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Wouldn’t it be a bit hokey to bring a priest into the mix? Besides, anyone can see I’d be terrible at subterfuge. I’m not clever enough.”
    “You’re clever enough to be a teacher,” Galen said.
    “That’s straightforward and doesn’t involve deception. I promise you won’t catch me setting a candle burning on the windowsill to tell Chavez you’re here.”
    Galen smiled. “A candle in the window? You
are
out of the loop. Maybe you really are legitimate.”
    Dominic’s eyes twinkled. “Or maybe I just said that to make you think I am. More coffee?”
    “No.” Galen stood up. “I believe I’d better check up on our Elena. She’s been gone too long. Where’s your bathroom?”
    Dominic raised his brows. “I assure you that she hasn’t slipped out the back door.”
    “But she might have passed out and hit her head. She lost some blood with that wound.”
    “Wound?” Dominic’s smile faded. “She didn’t tell me she was hurt.”
    “I stitched it up. She’s okay. Where’s the bathroom?”
    “Beside Barry’s room. I’ll show—”
    “Stay here. I’ll take care of it.” Galen was already halfway down the hall.
    She didn’t answer the first knock and he didn’t wait for a second before opening the door.
    She was sitting on the commode wearing nothing but jeans, staring down at the bra in her hands. She glared balefully at him. “Get out of here.”
    “In a minute.” He took the bra from her and slipped the straps over her arms. “I thought you might be having a problem.”
    She went rigid. “I don’t need your help. I can do this.”
    “But you might break my stitches.” He fastened the hooks in the back. “I hate my efforts to be wasted.” He took the blue oxford shirt draped over the towel rack, put it on her, and started to button it. “Why didn’t you call Dominic to help you? A little too intimate?”
    “Don’t be an ass. He delivered Barry. I didn’t want to worry him. I suppose you told him I was hurt?”
    “Guilty.” He fastened the last button. “He’s a nice guy. I hope you’re not leading him for a fall.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t hurt him.”
    “Intentionally. Is he coming with us?”
    “Yes. I suppose you object to that too.”
    “I didn’t say that.”
    She glanced away from him. “You talk as if Forbes has made up his mind. Is he going to take us?”
    “He hasn’t said. He probably will. He’s a good guy, an upright, decent family man, and you’ve hit him right on target. Isn’t that why you chose him?”
    “I chose him because I hoped I could trust him. You don’t have to be afraid for him. I’m not going to cheat him. He’ll get what he wants.”
    “I’m not afraid for him. He can take care of himself. My job ends when I deliver you to the U.S.” He stood up. “I’d better get you some painkillers. That wound is probably throbbing.”
    “When we’re safe on the plane. I can’t run the risk of not being able to think clearly.”
    He opened the bathroom door. “Have it your own way.”
    She looked him directly in the eye. “Oh, I will.”
    He was smiling as he passed Dominic in the hall. “She’s fine. She was having a little connection problem.”
    “Connection?”
    “See if you can talk her into a painkiller.”
    He grimaced. “She’s not an easy woman to persuade.”
    “Really? I never would have guessed.”
    Forbes was not in the kitchen, and Galen found him standing outside the door looking up at the tops of the trees. “We may have a problem. There’s a strong wind coming up.”
    “We’ll work our way through it.”
    “I don’t know how. I was talking to Dominic and there’s no level ground around here for at least twenty miles.”
    “Then we’ll go twenty miles.” He looked up at the trees. Forbes was right, the wind was definitely picking up. “Maybe. There’s usually a way. I’ve got to get on the radio and tell myguys to start their approach.” He paused. “If