14. Isabel
ISABEL
Isabel knelt on the edge of the damp excavation grid inside the pool basin, her fingers carefully brushing a layer of dark soil away from a smooth pottery shard.
Beside her, Emma, Sophia, and Lily were clearing dirt from their own squares, their voices echoing off the concrete walls in a cascade of laughter and light chatter.
It was a beautiful sight, but Isabel kept fracturing her attention, her gaze shifting toward the arched entrance of the courtyard every few minutes.
"Where did everyone go?" Sophia asked, pausing to wipe her brow with the back of her wrist, leaving a tiny smudge of gray clay near her hairline.
"Gran has been gone a long time, but then so has Uncle Michael, Maggie, Owen, and Martin.
" Her brow furrowed as she looked around the empty perimeter. "Aunt Anna isn't here either."
"They had something important to attend to up at the main building," Isabel told them, smoothing out her tone to keep any hint of the hospital emergency out of her voice. "I doubt they'll be much longer."
Her heart skipped a beat against her ribs the moment she pronounced Owen's name, her thoughts automatically drifting back to the heavy, breathtaking connection they had shared right before he rushed out of the property.
"Maybe they've gone to see Uncle George," Lily suggested, leaning over her collection tray. "Granddad said he had a mild turn this morning, and that's why we couldn't go up to see him in his suite today." She turned an analytical look toward her cousin Sophia.
"Yeah, Gran told me that too," Sophia confirmed, a sudden flash of worry clouding her young eyes as she set her hand trowel down. "I really hope he's okay."
"I'm sure they'd let you know immediately if his condition changed," Isabel assured her, reaching across the grid to offer a comforting nod. "Although I think his coming home to the hotel may be delayed a bit again."
"Poor Uncle George." Sophia sighed, her shoulders dropping. "He can't be too happy having to stay inside a hospital room."
"He absolutely hates them," Lily told everyone, shaking her head.
"I think we all do," Isabel agreed with a soft chuckle, glad to steer the focus back to the artifacts.
"So... Gran..." Emma began, her tone shifting into a casual, rhythmic cadence that instantly made Isabel's guard go up. "You and Owen..."
Isabel's spine stiffened against the rim of the basin, her muscles locking as she realized exactly where this conversation was heading. She had been wondering when they would loop back to her ping-pong accident with Owen earlier in the laboratory.
"He's my boss," Isabel told them, her voice flat and even as she picked up her sorting brush. "Nothing more."
"Uh-huh," Lily said, nodding her head slowly with a knowing grin. "Okay, if you say so."
"I do say so, now drop the subject permanently," Isabel warned them, trying to project an air of maternal authority that felt increasingly flimsy.
The three girls fell into a companionable quiet for a few minutes, gently cleaning off and sorting the charcoal samples from the upper stratum into labeled bags. Then Emma cleared her throat, a small, mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Gran... what do you think of Martin?"
"What?" Isabel's head shot around so fast her neck clicked.
She stared at her granddaughter, completely perplexed by the sudden pivot, and then noticed three pairs of pretty, angelic, utterly innocent eyes fixed directly on her face.
A cold prickle of awareness needled her thoughts.
"Those little angelic looks aren't going to work on me. "
"What do you mean?" the three of them asked in perfect unison, their expressions widening with matching, feigned confusion.
Isabel stood up, dusting the loose dirt from her jeans as she eyed the trio suspiciously.
She looked at Emma, and a profound wave of warmth softened the irritation behind her ribs.
She hadn't seen her granddaughter this relaxed, happy, and carefree since the day her parents had died.
Emma was truly shining in the company of equally intelligent girls her own age.
Isabel had discovered over the last week that Sophia and Lily operated on the exact same intellectual level as Emma, allowing them to form a tight, unyielding bond.
They were always together, moving through the hotel like a single, unified force. It was wonderful to see.
"Those little innocent faces may work on a father, an uncle, a grandparent, or any unsuspecting male, I guess," Isabel snorted. "But they don't work on me." She folded her arms across her chest, standing her ground firmly. "I was a teenage girl once. I know every single trick in the book."
"What tricks, Gran?" Emma's feigned innocence rose to an entirely new level. Her voice turned sweet and too high, a change that made Isabel laugh despite herself. "All we want is for you to be happy."
"Yes, Isabel," Sophia said, her eyes filling with genuine care as she stepped closer to the sorting table. "Maggie and my uncle now have each other, my granddad has someone, and even Uncle George will probably go back to Aunt Anna eventually."
"How on earth do you know that?" Isabel asked, a shock rippling through her thoughts at the child's raw perception of the family's ancient history.
"Isabel, we're not blind, and we're no longer kids," Lily pointed out, a bright twinkle sparkling in her eyes as her grin widened. "We see..." She paused, emphasizing the final word with a deliberate nod. "Everything."
A sudden wave of horrified panic flared straight into Isabel's throat, making her cheeks heat instantly as the blood rushed to her face.
Oh no. A cold sweat broke out along the back of her neck.
Did they actually see the kiss? Did they witness the exact moment her barriers crumbled in Owen's arms earlier?
"So I bounced around like a ping-pong ball, I think you called it," Isabel admitted, her voice tightening as she tried to hedge against the trap they were laying for her.
"But it doesn't mean there is anything romantic between Owen and me.
" She let out a deep, defeated sigh when she saw three sets of eyebrows rise simultaneously in absolute disbelief.
"And while I highly respect Martin and think he's a good man, there is absolutely nothing between us. I only like him as a friend."
"So you're into Owen then?" Emma pushed, leaning her elbows against the wooden rim of the tray, completely relentless.
Isabel stared at the three girls standing in front of her, the absolute certainty on their young faces confirming her worst fears. They knew. They had witnessed the raw, unguarded truth of her feelings, and there was no hiding from it anymore.
"I'm simply living my life," Isabel hedged, her heart thudding wildly against her ribs as she looked between them. "Whoever happens to cross paths with me along the way doesn't automatically mean I possess a romantic interest in them."
“You know, Gran,” Emma said, “if you are really not into Owen...”
“Although it really didn’t look that way earlier,” Sophia said with a sly grin.
Isabel’s cheeks caught fire, and for the third time that day, she wished for a sinkhole right beneath her feet.
“Don’t worry, we looked away,” Lily said respectfully. “We're not even allowed to watch that sort of display on television, let alone in real life,” she teased gently.
“Okay...” Isabel said, seeing she was defeated and feeling like she’d been leaning over a hot fire with her face. “Owen fell and I... uh... I was steadying him.”
“So... Owen fell and his lips just happened to fall onto yours?” Emma asked sweetly.
“That’s quite a feat,” Lily said angelically.
“Maybe we should try it with the guys we like,” Sophia suggested. “It worked for Owen.”
“Yes, especially since he seems to have managed to convince my Gran that it was an accident,” Emma said, air-quoting the word accident. “Oh...” Emma snapped her fingers. “What did he say just before he ran out of the basin like his legs were on fire?” She looked from one friend to the other.
“Wait for me,” Lily continued.
“Why did Owen want you to wait for him, Gran?” Emma asked.
“Maybe he’s worried that his fall bruised your grandmother’s lips and he needs to check them,” Sophia pursed her lips. “After all, Isabel, I think he’d be very worried if you decided to sue for grievous harm to your lips.”
“Enough!” Isabel gaped at the three shrewd little devils in front of her. “Fine, we had a kiss. Are you happy now?”
“Gran!” Emma squealed in delight, doing a little dance alongside the other two.
The three girls came in to give her a group hug.
“We’re so happy for you, Isabel,” Sophia said.
“I knew it,” Lily told them as they stepped out of their group hug. Then she wiggled her fingers. “Pay up, ladies. I won the bet.”
“Wait... what?” Isabel spluttered. “What bet?”
“That there was something between you and Owen,” Emma told her.
“And that you’d crack and admit it to us if coerced enough,” Sophia sighed, rolling her eyes, then glaring at her cousin. “Lily, you are terrifyingly good at manipulation.”
“Yes, Lil, I worry about you,” Emma said and her grin widened. “And at the same time I’m in so much awe of this superpower you have.”
“Aw, come on, it was a group effort,” Lily told them. “But the two of you are getting so good at it too.”
“Why thank you, Master Lily,” Sophia and Emma did a mock curtsy. “That is high praise coming from the Queen of manipulation and cunning schemes.”
“Oh, good grief,” Isabel breathed, realizing she’d been played by true masters. “Now that you have your answer, let’s get back to work.”
“Oh, Gran, can’t you tell us some more?” Emma’s eyes shone with anticipation.
“No!” Isabel said flatly. “Now we have work to do.”
“Would you please promise to keep us updated?” Lily asked sweetly. “We’re rooting for you and are on Team Emma and Owen.” She leaned up and kissed Isabel on the cheek, whispering, “He’s the best man, I promise you, and someone I don't mind winning your heart at all.”