Pearls (13 page)

The comment piqued Isabel’s curiosity. “You never liked Raúl, did you,
Abuela
? We never had a chance to discuss my relationship with him. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner, but I’d like to hear your thoughts now.”

“Your Raúl, he is beautiful to look at, but inside, he has no substance. This is the way of many men, not just in this country, I think. Beauty and wealth are double-edged swords. They can offer tremendous advantages to those who wield them correctly; however, skill with a sword does not make one a victor.”

“What are you saying, grandmother?”

“Success can be measured in many ways. God measures a man by his fruit—fruit of the Spirit, that is. Despite Raúl’s many favorable attributes, he lacks godly character. You could not see it at the time,
Nieta
. 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.”

Though her grandmother spoke with compassion, Isabel felt the sting of the rebuke. “I was having trouble adjusting at school. I wanted so much to make friends and feel like I belonged. I think I let my loneliness get the best of my judgment. When Raúl came along, I was vulnerable.” Isabel fell silent, still wrestling with the fresh wounds of her failed relationship.

Her grandmother seemed to sense her need for solitude and remained quiet for a while. After they rounded the back corner of the garden and began the walk back to the house, she spoke. “Do you think this Manuel has the character to match his attractive face?”

Isabel pondered her grandmother’s words in silence for a moment. “I don’t know,
Abuela
. I guess I haven’t really talked to him much, at least not about personal issues. He’s shared a little about himself, but we mostly talk about the journal or archaeology.”

“Perhaps he feels reluctant to discuss personal matters with you because of your relationship with Raúl.”

“Maybe.”

“You should talk to him sometime, Isabel. I mean really talk. You would like him very much.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He is a good man. Loyal, hard-working, committed. And he is a Christian.”

Isabel stopped near a rose arbor and turned to face her grandmother. “How do you know all of this,
Abuela
?”

“While you hide in your room, he sits in the kitchen and talks with me. Sometimes we walk in the garden, or he drives me to the store. I enjoy his company. You would too.” Her grandmother’s lips parted in a mischievous smile.

“Just what are you saying,
Abuela
?”

“You have my blessing if you want to date him, Isabel.”

A hot flush climbed Isabel’s neck and face. “I don’t think I’m ready for another relationship, and even if I was, what makes you think Manuel would be right for me?”

Doña Montez lifted her chin to a defiant angle. “I am old, but I am not blind. I see what you refuse to acknowledge.”

They resumed their walk and soon the back wall of Casa Grande came into sight. Bending, Isabel laid a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. “I love you,
Abuela
, even when you talk in riddles.”

Her grandmother tipped back her head and laughed. “You will see when you are ready, Isabel.”

Isabel hefted the last box into her arms and carried it to Manuel, who arranged the supplies in the cargo bed of one of the jeeps they’d rented for the journey. Still groggy from rising before dawn, she yawned as she handed over her load.

“Is this the last one?” He lifted the box from her grasp as if it weighed nothing. Since meeting her for breakfast at five o’clock in the morning, he’d shown no signs of weariness or fatigue. Isabel might find his energy irritating if she were awake enough to care. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she ambled toward the house, wanting to nurse a cup of black coffee while they waited for Raúl to arrive.

“Wait, Isabel. I need your help tying down the supplies.” He held a coiled length of rope aloft. “I don’t want our gear bouncing out of the jeep when we hit the rougher roads.”

“Okay, sure.” When she walked back toward him, she stumbled over a root hidden by the grass and fell against Manuel’s chest, clutching at him to steady herself.

His arms wrapped around her as his deep, pleasant laughter met her ears. “Falling for me, are you?”

She lifted her face until she met his gaze. The look in his eyes set her pulse throbbing in her neck, and embarrassment about her clumsiness faded away. The tenderness in his eyes wreaked havoc with her heart.

When she didn’t move to break the contact, he tightened his embrace, his gaze shifting from her eyes to her lips. Isabel felt the breath leave her lungs as he lowered his face toward hers. Wanting to experience his kiss, her eyes fluttered shut, and she surrendered herself to the moment.

The blare of a horn startled them both, and they jumped apart as Raúl’s car skidded to a stop beside them. His eyes blazed fire. Raúl climbed from his car in silence, though the looks he flashed their direction spoke volumes. With tight, jerky movements, he pulled his suitcase from the trunk and thrust it into Manuel’s hands. “Go pack this in the jeep.”

Manuel seemed to take the incident in stride, appearing almost amused at Raúl’s behavior. Isabel did not feel so charitable. The condescending way her ex-boyfriend ordered Manuel around infuriated her, and she wondered how long the two men would be able to work together before Raúl’s attitude caused a fight. She felt partly responsible for the animosity, yet helpless to amend the problem.

Men! Maybe I’m crazy for even considering this trip
.

As soon as Manuel turned his back, Raúl grasped her hand and pulled her out of hearing distance. He turned her to face him, his hands caressing her upper arms. Before her eyes, his angry mask transformed into one of sympathy and concern. “Has he been bothering you,
mi amor
?”

Isabel stepped back, moving out of range of his touch. “Who? Manuel?”

“Don’t worry, Isabel. I won’t let him pressure you in any way. I’ll have a talk with him when we reach our first location.”

She scowled at Raúl. “I think you misunderstood.”

“I misunderstood nothing,” he snapped. “Manuel is trying to gain your affections so he can use them to his advantage. If we find this treasure, you stand to gain a great deal of money. Men like him,
los pobres
, the poor, they will do anything to attain wealth, and that includes taking advantage of a woman’s heart.”

“Is that what you’re trying to do, Raúl? Are you using me?”

“No!”

Isabel had to give him credit. The outrage reflected on his face looked genuine.

“I love you, Isabel. I only want to see you safe and happy. As your fiancé, caring for you is my duty.”

Isabel shook her head in disgust. “You were never my fiancé, Raúl, and we are no longer even dating. So I’d say your duty is to mind your own business.”

She tried to stalk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “I can see that Manuel has confused you. I was unwise to allow you to spend so much time with him these last weeks.”

Isabel’s shoulders tensed with fury. “
Allow
me? Since when are you in charge of my life? I will do what I want, when I want.”

He smiled down at her as he might a small child. “Calm down, Isabel. Hysterics won’t solve our problems.”

“
I
don’t have any problems, Raúl.
You
do. That’s why we’re not dating anymore.” A hundred angry and cruel comments rushed into her mind, but she clamped her lips together and refused to say more, recognizing that despite her anger she wanted to conduct herself in a manner that upheld her values.

Manuel chose that moment to interrupt their conversation. “Hey, you guys ready to go?” he called from his position near the jeeps.

“Yes!” Isabel hurried to his side before Raúl had a chance to protest.

Manuel gave a final tug on the rope securing the load and turned to face her. “You riding with me?” he asked.

Before she could answer, Raúl stepped in between them, and hissed a reply through gritted teeth. “No, she’ll ride with me.”

Manuel reacted like a bull with a red flag waved in front of him. His hand snapped out and latched onto the collar of Raúl’s designer shirt. “Why don’t you let her decide?”

Isabel stepped between them before punches started flying. “It’s all right, Manuel. Raúl and I have some issues to discuss.” She gave him a pleading look and hoped he’d understand her intentions from the businesslike tone of voice she used. For some reason, she wanted to assure Manuel that no romantic feelings remained between her and Raúl, at least not on her end.

Manuel released his hold on Raúl’s collar and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Let’s go then.”

She climbed into the passenger seat of Raúl’s jeep, trying hard to ignore the smug smile on his face.
God help me. I think these men will kill each other before a week passes ... if I don’t beat them to it.

The jeep’s engine and the rush of air through the open cab created too much noise for conversation. After several failed attempts at shouting her thoughts at Raúl, Isabel resigned herself to riding in silence. They would have to discuss their relationship later.

On their way to the main road, they passed through several villages. Most consisted of little more than a few tumbledown buildings arranged in haphazard proximity. Isabel thought the modest villages were quaint, like still lifes from another era. She especially liked one in particular. A run-down shack served as a general store to the inhabitants of the countryside. The old-fashioned gas pump beside it offered the only fuel for miles around. As they approached, Isabel leaned against the door of the jeep, preparing to enjoy the picturesque setting.

Instead of the rush of pleasure she expected, she felt a jolt of terror. Lounging atop a rusted-out truck in front of the general store sat the man whose mug shot the police had shown her, the man involved in organized crime.

Their eyes locked across the distance.

Recognition rolled across his features, and his lips curled into a sneer. He raised one hand and pointed at her, a simple but thoroughly threatening gesture.

A chill of fear rippled down her spine. It appeared as if he’d been waiting for her. But how could he know she’d be driving this road … unless someone had told him of their plans? She glanced at Manuel’s jeep just ahead of them on the road, then to Raúl beside her. Would one of the men do such a thing? Both claimed to care for her on some level, and yet, she didn’t know either one of them very well.

Her vulnerability assailed her, and she questioned her wisdom in embarking on this trip. Once out in the wilderness, help would be far away and there would be nowhere to hide from danger. What had she gotten herself into?

His hands gripped the steering wheel of the jeep until his knuckles turned white from the strain.
What’s he doing, sitting by the side of the road like he’s been waiting for me?
Panic seized him at the sight of the man, eerily pointing at their caravan. He’d told them he was leaving town. Was this their form of a sendoff, a reminder, or an overt threat?

After six hours muscling the jeep over rugged roads, Manuel led their mini-caravan inside the boundaries of the
Parque Nacional
and followed the directions sent by the park rangers to a site not far from the mouth of the cave. He had called ahead and received permission from the park board to do some exploration in and around the cave. His references from Central University garnered him the respect he needed to obtain unrestricted access.

When he found the clearing the park employees had suggested as a campsite, he pulled his jeep off the rough access road that served workers in the wild, beautiful area. Tall trees surrounding the clearing would provide them with shade most of the day, while dewy ferns and flowering plants offered a palette of colors and smells to please the senses.

The location was not perfect, lacking amenities such as electricity, water, and restrooms, but they could make themselves comfortable and accomplish their goals. Besides, this would provide a good trial run before they moved to the other locations, remote enough to make this one seem luxurious. He had some reservations about his partners’ abilities to endure the conditions they would encounter in the field. Isabel and Raúl were still close enough to civilization to make a quick return if the going was too rough for them.

The other jeep rolled to a stop behind his, and Isabel climbed from the vehicle with slow, stiff movements. Placing her hands on her lower back, she leaned side to side, stretching out the kinks inflicted by the rough ride. “I would kill for an iced tea and a recliner chair right now.”

Manuel chuckled, reached into the back of his jeep, and pulled out a few items. “I can offer you a canvas chair and a bottled water. Will that do?”