The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

Cullen shook it off. The same as he did to you,” Charlotte said. “I think his skin is like that of a burn victim. It’s extremely sensitive, but it should get better over time.”

“That’s good to hear.” Meredith brushed past him, but he caught her arm. “Excuse us, Charlotte. Meredith and I need a minute.”

“Sure.” Charlotte left them on the tarmac, following Paul and James Cullen into the airport.

Elliott raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. I was out of line. There’s no way in hell I would ever go anywhere without consulting ye. This situation is almost more than I can handle, and I’m taking it out on ye. It’s not right. It’s not fair. It makes me look like an asshole.”

“You are an asshole, Elliott. We’ve gone through a hell of a lot together, but this time you seem determined not to share it with me. At first, I thought you blamed me for what happened, but now I know you’re pushing me away intentionally.”

Meredith stepped closer and gripped his hand. “You probably aren’t even aware of why you’re doing it. But I am. You know if I get mad enough, I’ll walk, and if I’m not around you, I can’t be an unintended consequence. You’re afraid the Illuminati will hurt me to get at you. Well, let me tell you something, Mr. Keeper. I’m not going anywhere. So go ahead and be an asshole. I don’t care.”

She pushed past him and joined the others at the customs counter, where they were talking to a man wearing traditional Bhutan clothing, just like James Cullen and Paul.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” He always knew she was a hell of a lot smarter than he was, and she just proved it. If he wanted to get on her right side again, he had to do something drastic, like buy her that Australian winery she’d been eyeing that would bring her out of retirement. Not to pay her off, but to show her how much he loved her. Buying another winery said just that. Everyone knew he hated wine and thought investing in more wineries was a waste of money!

Elliott glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Austin and Ensley were coming. She had slept pretty much the entire trip, waking only briefly during fueling stops to go to the bathroom. About an hour outside of Paro, she cleaned up, put on hiking clothes, and ate a high-carb breakfast. Today was the first time Elliott had seen her recently without dark circles under her eyes or tightness around her mouth. After years of living with leg pain, he recognized the signs. Her hip pain had lessened, but after today’s hike, it would be worse.

He went through customs and then joined Meredith and Charlotte outside, where the guide told them to wait while he picked up the van.

“Have ye talked to Ensley about her hip?” Elliott asked Charlotte.

“She had a hip replacement ten years ago. They can last fifteen to twenty years, but results vary. I told her that I highly recommend she schedule an appointment with an orthopedist. She said she doesn’t want to go through another replacement.”

“She can’t live with that constant pain. It’ll interfere with her quality of life,” Meredith said.

Charlotte slipped on a pair of sunglasses. “I told her that. I also told her that robots are now assisting surgeons to achieve more precise implant positioning. I hope she’ll consider it before she gets pregnant.”

“Children? You think she and Austin are that serious?” Then Meredith answered her question. “Of course they are.”

“And if you have any doubt, look at them, watch their eyes. They’re always aware of where the other one is, but I don’t think they’ve slept together.”

Meredith looked over her shoulder. “How can you tell?”

“Body language,” Charlotte said. “They stand close together, but there isn’t an invisible piece of string pulling them together. She isn’t touching him like a woman familiar with his body. There is still some hesitation. Austin is protective, but he didn’t stop Paul from kissing her yesterday. They’re still curious about each other, but it won’t be that long. She’s good for him.”

“And what does he give her?” Meredith asked.

“Family. Protection. Unconditional love. And what woman wouldn’t want to be part of the O’Grady family?”

“A woman who doesn’t want to live on the edge with a family of former cops who still carry guns,” Meredith said.

Elliott dropped his carry-on next to the other bags stacked near the curb. “Ensley’s lived on the edge most of her life. She’s a former bull rider.”

“And look at the damage that did to her hip,” Charlotte said.

An eight-passenger van pulled up to the curb, and Elliott waved. “There’s our guide, but I didn’t catch his name.”

“It’s Gangchu,” Meredith said. “He’s been a guide for ten years. Be nice, okay?”

“Am I that awful that ye naturally assume I’ll be an ass?”

“Lately, yes.”

Gangchu loaded the bags in the back of the van. “We will stop at the hotel to drop off the bags, then go directly to the car park. It’s located at the entrance to the trail to Tiger’s Nest and opens at eight o’clock. We have thirty minutes.”

“That works,” Elliott said.

As they drove away from the airport, Gangchu asked, “Are you familiar with our country’s history?”

“I’ll listen to your spiel,” Ensley said.

Please, no! Not today!

Gangchu smiled as he looked at Ensley in the rearview mirror. “The Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most forward-thinking countries on Earth and is located on the ancient trade route known as the Silk Road.”

“Really? That’s cool. I edited a book about foreigners on the Silk Road who excavated the region’s abandoned cities and absconded with some of the greatest art and treasures. The countries holding the treasures should return them.”

“I won’t argue about that,” Gangchu said.

It makes me wonder where Erik’s treasures came from.

Ensley glanced out one side of the van and then the other. “It’s so beautiful here. I could stay for days and do nothing but