by Robin Gianna
Trust him to somehow make her smile, and he did too, just before he leaned across the tiny table and kissed her. Long and slow and sweet, and when he pulled back, the eyes that met hers weren’t smiling anymore.
“If you think this thing might be contagious and that some of us might have it, you shouldn’t be kissing me, you know.” She was trying to lighten the moment, but her chest felt even heavier, knowing it just might be their last kiss anyway.
“Too late. But even if it wasn’t, it’s worth the risk.”
Worth the risk? Her heart fluttered, and she thought of the moonstones, and their teasing about them. Wished maybe she’d gotten them after all, to remember him by.
As though she needed anything to help her with that.
“Andros.”
They looked up to see Dr. Galanos standing there. “The Wagners are ready to go. I’ve arranged for them and the whole crew to stay in quarantine here. Getting it ready now, and it should be comfortable enough. Which of you is going to get the Wagners’ things from Delphi and bring back the rest of the dig crew?”
“I am.” Laurel stood and, with a tightness squeezing her chest, braced herself for goodbye. “Thanks for all you’ve done for us, Andros.”
“Your car won’t fit everybody. I’ll help drive the crew back here.”
“Thank you.” Only a couple more hours before she didn’t get to look at him anymore. Until they said goodbye one last time.
* * *
Their days in quarantine had seemed to drag on forever, and Laurel was glad it was finally over. Relieved that not a single team member had shown any symptoms at all. Beyond relieved that Jason had improved so much, they’d agreed to release him and let him go back to the States with them.
Andros had stopped in once, apparently meeting with Dr. Galanos. She and the Wagners had filled their time going through all the dig notes, writing summaries and outlines of the papers they’d publish, but it still hadn’t been enough distraction for her to not hope it was Andros every time someone came in the room. For her to hope he’d stop in one more time to say goodbye.
But, really, why should he? It was a long drive from Kastorini, he’d likely been busy at the clinic, and it wasn’t as though they were anything more than passing friends. Briefly lovers, though that fleeting moment was etched in her mind far more clearly than any other love affair she’d experienced.
She and the Wagners walked to the car to pack it up before they left for the airport to go home. It struck her that the word home felt hollow, just as it had when Andros had asked where she’d lived. What was there for her, other than her short-term teaching-assistant position? Finishing up the final pieces to her PhD?
Somehow, she had to get that grant for the dig she’d been so enthusiastic about just months ago. The dig she knew her parents would have been proud she’d pursued. With any luck, she could find some success with that and push past this strangely restless emptiness in her chest.
“I feel like I’ve been in this hospital a month instead of nine days,” Tom grumbled good-naturedly as he tossed their bags into the car.
“The best days of your life, considering we’re still here on earth, thanks to the good care we got,” Mel said.
“I know. And part of me feels odd, leaving. Like we should be going back to the dig to finish.”
“Really?” Laurel stuffed her bag behind his and stared at him in surprise. “After the ordeal you’ve been through, I thought you’d run and never look back.”
“They still don’t know if it had any damn thing to do with the dig. If I felt strong enough, I’d go back right now, but I know I’m not up to it,” Tom said, stopping in the midst of packing Mel’s bag to give Laurel a long look that struck her as very odd.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I just…I’m not sure I should tell you, but, ah, hell.” He grabbed the back of his neck and sighed. “You know how sometimes we all get that feeling on a dig, like an invisible finger is pointing and you just have to follow it and look?”
Her heart sped up a little. “Yes. I know.”
“I felt it in the cave. That last day. Real strong and compelling. Leading me toward the far left wall, just past a huge orange stalactite, about a hundred feet back. Farther in than we’d been excavating. I was going to dig some, but it got late and I wasn’t feeling too good. I figured I’d be able to tackle it better the next morning.”
“Which all could have been delirium, since that was the night you got really sick,” Mel said. She wore a deep frown, shaking her head slightly at him.
“You think that’s where it might be,” Laurel said, barely able to breathe.
“I do. Mel doesn’t want you to go in there, but honestly? I really think we were close. My gut just tells me it might be there.”
She looked from Tom to Mel and back again, a surge of adrenaline roaring through her blood. Without one more second of thought, she yanked her bag back out of the car and could practically feel her parents pushing her on the way they so often had, even when she’d been frustrated by it. Wanting her to use these final two weeks to search a little longer.
She’d learned to listen to little voices in her head, whoever or whatever they might be. And these little voices? They might be the most important whispers she would ever hear.
“I’m going back.” She leaned in to kiss Mel on the cheek, then Tom. “I’ll keep you posted.”
“Laurel.” Mel reached for her. “I know your parents expected a lot from you. Were driven, and drove you too. And you always stepped up, no matter how hard it was. But they wouldn’t want you to risk getting sick. Risk your life. Let it go. You have other digs in your future.”
“But not a dig like this one. And like Tom said, you getting sick might have had nothing to do with the dig anyway. But I’ll be careful. I’ll wear gloves and a mask. It’ll be okay.”
“I know there’s no point in arguing with you when you’ve made up your mind.” The woman who’d stepped in to do quite a bit of mothering after Laurel’s parents were gone gave her a fierce hug. “Promise you’ll be careful. Promise you’ll stay safe.”
“I will. I’ll see you back at the university in two weeks, and with any luck there’ll be a treasure in my pocket.”
“A little too big for your pocket,” Tom said, hugging her and grinning. “If you find it, they’ll build a whole new room for it in the Delphi museum, with your parents’ names on the plaque. So many visitors will flock to see it, the Charioteer will be damn jealous.”
“We’ll drive you back,” Mel said.
“No, I’ll rent another car. Don’t worry about me. Adventure is what I live for, remember?”
Funny how the day seemed blindingly brighter. Her chest filled with an excitement and energy she hadn’t felt since before the Wagners got sick. And that excitement and energy sent her thoughts to Andros. Bombarded with memories of how he made her feel exactly that way too.
By the time she got the car rented and arrived back in Delphi, there was too little daylight left to head up the mountain to the dig. Being back in town made her thoughts turn to Andros again. Of strolling through the streets, feeding the cats, kissing him until she was breathless. Walking into the hotel filled her with memories of kissing him again on the back deck and of making love with him in her slightly lumpy little bed.
Not that she hadn’t thought of him more times than she could count the past three days and nights in Vlychosia anyway.
Maybe after she checked in, she should call him. Just to let him know she was back. Then again, she knew he’d be unhappy with her going back to the dig, and even more unhappy that her first stop would be the caves, which she hadn’t been in even once. And that he still believed might be the source of the mysterious pneumonia.
She didn’t need the man’s approval or permission or lectures. She’d been on her own for a long time, so why did she feel this need, this longing, really, to get in touch with him?
No. She shook her head and grabbed up
her duffel. She’d been given one more chance to find the treasure. Tonight she’d look at the map of the caves, carefully drawn over the past three years, read through all Tom’s notes, and make a plan. A plan that didn’t include making love with Andros Drakoulias again.
“Hello, Spiros,” she said to the desk clerk. “I’m back. Can I have the same room, or do you need to move me?”
The young man looked over his shoulder twice, then finally focused on her. The expression on his face could only be described as alarmed, and she wondered if the media coverage and the quarantine had spooked everyone.
“I am sorry, miss, but there are no rooms left.”
“I’m absolutely fine, Spiros. The hospital gave us all a clean bill of health.” She fished in her purse for the papers they’d given her, holding them out. “See?”
“I am sorry,” he repeated. “But we did not know you were returning. We have rented every room for the next two weeks. I will call other hotels in Delphi for you, yes?”
“Thank you.” She dropped her bag to the floor. Why hadn’t she been smart enough to call as soon as she’d known she was coming back? Regardless, it didn’t really matter. A place to stay was a place to stay, so long as she could easily get to the dig.
As the minutes ticked away and Spiros made one call after another, concern grew to alarm. She might not be able to understand a word he was saying, but the frown and worried look were plain. Finding a room wasn’t happening.
“I am sorry, miss,” he said yet again, looking remorseful. “It is high season, you understand. Every room is booked by tours and others. I am sorry.”
“Thank you for trying. I appreciate it.” So now what? She hauled her duffle over her shoulder again and went out the door and across the still-hot blacktop. There was only one solution she could think of. And how ridiculous that the solution sent happiness surging through her veins, sending her practically running to her car and jumping inside.
There was one person nearby who’d said he was there to help her any way he could. Was it her fault she needed a little more help from him now?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“ONE MORE STORY, Daddy? Please?”
Andros slid the book from his daughter’s hands, an easy accomplishment since her fingers had gone limp, her words slow and slurred. “Not tonight. If you sleep tight, I’m sure your little fairies will visit.”
She smiled at the same time her eyes closed. He watched her roll to her side, pull her sheet up to her chest and fall straight to sleep. He tugged the sheet a little higher to tuck it beneath her little chin, wondering all over again how he could possibly be so blessed.
The stairs creaked as he made his way back to the living room, absently thinking he should see if he could find a way to quiet them. His handyman skills weren’t up there with his doctoring skills, but surely he could figure something out.
Right now, though, there was something more important to figure out. He propped up his feet, put his laptop on his knees, and did another advanced internet search to look at various known pathogens, common and uncommon. Trying to read through it all, he found it hard to concentrate on the information. Damned difficult, in fact, because he just couldn’t stop thinking of Laurel.
Di had told him the entire archaeological team had been cleared to leave quarantine, including Jason, thankfully. Probably they were all at the airport by now, maybe even already on a plane bound for the States. Leaving unanswered questions behind them, but he and Di and the virologists would eventually figure it out. Had to, because even though no one in Delphi, Kastorini or any other nearby town had come down with anything similar, they all wanted it to stay that way.
He closed his eyes and pictured Laurel’s face. Her amazing blue eyes and pretty lips that sometimes smiled or cutely twisted when she was thinking. Lips that had kissed him until he couldn’t think straight. He pictured her slim figure and how sexy her rear looked in anything she wore, even those loose, dirty work shorts of hers with pockets everywhere. But his favorite had been that silky long dress. No, not quite. His favorite was how she’d looked when her hair had been released from its ponytail, spilling across the pillow and her soft skin, tangling in his fingers as he made love with her.
Damn. Just thinking about her, all of her, made his breath feel a little short and his heart feel a little empty. How was it possible he could miss a woman so much, when he’d barely spent more than a few days with her?
He’d itched to go to Vlychosia to see her, to say goodbye one last time. Nearly had gotten in his car more than once, but stopped himself. Last thing he’d want to do would be to hurt Laurel, which he hadn’t even realized he’d done to some of the women who’d briefly been in his life. He wasn’t made for a real relationship anyway, and, even if he had been, what was the point of getting too attached to a woman focused on spending her life at digs around the world? Or for Cassie to? A little girl who had lost her mother far too soon just might be unconsciously looking for someone to take her place.
No, it was good Laurel had moved on, leaving no possibility of anyone getting hurt, or the storm of gossip he wanted to avoid.
He tried to refocus on the internet journal and the various viral beta groups, and was startled when his cell phone rang. He hoped it wasn’t an emergency, but if he had to bundle up Cassie and take her the few houses down to his sister’s, he suspected his little girl wouldn’t lift an eyelid.
He dug his phone from his pocket. His heart jerked hard and his breath caught in his chest. Laurel. What could she be calling about?
“Dr. Drakoulias.” He’d answered that way to keep his voice sounding calm and professional. Unemotional, so she wouldn’t know how much he’d been thinking of her. Missing her.
“Is this the Dr. Drakoulias who told me he was here to help if I needed it? Unfortunately, I have a little problem.”
“That would be me.” Her voice sounded normal, with even that touch of humor he liked so much, so there must not be some terrible problem. He relaxed at the same time he felt instantly wired, alert, elated too, because hearing her on the other end of the line was like being given an unexpected gift. “What is this little problem?”
“Well, believe it or not, I’m in Delphi. But the hotel gave my room away, and there’s not another room to be had in the entire town.”
“You’re in Delphi?”
“Yep, I am.”
“And you need a place to stay.” He couldn’t imagine why she’d come back, but the way his heart had jerked in his chest when she’d first called was nothing to the gymnastics it was doing now.
“I’m afraid I do. There are a few hotels in Kastorini, aren’t there?”
“One’s full up for a wedding this weekend, which I know because a patient talked to me about it for half an hour today. The other two usually take on overflow from Delphi, so I bet they’re booked too.”
“That’s what Spiros at my hotel told me.” She sighed in his ear. “Is there any way I can hole up in the clinic or something, just for one night while I check out nearby towns tomorrow? Or maybe even briefly stay with Taryn?”
“My house has three bedrooms. No reason to call Taryn tonight, you can just stay here.” The instant the words were out of his mouth, he pictured her here with him, sitting in his cozy living room, fascinating him with stories about the dig and about her life. Tousled and sleepy when he fixed her coffee in the morning. He wondered what she wore to bed, and a vision of something silky and skimpy came to mind, or, even better, her completely naked, glorious body. But even if she slept in an oversized T-shirt, she’d look sexy as hell.
That vision faded when he realized if anyone found out he had a woman staying in his house, the tongues would flap like crazy. And what were the odds no one would know? Pretty much zero out of a hundred. But he couldn’t worry about that when Laurel needed someplace to lay her head. “Cassie’s in bed, but she sleeps like a rock. Won’t even blink if I put her in the car to come get you.”
“Thank you.” Her voic
e got softer, warmer. “But I rented another car. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes, if that’s okay.”
“I’ll be waiting.” And each minute of it would seem like two. At the moment, there was no way he’d get one thing out of the clinical information on his laptop, and he closed it, realizing the house could use some spiffing up. Cassie’s toys lying all around didn’t bother him, but probably making sure Laurel didn’t turn an ankle stepping on one would be a good idea.
His arms were full of the last of it—multicolored plastic blocks he was trying to find the box to dump into—when there was a soft knock on the door. It opened a few inches, and beautiful blue eyes met his through the crack. “Hi. It’s me. Didn’t want to wake Cassie by ringing the doorbell.”
“Nothing wakes that child up. Come on in.”
The sight of all of her, not just those amazing eyes, caught his breath. She was wearing that dress he loved so much that embraced every curve, and her hair—God, her hair was down, out of her usual ponytail, falling in a shimmering golden waterfall over her shoulders. He stood there staring like a fool, an armload of plastic stuff preventing him from pulling her into his arms and kissing her until she was as breathless as he felt.
But maybe she didn’t want that. Yes, they’d made love after the stress of learning about John’s failing health, but that didn’t mean she wanted to go there again. And he wanted her to feel comfortable in his house, not worried he might jump on her any moment like a flea on a kitten.
On the other hand, he might not be imagining the way she was looking at him. A way that said she might not mind him jumping on her at all.
Where was that damned box? “You don’t happen to see a white box with pictures of blocks on it, do you?”
“Is this it?” She walked to the small door under the stairs where they stored Cassie’s stuff. He’d already stuck a few things in there, and she bent over to open the door wider. He got so fixated on her shapely rear in that dress, he hardly noticed she was pulling the elusive box out from behind a huge stuffed lion.