JAMES' POV

I watched her drive away as my mind tried to wrap itself around what just happened in the past half hour. I would have thought I had imagined our whole encounter were it not for the whines coming from Tuba as he demanded my attention. He was enough evidence that she had indeed been real. I tried to snap out of it but I just couldn't. You ever experience one of those moments that are so nerve wracking that when it's over your brain struggles with actually believing it happened. Yeah that's what I was going through after meeting Lulu.

Who was she? Where had she come from? What was she doing here? Would she be coming back like she had said? All those questions were running through my mind driving me crazy.

She was the beautiful woman I'd ever laid my eyes on. She was not your kind of average beauty with sizeable breasts and a big ass like most girls were chasing. She was gorgeous in her own way, with a slim athletic build, kind brown eyes and a smile that was enough to drive me to my knees. I had studied in Nairobi, biggest city in Kenya for seven years and I'd dated a few times but no one had ever captured my attention as fast as Lulu had. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see her again and I was regretting not striking more conversation with her. What would I have said anyway with me being my awkward self. I wasn't afraid of speaking to women, I just got so lost in my own head that I found it hard to speak to people not just women. A part of me hoped she would come see Tuba like she had said she would. I wanted to see her again and this time I would try and speak more than two words to her.

"Hey boss you still there?"A voice crackled through the radio startling me.

I almost dropped it but I was fast with my hands and managed to catch it before it fell. We had a limited amount of them because they were expensive and hard to come by so we had to be careful with them.

"Yeah I'm here. Come back, I found Tuba."I informed the rest of the guys and a couple of yells in celebration were heard.

It made me smile that such a small victory could cause such joy.

"Is he okay?"Mark asked and I nodded then realized he couldn't see me so I had to speak up.

"Yeah just hungry and a little banged up, no broken bones though. I'll tell you everything when you get back."I replied.

"See you in a few."He replied and we ended the transmission.

I pocketed the radio before walking back into the hut and grabbed Tuba in my arms. I took him to his mom who was laying on a pile of hay nursing his three little sisters. Mark had named them after the despicable me sisters, Margo, Edith and Agnes. Tuba was the only boy since Kisha had delivered four cubs.

I set Tuba down and after getting a lick down from his mom he found himself under her feeding. After making sure they were okay I walked back to Kovu, seeing as I had abandoned her and took her back to her mother. Kovu was born a few months ago at the sanctuary and she and her mom came by to say hello sometimes.

"Hey Grace, here is your baby. Sorry for keeping her so long."I apologized as I poured them both some water and watched them drink.

Water was the rarest commodity to us and it was getting harder and harder to get some. It hadn't rained in months and the river we got our water from was almost drying out. Lack of water was one of the reasons why we couldn't keep too many animals in the sanctuary at once. We helped as many as we could and sometimes due to lack of medicine we had to euthanize some animals which was very hard.

The poachers weren't making it easier with the rate at which they were killing elephants and rhinos for their tusks and lions for their hide. A few animals would become extinct very soon if we didn't find a solution to curb poaching.

Kovu was lucky she had been born without tusks saving her from the poachers. Most elephants were now being born without tusks to save themselves from the threat of being hunted.

Saving our wildlife had been one of the reasons I'd gotten into my career as a veterinarian. The other reason was guilt. For my initiation ceremony into adulthood according to tradition, me and my age mates were forced to go into the wild and kill a lion. To prove myself I had done as required but the guilt had eaten me alive. Thankfully the year I did it was the last that tradition ever happened. The government banned lion hunting as a sport in my area and we found other ways for boys to get initiated into adulthood. I became a vet to help as many animals as possible after I had taken the life of an innocent one.

"I can see a vein popping. What's on your mind bossman?"Mark asked fishing me out of my sea of thoughts.

I hadn't even heard them drive in.

"Everything."I huffed getting up from the log I had been perched on dusting off my coveralls.

Mark was my best friend since diaper days, we had been born a few months apart and our dads were best friends so it was only natural we became friends too. We were different in so many ways but we always balanced each other out. He was loud, sometimes obnoxious and always had something to say while I was more reserved and always watched my words. He was a game warden at Samburu National park but always helped me out at the Sanctuary on his days off. I worked at the Park too but I wasn't under contract like Mark was. I only worked there when their on call veterinarian was unavailable. I usually worked in the nearby villages treating their domestic animals, mostly cows and goats.

The owner of the Sanctuary was my uncle Sam. He was a veterinary himself and my inspiration to take on the career. He was getting old thus leaving everything to me most of the time, not that I minded. It gave me purpose working there. It was not in the best shape since most of the buildings were in ruins it was ours. We were working on ways to get it in better shape but funds were tight.

Jack and Jasper were the other two volunteers. They were a little young taking a whole year break after highschool before they joined college. They did odd jobs here and there hoping to get enough money for school. I was glad to have the help and whenever I could spare a little money I paid them for their work even if they were volunteering.

"We saw tire tracks on the way in that don't belong to our truck. Did we get a delivery?"Mark asked as we joined the rest of the guys in the shed where Kisha was nursing her cubs.

His question brought back thoughts of the mysterious guest, Lulu.

"Yeah Tuba, he was brought here by the good Samaritan who bumped into him with her car."I replied giving vague details.

For some reason I didn't want to talk to the guys about Lulu yet. I wanted to keep her a secret a little while longer but I knew it was impossible with Mark present. He was very inquisitive and knew me like the back of his hand so if I gave too little information he would know I was holding back and if I have too much he'd start making his own conclusions.

"That was very nice of her, not many people do that and especially a lady. Did you get her name?"Mark asked.

See what I meant.

"Yeah it was Kawira or something."I replied brushing him off casually.

I prayed he took the bait and left it alone. I was not in the mood to deal with Mark and his weird self.

"Definitely not from around here. Maybe she was a tourist."Jack concluded and I hummed.

"Where's uncle Sam?"I asked noticing his absence.

"He said he was just going to head home. I have no idea why he still sticks around with his age."Jasper shook his head and we all agreed with him.

Uncle Sam would give up working when he was on his death bed. He was one of those people who believed in working till you drop.

"Well boys it has been a long day. I am beat and I have a shift tomorrow. Who's on duty tonight?" Mark asked and Jasper groaned raising his hand.

We had a lot of important equipment at the Sanctuary and since we couldn't afford a guard we took turns watching the place. Sometimes I made lame excuses to give up my shifts for the two boys so that I could tip them. They were catching onto me but until they did I was going to take care of them. I knew how hard it was growing up in such a harsh environment. It was definitely harder studying in the city with no money.

"See you guys in two days then. Since we're done here why don't you give me a ride back home?"Mark requested and I nodded.

"You coming Jack?"I asked the young boy.

"I'll stay a while longer with Otis here. You guys go ahead."He replied.

"I told you to stop calling me that."Jasper whined shoving Jack.

Jack shoved back and they started play fighting. They wouldn't hurt each other so it was okay to leave them alone.

I grabbed my stuff from the office made sure that Kovu and Grace found their way back to the herd that was grazing not far away before driving my best friend home.

He was silent which was unusual for Mark but I was appreciative for the silence. I didn't want to poke the bear so I left him alone so I could concentrate on my own thoughts.

My double cabin pick up was growing a little weary after years of driving in our terrible set of roads but as long as she was running I was keeping her. I was juggling a lot of things at the moment and a car was the last thing on my mind so she had better hold on a little longer until I was more financially stable.

"Your parents still bugging you about getting married?"Mark asked me reminding me of another one of my problems.

I groaned and resisted the urge to bang my head against the steering wheel.

"Don't remind me. Honestly I hate being the last born. Just because all my siblings are married doesn't mean I have to be."I whined and Mark laughed.

He was laughing now but a few months ago he had been in the same place as me. Now he was getting married soon to his fiance Ruth. She was a teacher at the local primary school and they were waiting for the holidays so as to get married so it didn't interfere with her schedule.

She was a childhood friend of ours who had kept Mark on his toes his whole life. She was the only other person apart from Marks mom who could put him in his place. Even I couldn't deal with him sometimes. They had started dating two years ago after Mark wore her down. He had proposed after too much pressure from both their parents to seal the deal. At least they were both happy and content with each other. My mom had tried setting me up with a few of her friends daughters but I had turned them all down.

"Dude why are you so against marriage?"Mark asked looking at me with a serious look on his face.

I tried to come up with a good excuse to get him off my back but came up blank so I just blabbed out the first thing that came to mind "I've got too much on my plate right now."

Even I didn't believe the excuses I was giving.

Mark scoffed and looked at me with a raised eyebrow "Try better. Come on James, we've been friends our whole lives. I know you better than that so you cannot expect me to believe that lame excuse. You have a good job, a house, a car and a good herd. That's everything a woman wants in a man so what preventing you from choosing one of the girls who throw themselves at you each breathing moment and wife her?" Mark asked and I couldn't help but chuckle at how he phrased everything.

One hand on the wheel, I ran my hand over my face and took a deep breath deciding to be honest with him.

"I don't want to just settle with one of those girls as you put it just because my parents want me to get married. I want to find the one. I want what you and Ruth have."I admitted honestly.

A face of a beautiful girl floated in mind but I was quick to dismiss it. I didn't even know her and would probably never see her again let alone marry her.

"You will brother. God shall provide you a beautiful queen to sit at the throne with you."Mark teased but with a serious tone in his voice.

"You are never serious are you?"I asked sparing him a glance.

"Never that's Ruth's job."He replied and I nodded.

Ruth balanced him out and kept him in check, she was his other half. I was a hopeless romantic or just hopeless in this case considering I was twenty seven years old and still hoping to find the one. All my mates were married leaving just me and Mark and in a few months even he would be gone leaving just me.

I parked in front of his house ten minutes later and met Ruth at the gate as she was allowing their cows in from the pasture.

"Hey Ruth."I greeted her and she smiled at me.

Ruth was a beautiful woman short and petite built just for Mark. He was an inch taller than me standing at 6'2 but I was built more heavily than him.

"My Prince, how are you this evening."She teased and I groaned.

I loved my two closest friends and would do anything for them but they loved teasing me too much. They liked referring to me as loyalty because my dad was the village elder and had come from a long line of leaders. My elder brother would take after him so I was saved from that responsibility. Even if he didn't take up the throne and Ruth called it I had three older brothers so unless they all refused which was unlikely I was safe for now. We were a family of four boys and two girls and I was the last born. You can just imagine, one big happy family. I had lots of nieces and nephews that dotted on me since I was the cool uncle who always brought candy and knew fun tricks.

"I'm good, how was school today?"I inquired.

"The children were angels as usual thirsty for education but I wish we could get more classes and more teachers. But nobody wants to be posted here just to teach under a tree in the scorching heat." She explained and I sympathized with her.

"It'll get better."I consoled.

"We can only hope."She replied.

"Okay lovebirds goodnight and Ruth Mark was mean to me today."I whined and Mark who had been silent during our whole encounter jerked up.

"What did I tell you about being mean to James?"Ruth scolded hitting him with the stick she was using on the cows.

"Ow, I wasn't, he's lying. James tell her you're just joking."Mark begged and I just laughed driving away.

I knew he would make me pay for it later but for now it was a fun thought seeing him get beat up by a woman half his size.

I got home twenty minutes later since I lived a little further away. I got off my truck to open the gate, parked the car before going back to close the gate. I didn't have much to my name but I had enough. I had bought five acres of land after graduation and started building my life. Besides the space I'd built my house and the rest of the land was divided into paddocks for grazing my herd of about a hundred cows and more than seventy goats. Mark was right I could afford to get a bride but I needed to find the right person first.

I greeted Korir my herdsman making sure he was okay and all the animals were safe before heading into the house calling it a day. I didn't have an appetite but so I just drunk a glass of milk with a few pieces of toast and called it a night.

My mom would pull my ears knowing I was eating so terribly but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Just as I was getting into the covers a statement I'd heard earlier today came floating into mind making me chuckle had realized fast that Lulu spoke her mind and was not shy with her thoughts. That's why her first statement towards me was her asking to help me dry off. It had been a perfect opportunity to flirt back with the beauty but once I lay my eyes on her all my brain circuits had fried. She was one of a kind and I hoped she'd pass by tomorrow. I wanted to see her again and get to know her. The thought of never seeing her again made my heart clench in pain so I prayed to God to give a second chance to make a better impression with her. I needed it.

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What do we think of James POV? I wasn't going to do one and let the whole book be in Lulu's POV but I felt as if James had a voice that needed to be heard.

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Love@Lyssah.