Carved in Stone (18 page)

On one level, Alex felt like a child, except she couldn’t remember a single time when she was little when her father had actually hugged her.

But her father’s arms were around her now, and from the broken sound of his breathing she knew he battled the tears she allowed to fall.

Not in her wildest fantasies had she ever imagined Alexander Martin would be concerned about her. So concerned that when her friend Jessie called to inform him Alex was missing, he would actually travel hundreds of miles to see if he could help find her.

“Alexandria, we’ve been so terribly worried.” His low voice was a soothing rumble in her ear. Alex took a deep breath in an attempt to control her runaway emotions.

“What happened, Alex?” Jessie’s familiar voice grounded Alex as no other sound could. “The ranger called and said you and Dr. Murdock were missing, but no one had any idea what happened.”

“The Forest Service had the smugglers in custody, and Dalton told us everyone suspected those three had something to do with your disappearance,” her father said. “But the men refused to talk.”

“The rangers recovered a lot of drugs, but without proof they couldn’t tie those three men to your disappearance,” Jessie added. “We didn’t know if you were dead or alive.”

“What about the artifacts?” Alex asked, suddenly realizing she couldn’t see Nate anywhere. “Did anyone say anything about recovering any old pottery?”

“I’m not sure.” Jessie brushed the tangled hair back from Alex’s face as she answered in a soothing voice. “That’s not important now, Alex. We just need to get you home. You’re a mess. Are you hurt?” She grabbed Alex’s arm and turned her slowly around.

“No, I’m fine.” Alex turned, looking frantically for Nate. “Where’s Nate?” She stepped out of Jessie’s grasp, away from her father’s searching eyes.

One of the rangers heard her question and pointed in the direction of the campsite. “I saw him head over there with Dalton,” he said. “He was talking about some photos he hid.”

“He hid?” Anger grounded Alex. She focused on the last two words of the man’s comment as she searched for a focus for her scattered emotions. “Those are my pictures.”

She stalked across the small meadow, followed by Jessie and her father. Alex noticed that Alexander and Jessie exchanged confused looks, but she didn’t have time to explain right now. Besides, she wasn’t certain she could explain her sudden outrage.

“Nate,” she called, an angry edge to her voice. “Nate, where are you?”

“I’m over here. I’ve got the drive with the pictures.”

Alex pushed the heavy shrubbery aside just as Nate handed the high-capacity thumb drive of all her digital photos and videos to Roger Dalton. She watched as Roger shook Nate’s hand, then stuck the drive in an official-looking pouch.

“What are you doing with that?” She stalked across the clearing and planted her hands on her hips. “Those are my pictures!”

“I know they are.” Nate looked confused. The fact he didn’t understand why she was angry absolutely infuriated her. Hadn’t he listened to anything she’d said?

“I told Roger they were yours,” he said. “So what’s the problem? It’s evidence, and Dalton needs to get it to the authorities.”

Some things never changed. His decision, his choice. Him. “I took those pictures, Nate.” She struggled to keep her voice calm, to control the rage that felt as if it were escalating beyond control. “Don’t you think it should be up to me to turn them over to the authorities myself, when I’m ready?”

“I don’t get it.” Nate pushed his tangled hair out of his eyes with a frustrated motion. He looked to Jessie and Alexander Martin, as if asking for an explanation, then back at Alex.

“Do you want me to get it back from Roger, so you can hand it to him?” he asked in a condescending tone.

“No, dammit!” she shouted. “That’s not the point.” She looked around at the small crowd that was gathering, drawn by Alex’s raised voice. “You just don’t get it, do you?” she said, feeling the exhaustion of the past few days, the pain of the past few minutes.

Straightening her spine, Alex looked directly at Nate, regarding him silently for a long, contemplative moment. Then she turned her attention to the pilot. “Do you need me for anything else, Mr. Dalton?” she asked formally.

“Not right away, Ms. Martin,” he answered, looking briefly at Nate, then back at Alex. “Make sure we have an address so the authorities can get hold of you for questioning. I think it’ll be okay for you to leave.”

He turned to Nate. “You can give us most of what we need to know for now, can’t ya, Doc?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so,” Nate answered softly. Alex refused to meet his eyes when he slowly added, “I guess Ms. Martin can leave anytime she wants.”

Chapter 13

Nate watched Alex walk stiffly across the meadow, flanked on one side by her father and on the other by a petite blond woman. How could she leave him? After what they’d shared, what they meant to each other, how could she casually walk out of his life?

He glanced at Roger, at the expression of total confusion written on the pilot’s dark face, and wondered if that look mirrored his own.

He couldn’t let her go, not until he figured out what the hell was going on. Desperate, he started after her, his tired legs barely able to achieve a slow jog.

“Alex! Alex, wait up.”

She paused but didn’t turn around.

“Alex, you signed a contract, remember?” he shouted, demanding her attention. Reaching out to touch the rigid line of her shoulder, he felt the tension vibrating through her body.

“You have a six-week contract with me,” he repeated, waiting for a response. “Alex?”

She twisted out of his grasp and turned to face him, blue eyes blazing, her face a welter of conflicting emotions. Unblinking, she glanced at her father, then her friend, before she turned back to Nate.

“The contract was for a study of your mysterious petroglyphs. Am I correct?” Her voice was a lot steadier than Nate felt. “Well, I get the feeling the last thing we should do is tell the world about those glyphs. I want no part of turning the daughter of Ixchel and the son of Chac’s home into a feature story on the evening news. Count me out of any further study.”

“What do you mean count you out?” Nate glared at her. She couldn’t back out now. He wouldn’t let her. There was too much at stake.

Maybe she didn’t know! He grabbed both her shoulders, fighting the urge to shake some sense into her. “Alex, they recovered the bowls. They’re in great shape. Not even a crack. You said the daughter of Ixchel wanted them back. I think we should return them to her. No publicity, no outside interference. Just you and me returning stolen goods to the rightful owners. It’s a way to say thank you. Don’t you want to be in on that?”

The shocked expression on Alex’s face was proof she didn’t know the pottery had been recovered. Nate shook his head sadly, regretting his heavy-handed method of getting her attention. He should never have invoked the contract. That wasn’t the way to make her stay.

Nate realized both Alex’s father and her friend were staring suspiciously at him. The two hovered over Alex like a pair of protective mother hens. He held his right hand out to Alexander Martin, waiting an interminable moment before the man grasped it.

“I’m Nathan Murdock, Mr. Martin,” he said, forcing Alex’s father to make eye contact. At the moment their gazes met, Nate realized how disconcerting it was to look into this man’s face and see Alex’s brilliant blue eyes assessing him.

“I’m really sorry Alex had to get involved in this mess,” Nate added, glancing briefly in Alex’s direction. “Your daughter is a very brave and resourceful woman.”

“What happened, anyway?” Martin asked, his eyes turning to Alex, then back to Nate. “We have absolutely no idea where you two have been for the past four days.”

“Four days?” Both Alex and Nate spoke at the same time.

“I can’t believe it’s been four days!” Alex repeated. “No wonder I’m so hungry.”

“It’s what, Saturday?” Nate asked of no one in particular. When everyone nodded, he turned his attention back to Alex, dismissing her father’s question. “Go home, or back to Weaverville, or whatever. You might want to get checked out at the hospital, make sure none of those cuts and scratches got infected or anything. Get some food and some rest. I’ll expect you back on-site by Tuesday morning. Can you manage that?”

Alex nodded silently, a bemused expression on her face. Nate realized he was pushing it, giving her orders like this, but he figured it was the best method to get her back on the job. They’d have plenty of time to work things out between them once she returned to the campsite.

“You’re going to have to replace your equipment. Can you get what you need around here? You’ll be reimbursed for any expenses.”

“I can take care of that.” Alex’s father answered Nate, but he was looking directly at his daughter. “I’ll make sure Alexandria is ready by Tuesday.”

“C’mon.” The blond grabbed Alex by the arm. “You need a good hot meal and a bath.” She perused Alex’s tangled hair and filthy clothes, then glanced briefly at Nate and laughed. “Boy, do you need a bath!” She turned her attention to Roger Dalton. “Mr. Dalton, would you be able to fly us back to Weaverville? Mr. Martin and I have a couple of rooms there, and Alex looks like she’s just about ready to fold.”

“No problem, ma’am. You coming, Doc?” Roger asked. “They’ll probably want you for a statement back at the office.”

Nate studied Alex’s face a moment, realizing she hadn’t spoken at all in the past few minutes. Her friend was right, she did look ready to collapse. “No,” he answered Roger, but his eyes were on Alex. She obviously needed time away from him. “I’ll come in on the next trip.”

“See ya in about an hour.” Roger tipped his hat in Nate’s direction, then turned to help Alex board the chopper. The rescue team and sheriff’s deputies climbed in behind them. Within a few minutes the large craft was airborne, disappearing over the towering trees.

Nate watched them leave, wondering if he’d made a grave error letting Alex out of his sight. He loved her. He didn’t doubt she loved him, but they were both so tired, so easily confused.

He wandered across the small meadow, back under the shade of the towering redwoods. At least the smugglers were behind bars and the pottery had been saved. He felt thankful for those small bits of good news.

Now, if he could only figure out how to save his fragile relationship with Alex.

“I can’t believe you spent four days wandering through a cave!” Jessie’s voice barely penetrated the haze of exhaustion enveloping Alex. She’d felt disoriented from the moment she ran into the meadow, into the unexpected embrace of her father.

“I’ve drawn a bath for you, Alexandria.” Her father’s voice again. It was just weird—why was he here? He never willingly went anywhere she might be; in fact, he’d avoided her for years. She stared at her half-eaten salad, surprised food could taste like cardboard after so many days without a real meal.

The room where Jessie had taken Alex was actually a tiny cabin nestled beneath a towering stand of Douglas fir and cedar trees. Alex’s father had the adjoining cabin, but he had remained with the two women while Alex recounted a brief summary of the past few days.

Definitely the censored version. She’d carefully kept Nate’s role limited to that of her employer. She couldn’t let herself think about him any other way, not now, when the mere thought of the man made her eyes sting and her heart beat faster.

“A bath sounds wonderful.” She smiled gratefully at her father, unsure of him in this new role. No matter—it was so unique, so unexpected, she was more than willing to play along.

A long hot bath would give her the opportunity to think about her father, and Nate, and the fact she was committed to spending at least five more weeks working with a man she loved but wasn’t sure she liked.

The tub was an old-fashioned claw-footed monstrosity, the porcelain chipped and scarred along the edges and the metal soap dish bent and discolored. But the water was hot, and it covered Alex to her chin. Her father had thoughtfully added a handful of bath beads, and lavender-scented steam filled the small knotty-pine bathroom.

The daughter of Ixchel may have pushed the healing process of Alex’s cuts and scrapes ahead of schedule, but the soapy water still stung as it covered her. The pain from the cuts and abrasions had an oddly soothing effect. It reminded her the past four days had actually happened.

Alex’s thoughts returned to Wednesday’s climb up the plateau and the bullets ricocheting off the rocks, slicing into her face and arms. Those cuts were practically healed. All but the deepest ones on her right shoulder. Nate had cleaned them out, and she remembered his gentle touch against her skin.

The lacerations on her left arm were deeper, caused by flying rock during the cave-in. They hadn’t been tended as carefully and probably should have had stitches. Should have, except now they appeared to be healing without a sign of either infection or scarring.

She held her hands up out of the steaming water. Blisters swelled out of old calluses and rope burns had torn the blisters. The newest injuries must have occurred in the final cavern, when Nate slipped and was trapped in the rising current.

She shuddered to think how close he had come to drowning, how hard she had pulled on the rope looped over his shoulder. Her arms and back still ached from the exertion, but she had saved him.

But had she done it alone or had the gentle spirit of the cavern aided her? No matter, so long as Nate was okay.

Nate. Her thoughts always returned to Nate. Memories of his hands on her breasts, his lips touching her intimately, bringing her to unimaginable heights of passion, soothing her fear in the darkness of the caverns.

The images were dreamlike when she tried to recall the little details of his touch, but the tranquillizing bath and her tired body were working against her. She was mad at Nate, wasn’t she? Just what had happened this morning that made her so angry? The details hovered at the edge of her memory, until a quiet tapping on the door brought her out of her reverie.

“Alex? Are you okay?” Jessie stuck her head around the bathroom door, a look of concern on her face. “You’ve been in here a long time.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. C’mon in. It feels too good to get out.” Alex gestured toward the toilet.

She chuckled as Jessie perched on the edge of the scarred wooden seat. With her tiny frame, big brown eyes and frizzy blond hair, Jessie looked like a child.

“How long have we been having our conversations like this?” Alex asked, not really expecting an answer.

“Ever since we quit taking our baths together, I guess.” Jessie tilted her head to one side, smiling. “I remember when you were about three you begged to take your bath alone because you were a big girl. When Mom finally gave in, you insisted I stay in the room to keep you company.”

“Yeah. Well, I had a good reason.” Alex shot her a quick grin. “You always hogged all the toys. At least when you were exiled to sitting on the pot, I got to play with everything.”

“As I recall, you took complete control of the entire rubber ducky squadron.” This time, Jessie laughed aloud.

“You know me,” Alex said quietly. “Always in control.”

“You’ve got that right.”

Alex glanced up as Jessie answered. She was obviously oblivious to the emotional undercurrents behind Alex’s comment.

“Okay. Enough small talk.” Jessie winked at her. “Now tell me about Nathan Murdock. You don’t spend four days in a cave with a hunk like that and just walk away!”

Alex glanced toward the half-open door.

“It’s all right. Your dad went to the airport to check on a flight back to Big Sur. He plans to fly down to get some extra camera equipment for you. We can get the rest of the stuff you need up here.”

“I don’t get it, Jess. What’s Dad doing here?” She almost sighed with relief, with the chance to change the subject. “He’s actually acting like a father. In fact, he’s acting like everything’s fine between us, even though we’ve hardly spoken in years.”

“I know. But when the sheriff’s department notified me you were missing, I figured he should be told. When I called, he insisted on coming up with me.” She shrugged. “Go figure.”

Alex slid under the water to rinse her hair, then stood and grabbed the heavy towel Jessie automatically handed to her. When she was dry, she slipped into a terry-cloth bathrobe of Jessie’s and suddenly remembered that all of her clothes had been destroyed.

“I don’t have anything to put on!” She laughed and glanced down at her long legs extending below the short hem of the faded green robe. “The crooks tore up all my clothes. I refuse to put those stinky things I was wearing back on.”

“I’ve got some running shorts and a tee top that should fit you.” Jessie backed out of the small bathroom to give Alex enough space to comb out her long hair. “You still haven’t answered my question about you and Nathan Murdock. What gives?”

Alex stared thoughtfully at her reflection in the steamy mirror. “I don’t know, Jess. I really don’t know.” She turned, smiled at Jessie and sighed. “But it looks like I’ve got five more weeks to find out.”

The afternoon turned unusually warm. Jessie had fallen asleep on one of the narrow beds in the cabin. Alex sat on the shaded deck, idly playing with the melting ice cubes in her glass of iced tea.

She’d half expected Nate to come by, at least to check on her. She knew he must be busy, and she was sure he was still angry, but she waited on the deck anyway, hoping to see him.

Her father was next door in his cabin, packing his bags for the flight to Big Sur. He’d been forced to charter a private plane, but money had never been a problem for Alexander Martin. Not for the man who won a Pulitzer. Alex swallowed the bitterness that memory still evoked. She would never be able to forgive him for stealing her photos, because he’d stolen more than pictures.

He’d stolen her trust.

“Alexandria?” He called to her from the open window at the front of his cabin. “I’ll be leaving in about twenty minutes. Are there any particular lenses you want me to bring back for you?”

“I gave you the list.” She knew she sounded abrupt, but she really didn’t want to talk with him right now. “Just find what you can. If you don’t have some of the stuff, I’ll make do.”

Alexander stepped quietly out to the shady deck, his leather carryall hanging over his shoulder. Alex glanced up at him, impressed as usual with his striking appearance. Her father was taller than average, the blond hair of his youth now turned to an all-over silver. He was a handsome man, but he wore his intractability like a cloak of armor.

She had always thought of him as cold and unforgiving, but this morning’s embrace had chipped away at that image. For some reason, she was uncomfortable thinking kindly of him. She remembered telling Nate that she wanted her father to love her, but in all honesty she wasn’t certain she wanted that at all.