Man of Passion by Lindsay McKenna

Author:Lindsay McKenna [McKenna, Lindsay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Suspense
ISBN: 9780373243341
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1999-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

True to her word Inca kept Ari very busy for the next week, taking her on guided tours of the jungle to search for orchids. Now, as Ari stood looking up at a thirty-foot waterfall Inca had led her to, she gasped with delight. There among the mosses and ferns she could see a deep pink and crimson Cattleya orchid. She couldn't determine which type, because it hung on a grayish-colored dead limb that extended out over the water, which sprayed in an arc to the oblong pool below.

"It's beautiful!" she whispered excitedly to Inca, who stood at her shoulder. Looking around, Ari added, "What a wonderful place. It feels so peaceful here."

Inca grinned knowingly and studied the orchid halfway up the rocky incline beside the waterfall. "This is one of my favorite places to rest and sleep. It is safe here."

They had hiked five miles into the jungle to find the specimen. Now, as Ari shrugged out of her knapsack, she realized she faced an even greater obstacle. "I don't know how I can draw the orchid up there, Inca. I'm afraid of heights."

Giving her a glance, Inca shrugged. "So? Climb up there and sit on that black rock near the dead limb. It is a perfect place to draw the orchid from. The spray from the waterfall will not reach you there, yet you will be close enough to study the orchid fully."

A squiggle of fear threaded through Ari's stomach. All week long Inca had shepherded her along, and each day posing a new challenge to her in some way. The fearless woman warrior seemed to pick out situations where Ari had to confront her fears. And each day, Inca had been there to cajole her and support her as Ari stepped out of her routine way of life and walked through her fears. Ari couldn't complain, because Inca had been showing her orchids of incredible color that weren't in any of her orchid identification books—orchids that were undiscovered—until now. As she drew and took photos of them, Ari knew that when she sent documentation to the orchid society to register them, the world would gasp in awe at their beauty. Not only that, but if the orchids were truly undiscovered until now, she would be able to name one after her mother, something Ari wanted to do more than anything. And in honor of Inca, she would name one of them after her as well.

"If you want to draw that orchid," Inca told her, as she pointed up at it, "then you must conquer your fear of heights, Ari."

Standing there, Ari felt another frisson of anxiety. "It's my greatest fear," she muttered.

Inca threw back her head and laughed. Then, placing her rifle against a tree, she turned and held Ari's gaze. "Do not defer to your weakness, little sister. You are a woman. Women are naturally strong. Stronger than any male of any species." She walked over, picked up Ari's knapsack and opened it. Taking out the box of colored pencils and the sketchbook, she said, "You were raised to cower in front of men.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.