Her Greek Doctor's Proposal (19 page)

“And I’d hate it to be my cornea you had to remove stuff from.” Looking at him balancing on that rock, a smile in his eyes as they stood close
together in this corner working away, made her insides feel all gooey.

“Thanks for helping me. I really appreciate it.”

“Like you left me a choice. I would’ve been a nervous wreck thinking of you getting lost in this cave. Not to mention I didn’t want to have to spend my whole day off tomorrow hunting for you when you didn’t show up for dinner.”

“You don’t fool me. I think you’re enjoying this. It’s an adventure, right?” She turned her head and closed her eyes as she gave another mighty swing at the crevice edge. Though mighty was probably an overstatement, since Andros had already bashed out a good six inches from top to bottom on his side.

“Okay, I admit it. It’s intriguing.” He leaned back and surveyed their work. “I think it’s big enough. Come on, I’ll help you up, then follow you in.”

She stuck her foot in his hands again, and when she was halfway in he let go and cupped her derriere in his hands, shoving her far enough in that she was able to squirm the rest of the way and stand up. “Was that an excuse to fondle me?”

“Do I need an excuse?” He boosted himself in to stand in front of her, sliding his hand around her rear again and pulling her close.

She chuckled. “I guess not.” She gave him another one of those paper-mask kisses, their eyes
meeting over the top. “You realize I’m sorely tempted to pull down this stupid thing and kiss you for real.”

“Me too. But we’ll save that for a little later, hmm?” He grasped her hand as they picked their way over all the broken rock littering the ground. “This place definitely had a huge seismic shift just recently for there to be so much of this. I—holy Apollo, Laurel.”

“What? What?” She looked all around, trying to aim her headlamp where he was looking.

“Something’s back here, behind this tall half-broken wall. Gleaming, like metal.”

Laurel didn’t realize she’d stopped breathing, her heart pounding so hard it echoed in her head, until they stepped around the wall and every bit of air left her lungs in a gasp. “Oh, Andros.”

Together, they stared silently at the stunning, life-sized gold statue of Artemis, gleaming as brightly as if it had just been polished by an ancient hand. She stood beautifully perfect beneath an arching ceiling, coins and jewels scattered around her feet in what had probably been homage to Apollo’s sister.

Tears stung Laurel’s eyes and throat, and a small sob burst from her mouth, muffled by the mask. She turned to Andros, and saw the same awe and amazement on his eyes she knew was in her own.

“You did it, Laurel. You didn’t stop believing, didn’t stop trying. This is…incredible.”

“I’m not sure I didn’t stop believing, but I wanted to believe, so much.” She reached to touch it, reverently sliding her hand over the statue’s intricately detailed gown, her ethereal face.

“Your parents would be so proud.”

“They would. Yes, they would. Oh, my God, I can hardly soak it in.”

She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, letting the tears flow as his arms came around her. Tears of happiness and relief and joy, knowing her parents’ work would be highlighted once more. Thinking how proud they’d be that she—with Andros’s help—had actually found this spectacular treasure.

“Thank you, Andros,” she whispered. “Thank you for helping me. For seeing the crevice. Hammering it open. For spotting…her. I…I don’t think we’d be standing here in front of her if you hadn’t.”

His hands slowly stroked up and down her back. “Oh, you would have found her. That stubborn streak of yours would have kicked in, and who knows? Maybe that feeling Tom had would have come to guide you too.”

She looked up, blinking at her tears. “I think maybe there’s a part of you that believed in that feeling. That kind of guidance.”

“Maybe.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “So now what, Ms. Evans? Who do you need to contact?”

“First, I—
Aahh!
”

They both ducked, startled by something swooping by their ears. Andros straightened and looked around, his brows lowered in a thoughtful frown. “I asked Tom if he’d seen bats in the cave, and he said no. But that was definitely a bat.”

He released her and walked around, looking carefully at the various corners of the cave where he pointed his headlamp. “Bat guano. A lot of it.” He looked upward, aiming the light around the ceiling that was much higher in this cave than the other one. “Bingo! Hundreds of bats curled up there sleeping. See them?”

“Okay, now I know for sure why I preferred working on the mountain instead of in here.” She shuddered, creeped out by the creatures hanging shoulder to shoulder, as far along the cave ceiling as they could see. “Glad we found Artemis pretty fast.”

“Bat guano, Laurel.” He stared at her, a new excitement in his voice and gleaming in his eyes. “It can be a primary source of coronavirus infection if it’s breathed into the lungs.”

“Coronavirus? You mean like SARS and MERS?”

“Probably a mutated strain. Pneumonia is the
most common clinical presentation of coronavirus, sometimes with nausea and diarrhea like Jason had. Renal failure and pericarditis. Sepsis, which we couldn’t manage well for John. It all makes sense now!”

He grabbed her shoulders, practically dancing her around. “The reason no one got sick before the past couple weeks was because the bats were in this cave, not the one your crew was working in. Then the recent earthquake opened up that crevice, and the bats flew into the dig cave. Tom and Jason worked all day, breathing in the airborne dissemination of the virus.”

“But what about Becka? She worked in the cave all day and didn’t get sick. And Mel wasn’t in here at all.”

“Some people carry the virus, but never show symptoms, which could be the situation with Becka. And while coronavirus is primarily contracted through respiratory exposure to guano or animal secretions, like from camels carrying MERS, it can be contracted from very close person-to-person contact.”

“So you’ve solved the mystery.” Her excitement began to match his and she laughed as they did another little two-step around the cave. “Nobody in Kastorini or Delphi has to worry they’ll get it. You’re a genius!”

“We solved it together.” He cupped the back
of her head with his hand. “I never would have come in here if you hadn’t.”

“And Artemis might have stayed hidden forever.” They looked at one another, and Laurel’s heart swelled and squeezed at the same time. “Do you think she was hidden by the earthquake my parents died in? That maybe the only entrance got shut down to anything bigger than a bat?”

“More likely an earthquake from a thousand years ago, and if that’s the case your parents would never have found it.” He tipped his forehead against hers, speaking softly. “Maybe the gods felt bad about that, about the tragedy, and made another earthquake happen just for you in their memory.”

“Yes. In their memory.” She gave him a fierce hug, unable to identify all the powerful emotions swirling around inside her. They were grief and joy, sadness and amazement, and Andros was somehow wrapped up in every one of them.

“We have some work in front of us, Ms. Evans,” he said, his voice that low rumble in her ear that always made her quiver inside. “I need to talk to Di and get the national infection control folks out here, take some samples. Have them check the blood work we have from your team to confirm it. And once it is, contact the media to calm the fears they stirred up before.”

“And I have to call Tom and Mel and tell them
we did it. They’ll talk to the university while I contact the Greek Archaeological Society.” She squeezed him tighter. “I can’t wait to tell my sisters too.”

“We should probably call the authorities to protect the statue. I doubt anyone would come in here, and it’s hidden well, but, since it appears to be solid gold, I’m thinking there are one or two people who would like to get their hands on it.”

“Except she probably weighs a zillion pounds.”

“There’s that.” He chuckled. “I’ll call Georgo, the police chief in Kastorini, and let him handle it however he thinks. He’s an old friend and as honest as they come.”

She slowly pulled herself from his arms. Holding his hand, she carefully stroked the statue one more time. “Thanks for showing yourself to us, beautiful. I know whoever created you as a gift to Apollo loved you, but it’s time for the rest of the world to love you even more.”

Andros gripped her hand and when she turned to him she was surprised to see his eyes were now deeply serious. “And I have a feeling the world will love her finder as well.”

* * *

The rosy-gold sky was darkening around the mountains, the waters of the gulf a deeper blue from the low light, when Laurel and Andros finished
what seemed like a never-ending number of calls and emails.

“Okay,” Andros said, “I think we can finally relax and celebrate.”

Laurel glanced up from her laptop, her heart skipping a beat as she looked at the man leaning against the kitchen doorjamb. He’d showered and changed, and his slightly damp black hair was curling a bit around his ears and at the nape of his neck. His snug jeans rode a little low on his hips, and a white polo shirt was startlingly bright against his bronzed skin.

She let herself soak in the sight of him, that uncomfortable swirl of emotions back in spades.

There was no denying she was crazy about this man. Smart, caring, and beyond beautiful inside and out. She adored his little girl and felt warmed and welcomed by this lovely town they lived in. Liked his sister too, and had a feeling she’d like his parents just as well.

But she would never know, because she had to leave. With Andros’s help, she’d accomplished her goal, big time. Now could finish her PhD dissertation. Get the grant paperwork done and in, making sure the wheels were greased to get her dig in Turkey going when she got the grant money, which shouldn’t be a question now. She’d assemble a team. Lots of qualified applicants would want to be a part of it after this monumental
discovery. And there would be interviews galore—while she talked about her parents’ conviction that they’d find the statue there, she’d take that opportunity to talk about her own upcoming dig, knowing her parents would feel satisfied and happy that she’d accomplished the dream they’d had for her.

All that should leave her feeling elated. But battling with that elation was the heavy reality that she’d be saying goodbye to this place. To Andros. She couldn’t deny she wasn’t ready to do that. Wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready.

She managed a smile, determined to enjoy her last day or two with him. “We’ve earned a celebration for sure. What did you have in mind?”

His eyes took on a wicked glint, and his slow smile sent her heart rate zooming. How could a single look from a man make her feel like throwing him to the floor to have her way with him?

“Let’s start with an aperitif. I got white wine for you, but of course I have retsina and ouzo as well.”

“You know, believe it or not I do have a taste for retsina tonight. And maybe a little of that grilled octopus you say the restaurant down the street does so well.”

“Yeah?” He took a few steps closer, and she set her laptop aside so she could stand and meet
him halfway. “Sounds like you’ve become part Greek. Part of Kastorini.”

“Maybe I have.” Her eyes drifted closed as he pressed soft kisses on her temple, her cheek, the corner of her mouth. Her words echoed in her head, making her chest ache.
Maybe I have
.
Or maybe this place has become a part of me.

“So, about you becoming part of Kastorini.” The pads of his fingers slowly slipped across all the places he’d just kissed, ending up warmly cupping the side of her throat. His expression was surprisingly serious, at odds with his teasing voice. “You already know Greece is the epicenter of history just waiting for an archaeologist to find and share it?”

“Spoken like a true Greek, especially one born near the belly button of the entire earth,” she said. “But a lot of other countries might argue with that perspective, Dr. Drakoulias. Not only in Europe, but China and South America and—”

He pressed his mouth to hers, effectively shutting her up. When he broke the kiss, his lips were curved, but his eyes still held that peculiar seriousness. Though she shouldn’t think it was odd, since she found herself feeling very serious too.

“I know your passion is Greek archaeology,” he said. She looked at him and nodded, though front and foremost in her mind at that moment was an entirely differently passion of hers.
Passion for the man standing right in front of her. The man who stole her breath and had managed to steal a scarily large chunk of her heart as well. “But at the moment, there’s a different subject on my mind.”

“I might be able to guess what it is,” she managed to say in a teasingly light voice.

“Probably not.” His hands tightened on her. “I just wanted to say I wish we’d met in a different place in our lives. Before you had your exciting dig plans stretching out in front of you, and before I had Cassie to think about, raising her here in Kastorini. But we didn’t.”

“No,” she whispered. “We didn’t.”

“I’d ask you to come back and visit sometime when you’re in Greece again, but I know that’s not the best idea. Cassie already likes you a lot, and since she lost her mother I don’t want her to become attached to someone who’s not going to be around long. And, I…well, you know I’m not a guy with a very good track record. But I want you to know that I’ll really miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” As she spoke she thought about what he’d said. And was filled with the bizarre thought that someday, when she worked in Greece again, she could visit Andros and see if, maybe, they might both be in a different place then. That Cassie might need another mother figure. And if they were, who knew? Maybe—

The door burst open, and they both swiveled toward it to see Taryn run in, frazzled and breathless. Andros let go of Laurel and strode to his sister. “What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen the kids? They were playing in the backyard, but when I went to get them for dinner they were gone. I looked around but don’t see them anywhere. And it’s almost dark.” She sucked in a breath. “They must be here, right?”