“Why?” he demanded baldly.
“I became aware that your assignment on Santa Estella had a great impact on you. Your connection with Ms. Jenner, of course, but also your feeling about continuing your association with the–” His eyelid flickered, almost as if he’d winked. “–government.”
“Why would you . . . Good Lord, you recommended me to be Taumaturgio? You!”
“Why wouldn’t I? I know some might see our relationship as a bar, but I have confidence in my ability to separate my filial loyalty from my professional assessment.”
“Filial loyalty,” Daniel repeated, torn between laughing at the typically Robertian phrasing and an odd sensation in his throat.
“And from a strictly professional standpoint, you were perfect. Your appearance made it feasible for you to blend in with the natives, you had a foundation in the language as well as a remarkable knack for picking up local variants, you could fly through the eye of a needle, as one of your evaluations said, and you could think on your feet. The name Taumaturgio, of course, wasn’t part of the original conception. But I did think it added an appropriate touch when it came to my attention.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. With that settled–” He put the briefcase on the bench and started to rise. “–I will be on my way.”
“Wait.” When his brother obeyed the order, Daniel wasn’t sure how to follow it up. “Uh, do you have to leave right away?”
“No. The next flight to Denver doesn’t leave until 9 p.m.”
“In that case, why don’t you come to dinner. I’m grilling steaks at Kendra’s. You can meet her and Matthew–” Daniel stood and met his brother’s gaze. “–your nephew.”
A smile spread across Robert’s unremarkable features, slowly and completely. “I’d like that.”
As they walked toward the cars, for the first time he could remember, Daniel clapped a hand to his brother’s shoulder.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was unlike any evening Daniel had known.
Kendra reacted to his bringing Robert as if he’d bagged the biggest trophy ever created. In an odd way he felt the same way.
Robert had insisted on stopping for a bottle of wine, and Daniel had felt like a bumpkin for not having thought of that himself. He might have felt more that way as Robert and Kendra debated with relish the fine points of a political race that took place while he was in Santa Estella, except at one point Kendra met his eyes, and totally lost her train of thought. After that, Daniel was satisfied to sit back and listen.
Matthew had clung to his mother. He’d called Robert first Luke, then Daniel. By the end of the evening, he had mastered a version of Robert that a close listener could understand. And Robert turned out to be a very close listener.
He sat on the floor building an unrecognizable structure with Matthew from blocks. Matthew would jabber for a while, then Robert would reply with an elaboration on the structural benefits of various designs, and each punctuated his listening with serious nods as though he’d understood the other’s point completely.
Somehow Robert maneuvered it so Daniel put Matthew to bed right before it was time to leave to get Robert to his flight. As he returned to the kitchen, Daniel heard the tail end of Robert’s words to Kendra.
“. . . all extremely grateful for your influence in settling Daniel. You have been extraordinarily efficacious in bringing out the best in him. I have never seen him so happy. And with this new employment, he has an opportunity to settle permanently.”
“New employ–?”
Daniel hurried around the corner. “Robert brought along papers that should satisfy any questions on my credentials for the search and rescue job.” He met Kendra’s gaze, and saw the realization sink in. “Thanks again for doing that, Robert. I’ll get them to the sheriff first thing in the morning.”
“I do believe that will settle all these unresolved matters in your favor, Daniel.”
“I hope so.” But from Kendra’s expression, it was a thin hope.
That didn’t diminish her farewell to Robert, but she would have backed away when Daniel reached for her–if he’d let her. He held her face between his palms for an intended brief kiss. Her immediate response lengthened it.
“I’ll call you after I get Robert on the plane,” he promised when he released her.
Even as she waved them off, she didn’t meet his eyes, and a half dozen tries that night reached only her answering machine.
*
“Daniel, I think someone’s here to see you,” Rufus said from the other side of the single-engine four-seater they were checking out the next morning.
He came around the nose of the plane, and saw Kendra getting out of her car. He’d tried her phone again between getting the paper’s to the sheriff, and later receiving word that all was in order, and the job was his. Still only Kendra’s machine answered.
They met inside the main gate.
“Kendra.” He reached for her, she stepped away.
“No, Daniel. Let me say this. I’ve been up since you and Robert left, and I’ve thought this through. You would walk into the teeth of a hurricane to help someone. You fly into hell to help people.
“Those are choices you make, Daniel. Choices between staying home safe with your family or flying off to the rescue of strangers. No–don’t say anything. I respect you for what you do. Respect you more than I can say. But I’m not as noble as you are.” A tear slipped free and her lips trembled, but her chin firmed and she kept speaking. “I want you safe and by my side. And when you’re not . . . I can’t let myself love you. I can’t take that pain.”
“Anything you wanted to know about me, I’ve told you. I’ve followed all your rules with Matthew. I quit my job. And now you’re asking me to give up flying?”
“No. I’m not asking that. I couldn’t do that to you. I know you can’t give it up. I do know that now, Daniel.”
“Then what are you–? Matthew?”
“No, I’m not saying to give up Matthew,
