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From the way rubble and sand had been removed from part of the area, it was apparent where the missing obelisk had been located.

Its mate was still standing in front of the left side of the pylon, where sand remained piled up quite high.

Also in front of the pylon were the top halves of a pair of statues, elaborate crowns with balls on top still atop their heads.

The bottom half of their bodies were buried in the sand.

“This temple honors the gods Amun, Mut, and their son, Khonsu,” Mahmood stated.

“Which pharaoh is this?” David asked, pointing to the statues.

“We think Ramesses the Second. Like the other Theban temples around here, this one was built with Nubian sandstone,” Mahmood explained as they made their way past the pylon and into what remained of the forecourt.

Some of the space was now taken up by a mosque.

“This is the Abu Haggag Mosque, built twelve-hundred years ago and still used today.” He turned and waved to a spherical structure mounted on a column.

“Pigeon tower,” he said. “Pigeons are a favorite food here. They are quite tasty.”

As if the birds had heard his comment, several appeared from inside and flew off.

Up ahead, a grand colonnade of two rows of columns all intact and topped with the open lotus flower capitals, indicated where the hypostyle hall might have been, but with the walls on that side missing, it was hard to imagine the original layout.

Another colonnade, the one David had remarked upon when they had been walking to the temple, came next.

On their left, parts of walls and columns jutted up from the ground, their bases somewhere down below.

A pair of statues, only the top halves visible above the ground, were next to and in front of a partial wall. Although carvings covered most of it, some of the rock face had broken away. “Amun and Mut,” Mahmood stated, indicating the statues.

The group moved to study the double statue. Although Mut was missing her nose and Amun’s cheek was gone from one side, their other facial features and headdresses were still quite clear.

“Take time to look at the rest and know that much is buried beneath us,” he said.

Breaking off into smaller groups, the older couples headed towards the sun court while Diana and Randy regarded the top half of the sanctuary.

David wandered off to the grand colonnade, leaving Tom and Helen together at the statues.

“Thank you for trying to... to protect me earlier,” Helen stammered.

“You’re welcome,” he replied. He cleared his throat. “I noticed you didn’t bring Bradley this afternoon.”

She shook her head. “He’s with the nanny,” she replied. “Although it was good for him to be outside earlier, he was quite tired.”

Tom turned to her and then glanced around.

When he was sure no one was watching them, he took her hand and led her around to the other side of the statues.

Sandwiched between the wall and the backs of the statues, another wall protecting them from being seen from the courtyard, they stood staring at one another until Tom finally said, “I... I wanted to speak to you about...” His face screwed in a grimace.

“About?” she prompted. When he didn’t respond, she sighed. “Did you bring me back here to kiss me?”

His eyes rounded. “Uh, well, I wouldn’t object to doing so,” he admitted.

She blinked. “You wouldn’t object?” she repeated, her words making it sound as if she was offended.

He shook his head. “No. I quite liked kissing you. I thought about it many times since. How I might do it differently.”

“Differently?” she repeated, her confusion evident.

“Longer,” he clarified. He lifted a shoulder. “And I like holding you,” he said, reaching out with a hand to place it at her waist. When she didn’t push it away, he tightened his grip on her.

“I like it when you hold me,” she replied, stepping close enough so they nearly touched, her skirts pressed against his pantaloons. “As you were doing earlier.”

He hesitated before wrapping his other arm around her shoulder, his gloved hand pressing against her shoulder blade. “I wanted to ask you if...”

When he didn’t continue, Helen sighed and suddenly lifted onto her tiptoes, her lips touching his as one of her hands went to his shoulder for support.

For a moment, she felt only his breath on her cheek, heard only the sound of birds, and felt only the heat of his lips on hers. When his tongue invaded her mouth, she tasted him and moaned softly.

He pulled his lips away to inhale a breath, but he pulled her closer. When he resumed the kiss, it was as if he had been a starving man, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

Consumed as she was in the kiss, it was all Helen could do to hold on, both of her hands gripping his shoulders until his arms tightened their hold on her and she was fully pressed against the front of his body.

Heat suffused the front of her bodice even as she realized she could feel his heartbeats against her breasts. Or maybe it was her own heart, the pulse sounding loud in her ears as he deepened the kiss.

When she finally had to end the kiss to take a gulping breath, she stared up at him.

His eyes were glazed over, and for a moment, he didn’t appear to know where he was. When they cleared, he visibly swallowed, released his hold on her, and stepped back. “Apologies,” he whispered.

She blinked. “For what?” she asked.

But he had already disappeared, leaving her by herself behind the statues of a god and his lover.

When she emerged back into the sunlight, she turned and regarded the Amun and Mut with a frown. “A lot of help you were,” she murmured on a sigh of frustration.

When the group returned to the hotel, she did so on the arm of David.