Doc pulled on his ear, not envying Romeo his current predicament. He’d never met a woman who could be convinced to talk when she’d made up her mind to do the exact opposite. And Mia Ennis? She was closed-mouthed on agoodday.
“What are you going to do?” he asked cautiously and watched Romeo’s stare go mutinous.
“For the first five minutes, I cried my heart out, thinking if she didn’t want me, then I wouldn’t force the issue. That I’d let her become nothing more than a faded memory in my heart. A sepia-toned picture in my head. A lesson in unrealized potential.”
“And after those first five minutes?” Doc prodded.
“I decided to sayfuck ittobowing out gracefully. If she doesn’t want to give this thing between us a chance, she’s going to have to tell me why. Or I swear on all that’s holy, I’ll dog her every step to the ends of the earth.”
Romeo shoved to his feet, looking forbidding with his legs spread and his hands fisted on his hips. Even though Romeo was generally affable and good-natured, the man had a stubborn streak a country mile wide. Once he set his sights on something... Watch out.
“But don’t worry,” Romeo added. “I won’t confront her at the airport. I’ll wait until I can get her alone on Wayfarer.”
Doc realized Romeo assumed Mia would be flying home with them. He hated to be the one to break the news, but... “Mia’s in Miami.”
Romeo blinked as if Doc had suddenly started speaking Swahili. “Miami? What the hell is she doing in Miami?” Then he paled. “She didn’t quit on us, did she?”
“No,” Doc was quick to reassure him. “The police there found and arrested her mother. Mia and Detective Dixon caught a flight to the mainland about an hour ago. They’re going to question Jane Ennis first thing tomorrow morning. Although”—Doc made a face—“I think Mia’s questions might be a little different than the detective’s.” He cursed and shook his head. “Her own mother.” He felt ill thinking of it. “Can you believe it?”
Romeo had gone from looking panicked to looking pissed. “You let her go face that monsteralone?”
The vehemence in Romeo’s voice blew Doc back a step. “No. I just said Dixon was with her.”
Romeo ran a hand through his hair and started pacing. “That man is as cuddly as a rock. She’s going to need comfort. Support. A friendly shoulder to cry on. Sweet Mother Mary, why didn’t anyonetellme?”
Before Doc could answer, a booming voice said from behind him, “Time for you to go, my dude!”
Startled, Doc spun only to find Romeo’s nurse pushing a wheelchair through the doorway. The man had shoulders like a linebacker, but he could move like a freakin’ ninja. “We really need to get you a bell,” Doc grumbled.
Andre ignored him. “And good riddance, I say,” he told Romeo. “Because I amsosick of hearing your name in the break room.” He donned a falsetto voice. “Ooooh, that Mr. Delgado is so funny. Ooooh, that Mr. Delgado is so sweet. Ooooh, that Mr. Delgado is so dreamy.” He harrumphed. “I used to be the cock of the walk. Thenyoushowed up, and it’s been nothing but blows to my ego ever since.”
Romeo’s shrug was insouciant. “Hey, man. Don’t hate me ’cause you ain’t me.”
Andre snorted. “See? Was that supposed to be funny?”
Chuckling, Romeo pointed to the wheelchair. “I proved I can shave on my own. I proved I can shower on my own. And much to my dismay, I proved I can shit on my own, so is that thing really necessary?” His expression suddenly sobered. “Wait. Was the whole proving I can shit on my own your way of paying me back for stealing your mojo? If so, mission accomplished.”
Andre laughed. “Okay,” he admitted. “So maybe you’re alittlefunny. And even though I’d have loved to be the inspiration behind taking you down a notch, proving you can poop before being discharged is hospital policy.” He patted the wheelchair’s seat. “Just like being wheeled to the front door. So come on. The sooner I get you out of here, the sooner I can go back to being the most handsome guy in the place.”
Doc knew Romeo would’ve liked to protest further, but his desire to leave the hospital outweighed his desire to walk out on his own two feet. They were halfway down the hall when Doc remembered he hadn’t told Romeo the most important news yet.
“Alex and Mason finally got in to see the owner of the cipher device,” he said. “They decoded the symbols and they’re catching the next flight out. They should be home around noon tomorrow.”
Romeo blinked up at him in surprise. “Did they say what the decoded message said?”
Doc shook his head. “They want us all to be together when they tell us.”
For the first time in a long time, possibly since the day his wife had died, Doc felt a frisson of excitement about the future. As if maybe they reallymightfind the treasure, and then there might be a chance for him to find a little...maybe not happiness...but contentment.
Closing his eyes, he could see the ranch he’d fallen in love with as a little boy. The rolling hills dotted with cows. The old log house built in the valley. So much open space and clean air and...solitude.
He frowned and blinked open his eyes. That last part had lost a little of its original appeal and he didn’t dare delve too deeply into why.
“Fuckin’-A,” Romeo breathed. “It’s actually going to happen, isn’t it? We’re going to find it.”
Doc chuckled. “I’ll see your fuckin’-A and raise you a hot damn.”
They lapsed into silence while Nurse Andre pushed Romeo through the automatic glass doors at the front of the hospital. The cab Doc had called to take them to the airport was idling by the curb.
