Her Greek Doctor's Proposal (21 page)

She sighed and tried to pull her attention back to work. While she concentrated on making a long to-do list for the project in Turkey, Mel came into the office and leaned down to give her a hug.

“I heard about your grant, girl. Congratulations, you deserve it! Your parents would be so incredibly proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

“I know. They would.” And she was glad. Glad to know they’d be proud, in comparison to all the
times they hadn’t been so proud. All the times she hadn’t quite lived up to the standards they’d set for her.

“And yet you don’t seem very happy.” Mel sat in the chair next to the desk and rested her elbow on it. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I’m happy. Just tired, I guess. My moment of fame, being interviewed for magazines and on TV, has been pretty exhausting, I’ve got to say.” She kept her voice light and joking, but knew Mel would probably see right through it.

“Mmm-hmm. More so than working ten solid hours digging rocks on a hot mountainside, which never seemed to exhaust you. So tell me the truth.”

Laurel leaned back in the swivel chair, and just the thought of telling Mel made her feel like a traitor to her parents. To their dreams. “I achieved everything I wanted to this year. Got my doctorate, the grant money, and most incredibly, we found the statue. There’s clearly something wrong with me that it doesn’t feel like…enough.”

“Maybe because it’s not what you really wanted after all.”

“Of course it is. I wanted to finish this dig for Mom and Dad, and I wanted to get going on the achievements they planned for me.”

“What do you want for yourself?”

Laurel stared at her. “I already told you. Their work—”

“Exactly.
Their
work. Which doesn’t have to be yours, Laurel. I know, as their oldest, they always expected—demanded—a lot of you. You took on the care of your sisters, which wasn’t easy. Took on your grad studies, then took on the task of finishing the Delphi dig, with spectacular success. So why do you feel like that’s not enough?”

She stared at Mel, gathering her thoughts. Asking herself that question. “Because it’s not. For years, they talked about me heading up a dig as soon as I got my PhD. Planned to help make it happen so I’d get started in that role even younger than they were. I may be behind, but I still want to make it happen.”

“For you, or for them, to fulfill their dream for you? Maybe it’s time for you to ask yourself if what you thought you wanted is really just what
they
wanted.” Mel reached to hold her hand. “Maybe focusing on all this has been your way of unconsciously dealing with the grief that’s still inside you over your parents dying. A way to come to peace with that.”

Stunned, Laurel met Mel’s gaze. Was it possible she’d convinced herself she wanted to do the
project in Turkey for that reason? Not because that was what called to her professionally?

“I…I don’t know. But I do love archaeology. I love digging and finding and recording history. Really, I do.”

“I know you do. Just think about the rest of it, will you?” Mel squeezed her hand. “By the way, Helen called me. Said she’d been trying to get hold of you and wanted me to tell you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

She stared at Mel as she left the room, still confused by their conversation, then dialed her sister. “Hey, sweetie, what’s up?”

“Hi, Laurel! Guess what?”

She smiled at the enthusiasm in her bubbly little sister’s voice. “What?”

“Professor Green said he wants me to come back to this dig next summer, after I’m finished with my first year of college! Do you really think it’ll be a good thing to put on my grad-school applications?”

“Congrats! Yes, it definitely will. I’m proud of you for working hard and going for it.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she wondered if she sounded exactly like her parents. Pushing instead of just encouraging. “But you may find other things you want to study after this coming year. Don’t feel like you have to plan your whole future right this minute.”

“Okay, I won’t. Thanks for being the best big sister ever and for always giving me good advice.”

Her heart squished at her sister’s words. “I don’t think I’ve always done that so well.”

“Sure you have. I want to tell you how much I love you for that. How much all three of us do.”

“I love you too.” Laurel stared at the phone after they said their goodbyes. Realizing that all her sisters had said sweet things like this before, but she hadn’t really heard them. Had she been too worried about how she was “failing” at being a parent to notice the things she might be doing right?

Maybe she’d been mistaken about a lot of things she’d been so sure of. And if she had been, maybe it was time to get it right.

* * *

“There’s another picture of Laurel, Daddy!”

Cassie’s stubby finger pointed at the photo in the magazine, but she hadn’t needed to. Most readers probably focused on the pictures of the spectacular golden statue he’d been blessed enough to help find, but he saw only Laurel. Her intelligent blue eyes, her sweet, smiling lips, her beautiful face. Her hair—hair that he knew all too well felt silky soft within his fingers—spilling in golden waves over her shoulders.

“Yes. There are quite a few pictures of her in these magazines, aren’t there?”

“Why?”

“Because the statue was an amazing find. There’s nothing like it in the whole world, and Laurel’s the one who kept looking for it.”

“You helped her. You found it too. Why isn’t your picture in here with hers?”

He wished there were photos of the two of them together, but it wasn’t meant to be. Probably his penance for the years he’d dismissed the idea of a real relationship with a woman. Known he didn’t have it in him.

But the way he’d missed Laurel the past month had him wondering if maybe he was capable of it, after all. That maybe he’d just needed to meet the right woman to feel that kind of commitment. Except she was traveling the world, and he had Cassie to raise here.

“She’s the archaeologist. I just got lucky to be with her that day.” And a few other magical days. More than lucky.

“Thea Taryn showed me your picture in the other magazine. The one about people getting sick. Laurel helped you figure that out, didn’t she?”

“Yes. We made a good team.” And as he said the words, the hollowness he’d felt since the moment
he’d woken up and found her gone seemed to widen a little more.

“Why aren’t you still, Daddy? A team with Laurel?”

He looked down into her wide eyes and his lips twisted a little, thinking what a simple question it was. One with a simple answer. “Her work takes her on adventures all over the world, Cassie. Our home is here in Kastorini, with Yiayia and Papou and Thea Taryn and Petros and everyone else.”

“I like adventures, Daddy. And doctors can help people anywhere. Why can’t we go on adventures with Laurel and come home to visit everybody sometimes?”

Her words were so matter-of-fact, the expression in her eyes telling him she thought he might be a little dense. And as he stared at her he wondered the same damn thing.

He’d brought Cassie to Kastorini because he’d thought that was where the newly mature doctor with a daughter needed to be. Taken his place beside his father, even though the man had practiced medicine for years without any problems finding a temporary replacement when he’d needed to.

He’d disliked being judged by the town, worried about disappointing his parents, couldn’t let Cassie be exposed to gossip or become attached to a woman he might selfishly date for just a
short time. But didn’t part of growing into a responsible adult bring with it a responsibility to himself too?

“You may be onto something there,
koukla mou
. Maybe an adventure with Laurel is exactly what we need.”

* * *

Laurel’s hands were sweating on the steering wheel of her rental car as she drove up Mount Parnassus and parked. She got out and stared at the mountain, which hadn’t changed since she’d left a month ago. Hadn’t changed in aeons. Then turned to look at the incredible blue waters of the gulf that stretched to mountains on the other side and to the sea of olive trees flowing down to meet it.

She’d loved this place the moment she’d arrived. Loved it even more after living in Kastorini for a few days.

Loved the man who’d been born here and was a part of this place, and she hoped and prayed he wanted her to be a part of it too.

He’d been silent for a moment when she’d called to tell him she’d come back to Delphi on business. Didn’t tell him it was personal business, because it was too important to talk about on the phone. Too critical to her future happiness.

She walked up the goat path, stopping a few times to lift her face to the brilliant sun. To the
intense heat she loved. When she finally got to the closed dig site, she moved slowly to the pit that had collapsed during the earthquake five years ago. The pit where her parents had died.

She knelt, picturing the horrific scene as she had so many times before. But this time felt different. Their spirits were there with her on the mountain, and they were smiling at her, holding her, encouraging her. Not judging her, not disappointed in her. The occasional strife of their relationship that had lodged itself too long in her brain faded away, leaving only the good memories of all their years together.

“I love you, Mom. Dad. Thank you for everything you gave me, including my love of archaeology. And most especially my sisters.”

She kissed her fingers and pressed them to the ground for a moment. Then stood, and, when she turned, saw a beautiful Greek man walking sure-footed and steady up the goat path, looking exactly as he had the first time she’d seen him. She smiled and her heart swelled at the same time that nervous jitters quivered in her stomach.

She made her way back down the steep path to meet him. “Hi.” It wasn’t a very original greeting, but all her rehearsed words seemed to evaporate when she looked into the dark eyes she’d missed so much.

“Hi.” His lips curved just a little and he took
another step closer, until they nearly touched. “You called me to help you find another statue up here?”

“No. I…I hope you’ll help me find something else.”

“What’s that?”

“I lost my happy after I left here. I’m hoping you can help me find it again.”

His dark eyes stared into hers as his hands cupped her waist. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you. But here’s something funny. I need your help with the same damn thing.”

In a sudden movement, he tugged her flat against him and kissed her. She clung to him, the heat of his mouth and the sun burning down on them making her dizzy.

“I almost fell over when the phone rang and it was you,” he said, “because I’d just pulled it from my pocket to call you. Must have been that sixth sense you and Tom believe in.”

“Why were you going to call?”

“Because I realized I hadn’t followed the wisdom of the stone at Delphi that says ‘Know thyself.’ That I believed I had, but was focused instead on who I thought I was, who I thought I needed to be. Not on who I could be.”

“Me too,” she whispered. “I—”

“I need you to know why I’d decided to call.” He pressed his fingers to her lips. “I wanted to
tell the incredible woman I’m crazy in love with that a four-year-old girl is smarter than I am. That we don’t have to stay put in Kastorini. We can travel to be wherever you are, so you can do the work you love. I don’t care where we live and neither does she. I just want to be with you, if you’ll let me.”

“Oh, Andros.” She sniffed back stupid tears. “I came to tell you I love Kastorini. I love Cassie, and most of all I love you. So much. I realized I wanted to be in Kastorini with you and Cassie, which could work if I concentrate on digs in Greece instead of other places. And I realized that working around the world wouldn’t make me happy if you weren’t with me.”

He lifted one hand to cup her cheek, tunneling his fingers into her hair. “Cassie told me we make a good team. Maybe that means we do both. We live in Kastorini when you don’t have to be on a dig outside Greece, and we live wherever your work takes you when you do.”

“That would…be good. Perfect, even.” She reached up to kiss him but he pulled back.

“There’s one more important thing I need to ask.” He grasped her hands, and went down on one knee in the dirt, wincing when his knee rolled onto a stone.

“Come back up.” She tried to tug him, but it
was like lifting the statue of Artemis. Or Apollo. “You don’t need to do this.”

“I want to do this.” His eyes met hers. “Laurel Evans, I love you more than I knew it was possible to love a woman. Will you marry me? Be my wife? My forever teammate, wherever it takes us?”

The emotion in his voice had her choking back tears again. “Yes. I will. And, darn it, come up here so I can kiss you.”

“One more minute.” He reached into his pocket. “It’s not a ring, yet, but maybe it will do until I can get one. Hold out your wrist.”

She looked down and gasped when she saw a bracelet circled with gleaming moonstones. “How did you find time to run to the store to get this?” she asked as she held out her hand.

“I bought it after you left.” His gaze was suddenly serious as he looked up from fastening it to her wrist. “I thought maybe if I held it close in my hand, it would keep you safe on your travels. Maybe even be that love talisman you talked about. Bring you back to me someday.”

“Oh, Andros,” she whispered, swallowing hard at another lump in her throat. “What did I say before about the charm of Greek men? How can I possibly resist the power of a moonstone? And of you.”

“I hope you can’t.” He grinned as he rose, and
that elusive dimple poked into his cheek. She laughed and sniffled and kissed it first, before she pressed her mouth to his to seal the deal. “Thank you,” he whispered against her lips. “I promise to do everything I can to make you happy.”

“Being a team of three will definitely make me happy. With maybe a few more recruits when we’re ready.”

As he kissed her again, the warmth of him wrapped her with joy, and she didn’t think it was her imagination that she just might be hearing the music of god Apollo from the mountaintop, playing in celebration.