Scattered Seeds

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“I,” As Sy’s voice trembled with emotion. He was awestruck by the transformed dormitory, and it showed on his face. “I can’t believe it.”

As Sy turned to face Tom, Luke, and Rick.

“I can’t possibly thank you enough. This,” he choked, raising a hand to showcase the men’s hard work. “This is….”

The UNICEF Director brushed the dampness from the corners of his eyes, heart-touched by his friends’ great act of kindness.

“What a blessing,” As Sy said with a bright smile against his dark skin. “Thank you so much.”

Tom grinned while As Sy gripped Beckett’s hand, and then Luke’s. When he got to Tom, the Englishman opened his arms; quite sure that a handshake was not sufficient enough to show how delighted he was that As Sy was so pleased.

“I come home to find all of the pumps have been installed, and our people will no longer want for water. The office is clean and organized, and the dorm looks like a brand new building,” As Sy continued. “You’ve no idea what a great burden this relieves me of. Thank you,” he repeated in a soft tone filled with gratitude. “Thank you. Louise will not believe this when she gets back.”

When Rick Beckett retrieved the Director from Dadaab he was informed that the blonde Brit was staying on to continue her avid attempts to convince the higher-ups at UNICEF that additional funding for their Jowhar medical clinic was imperative. The pilot was to return in three days to bring Louise back.

As Sy wanted to extend his appreciation to Jess but he’d yet to see her since his return. When he asked after her, Rick was the first to speak up.

“She’s with Samuel,” the pilot responded. “Saw her in the clinic when I dropped off the doctor’s supplies.”

Tom wished he hadn’t heard that.

Although Jess behaved normally around him while they were amongst others, Tom couldn’t help feeling that Jess was avoiding any chance of being alone with him. When he asked Luke if he’d noticed anything different about Jess, Luke was quite hasty to dismiss him.

“No!” Luke answered quickly. “I don’t know anything.” The publicist immediately realized his mistake and hurried to correct it. “I mean,” Luke faltered. “That is, I think she’s fine.” He anxiously looked around, focusing his eyes on any place but Tom’s. “Nope. Haven’t noticed anything.”

Luke mumbled some excuse to leave Tom alone, and then rushed away.

Tom also noted that Luke seemed even more anxious than usual. His publicist was always ate up with nervous energy, but on more than one occasion Tom recently saw Luke take multiple looks over his shoulders while walking; as if he expected someone was coming after him. Luke rounded corners cautiously like he was sure there was something on the other side that would hurt him. Concerned for his friend, Tom tried earlier to speak with Luke about his recent edginess. Unfortunately Luke stated that he had work to do, and then locked himself up in his dorm room until dinner.

Tom was just headed to the cafeteria when Jess walked out onto the porch of the medical clinic. She did not know he was there. When Samuel followed her, Tom slid back into a shadow to watch the two of them interact.

He could not hear what they said to one another, but Tom’s keen vision was quite able to observe the way the doctor’s eyes coursed over the woman, and how his countenance seemed to darken when Jess reached out to casually touch his arm. Samuel kept his heavy gaze trained on Jess when she stepped down from the porch and headed for her evening meal.

That familiar burn of jealously flared up in Tom’s chest again.

If he did not come clean to her soon, Tom feared that he really would lose Jess to the doctor. They had a connection – he could sense it. Tom could only pray that whatever Jess’s feelings for him were, that they were stronger than those she concealed for Samuel.