EPILOGUE
RINI KISSED HIS very pregnant, sleepy wife good morning and slid out of bed.
Luna moaned. “Do you have to go to the mine?”
“This will be the last time until after our baby is here and you’ve recovered.” They hadn’t wanted to know the sex of their child. All they hoped for was that it would be healthy.
He felt all right about leaving. She wasn’t due for another month. “I promise that today I’ll be home for dinner at five.” According to Pesco, there might be great news for the monarchy about more veins of gold appearing. He wanted to be on site to witness it.
“Stay safe, tesoro mio.”
“You, too, pulcina mia.”
“I look like a stuffed one at this point.”
“But never more beautiful.” He leaned over and kissed her lips one more time before leaving for the palace to fly to the mine.
An hour later he joined the mining staff. They went down deep to see a new series of labyrinths unblocked by boulders. Pesco was waiting for him with a grin that took up his whole face. “It’s gold, Your Highness. A lot of it if you follow the veins.”
Rini walked with him as they examined everything. This mine had been producing for three hundred years. Today’s discovery ensured the mine could go on helping fund the monarchy for years to come.
Pesco looked at him. “If you hadn’t come up with a new idea to remove some of the debris, we would never have found it.”
“But no bodies.”
“No, but this means more work for all of us.”
“You’re right, and I’m grateful.”
“We’re grateful you have your memory back.” All the men clapped. How different this experience from months ago when he’d come close to walking away from his soul mate and everything else. Right now he couldn’t wait to rush home to the wife he adored. Between this find and the baby they were expecting, he could barely contain his jubilation.
They went up on top and he left for Asteria in the helicopter. The second it touched down, he hurried to the car, eager to be with Luna and tell her the news.
But when he drove around the back of the palazzo to park, Viola came running out to him, a little out of breath. “It’s good you’re home, Rini. Did Luna call you?”
He frowned. “No. What’s wrong?”
“Your wife just left for the hospital. The doctor says she’s in labor.”
His hands froze on the steering wheel. “She isn’t due for a month!”
“Well, this baby wants to come now.”
Excitement filled his whole being. Rini started the engine and drove out to the street. On the way to the hospital his phone rang. Luna!
He clicked on. “Amore mio?”
“It’s Antonia. I’m calling for her. The baby is coming. She was in labor all day.”
“Why didn’t someone tell me?”
“She didn’t want to bother you at the mine until she knew this was the real thing. When the pains got worse, Mateo drove her to the hospital.”
“I should have been there,” he bit out.
“No one could have foreseen this, Rini. Where are you?”
“I’m almost to the hospital now.”