face. It sniffed her hand but showed no aggression. She gently stroked its head and body. It cooed softly. The sound was pleasing, indicating it was possibly friendly. Alex picked it up and held it against her chest. The creature nuzzled her and continued to coo, almost like a cat purring.

  “It’s okay,” she announced while rocking the creature. “I’ll look after you.”

  Holt lay on his bunk and watched Alex while she mothered the orphaned creature. He smiled and shut his eyes.

  §

  The following day, Holt looked around the stream where they had found the creature. Alex sat on a large rock and studied him while he studied the area. She spent a lot of time watching Holt while he studied things that bored her.

  “You’re so serious when you’re in archeologist mode,” she commented.

  “Where does this stream originate?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied with humor. “Beyond my boundaries.” Her eyes suddenly lit up. “Want me to find out?”

  “No,” Holt firmly replied without looking at her while continuing to study the area. “I think our little guy was washed downstream. Maybe from that storm we had last week. Nothing indicates he lived in this area. Maybe that’s why we’ve never seen its mother.”

  Alex cocked her head and grimaced. “Are you looking for Monster poop?”

  “Seriously?” Holt announced and finally looked at her. “Is that what you’re calling him?”

  She shrugged then grinned. “It’s fitting. He’s a little monster.”

  Holt appeared distracted, frowned, and looked upstream.

  Alex hid her grin while watching him. She could just about see his mind working.

  “You want to go upstream, don’t you?” she remarked. “You have that look on your face.”

  He glanced at her and cocked his head. “And what look is that, my dear?”

  “That ‘let’s break the peace treaty in the name of science’ look,” she teased.

  “I’m a bad influence on you.”

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she replied casually. “I’m entering the rebellious stage. I’m my own bad influence.”

  Holt suddenly chuckled and smiled at her. “Oh, that’s right,” he announced cheerfully. “You have a birthday coming up, don’t you?”

  “I couldn’t tell you,” she replied. “I don’t even know what month it is.”

  “It’s October 13th.”

  She stared at him with some surprise. “Really? How do you know that?”

  “I’m a genius with an eidetic memory, remember?” he reminded her then grinned. “Three days, huh? The big one-six. I suppose you’re going to want the keys to my car.”

  “Depends,” she announced with interest. “What do you drive?”

  “A Bentley.”

  She frowned in response. “Sounds boring.”

  “My wife has a Ferrari.”

  Alex suddenly perked up and beamed with delight. “Sold.”

  He laughed in response. “If we get back before all of my assets are auctioned off, you can have the Ferrari,” he announced.

  “Cool.”

  He gave her a serious look. “Don’t forget to feed your little monster.”

  Alex jumped up, happy for the reminder. “Oh, yeah
. I almost forgot,” she announced and was about to leave. She paused, turned back toward him, and kissed him quickly on the cheek while grinning. “Thanks for the car.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Alex sat on the cabin floor with the little creature on her lap while feeding it mango slices. It held the fruit between its front paws and ate like a squirrel. Bronson appeared at the bottom of the stairs, having come down from the lighthouse.

  “I thought I heard someone,” he announced then approached. “Weren’t you off exploring with the professor?”

  “I needed to feed Monster,” she replied without looking at him and kept her attention on her strange new pet.

  Bronson shook his head and sat on the floor near her where she held the creature.

  “Are you seriously keeping that thing?”

  “Holt said I could,” she replied.

  “And if he said you couldn’t?”

  “I suppose I’d have to defy him, but it’s expected,” she casually replied. “I’m rebelling.”

  “You? Rebelling?” he asked while snorting a laugh. “Sorry, I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Well, according to the calendar, I’m turning sixteen in three days.”

  “What calendar?” he practically demanded and glanced around the cabin.

  “The calendar in Holt’s head.”

  “Sixteen, huh?” Bronson remarked then chuckled. “That’s an important birthday.” He then considered. “Although not so much without access to a car. Maybe we could find another way to celebrate your sweet sixteen.”

  She looked at him with an enthusiastic look in her eyes. “Cliff diving?”

  “Hmm, I don’t think so. Did you see the bottom of that cliff? You’d break your neck on those rocks,” he remarked.

  “There’s water at the bottom of the one not far from the mango trees,” she informed him.

  “Nice try,” he remarked. “No cliff diving.” Bronson then sank into thought. “I feel bad; we can’t even bake you a cake.”

  “It’s okay. I have a new pet,” she replied. “Monster can be my birthday gift.”