Pearls

by Mills, Lisa

  “I don’t snore.”

  “Okay.” He rolled his eyes, knowing the simple expression of doubt would rile her.

  Her wicked grin surprised him. “Those canvas tents we sleep in are pretty thin, Manuel. I’ve discovered you talk in your sleep, and I can hear you from my tent on the other side of the camp. You’d be amazed at the things I’ve learned about you.”

  She giggled and hopped out of the vehicle, leaving him to wonder if he’d been spouting secrets while he dreamed. He certainly had plenty to conceal.

  Raúl had parked behind them and now leaned against his jeep, looking as exhausted as Manuel felt. The drive had worn them all down, and Manuel looked forward to making camp and relaxing. The storekeeper greeted them at the door and promptly snatched up the list. He waved Manuel away and bustled off to assemble the items.

  “There’s something to be said for small town service,” Manuel commented.

  Isabel shrugged and smiled. “Since I’m not needed, I think I’ll find a restroom and freshen up.”

  After Isabel left, Manuel struck up a conversation with an old man who sat on a bench in front of the shop. Though wrinkled and bent with age, the man still possessed a keen intellect. He answered Manuel’s questions about the area, seeming eager to talk of the land he had called home all his life.

  When the supplies were paid for and loaded into the vehicles, Manuel walked to where Raúl and Isabel waited.

  Manuel nodded toward the old man. “This local says it’s too dangerous to drive out of town tonight. A heavy fog covered the mountains around three in the afternoon, making the road dangerous for travelers.”

  Raúl nodded. “Let’s find some rooms tonight, have dinner, and sleep in a real bed. We can head out early in the morning.”

  “Agreed.” Manuel scanned the street for signs of a hotel or restaurant. Seeing a group of locals gathered outside a building a block away, he decided that might be a good place to start. In his travels he’d found that the residents of a town would lead him to the best eateries if he simply followed the crowd.

  The building turned out to be a cantina that served mouth-watering dinners in addition to drinks. They took a booth near the back of the one-room tavern. The rowdy laughter of men—and a few women—enjoying an evening out frequently drowned out the music of the guitarist in one corner of the room.

  A sultry young waitress sauntered over to their table, wearing a look that suggested she had a target clearly in her sights. Manuel watched with interest as she engaged Raúl with a come-hither smile and flipped her lustrous dark mane over her shoulder with red-nailed fingers. Raúl’s gaze roamed her figure before he turned on the charm, and the two fell into flirtatious conversation.

  Manuel thought it a good sign that Isabel showed no interest in the romance playing out before her. She glanced around the bar, taking in the activity, studying faces. Occasionally, she would nudge Manuel with an elbow and point out something that caught her interest.

  After a harsh word from her boss, the waitress managed to tear herself away from Raúl’s side and take their order to the kitchen. As she walked away, she tossed a coy glance over her shoulder as if to ensure she’d not lost Raúl’s attention. She wasn’t disappointed. Raúl demonstrated extreme flexibility, craning his neck to admire the exaggerated swish of her hips as she crossed the room.

  Manuel thought they’d make a perfect pair, but he didn’t want to see Isabel hurt by Raúl’s distraction. In a surge of protectiveness, he draped an arm along the bench behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She leaned into his touch and sighed, a pleasant, contented sound.

  Raúl’s attention seemed to distract their waitress and slowed their service to a ridiculous crawl, or maybe the woman intentionally delayed their meal to keep Raúl at her table. Manuel didn’t know and didn’t care. He just wanted to eat and find someplace to bed down for the night. He took a swallow of his lemonade and prayed for patience.

  After an unreasonably long time and many frivolous visits from their waitress, the food arrived. The steam rising from the hot plates smelled delicious, and Manuel muttered a quick prayer before digging in with gusto. After concentrating a few minutes of attention on his meal, a fork invaded his territory and skewered a piece of chicken from his plate. He glanced up and caught Isabel’s mischievous smile as she waved the bite between them.

  “Hey, this is my food,” he scolded, holding a hand over his plate as if to fend her off.

  “I know, but you looked like you were enjoying it so much I wanted to try a bite.”

  “You ordered the exact same meal.”

  The chicken disappeared into her mouth while her eyes issued a challenge.

  He laughed. “That bite’s going to cost you.”

  “How much?”

  “I’m not sure, but you can bet I’ll collect later.”

  Isabel smiled and went back to eating. Manuel glanced up and caught the cold-burning flames of jealousy in Raúl’s hard stare. Unbelievable! The man had spent the last hour ogling the waitress and still had the nerve to act possessive where Isabel was concerned. Manuel refused to be sucked into the challenge. He concentrated on his meal.

  When they finished dinner, the three of them exited the cantina and stood outside, discussing where to go next.

  “The bartender said there’s a place a block down the road that rents rooms. Where are you parked, Raúl? You can follow us.”

  Raúl shook his head. “You go on. I’m going to wait for Esperanza to get off work.”

  Manuel hesitated. “All right. We’ll reserve you a room.”

  “Don’t bother. I won’t need one.” Raúl flashed a cocky smile.

  Manuel realized with dismay what Raúl was implying. Was the man really so bold, or was this some sort of revenge aimed at Isabel? One glance at her carefully distant expression told him all he needed to know about her feelings. Although angered that Raúl would parade a conquest before Isabel, Manuel held his reaction in check for her sake. “Let’s get moving then.”

  Raúl reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. “Do you want to take both vehicles? I’ll get my bag out of the jeep and plan to meet up with you tomorrow.”

  “Fine.” Manuel snatched the keys from Raúl and reached for Isabel’s hand.

  Just then, a man pushed his way between their group, knocking Raúl into the wall of the cantina and jostling Isabel backward into Manuel’s arms. The stranger disappeared before they had a chance to recover and protest.

  “That was rude,” Isabel commented. She rubbed the shoulder the man had slammed into. “There was no need to run us down like that.”

  “Probably drunk,” Manuel offered.

  Uttering a few profanities, Raúl ran a hand through his hair and straightened his clothes. He dragged his hand across the front of his shirt, catching it on a note poking out of his pocket. Frowning, he pulled out the slip of paper and opened it. His face paled.

  “What’s wrong?” Manuel asked.

  His expression smoothed over, and he wadded the paper and stuffed it in his pants pocket. “Nothing.”

  Manuel knew he was lying, but he didn’t want to pursue the matter in front of Isabel. “Let’s get going then.”

  Raúl headed down the street toward the jeep, and Manuel started to follow. When he realized Isabel wasn’t with them, he turned.

  She knelt on the sidewalk, holding a rumpled piece of paper in her hands. Her hair fell loosely around her face and hid her expression from his view, but her back was rigid.

  “Coming, Isabel?”

  She jumped as if he’d startled her then shoved the paper into her pocket. “Yes.”

  He took her hand as they walked through the darkened street. “Want to tell me what’s the matter?”

  “Not now.”

  “When?”

  “Later,” she promised as they arrived at the jeep.

  Raúl slung the strap of his leather suitcase over his shoulder and turned on his heel. “I’ll find you in the
morning.”

  Fifteen

  Isabel stared out the window of the modest bed and breakfast and admired the moonlit garden. The proprietress had bragged about her gardening skills as she’d shown them to their rooms, and even in the fading light, Isabel could see the woman had not exaggerated. Flagstones carved a path through flowering bushes and large ferns. Fruit trees hovered above them, branches outspread as if to protect their smaller charges.

  She and Manuel had settled in an hour ago, and though tired, Isabel couldn’t seem to relax. Too many worries swirled around her mind, and she decided a walk in the garden might benefit her. She slipped on her shoes and left her room. Passing Manuel’s door, she thought some company might be nice.

  She knocked softly, heard the creak of bedsprings, and the rustle of clothes being pulled on. His tousled hair and half-buttoned shirt told her he’d been more settled in than she had.

  “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

  “No. I was reading in bed. What’s up?”

  “Can’t sleep. I thought I’d take a walk in the garden. Want to come?”

  “Love to. I’ll get my shoes.”

  They met at the back door and slipped outside. Isabel wrapped her arms across her chest, fending off the cool night air. She filed the information away, making a note to wear a jacket in the evening while they worked in the mountains. They ambled along the path in silence, surrounded by the heady scents of the plants.

  Near the back of the property, they came across a bubbling marble fountain surrounded by a ledge thick enough to sit on. Moss had grown up in the cracks of the brick pathway surrounding the fountain and released an earthy smell when crushed underfoot. Isabel sat on the marble edge and drank in the pleasant fragrance.

  “You’re quiet tonight.” Manuel wore a concerned expression on his face. “You okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you thinking about Raúl?”

  “A little.”

  “You have a right to feel hurt and angry. You were involved with him for a while. It must be hard to watch him—”

  His voice trailed off, and Isabel was grateful for his discretion. She’d seen Manuel’s worried glances when Raúl announced he intended to spend the night with Esperanza. The concern had touched her. His arm slid around her back and urged her to sit closer. She accepted the invitation and laid her head against his shoulder. The sounds of the night enveloped them as he held her, stroking her back and her hair. “To be honest, Manuel, I wasn’t hurt at all by what happened tonight. As soon as I saw her coming our way, I expected it from him. I think I just feel sorry for him.”

  “Not the reaction I expected. Care to elaborate?”

  “I remember my mom and dad sitting on the couch holding hands. I’d catch them staring at one another with soft smiles on their faces. Then Dad would wrap his arm around Mom’s shoulders and pull her close. She’d snuggle against him, and he would sigh with contentment. I loved seeing them like that.”

  “Sounds like a nice memory.”

  “Yeah. They taught me that love doesn’t have to be flashy or exciting. ”

  “You were fortunate, Isabel. God put parents in your life who modeled a healthy, loving relationship. Not everyone experiences that.”

  “Guess I never thought of it that way. I only knew that I wanted that kind of love for myself.”

  “I think everyone does, but it’s hard to find what’s missing in your life when you don’t know what to look for.”

  Isabel paused. “Maybe you’ll think I’m crazy but I want Raúl to know that kind of happiness and satisfaction in a relationship.”

  He shrugged. “Noble, considering what he put you through.”

  Heaviness tugged at her heart. “It’s hard to blame him. Raúl had an unhappy childhood. His mother never knew true love or a happy marriage, and Raúl never had the love of his father.”

  “It must be hard for him to understand God’s love when he’s had such poor examples.”

  Isabel sighed. “I never talked to Raúl about God. Not much anyway. Whenever I mentioned anything related to my beliefs, he would change the subject. I could tell he didn’t want to hear about it, so I never pressed the issue. Now I wish I would have said more.”

  Manuel slid his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  “But maybe I could have done something or said something to help him understand.”

  The corner of Manuel’s lips curled into a smile. “I think God will find a way to get the message across. If not through you, then He’ll send someone else. Let Him deal with Raúl and you quit worrying about it.”

  She thought about his words a moment and realized he was right. It was time to let go of the past, leave Raúl in God’s capable hands, and move forward. She tilted her head and smiled up at Manuel, liking the way the moonlight touched his hair with a gentle glow. “You’re pretty wonderful, you know that?”

  He gave her a roguish wink. “I thought you’d never notice.”

  “I noticed.”

  He bent and brushed her lips with a kiss. “Now, don’t forget it.”

  When he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, she winced.

  “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

  She rubbed at the ache. “That guy plowed into me pretty hard. I guess it’s still a little tender.”

  He frowned. “That reminds me, what did that paper say? You promised to tell me later.”

  She dug the note from her pocket and smoothed it against her leg. She held it up in front of them and let the bright moonlight illuminate the message.

  “I’m watching you.”

  Isabel felt Manuel stiffen.

  Her own body iced with fear at seeing the sinister message again. “I think I recognized him.”

  “Who?”

  “The man who ran into us. I only caught a glimpse of his face, but I think he may be the one from the pictures.”

  Manuel’s eyes narrowed. “What pictures?”

  She sucked in a breath. They’d never discussed the details of her police interview. Unsure who to trust, she had kept her suspicions to herself. Now she felt the time had come to share the burden. “The police showed me photos of the man suspected of burning my apartment building. He’s connected to an organized crime ring the police are investigating. I saw him again as we drove out of Caracas, sitting by the roadside. Now this. It was too dark to be certain, but I think he might have followed me to Santo Domingo.”

  Manuel stared at her with disbelief. “And you’re just now getting around to telling me? Isabel, do you realize how much danger you could be in? Why would you keep this a secret?”

  She looked away, not wanting to admit the reasons. So much had changed between them in recent weeks that now her reservations seemed silly.

  He cupped her chin and forced her to face him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  The genuine concern written on his face coerced a confession to the surface. “I wasn’t sure I could trust you. If this has to do with the journal, then someone told them about it. The list of possible conspirators is pretty short.”

  Disappointment registered in his eyes, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, his thumb traced hypnotic circles over her cheek. “I didn’t realize what you’d been through in the last month. I’m sorry, Isabel.”

  “It’s not your fault. I just wish I knew why a criminal would be interested in me?”

  “I’m not sure.” He took the note from her hand and slid it into his pocket. “But I intend to find out. I think we should consider contacting the Caracas police about this incident.”

  Isabel shook her head. “It was dark, and he moved so fast. I couldn’t be sure I recognized him, not enough to justify alerting authorities.”

  “Well, I can still have a talk with Raúl in the morning. Maybe he can give us some answers.”

  Isabel tried to laugh. “Listen to us, sitting here fretting like a couple of scaredy-cats. Some clumsy stranger bumps into us on the street
and suddenly we’re certain an organized crime ring has us in their targets. Why should we automatically assume the worst? Now that I think about it, maybe that waitress slipped the note into his pocket. This might be her way of flirting or something.”

  Manuel’s sober expression didn’t change. “That’s possible. Don’t worry about it any more, Isabel. I’ll take care of everything tomorrow.”

  Isabel faked a smile, but his reassuring words didn’t penetrate the unease in her gut. The matter had grown more complicated than she ever expected, and she was tangled in the center.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Manuel turned off the jeep’s engine and took a moment to collect himself. The forty-five-minute drive had done nothing to abate the irritation he felt, and he didn’t want to unload his frustration on Isabel. Maybe he should be relieved Raúl hadn’t showed up this morning and that he failed to answer their repeated calls to his phone. Manuel had no desire to endure his sponsor’s peevish behavior on another excursion. In fact, he preferred that Raúl find something else to occupy the time, but he could have sent word instead of letting them wait and wonder for hours.

  And the one time Manuel actually wanted to see Raúl and speak with him, the man managed to be conveniently absent. Leaving a heated message on Raúl’s voice mail hadn’t felt nearly as rewarding as blackening an eye would have. But Raúl would turn up sooner or later.

  Isabel’s jeep rolled to a stop behind his, and the engine fell silent. He watched in his rearview mirror as she slid from her vehicle and cast a glance about the area. As she approached his jeep, the look on her face questioned his reason for stopping. Fumbling with the door handle, he stepped out to explain.

  “We’re not there yet, but the jeeps can’t take us any further. We’ll have to hike the rest of the way, backpacking our supplies. It might take several trips to get it all, but we can take our time if we want.”

  Isabel nodded. “Let’s get the camping gear first. We can set up our tents and rest before we come back for more.”

  Manuel sorted through the back of his vehicle, pulled out items he wanted to take on the first trip—including the GPS system he’d need to navigate the jungle—and set them in a pile off to the side. As he prepared for the trek, the thrill of exploring the wild and unknown pulsed through him. It had been years since he’d hiked so deep into untamed wilderness like this. He wondered if Isabel felt the same sense of anticipation.