The Adventurer

digging up the earrings. Leave them where they are until he gets bored and leaves the vicinity."
    "What makes you think he'll get bored?"
    "I know him. If he believes I've really given up on the Flowers, myself, he'll give up on them, too. He got used to trusting my instincts. And he never hangs around too long if there's no percentage in it. One of these days he'll disappear and leave us in peace. When he does, we'll go back and get the Flowers."
    "It might interest you to know," Sarah said slowly, "that Jake doesn't trust you any farther than you trust him."
    "What the hell does that mean?"
    "We had quite an interesting conversation this morning while you were in the shower. Jake tells a slightly different version of what happened that day in the jungle. According to him, you more or less abandoned him to his fate."
    Gideon's head snapped around, his eyes blazing. "He said I cut out on him?"
    "Yup."
    "And you believed him?"
    Sarah was feeling resentful enough not to respond immediately to that.
    "
Sarah
. Of all the… You didn't believe him, did you?"
    "What is this? I'm supposed to have complete, unswerving faith in you even though you can have serious doubts about my integrity?"
    "For God's sake, just tell me if you actually believed him."
    Sarah blinked, startled at the intensity of Gideon's reaction. "Calm down. I didn't believe him. Although I have to say I think it's entirely possible that in the stress of the moment each of you could have misinterpreted the other's actions."
    "Thanks for that much, at any rate."
    "You're welcome. How long do I have to wait for my apology this time?"
    "Until hell freezes over."
    "Never mind. I can see your heart's not in it. Getting back to how we deal with Jake Savage. I'm supposed to just twiddle my thumbs until the coast is clear?"
    "Patience is a virtue."
    "I was patient for four long months until I decided it was time to look you up. It turned out to be a futile exercise in virtue from every viewpoint."
    "Give me some credit. I found your white rock for you, didn't I?"
    "After seducing me on top of it."
    He smiled briefly. "It was kind of symbolic, wasn't it?"
    "Of what?" She felt goaded now.
    He shrugged. "Making love to you was a lot like finding buried treasure."
    She shot him a suspicious glance, trying to see if he was making fun of her. But he looked perfectly serious. Sarah couldn't help it. She tried to ignore what he'd said, but she wound up hugging his incredibly romantic words to herself even though she tried not to read too much into them.
     
    M ACHU P ICCHU and Ellora were waiting on the front porch when Gideon pulled into the drive. Machu stayed posed regally on the top step, waiting for Gideon to get out of the car and come over to be recognized. But Ellora glided happily down the steps and trotted over to greet Sarah.
    "Hello, sweetheart," Sarah murmured as she bent to pick up the cat. "Did you miss us? Did that big, old Machu bully you while we were gone the way Gideon bullied me?"
    Ellora purred and butted her head against Sarah's chin. Then she wriggled free, leaped onto the roof of the car and padded over to welcome Gideon. He gave her an affectionate pat on the head and went back to unloading the luggage.
    "Hold it," Sarah called out as she saw him start toward the front steps with her bags. "You can put those right into my car."
    Gideon was already on the top step. He put down one suitcase and bent to scratch Machu behind the ears. "I think it would be better if you stayed here with me for a few more days, Sarah."
    "No."
    "We already went over this in the car. I don't trust Savage and I don't want you having to deal with him on your own. You told me, yourself, you've got two weeks to play with. You'll stay here where I know you're safe and when the time is right, we'll go dig up the Flowers together."
    "I didn't agree to anything in the car. I'm leaving. I'll be perfectly safe in Seattle."
    "Savage knows where you live," Gideon said patiently. "He's liable to come calling on the old divide-and-conquer theory. If he decides you can lead him to the earrings on your own, he won't hesitate to try to talk you into doing just that."
    "Don't worry, he can't talk me into doing anything I don't want to do. Furthermore, I'm not about to cut you out of the deal and then turn around and let him in, instead."
    "Savage can be very convincing. Especially with women," Gideon said. "I've seen him in action."
    Especially with women
. Sarah opened her mouth to