And he knew from everything Mrs. Dennison had said and hinted during their phone conversations over the past two weeks that she believed totally in a future for him and Abby. Had always believed in it. Apparently he’d been the only one to come late to the realization that they belonged together.
When he’d hung up, he looked over to see Jared standing in the doorway, studying him thoughtfully.
“What’s on your mind?” he inquired grumpily.
“Just trying to figure out what it’ll take to get you out of this room.”
“I’ll leave when Abby does,” Riley said. He took a closer look at Jared and decided his associate had the appearance of a man with something heavy on his mind. “What’s up with you?”
“I had a call from Mexico City this morning.”
“Oh?”
“The people who hired you to look for that Mayan temple are getting nervous. There are rumors that another team is right on the verge of pinning down the location. You know what’ll happen if they get there first.”
Riley muttered a curse under his breath. “I know, all right. If Higgins is involved, he’ll rob the place blind, then tell the authorities where it is.”
“Exactly. He’s not known for his deep sense of civic obligation.”
Riley drew in a deep breath. He knew what he had to do, the choice he had to make. He could no longer delay Jared. Nor could he go with him.
“Take Manuel and go,” he said. “I don’t want that thief being the first person on the scene, especially if he’s the one who had anything to do with what happened to Abby.”
“You don’t know he was anywhere near us that day,” Jared warned, regarding him worriedly.
“I’ve got a sixth sense when it comes to that guy. He has the scruples of a street thug. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone to get what he wanted. He wanted those maps in the worst way.” He shrugged. “You don’t have to rely on my guesswork. Manuel will be able to identify him.”
Jared nodded. “If he does, I will see that Higgins pays for hurting her. I’ll probably have to keep Manuel from shooting him on sight.”
Riley grinned. “Don’t fight him too hard.”
Jared squeezed his shoulder. “I know it wasn’t easy for you, but you’ve made the right choice,” he said lightly.
“There was no choice,” Riley contradicted. “I belong with her. I always have.”
Jared nodded approvingly. “It’s about time you came to that conclusion. I’ll stay in touch. The minute Abby gets out of here, I expect you to join us.”
“Count on it.”
“Both of you,” Jared added, in case he’d missed the point.
“I doubt Abby would have it any other way,” Riley said dryly. “And I think if she pulls through, there won’t be anything I could ever deny her.”
When Jared had gone, Riley pulled his chair closer to the bed. “I hope you heard some of that, Abby. That temple is out there somewhere just waiting for us. All you have to do is wake up and give me another chance. This time I promise you, we’ll find it together.”
* * *
“We’ll find it together.” Together. The word echoed in Abby’s head. This time when she blinked and opened her eyes, the world she awakened to was more familiar, though she had no idea how she had wound up in a hospital bed surrounded by all sorts of modern medical technology. Where was she exactly? She had a vague recollection of a trip to Mexico, of some sort of argument with Riley that had escalated out of control, of impetuously leaving him in the middle of nowhere.
Maybe her presence here in this hospital had something to do with those wild, impossible dreams she’d had. Clearly something or someone had conked her on the head. And her shoulder felt like hell. She felt as if she’d lived through several very eventful lifetimes that had drained her of every last bit of energy. She promised herself that later, when she felt stronger, she would try to piece it all together.
But though her memories now seemed thoroughly muddled, one thing did stand out distinctly. Riley. She recalled quite clearly that he had surfaced time and again. And each time it had seemed as if they had grown closer and closer to resolving the differences that had sent her off alone into the Mexican rain forest.
In fact, it suddenly came to her, in the end he had shared his quest for gold with her, rather than sending her off when the going got tough. He admitted that they were destined to be a team. And finally, after what seemed like eons, he had openly declared his love for her. With a surge of pure joy, she recalled that he had actually asked her to marry him.
Was any of that true? Or had she only dreamed it all?
If only real life weren’t so much more complicated, she thought with a sigh of regret. If only Riley weren’t so bullheaded and obstinate about protecting her, instead of listening to her and respecting her yearning to share his adventures. But he was bullheaded and obstinate. That was real life, not these fantasies she’d had while she’d slept.
Still groggy and aching all over, she cautiously shifted her head on the pillow, and that was when she saw him. Her heart thumped unsteadily at the sight of him. Her dear, precious Riley hadn’t abandoned her, after all. A tiny spark of hope flared to life somewhere deep inside her.
He was actually there, sitting in a chair beside the bed, rumpled and clearly exhausted, his head sagging. His cheeks were shadowed by the beginnings of a beard. His streaked blond hair was mussed. She smiled as she visualized him raking his fingers through it. His brow was creased by a frown, as if his worries had followed him into sleep. One tanned, callused hand rested on the bed beside her. She wondered
