Before them was a vast landscape filled with various shades of brown. More brown than Ed had ever thought possible. It was pretty in its own unique way, but yeah, some green would be really nice, and North Carolina had some gorgeous shades of green.
“And we could try this dating thing without a big audience?”
Max snorted. “What? You don’t want Alexei and Charlie and Izzie and all the others right there offering advice?”
“God, no!”
“But we’re going to be near your family, right?”
Ed grunted. “True, but only my mother feels the need to offer advice. Everyone else knows to mind their own business. Besides, she’s probably going to be too focused on getting you fed properly, southern style.”
“I love her already.” Max sighed, leaning against Ed’s chest.
Ed placed a finger under Max’s chin and tipped his head up so the smaller man could see his stern expression. “But she’s allowed to take care of you only when I’m not busy doing it first. You’re mine. Remember that. I love you.”
Max’s eyes flared wide, and a flush darkened his cheeks. “I love you right back, Big ‘n’ Sexy. Like anyone else is allowed to watch over me. I chose you first, and don’t you forget it. You’re mine.”
No. He was never going to forget it. Max had been exhausted, afraid, and alone. In a crowded airport, he’d taken a single look at Ed and known in an instant that he was the person he could trust. Max had chosen him, and there was no better feeling in the world.
After a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, Ed bent and stole a slow, sweet kiss from his boyfriend, his brilliant archeologist, his grumbly professor.
His lost treasure.
EPILOGUE
WESTIN ST. JAMES
West rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, then pinched the bridge of his nose.
This had to be wrong.
But when he lowered his hand and opened his eyes to read the message for the third time, the information remained the same.
He didn’t know if this was a blessing or a curse. The timing was good. Damn good, judging by the tremble that was creeping into his hands on a more regular basis.
He was overdue for a break. The team was his family, the only family he had in this world. He loved them as much as he was able and they knew it. But there were times when he needed to get away from it all for a few days or weeks. One time it was for three months. No one asked where he went or what he did. They simply welcomed him back with open arms and jokes.
With them, he felt welcome. They were home.
Yet, every wayward child needed to leave home every now and again.
This job…
He could just go check on it alone. Deal with it alone. No fuss. No muss. No insanity or complications.
But what if it turned into something bigger?
A soft, nearly silent sigh slipped from his parted lips. He needed to at least tell Charlie where he was going, what he was doing. That way, if he needed help from the rest of the team, they wouldn’t be blindsided by the request. Not that something like that would stop them from hopping the first plane to join him in the fun.
West shoved to his feet from where he’d been sitting on the edge of his bed and put his phone into his pocket. The first day of testing at the future dig site had gone well, and even he had to admit mild curiosity about what they would find when it was finally cracked open. However, that wasn’t going to happen for several months, and no one was planning on sticking around.
From the conversations that were floating about the table last night, plans were beginning to be settled that they were all taking an extended break. An overdue break that was supposed to happen after they’d finished the Argentina job, but that was postponed—thank you very much, Kairo—only to be postponed a second time—thanks, Ed. West had no interest in continuing this trend.
Right now, Kairo and Izzie were planning to jet off to the UK so Izzie could properly meet Kairo’s mother, and likely play the part of referee between son and mother. Izzie had asked Charlie and Will to “house-sit” his family place on Santorini. Both men had jumped at that hardship. Who wouldn’t want to “house-sit” a luxury mansion on a Greek island?
Meanwhile, Ed and Max were headed to the States for some R&R with Ed’s family. That didn’t sound restful or relaxing to West, but to each his own and all that shit.
The only one dragging his feet was Alexei. Soren had already announced that he was up for whatever his lover wanted. West suspected that Alexei wanted to return home to see his uncles. Their visit to Santorini to help with the Panopoulos affair had been incredibly brief, and it was easy to see that Alexei was homesick. He’d talked to his uncles a couple of weeks ago after they’d returned from ensuring Izzie’s sister was safely and happily settled in the US. But that wasn’t enough.