Pearls (17 page)

After half an hour of probing the walls and floor of the hidden chamber, Manuel knew they’d hit a dead end in their search for the pearls. In addition, he was trying hard to conceal his disappointment about Isabel’s rejection—and failing miserably. He’d growled at her twice in the space of ten minutes and hated himself for causing the wounded looks that appeared on her face.

She couldn’t control how she felt any more than he could. Besides, he didn’t have any business making a play for her heart when he had nothing to offer. His home, job, and income were all uncertain. She deserved someone who could care for her in style, someone with Raúl’s looks and affluence. He only hoped she would find a man who would treat her well, like he would if circumstances were different and he could offer her that life.

He dismissed the thought. Better to accept that they would never be a couple so he could salvage the friendship and business partnership. “Isabel, I think we’ve done all we can here. Let’s go back to camp and change into clean, dry clothes.”

She nodded and walked toward the entrance to the underwater passageway. He’d never untied the rope fastened to his waist, and it tangled around Isabel’s foot as she walked. She stumbled and he instinctively reached out to steady her as she scrambled to regain her balance.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, not looking his way. She started to pull away from him, but he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I’m all right, Isabel.” He put as much emotion as possible into the simple phrase, hoping she’d understand his double meaning.

Her thick, wet lashes looked lustrous when she turned his way. “Are you sure? I didn’t hurt you?”

He smiled. She really was a smart woman.

“Manuel, can we talk when we get back to camp?”

His gut clenched as he wondered whether this would be a good talk or a bad one. He didn’t really want a lengthy discussion about why she didn’t want a relationship, but he couldn’t deny her when she turned those eyes on him. Keeping his face placid, he agreed. “Okay.” While hoping for the best, he prepared for the worst.

They made the trip back to the camp in tense silence, and Isabel knew she’d worried Manuel by asking to talk. She was worried too. During the time they spent searching the chamber, she couldn’t stop thinking she’d acted in haste. Despite the fact that Manuel and Raúl were entirely different men, she made the same mistake with them both. She relied upon her eyes and her heart to make the decision when she should have asked for God’s direction.

They reached the camp, and Isabel slipped into her tent to change, using the moment of privacy to unload her burdens on her heavenly Father. After changing into dry clothes, Isabel picked up the small Bible she had brought with her on the journey. Just holding the leather-bound pages between her hands infused her with confidence. If she allowed Him to make decisions for her, she wouldn’t need to worry about the outcome. Like a benevolent parent, He wanted the best for her life and offered advice and guidance that would lead her to His perfect will. She had not bothered to talk with Him about Raúl and felt the stinging consequences.

Abuela
had pointed it out to her with such clarity.
You looked with your eyes, and his beauty deceived you. Now you know to look with the discerning eyes of the Spirit. They are more reliable than your natural vision.

“God, I want to see beyond the limitations of my eyes. Your Word says that if I acknowledge You in all my ways, You’ll direct my paths. I need Your direction right now.”

Further words didn’t seem necessary to express the turmoil raging inside her. She simply closed her eyes and opened her heart, offering Him access to her doubts and fear. She knew He would see the desire of her heart, and He would lead her to the best course of action. To Isabel, dating Manuel seemed a natural progression in the relationship they’d begun over a month ago. Friend, companion, and confidant—he’d weathered each marker in the course of their relationship, and she longed to continue the journey, seeing where the path would take them. But as she prepared to offer her heart this time, she wanted divine assurance.

“Is Manuel a part of Your plan for my life?”

As she sat quietly waiting for an answer, warmth washed through her and settled a deep peace in her heart. The touch of His presence brought with it a greater clarity of vision, and she began to view Manuel in a different light. Gone was the fear that had plagued her earlier. In its place lay a quiet assurance that her Father, who could see the future, had granted her His blessing.

Manuel was nothing like Raúl. Though Manuel’s comments about his relationship with God had been brief, he had spoken with sincerity. He wasn’t a man to talk endlessly about his relationship with God when displaying the fruits of it was so much more effective. And when she considered his behavior toward her, he had displayed the values that filled his heart. Daily, Manuel offered her consistency, honesty, and a willingness to show her his weaknesses as well as his strengths. Manuel allowed her a realistic view of himself. She preferred to see a real picture—flaws included—rather than a false pretense like Raúl’s carefully crafted façade. A decision based in truth was a sound one. And a safe one.

Safe. Fear concerning the unanswered questions about the apartment fire crept into her mind, sliding under the warm blanket of newfound peace that enveloped her and running its cold fingers up her spine. She wanted to snatch her burdens out of God’s capable hands.
No, Isabel
. With effort she pushed the fear away and clung to God’s reassurances.

“I’m leaving that in Your hands. I know You wouldn’t mislead me.” Besides, she had no real reason to suspect Manuel’s involvement in the more sinister events of the last month. In fact, she couldn’t find any logical reason to relate the events back to him. Perhaps the fire was a fluke, a coincidence that had touched her life by accident.

Knowing she was wasting energy worrying about problems she had no control over, she put the unpleasant thoughts out of her mind. Through the thin canvas of her tent, she heard Manuel stirring around the campsite. No doubt he was feeling confusion and disappointment over their earlier encounter, and Isabel wanted to set him straight.

When she stepped outside, he was sitting by the fire pit, coaxing up a blaze. Isabel sat in the canvas chair across from him and tucked her hands between her knees.

He glanced up at her. “Time to talk?”

She nodded. “You caught me by surprise earlier. I wasn’t prepared to talk about my feelings, and I think I hurt you.”

He prodded the campfire with a stick, clearly uncomfortable. “It’s all right, Isabel.”

“No, it isn’t because now there’s this awkwardness between us, and that isn’t what I want at all. I like you a lot, Manuel, and the idea of being more than friends …
 
well, it appeals to me.”

“But?”

She could see by his expression that he’d assumed the worst and was waiting for the final blow to strike. His pain became hers, and the urge to reassure him overwhelmed her. “I need to go slow so I can work out some issues.”

“Raúl?”

“Among other things. I have a bad habit of rushing in and making a mess of my life. I don’t want that to happen again.”

He dropped the stick into the fire and leaned back in his chair, assuming a more relaxed posture. “What does ‘go slow’ mean to you?”

“I like how things are between us now. We’ve become good friends, and sometimes, we hold hands or you put your arm around me. We’re just a little ways beyond friendship and that feels right for now.”

He smiled. “Feels right to me too. I’ve wanted to ask you on a date for some time, but circumstances never seemed right.”

Laughter welled up in Isabel’s chest. “Does
now
seem like the right time to start dating? In case you haven’t noticed, we’re hours from the nearest theater or restaurant. I have a sneaking suspicion you were waiting until the cost of dating went down.”

He smiled. “There may be some truth in that, but I’ll never admit it.”

“It’s all right. I’m a simple girl. I don’t expect extravagance.”

“I might surprise you.”

“You already have, Manuel.”

His gaze swept over her, and the warmth in his dark eyes spoke volumes.

“And in answer to your earlier question in the cave, it’s okay that you kissed me, Manuel. Going slow can include an occasional kiss.”

His white teeth contrasted with his dark mustache when he smiled. “You have the softest lips of anyone I’ve kissed in years. Of course, it’s been two years since I’ve dated anyone, so there wasn’t much competition.”

“Thanks a lot!” Giggling, she snatched up a can of bug spray and tossed it at him.

He caught it with little effort and dropped it to the ground beside him. “Don’t worry, you’d have probably won even if there had been other competitors.”

“What do you mean
probably
?”

“It’s hard to be sure when you’ve only kissed me once.”

Isabel tried to look affronted. “I didn’t kiss you! You kissed me.”

“If we’re officially taking this relationship beyond friendship, maybe it’s time you kissed me, Isabel.”

“You’re flirting with me,” she accused.

“Is that allowed?” He circled the campfire and pulled her out of her chair.

Adrenaline raced through her as he folded her into his arms. “I suppose.” Her voice came out in a breathless whisper.

“Are you going to kiss me?” His eyes issued a challenge she couldn’t resist.

Standing on tiptoe, she attempted to plant a chaste peck on his cheek, but he turned his face at the last second and captured her mouth in a deep kiss. Isabel melted against him, deciding she liked his way better than her original plan. He held her captive for several beats of her racing heart before ending the kiss.

He didn’t seem in any hurry to let go of her, so she rested her cheek against his chest and reveled in the wonder and excitement of the new closeness they had found. Even more exhilarating was the sense that she had somehow connected with destiny. The peace and rightness she felt in his arms could surely be trusted.

Manuel finished loading his personal possessions and gear into the back of the jeep and decided to start on the general equipment. After determining the hidden chamber was empty, they spent two more days probing every nook and cranny of the area in the cave once occupied by Rodrigo. The markings on the cave wall proved insignificant to their search and the area yielded no further clues. Deciding to move on to the next location, they drove to the visitor’s center and called Raúl’s cellular phone to let him know of their decision.

Since his hasty departure from camp, Raúl had been staying at a motel an hour’s drive from the cave. He promised to meet them and help transport the gear to the next location—after griping and criticizing their lack of a find.

A reluctance to leave invaded Manuel’s thoughts. The last few days alone with Isabel had been the closest to perfection he’d ever experienced. At first she’d been shy and a little awkward, as if uncertain how to act around him, but soon they relaxed into a comfortable rhythm, finding the right mix of work and play. The transition seemed as natural as breathing to Manuel. He could quickly grow addicted to her company.

The sound of her tent flap unzipping drew his attention. She stepped out into the early morning light and lifted her arms over her head in a deep stretch. The scene reminded him of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon and stretching its wings in preparation for flight, only his butterfly had tousled hair and sleepy eyes.

“Morning, beautiful.”

She dropped into one of the canvas chairs, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Why do you insist on getting up so early?”

“Habit.” He figured the half-truth was safer than telling her that he enjoyed seeing her first thing in the morning, looking soft and vulnerable while sleep still had a hold on her. He wondered what it would be like waking up beside her every morning. Blissful, no doubt. But that sort of speculation was premature. They had a lot to learn about one another before he could consider an arrangement that included matching pillowcases. An explorer at heart, he intended to enjoy every moment of their journey.

She finger-combed her hair and rubbed her eyes, banishing the last traces of the morning look he admired. “How long is the drive to Santo Domingo?”

“Around five hundred kilometers. We’ll be on the road most of the day. I’m hoping we can make camp before nightfall. You riding with me this time?”

“Definitely. I don’t intend to get trapped with Raúl again. He can throw a fit if he wants, but it’s time he accepts that I’m not dating him anymore.”

“If he needs convincing, you’ll let me know, won’t you?” Manuel kept his tone light, but he couldn’t have been more serious. He’d held his feelings in check during the last month, knowing it wasn’t his place to interfere with Isabel’s private life. Now that she had invited him into her inner circle, he didn’t intend to let Raúl bully her.

“Raúl might be difficult to deal with, but I don’t think he’s going to give me any real trouble.” She slipped out of the chair and stood in front of him, resting her palms against his chest. “But thanks for sticking up for me. It feels good to know you’re there for me if I need you.”