Kiss Me, Lynn (Kiss Me Series)

by Linda George

  They had little time to stop and browse. But when Lynn spied some long-handled wooden spoons with bowls six inches in diameter, she had to stop and buy several. What an incredible soup ladle it would be!

  After seeing just enough of the market to get a taste of the quantity and variety of merchandise available, they were outside, where women sat with small grills, roasting guinea pigs! Flies hovered around the roasted pigs.

  “It’s never good to buy cuy outside the market,” Alex said quietly. “You have no idea how long they’ve been trying to sell that same cuy.”

  It was time to leave. Lynn wished she had another month to explore every shop inside the market and every shop on the streets of Cusco. She knew if she had enough time, she’d fall in love with Cusco…just as she’d fallen in love with Pisco Sours…and just as she was falling in love with Alex.

  Back on the bus, Sharon tried to check e-mail but couldn’t find a wireless signal.

  Next, they stopped at a place Lynn knew she’d never forget. Alex seemed especially happy to be there. “This is a sanctuary for injured animals and birds. They built it among the ruins of Qenko, where they found a huge rock shaped like a puma.” He pointed toward it, explaining that the rock stood almost twenty feet tall. “There are also drawings and carvings of pumas here in underground rooms and along stairways. But the wonder of this place is the animals that have been brought here to get well.”

  They followed a walkway with trellises covered with plants and vines, creating a shady retreat from the strong Peruvian sunshine. Off to the right were pens with llamas, alpacas, and, higher on the hillside, vicuñas.

  “It’s all right to pet the llamas and alpacas, if they agree, but no one pets the vicuñas. They spit and bite.”

  Lynn went straight to a brown llama that had come to the fence bordering the walkway. She gave the shaggy llama time to get used to her being there, then raised her hand slowly to pet the side of its face. “I’ve heard there’s nothing more wonderful than being ‘kissed’ by a llama.”

  Alex grinned and lowered his face to the llama’s nose, which twitched, then moved over Alex’s mouth and chin, brushing the long hairs on its nose across his skin. “It’s a feeling like no other,” he said after leaning back.

  Lynn tried it next. He was right. She’d never felt anything like it.

  Another group of tourists had parked behind their bus and several rowdy children pushed past them.

  Alex took Lynn’s arm and eased her back from the llama. “Look at his ears.”

  “He flattened them. Why?”

  “Probably the children, but you are the one he’ll spit on if we don’t back away.”

  “Good idea.”

  They went on down the walkway. Lynn petted two more llamas and one alpaca. The vicuñas watched from their higher pens and one of them stomped at the activity down below. Lynn wished she could’ve seen them up close.

  Walking between buildings that held small mountain cats and other mammals, they came to a wire gate and went inside a large enclosure that had wire mesh walls and ceiling. At the back of the enclosure was a cliff, with alcoves and shelves where birds perched. But they weren’t just any birds. They were huge and black and almost vicious looking.

  “What are they?” Lynn whispered.

  “Andean condors.”

  “They’re enormous!”

  Without warning, a condor that had been standing behind Lynn walked past her, brushing her legs with its enormous wings. Startled, she backed away, but the condor didn’t seem to notice her at all. The huge bird spread its wings and hurried toward the back wall, where Lynn saw several men climbing from shelf to shelf.

  “Watch, everyone!” Alex called to the group.

  The men took turns “spooking” the condors roosting on the shelves and then pitching them into the air. Their incredible wings spread in flight, with spans of more than eight feet. They flew above everyone’s heads to the far side of the enclosure, where other attendants waited with food for them.

  Spectacular! Even though their faces resembled vultures, Lynn thought seeing them in flight was one of the most breathtaking things she’d ever witnessed.

  Back on the bus, Alex took his place at the front and began his talk about the ruins they were going to see next.

  Sacsayhuamán was an enormous place with incredible Inca stonework. Some of the stones in the wall were more than thirty feet tall and perfectly carved to fit the stones on either side, and above them. Alex told them with a feisty grin that most people thought the name sounded like “sexy woman.” He winked at Lynn.

  The ruins were incredible and massive. It took a long time to walk from one end to the other, then back to the bus.

  <><><><>

  The afternoon, as full as the morning had been, included a museum that rapidly became Lynn’s favorite. La Casa Concha Museum of Machu Picchu, a colonial Spanish mansion, contained thousands of artifacts from Machu Picchu that had been discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1912 and taken out of Peru to Yale University. It was only during the past decade that an agreement had been made to bring the artifacts back to Peru, to the museum. There, in ten exhibition rooms, the amazing artifacts of Machu Picchu were on display, along with enlarged photographs taken by Hiram Bingham.

  They wandered through all the rooms, marveling at what was discovered beneath the plants that covered the city after it was abandoned in 1572. It was only by accident that Bingham happened upon the ruins and mistakenly identified it as Vilcabamba, the lost city of the Inca. The fact that the city had not been destroyed, though, disproved Bingham’s theory. The city he found had never been found by the Spanish, which made it a previously unknown find and one of immeasurably greater value than the ruins of Vilcabamba would’ve been.

  The room at La Casa Concha that affected Lynn the most contained a model of Machu Picchu at least twenty feet long and spotlighted to identify the various parts of the city. When she saw the model, her throat tightened and tears came without warning. She sat on a bench near the model, emotion overwhelming her.

  Alex came to the door and looked inside. When he saw her sitting there, he hesitated. “Lynn? Are you all right?”

  She turned to look at him, tears still falling, and held out her hand to him. He sat beside her, then embraced her.

  “What’s wrong, Querida? Has there been news of your mother?”

  “No, it isn’t that.” She held him tighter. “It’s silly, I guess, but when I saw the model, my first thought was that I’ll actually be there the day after tomorrow. It took me by surprise.” She looked back at the model, then wiped her eyes with one hand. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about my whole life.”

  Alex squeezed her tighter. “I understand. Even now, though I have been there hundreds of times, I still feel awe when I see it.”

  When she turned to look at him again, knowing they would be sharing her lifelong dream, she knew the experience would be even more amazing and memorable.

  “Kiss me,” she whispered, and he was happy to comply.

  <><><><>

  Dinner that night was another buffet with live music. By the time they got back to the hotel, everyone was exhausted. Alex and Lynn took another walk around the plaza. Their kisses seemed to be sweeter each time, and they both found it more difficult to say good-night.

  Saturday morning, she finished her Coca tea and the rest of a sweet roll, then went with the group back to the lobby, where their luggage was being carried out to the bus for their trip to the Sacred Valley of the Inca this afternoon.

  “Does the Sacred Valley look like Cusco?” she asked Alex.

  “It’s just as beautiful as Cusco, but in a different way. The Valley is more spread out, and since it’s at a lower altitude, more plants grow there. And there’s plenty of sunshine. I have a feeling you will love it as much as you love Cusco.”

  “I know I will.”

  When Sharon got up from the table, she leaned down and whispered, “He doesn’t know what to think this mo
rning about your mood. He needs to know. I’ll tell him.”

  Before Lynn could object, Sharon motioned to Alex and pulled him off to the side after leaving the restaurant. She told him about the post from Lynn’s father. “She’s upset this morning—but not with you. I wanted you to know. She’s going to need support from everyone today. Especially from you.”

  “Thank you. I hope she will get good news today.”

  Sharon squeezed his arm. “Thanks.”

  They stopped several times on the way, traveling through gorgeous countryside that reminded Lynn a little of Virginia. That afternoon, they checked into the Casa Andina Sacred Valley, and it was everything Alex had said it would be. The rooms were in several rows behind the main building, on the side of the mountain, one tier above the other, with winding walkways and staircases leading to each group of rooms. Between the rows, flowers, trees, and some plants that Lynn had never seen before had been arranged artistically in curving beds. Most delightful and surprising were the hummingbirds that buzzed and hovered all through the gardens, sampling flowers of every imaginable color. Some of the hummers were enormous, compared to hummingbirds in the US. And several of them were royal blue and appeared to be iridescent!

  “It’s like a fairy tale,” Dorothy said softly. “Tony will want to do a dozen paintings from the photos I’ll take here.”

  Barb already had her camera out, trying to capture one of the hummingbirds, but they were too quick for the shutter and always zipped away before she could take the picture.

  Vicki pulled out her camera. “Let me try. I’ll share.” She waited for the bird to come back, then pressed the button. The camera took at least half a dozen photos, so rapidly they couldn’t count the times the camera clicked. “One of them will be good, I promise. And I’ll be taking a lot more!”

  By the time they reached their rooms on the top level, Lynn was struggling to breathe. Sheila stopped to catch her breath, too. “Did anyone count how many steps we’ve climbed since the lobby?”

  BJ leaned against one of the railings. “Had to be at least a thousand. Okay, maybe a hundred. And fifty.”

  The bellboys who were carrying their luggage to their rooms jogged up the steps as though there were only a dozen.

  Lynn shook her head. “How can they do that?”

  Alex offered her his arm to help her up the last group of steps. “They live here. Cusco is even higher. The Valley ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 feet in altitude.”

  Lynn shook her head. “Only 10,000?”

  “Don’t worry, though. Machu Picchu sits at about 8,000 feet.”

  Lynn heard several groans to go with her own. When they finally reached their rooms, they turned and gazed across the roof of the main building of the hotel and beyond. It seemed like a computer graphic image from a movie. How could such a beautiful place be real?

  Once they were inside their rooms, no one came out for a good while. Each room had a balcony on the back. That was the first place Lynn went. She saw houses off to the right and children playing outside. When the children saw her outside, they came running, laughing and calling, “ Turistas! Dulces! Dinero! Por favor!”

  Sharon followed her outside. “Don’t do it. If you give them anything, we’ll never get any sleep!”

  Lynn knew she was right. Their faces, though, were so sweet and happy. They laughed and played as though they didn’t have a care in the world. She envied them.

  Chapter 13

  Dinner in the hotel restaurant proved to be as delicious as all the Peruvian food they’d enjoyed on this trip. Lynn had encouraged Alex to spend time with the other ladies, and he’d agreed that was a good idea. Once again, he ordered ceviche. She guessed he’d never get tired of it, even if he ate a plate full every day.

  Walking down all those steps had been easy. Now, they were faced with climbing them again. The sun had gone behind the mountain, so dusk had sent most of the hummingbirds off to roost for the night. Once again, without the sun, the temperature fell sharply. She could hear Alex laughing in the midst of their group. She loved the way he laughed, free and happy, without a care in the world, like the children on the mountain. Surely, though, he had daily problems, just like the rest of them.

  That thought led to one that wasn’t as carefree as his laughter. What did she really know about him after only a week? He’d never told her anything about his parents, whether he had siblings, nieces and nephews, close friends. She knew he’d had to have had several girlfriends in the past. Had he ever gotten close to marrying one of them? Or, was he divorced? She had to admit that she knew almost nothing about his personal life here in Peru. How did he come to be a guide? Had he gone to school to learn all he knew about his country? Was there such a thing as a degree or license to be a tour guide?

  How could she even consider staying in Peru with Alex when she knew virtually nothing about him? Yet, she felt she’d known him forever in some ways. It was like meeting someone she instantly liked, for no apparent reason. She liked Alex. She liked the way he smiled, and the way his whole face smiled. That said a lot about him, didn’t it? His hair was shiny and full, and he was physically healthy, without being overly muscular, which meant he didn’t lift weights or spend hours trying to impress women with his body. One of his tours was the Inca Trail, which took four days and involved hours and hours of hiking on rough ground. Obviously, he also got plenty of exercise climbing thousands upon thousands of steps!

  During the week they’d been here, Lynn felt stronger than she’d felt in ages, thanks to all the walking and climbing they’d done. When they’d first arrived, climbing steps at sea level in Lima had winded her by the end of the day. Now, they were climbing a lot more steps every day, at altitude, and most of them were uneven, tall stone steps that would’ve exhausted her at home.

  Virginia had been home for more than a decade after she graduated from high school. During that time, she’d visited her parents in California, then in Santa Fe, twice a year. Virginia had truly become home. So how could she consider leaving home and moving to a different country?

  She remembered something her father had told her when they’d moved to Santa Fe. She’d questioned the move…

  “But you’ve been in northern California all your married life! Why are you suddenly moving to New Mexico? The climate there is completely different—dry and arid compared to where you live now. In California, you’re surrounded by forests!”

  “There’s a wonderful forest near Santa Fe. If we miss the trees, we can escape the desert, be back in the forest on the mountain, and be home again the same day.”

  “It’s just hard for me to think about you and Mom leaving your home.”

  “Home is where Mom and I are. It doesn’t matter where, as long as we’re together…”

  <><><><>

  A knock at the door. Sharon answered. “Alex! We had an incredible time today! Come in!”

  “Thank you.” He stepped into the room glancing around, looking for Lynn, then removed his hat. Lynn sat on her bed, leaning back against several pillows, reading the guide book on Machu Picchu.

  Sharon motioned him to a chair next to a round table near the doors to the balcony. “I’m constantly amazed that you remember so much about the places we’ve toured. You must have studied for years to learn it all!”

  “I learned it in college. I studied three years, then got my license in Tourism.”

  One question answered.

  He glanced at Lynn. “I came to see…if you might…” He gave Sharon an embarrassed smile and twirled his hat in his hands, obviously nervous.

  “Of course she’d like to take a walk! I was just about to get ready for bed. I’m reading a book by a man who toured Machu Picchu. I want to be ready when we get there! I’m going to have a thousand questions!”

  Lynn gave Sharon a grateful smile. “I’m sure he’ll be able to answer them all. I’ll get my coat. I’ll bet it’s getting colder by the minute out there.”

  “You won’t need it long.
” The hint of a blush colored his cheeks.

  Lynn put her coat on then preceded him to the door. “I have my key.”

  “Take your time!” Sharon closed the door after they’d gone out on the walkway.

  Lights glittered below in the main building of the hotel and beyond, in the area across the highway.

  “It’s so beautiful here. So peaceful, now that the children behind the hotel have gone inside.”

  “They can be really noisy when they see turistas on the balconies. The next time you stay here, you should request a room on one of the lower levels.”

  “The next time?”

  “Well, if you come back to the Sacred Valley on another tour…” He offered her his arm so they could walk.

  “If I come back, you’ll be my guide, won’t you?”

  “Yes, always.”

  She leaned against him. “Where are we going?”

  “To my room.”

  “Alex…” She stopped and waited for him to explain.

  “I think we need to talk about what has happened, what is still happening between us. I don’t want to do that with other people around. I sense that you have many questions about me.”

  “I do. All right, let’s go to your room. I know you have questions, too.”

  “A few.” He hurried their pace then reached in his pocket for a key. His room wasn’t that far from Lynn’s. He opened the door and allowed her to go inside first.

  The room was similar, but not identical to hers. He’d put everything into the closet, apparently, since there were no clothes or other personal items in sight. He hung the strap of his hat over the corner of the chair by the balcony door.

  “I’m sorry there’s only one chair.”

  “We don’t need it.” She pulled the pillows from under the bedspread to lean back against, sat on the edge of the bed, then took off her shoes and pulled her knees up, then turned to face the other side of the bed.