“For me, the baby has to come first, Justin-because she’s the one at risk, the one who’s vulnerable. If I can make her situation more secure, I feel I have to do that.”

“I feel the same way. She’s an innocent in a precarious situation, and her needs can’t wait.”

He really did understand. Yet she’d soberly touched his cheek. “But you can’t marry me for the baby’s sake, Doc. It’s nuts.”

“I wouldn’t marry anyone for a baby’s sake. I agree with you. It’s nuts. But just because it happens to be helpful for you to be married, why fight it? When it’s something we both want and both believe is a good thing?”

“But you never wanted to marry me before.”

“Win. You obviously don’t know me at all. But you will,” he said, and kissed her again.

Now, as she bent over the crib, that memory washed over her in a fresh, warm wave…including everything he’d done to her after that. “I’m crazy about him, Angel,” she whispered aloud. “And he’s coming over tomorrow. We’ll see how you feel about him, too, okay?”

“So…” The soft soprano from the doorway had Myrt’s acerbic tone. “You’re finally home. Did you have a good time?”

Winona must have jumped five feet-a guilty five feet. She hustled toward the door and out into the hallway. “Myrt, I’m terribly sorry to be so late. I never meant to take advantage of you this way-”

“Lord, girl, I swear you just don’t listen. I told you I was crazy about babies. And I offered to stay, how many times, a good dozen? Furthermore, it’s not like I was really a stranger to you-you know how long I’ve worked for Justin, even if you and I never had much of a chance to get to know each other very well before now.”

“I know, I know…but I just don’t want you to think that-” she scrubbed a hand at the back of her neck, embarrassed “-that I…”

“That you slept with my boss? Well, I should probably say that’s none of my business, not to worry-but it wouldn’t be the truth. When Justin told me the situation with the baby, that you were working so hard and needed some help-I could see how he talked about you, how he looked. So, to be honest, I really wanted a chance at some matchmaking, at least a little bit-”

“He asked me to marry him,” Winona confessed.

Myrt’s smile beamed brighter than sunshine. “And that’s wonderful, girl. But right now, I think you better catch some sleep while you can. We’ll talk about schedules and babies a little later.”


“Whatever you’re having, I want a prescription for it.” Later that afternoon, Dr. Harding happened to pass him in the corridor. Justin had been immersed in a conversation and was unaware how the sound of his laughter had echoed down the hallway until she chuckled, going by.

“She is right.” Sheikh Ben Rassad-Ben-nodded with a wry half smile. “You are so buoyant today. So vital and full of spirit. It is good to see you wearing this contentment, Justin.”

“Just happy today, I guess.”

“Uh-huh. Woman happy, I am thinking.” It wasn’t like Ben to tease, but every once in a while, his sense of humor surfaced with friends.

Justin didn’t confirm or deny his pal’s guess, but he knew it was true. All day, he’d walked as if there was a sponge in his shoes and light in his eyes. A gruelingly long workday hadn’t sogged down his mood even this late in the afternoon. It was as if Winona were with him, sitting in a place in his heart where she could make his pulse soar, just thinking of her.

Last night with her had been everything he’d dreamed of-and more. All these years, he’d never been sure that Winona would ever notice him, that he could win her, that the chemistry would ever fire for her the way he’d always felt it.

Now he knew better. They had enough chemistry to fuel a couple of planets. Big ones.

Damnation, if he wasn’t daydreaming of having it all with her. Really. All. Love. A lifetime. The whole kit and kaboodle.

Temporarily, though, he had to concentrate on serious things. He sobered-as did Ben-when they reached Robert Klimt’s hospital room. Both quietly entered.

Although Justin wasn’t Klimt’s physician, he’d been automatically stopping to check and evaluate Klimt’s progress ever since the plane crash. The last time he’d seen him before that had been the night of the Texas Cattleman’s Club gala. Justin couldn’t say that he’d liked the little banty rooster, but it was still another thing to see the man so reduced. Silent. Helpless. He checked Klimt’s pulse, touched his skin, automatically read and assessed all the tubes and machines connected to the patient.

“There is no guessing when he’ll wake up from this coma?” Ben asked.

“Not really. His main doctor-Busher-is a good man. He also brought in some outside opinions, just to make absolutely sure he wasn’t missing something.” Because even an unconscious patient could sometimes hear and take in certain things, Justin was careful to voice his answer positively. “Let’s just say that the sooner he wakes up, the more optimistic we’re all going to feel. And I’m trying to think what else has happened that I need to fill you in on…”

“Well, mostly what I wanted to know was the status of the patients that were part of the plane crash and could have been witnesses, or known something. But in the meantime-is Aaron still in Washington?”

“Yes. I believe Walker finally reached him by telephone yesterday, so Aaron at least knows about the jewel theft and Riley Monroe’s murder. I just wish he’d get home. No one knows about diplomatic channels and problems the way Aaron does. Obviously no one wants to run around accusing or raising suspicion about anyone from Asterland if we can help it. Relations with that country are precarious enough. But the Asterlanders are naturally getting more and more upset that we haven’t found a cause for the plane crash.”

Ben stared at the silent Klimt and all the beating, bleeping machines he was hooked up to. “If he would just wake up…maybe he saw something, knew something. The fire on the plane started so close to where he and the lady Helena were sitting. And two of the jewels were just as close. If anyone knows anything, it has to be him.”

Justin nodded. “All of us feel the same. We really have no proof that the plane crash was related to the theft. To risk an international incident for nothing gives us all the willies. But I suspect that Asterland is going to send someone to investigate on their own if our authorities don’t start coming up with answers soon.”

“I would do the same in their shoes.” Ben shifted on his feet. “And in the meantime, we’re still missing the red diamond. At least, we can eliminate one suspect from the list. It’s a cinch Klimt doesn’t have it.”

“That’s the only thing we’re really sure of right now.” Justin hesitated. “What concerns me is that others could be in danger. Whoever killed Monroe wasn’t just a thief. He was willing to murder. And if the killer was someone on that plane, there are others who could be vulnerable-either because they saw something or knew something. Even if they didn’t realize it at the time.”

“You’ve talked with Lady Helena?”

“I’ve seen her every day. She’s a trooper. But right now I can’t begin to guess if she saw anything. She has almost no memory of the crash. I don’t mean that she’s suffering an amnesiac condition, but that what she went through was extremely traumatic. What emotional and physical energy she has is entirely focused on her injuries and healing. And she still has months of recovery ahead of her. Maybe she could still remember something, but who knows when?”

Ben paused. “Well, have you had a chance to talk to Winona?”

“Yes. Last night. She didn’t even hesitate. She offered to do anything she could.”

“She understands why the Club wants this kept quiet? To protect the work we do?”

“Yeah. And she understands how ticklish it is, communicating between local authorities and feds and safety agencies and diplomats. It’s not that she has power, but it’s not power we’re looking for, and for damn sure, we’re not looking to impede anyone’s investigation. Only to make sure the innocent are protected in this complicated mess. She’ll help advise us.”

“I have always had the impression that she is a good woman. An unusually special woman.” Ben studied his face with sudden intentness.

Swiftly Justin lifted a wrist to check his watch. “It’s after five. I have to go.”

“You’re meeting her.”

“Yeah. And either you quit smiling at me or I’ll have to slug you,” Justin said wryly, as they both exited Klimt’s room with a last glance at the Asterland cabinet member.

“I wasn’t smiling at the serious situation.”

“God knows, neither was I.”

“But I admit I was smiling at you. One mention of her name, and you are-how do they say it?-bouncing off the walls. A sudden smile on your face that is close to blinding. Oh, how the mighty do fall.”

“Watch it, Sheikh. We have an expression in Texas. You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’.”

“We have an expression like that in the Middle East, too. In fact, I think all countries have an expression like that. We’re meeting again on Tuesday night? To determine what to do with the two jewels, whatever new security measures we want and so on?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. In the meantime, try to remember to eat. To sleep. To not sing in the rain. And to climb down from the clouds before you drive.”

“I’m going to remember this conversation when you fall in love. And I’m never going to let you hear the end of it,” Justin vowed darkly.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ben smiled, but then he sobered. “Justin…you have not been happy since you came back from Bosnia. Always, there is this dark look at the back of your eyes, the silence. You work, the long hours, but it’s like something is running after you, and you cannot catch it, see it, stop it. This woman…it is good to see you coming alive again. I am glad for you. I mean it.”