she’d have been right.” She frowned. “But why are you calling Puaiti a she? She could be a he.”
He shrugged. “We’ll just have to use both.”
“Would you like to find out the gender before the birth?”
AJ stroked Lani’s cheek. “I don’t know that I would. I’m getting used to being surprised, and I find I like it. Do you have a preference for a girl or boy?”
Lani shook her head. A sweet smile played about her lips. “Either will be wonderful. I’ve wanted a child for so long, and your mom is going to love having a grandchild to spoil.”
A crashing sound in the undergrowth nearby made them sit up. “What was that?” AJ peered through the leaves. He’d been gone a long time, but he didn’t remember any forest animals big enough to make that much sound.
“I don’t know.” Lani grabbed her dress. “We’d better get dressed.”
AJ tugged his shirt and pants on, then helped rewind Lani’s rather wrinkled sash around her still-slim waist. He continued to hear a rustling sound in the distance.
“Was that a voice?” whispered Lani, eyes wide with alarm.
AJ strained his ears. It was hard to distinguish sounds above the low hum of the jungle, all the insects and birds and the rustling leaves. Then again, he did hear a voice. “It’s a man. Speaking English.” Why would someone be way out here? “Maybe the journalists have started wandering about looking for scandal.”
“If they find us they might well have it.” Lani smoothed her dress with anxious fingers. “We’re not married yet.”
“We’d better head back to the passageway.” He took Lani’s hand and led her back up toward the waterfall. He didn’t want her being harassed by some bozo out for a picture and quick buck.
They set off up a steep hill. At the top, he heard the voice again, and turned to peer through the trees. It was impossible to see anyone through the dense leaf canopy, but then he heard quite clearly: “They say he went out late at night on a boat.”
AJ froze. The were talking about Vanu. Could they be looking for the body?
Lani didn’t seem to have heard. She was distracted, adjusting her sandal.
“But what if he didn’t get on a boat? What if he came out here and got lost? “
An icy finger of dread slid down AJ’s back. He didn’t want Lani to get wind of their idle speculation. “Are you okay?”
“Great.” She smiled brightly. He led her farther up the hill until the roar of water cloaked out all other sounds. Still, an odd sense of unease nagged at him. Suddenly all these curious strangers were trudging through their jungles and making footprints on the beaches. What if they did find something?
And what if it was something none of them expected at all?
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