lifted his gaze and met hers. “I shared my concerns about your safety with Carlos, and he agreed that it would be good if I stayed close to you just in case.”
“But no one seems to be sticking that close to Angie or Paul.”
“They are not the daughter of the man who owns Shaw Restoration.” He sighed and paced away, then he turned back, his gaze haunted. “Much progress has been made to insure the safety of visitors to Colombia. The risk of kidnapping is much lower than it has been in years. The violence is not as bad. But the FARC, the rebels, they still cause some trouble. They still need money to support their cause. As the daughter of a man who owns a large, international corporation, you would be a good choice to kidnap and hold for ransom. Although that probably won’t happen, I have too many memories of kidnappings and violence, and I don’t want to risk your safety.”
Kayla had a feeling he wasn’t speaking of some vague memories of strangers being the victims of kidnapping and violence. His expression and the shadows in his eyes spoke of personal experience. She desperately wanted to know what memories could cause him to worry so much about her safety, but she didn’t want to hit on too personal a subject and damage the friendship she was beginning to cherish. Her curiosity refused to be quelled so easily, however, and a nudge in her heart encouraged her to take the risk.
She pushed away from the wall and walked toward him. “Mateo, will you tell me what memories cause you to worry about me?”
He held her gaze, the muscle in his jaw tensing. “I have much in my past that I am not proud of, things that I was forced to endure. It is because of those things that I worry about you. I know too much, and I want to protect you from experiencing it.”
“I appreciate that.” She took a chance and rubbed his upper arm, earning a surprised glance and a burst of warmth in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you think of things that bother you. My curiosity just won’t be ignored sometimes.”
He drew in a deep breath, then covered her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It is all right. I probably should have told you before that I stay close to you because I worry too much.”
“I must admit I do feel safer with you around.” Kayla withdrew her hand and laughed lightly, already missing the warmth of his touch. “Honestly, I was a bit nervous coming down here because of the dangerous reputation Colombia had for so long. But my dad assured me I’d be safe at the mission. You’re just proving to me that he was right.”
“Yes, we do everything we can to insure the safety of all volunteers.” Mateo shrugged, his mood appearing lighter than it had moments before. “Like I said, this is not a good neighborhood, but this is where the children live.”
“Speaking of children living here, this wall isn’t going to finish itself. I think there are some dust masks in the main room, if you want to grab one. Taking down this plaster is dusty work.”
He grinned and pulled a black bandanna from his back pocket. “This will work well enough.”
They set their water bottles on the counter against the far wall and covered their mouths and noses. Then Kayla handed Mateo a scraper and set him to work at the opposite corner from where she started. With both of them chipping off the loose plaster, she hoped they would meet in the middle of the wall before lunch.
They were about eight feet apart when the rest of the plaster fell to the floor with a crash. Kayla and Mateo both jumped back as the large pieces shattered on the tiles and sent a cloud of dust into the air. As the dust settled, Mateo looked at Kayla, his eyebrows drawn together.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, but that was totally unexpected.” She looked at the newly revealed wall, her heart racing at the sight of the bricked in rectangle about four feet high and six feet wide. “At least now we know why they plastered over a perfectly
“But no one seems to be sticking that close to Angie or Paul.”
“They are not the daughter of the man who owns Shaw Restoration.” He sighed and paced away, then he turned back, his gaze haunted. “Much progress has been made to insure the safety of visitors to Colombia. The risk of kidnapping is much lower than it has been in years. The violence is not as bad. But the FARC, the rebels, they still cause some trouble. They still need money to support their cause. As the daughter of a man who owns a large, international corporation, you would be a good choice to kidnap and hold for ransom. Although that probably won’t happen, I have too many memories of kidnappings and violence, and I don’t want to risk your safety.”
Kayla had a feeling he wasn’t speaking of some vague memories of strangers being the victims of kidnapping and violence. His expression and the shadows in his eyes spoke of personal experience. She desperately wanted to know what memories could cause him to worry so much about her safety, but she didn’t want to hit on too personal a subject and damage the friendship she was beginning to cherish. Her curiosity refused to be quelled so easily, however, and a nudge in her heart encouraged her to take the risk.
She pushed away from the wall and walked toward him. “Mateo, will you tell me what memories cause you to worry about me?”
He held her gaze, the muscle in his jaw tensing. “I have much in my past that I am not proud of, things that I was forced to endure. It is because of those things that I worry about you. I know too much, and I want to protect you from experiencing it.”
“I appreciate that.” She took a chance and rubbed his upper arm, earning a surprised glance and a burst of warmth in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you think of things that bother you. My curiosity just won’t be ignored sometimes.”
He drew in a deep breath, then covered her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It is all right. I probably should have told you before that I stay close to you because I worry too much.”
“I must admit I do feel safer with you around.” Kayla withdrew her hand and laughed lightly, already missing the warmth of his touch. “Honestly, I was a bit nervous coming down here because of the dangerous reputation Colombia had for so long. But my dad assured me I’d be safe at the mission. You’re just proving to me that he was right.”
“Yes, we do everything we can to insure the safety of all volunteers.” Mateo shrugged, his mood appearing lighter than it had moments before. “Like I said, this is not a good neighborhood, but this is where the children live.”
“Speaking of children living here, this wall isn’t going to finish itself. I think there are some dust masks in the main room, if you want to grab one. Taking down this plaster is dusty work.”
He grinned and pulled a black bandanna from his back pocket. “This will work well enough.”
They set their water bottles on the counter against the far wall and covered their mouths and noses. Then Kayla handed Mateo a scraper and set him to work at the opposite corner from where she started. With both of them chipping off the loose plaster, she hoped they would meet in the middle of the wall before lunch.
They were about eight feet apart when the rest of the plaster fell to the floor with a crash. Kayla and Mateo both jumped back as the large pieces shattered on the tiles and sent a cloud of dust into the air. As the dust settled, Mateo looked at Kayla, his eyebrows drawn together.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, but that was totally unexpected.” She looked at the newly revealed wall, her heart racing at the sight of the bricked in rectangle about four feet high and six feet wide. “At least now we know why they plastered over a perfectly
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