He nodded, loosening strands of black hair from the leather strip at the nape of his neck. “Gage told me about your grandfather. He said King Farrell was a very great man.”

“He was a great explorer. I want this for him as much as for me.”

“And Gage? Do you also want it for him?”

The words hit on something inside her. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yes. I do. Gage is a man like my grandfather. He’s brave and determined. And trustworthy, I think. My grandfather talked about him once. He said Gage Logan was someone who could contribute great things to the world.”

They sat in silence for a while, watching the red glow of the fire slowly fading. A coyote howled in the distance, followed by two more. She liked the way they called out to each other, as if they were part of a family.

She thought of her grandfather and how much she missed him. She thought of Gage and how much she had come to care for him. Abby could no longer convince herself that what she felt for Gage was purely sexual attraction. In her heart, she knew it was far more than that.

She picked up a stick and stirred the coals. “Were you there when . . . umm . . . Cassandra was killed?”

Mateo’s head came up. His eyes found hers in the darkness. “Yes.”

“I don’t think Gage has ever really gotten over it. Will you tell me what happened?”

“It is his story to tell.”

“If you tell me, I might be able to help him.”

Mateo fell silent. Abby waited, sure he wouldn’t say more.

“It happened in Honduras. Gage was escorting a pair of archeologists to newly discovered ruins near Pacavita. Cassandra’s father worked for an American company in San Salvador. That is where they met. Cassandra was beautiful and smart. She was in love with him.”

“Gage said she loved him, but he wasn’t in love with her.”

“I think that made it worse for him. He enjoyed her in bed, so when she begged to go with him, he agreed. It was not supposed to be a difficult trip.”

“What went wrong?”

“Cassandra could not handle the jungle. She was miserable, and she let everyone know. We had only been gone a few days when the accident happened. We were crossing a rope bridge over a gorge. Gage went first to make sure it was safe. Two men went next with no problem. I waited with Cassandra. When it was her turn, Gage encouraged her to go slow and not look down.”

“What happened?”