Secrets in a Sandstorm (The Pharaoh’s Promise)

Six Months Later

SIX MONTHS LATER

MAX

M um was a bit shocked when I got home and referred to Harrison as my boyfriend. She called it a holiday fling brought on by stress and said I’d feel differently the first time he went away. She’s coming around now that we’ve moved in together.

I can’t imagine being with anyone else. He knows me better than anyone. And always has. The wind skips over the waves and kicks up the sand as we walk along the beach. It’s not the best day to be at the beach, but the surfers are enjoying the waves.

I nudge Harrison with my elbow. “I missed having sand in my mouth.”

“I thought you might.” He smiles as if he isn’t going away in two days. I’m not looking forward to him leaving, but it’s only for a two-week training exercise. Two months ago, he was offered a posting as a trainer, and he accepted so he’d be home more. That’s when we decided to make the jump and get a place together.

But something has been on his mind all week, ever since we got a letter from Teddy and Cyril’s relatives, thanking us for finding them and how they wished they’d had a happier ending.

That’s when I told Harrison about what happened when I touched the statuette of Bast. It was a secret I couldn’t hold on to any longer, but finding the right time was hard. With each passing day, what happened in the cave became more like a dream or something I made up to convince myself to take a chance. The only reason I know I didn’t was because I knew where the letter was and what was written.

And now here we are, walking along a windswept beach, hand in hand. With him silent and chewing over something. I want to give him space, but I’m starting to worry that he wants to break up with me. It did sound pretty wild when I told him, and I experienced it.

We reach the rocky outcrop that marks the end of the beach. A disused lighthouse perches high above us. The keeper’s house is now a fancy restaurant. I turn to walk back, but he stops me.

His expression does nothing to soothe my fears.

I need to face them instead of hiding and waiting. “What’s wrong? Is it because of Bast?”

“No.” He frowns as if he’d already forgotten about the cursed cat. “I’m not surprised you didn’t say anything to me sooner. But I have been thinking about it, and the cave, and Teddy and everything.”

“This doesn’t sound good.” I tense, bracing for the worst. I’m not sure I’m breathing as I wait for him to say something.

He leans in and kisses me for an answer. “That we waited instead of taking the chance is what I’ve been thinking about. I know I said I’d wait for you, but…” He dr ops to one knee and holds my hand. “I’m not waiting any longer. Will you marry me?”

Once again, my heart is beating fast as the sand swirls around me. The wind lifts his dark hair, and he’s looking up at me. His dark eyes are filled with such love that I don’t need to take any time to consider my answer.

“Yes.” I’m sure the wind pauses for a breath so Harrison can hear my answer.

He pulls a black velvet pouch out of his pocket and tips a gold and lapis lazuli ring into his palm. “I saw this the day after you moved in and imagined it on your finger far too easily. But I didn’t buy it because we hadn’t talked about getting married or if you wanted a ring or anything. So I waited. It wasn’t until you told me about what happened in the cave that I realized I needed to stop waiting and buy the ring. This was meant to be yours, the way I have always been yours. And you mine.” He slides the ring onto my finger.

I’m surprised he manages as my hand is shaking. “It’s perfect.” The lapis inlay in the center of the gold band gleams. “This is what you’ve been worrying about?”

“I wanted to do this part right. Do you understand how hard it is to tell people our first kiss was in a cave with two skeletons watching?”

I’ve been to barbecues with his friends and other soldiers, and it’s obvious he’s secretly delighted to have such a unique tale. “You don’t seem to have any trouble.”

When he tells the story, we were racing the storm and had to crawl into the cave only to run into the previous occupants. Of course, I’m still the one who kisses him first, but only because I don’t want to die without getting some dick.

It’s Harrison who likes getting dick .

He grins up at me. “And you’ve never corrected me.”

“Because I like the way you tell it. You make it sound like we were meant to be.”

He stands up, keeping hold of my hand. “We kind of were…because of the magic?”

I don’t know if the magic brought us together or just showed me what I needed. So I didn’t make the same mistake. “What I saw gave me the courage to take a chance.”

He nods. “That’s how I felt when you told me about their lives. This was something I needed to do. To trust that you weren’t going to say no even though it seems too soon…”

“It’s not too soon.” We’ve been waiting a long time to be together. “We should write back to Teddy and Cyril’s families and let them know they brought us together.”

Harrison pulls me close and kisses me. “That’s a great idea.” He glances up at the lighthouse, now bright with fairy lights, as the dusk settles around us and gives my hand a tug. “Come on, I booked us dinner to celebrate.”

“Aww…I expected you to suggest a roll in the sand, followed by some cold rations.”

He laughs, head tipped back, and this time, I don’t hesitate.

I lick his throat and nip at his jaw before claiming his lips. “I love you.”

Harrison’s eyes are bright as he lifts my hand and kisses my knuckles. The ring glints in the light. “You’re my best friend and the love of my life. There is no one else I want to take the rest of this adventure with.”

“Maybe a little less adventure.”

“So you don’t want to go back to Cairo?”

I shoot a look at him. “We’ve done Cairo. Let’s do something new.”