by Louise Clark
“Scouting. The creek is still high, but the track is clear. We can get back to the road.”
She hardly noticed what he’d said. By the time he was finished she had her door open and was scrambling out of her seat. “Great,” she said, turning back to view him through the truck. “Turn around so I can use the bathroom.”
He chuckled, annoying man, but he slammed his door and she saw that he leaned against it, putting his back toward her. She slammed her own door than moved away to find a place to do her business.
When she was finished she came round the bed of the truck to stand beside him. Sometime in the night he’d taken off his hat and he hadn’t put it back on again, so she saw his face clearly for the first time now. The morning sun glinted off thick, russet brown hair that he wore cut short. His eyes were a warm hazel, his nose was straight, and his chin had a determined jut to it. It was his expression, though, that jarred Liz and made her swallow hard.
There was a confidence there that was all male. He was a man who was comfortable in his environment, and, she thought, in himself. He knew what needed to be done and he showed it in a straightforward way that she found very appealing. She resisted the tug of attraction and said, “Now what?”
“I’ll take you back to your truck. I’ve got a chain in the back. I’ll pull you onto the road and you can be on your way.”
Excellent. Exactly what she wanted. Well, no, it wasn’t. It was what she should want. The last thing she wanted was to go back to the dig camp where Alfred Scarr would be furious at her for taking off and not coming back. He’d probably be so mad he’d send her home today, rather than have her show Zachary Doyle around the dig site before she left.
She’d much rather stay with Mike Edmonds and find out more about him. Even though he was, technically, the enemy. At least, that’s how Scarr had always described him. The marauding amateur who plundered ancient bone beds of their priceless relics and destroyed evidence that would enrich the world’s knowledge of its origins.
Looking at Mike Edmonds now, amused hazel eyes seeing way more of her thoughts than she was comfortable with, long, lean body resting against the frame of the truck, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, and one knee bent in a casual stance, she could believe he would be quite happy to manoeuver outside the law. She’d read his dig reports, though, and they gave her a rather different picture of him.
She said abruptly, “Sure. Let’s go, then.” She pulled her gaze away from his and turned to round the back of the truck to the passenger’s side. Those eyes, that gorgeous face, were making her far too aware of him and of herself. The sooner they got back to her truck and she was on her way back to her own bleak reality, the better.
Before they’d gone a mile his mouth was a grim line and she was clutching the door handle for balance. The morning had dawned bright and clear. The sun was shining down from a cloudless blue sky. In a few hours the earth would be dry again, but now it was still heavy with rain and the track, never much more than earth beaten down by those traversing it, was now a series of rocks, potholes, and mud. Mike drove slowly, but still, they bounced over the surface until they reached the paved roadway.
Liz heaved a sigh of relief as the truck’s wheels hit the asphalt. Mike picked up speed, but he still drove cautiously, for all around them was evidence of the storm. In places the side of the road was washed away. In others, there were rocks strewn onto the pavement, evidence of rushing water. Usually dusty, the road surface was greasy with dirt and water that had become a thin coating of mud.
By the time they reached her truck, Liz’s stomach had started to growl. He drove past, found a place to turn around, then pulled up behind the truck and parked. They both got out and surveyed the damage.
She was lucky, Liz thought. The truck was off the road and leaning at an odd angle, but it was the same angle as last night. Mike walked around it, surveyed wheels, crouched down to test the firmness of the ground.
Finally he came back to where she was standing, observing him. “I think I can pull you out.” Her stomach rumbled and his lips twitched. “Do you have emergency supplies in your truck?”
She nodded, even though she hadn’t checked before she rushed away from the camp. There should be rations of some kind, and bottled water. If there wasn’t, though, she wasn’t going to admit it to Mike Edmonds who she was quite sure would never venture out into the wild without being prepared.
“Okay,” he said, with a jerk of his head. “I’ll get set up, then.”
After considerable muttering that rose in intensity to a snarl and the occasional curse, Mike got her truck out of the ditch and onto the road. He inspected it carefully, then nodded. “You’re good to go.” His gaze was firm. “I’ll follow you back to your camp.”
She opened her mouth and he shook his head. “Don’t argue. The truck looks okay, but there may be deeper damage I can’t see. Plus the roads are dangerous. I don’t want you to be stranded a second time.”
When he was finished, she raised her brows and said, “I was about to say thank you. I appreciate that.”
Color rushed into his cheeks. His mouth quirked up into a rueful smile, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he nodded and turned back to his pickup. Liz climbed into hers and got the engine started. They headed off.
As she drove, Liz noticed what she hadn’t been able to see in the dark. She realized she had been closer to the border between Edmonds’ dig and her own than she thought when she went off the road. In fact, they were now right at the edge of the property Mike managed. She’d soon be back at Scarr’s dig.
She was deep in her gloomy thoughts when ahead of her Mike’s taillights suddenly flashed on. It was a good thing they were moving slowly, as she had to stomp on the breaks. Her truck skidded on the slick surface. When she came to a stop she saw what had caused him to stop so suddenly.
The road was gone. In its place was a gash where rushing water had torn through the countryside. As she opened her door and slipped out of the cab, she saw that he had also emerged to inspect the damage.
When she came up beside him, he flicked her a glance. He’d put his hat back on and the broad brim shaded his eyes, hiding the expression in them. “We’ll have to detour around. There’s no way we can cross this.”
He was right. The hole in the ground had to be six feet deep and the sides were steep and jagged. To the north it extended as far as she could see. On the other side of what used to be the road, was the same view. They’d have to go miles out of their way to find a crossing.
As she scrutinized the newly exposed land, something caught her eye. “Hell,” she said and ran to the edge of the gully.
Mike tore after her. “Careful!” He grabbed her arm to keep her from doing a header into the pit.
But she had already stopped. “We have to find a way to get down there.” She glanced at him as she spoke.
He was staring into the rift, as she had been moments before. His mouth curved up into a smile that was pure glee. “I guess we do.” He sounded as elated as she felt.
The flash flood had washed away dirt and gravel, exposing the rock beneath. From where they stood an ancient bone, preserved in stone, was clearly visible. And it wasn’t alone. This had all the earmarks of a major find.
But was it on federal land, or private?
Mike Edmonds looked down at her. His grin was cocky. “Shall we go take a closer look?”
She was on the move before he was.
They found a spot where the slope looked reasonably stable and where they could scramble down into the gully. Before they set off, though, Mike scrutinized the scene through narrowed eyes. “No sense in going down twice. I’ll get my tools from the truck. Wait here.”
Liz frowned. “Like giving orders, do you, Edmonds?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I need to document the find. I don’t want to deal with a female with a broken ankle instead.”
“We,” she said.
Amusement leapt into his eyes. “We’re on my side of
the boundary, lady. My find.”
If she said, I saw it first, she’d sound like a whining eight year old. That was how she felt though, and Mike Edmonds was seriously ruffling her temper. She didn’t know the details of his agreement with the old rancher who owned this land, but she knew that if he’d discovered a bone bed on federal land, Scarr would never let him work it, even as an associate. So he might have right on his side, but after her humiliating termination by Scarr yesterday, she didn’t plan to give in easily to another pushy male.
So she said in her most professional way, “The actual location will have to be confirmed by GPS coordinates. Until it is, and even after, I believe I have a role to play in the excavation of this creature.”
He looked down at her. “Do you now? And what would that be?”
“We excavate as equal associates. We document the find together and we publish together.” Liz knew that what she was demanding was extraordinary, particularly in the hostile circumstances that existed between Dr. Scarr and Mike Edmonds. She didn’t expect him to cave easily and he didn’t.
“Let’s find out how big this thing is and exactly where it is first.”
Her turn to raise her brows. She added an expression she hoped was professionally neutral, but when anger flashed in his eyes, she figured she’d actually achieved disdainful. Not good for a working relationship.
Despite the temper lurking in his eyes, he managed to keep his tone even. “I’m going to get my tools.” He paused, apparently wrestling with himself. “Please don’t go down into the rift until I’m back.”
She’d put a foot wrong and he was trying. She nodded. “Okay.”
He cast her one last smoldering look, then he turned and headed back to the truck.
She watched him for a minute, enjoying the fluid way he moved his body as he walked, his broad shoulders and lean hips. Not to mention his very watchable ass. She turned away. Ogling the man would do her no good and he was manipulative enough to figure he could use her attraction to keep her in line.
Instead, she examined the rift, looking for other signs of dinosaur bones. Some distance away there was an anomaly that looked interesting. She memorized its location, then continued to scan.
As her gaze roamed the area, her mind wandered as well, going back to the extraordinary meeting she’d had before she drove her truck off the road. Mark, her Beacon, must have known about the accident, the rainstorm, and the find, but he didn’t tell her about them. That meant they were important—no, life changing—events.
Her heart began to beat a little faster. In her family, people came into their time travel abilities as a result of a critical event in their lives. Her sister Faith had found her abilities during an argument with their father, Daniel, over her future. Would it be decided by Daniel or would Faith choose her direction? The way Faith told it, Daniel’s decision had cast her into a fit of despair. She’d felt trapped and could see no way out.
Until Scarr had fired her yesterday, Liz had never fallen into such an emotional pit. She’d drifted through life, always getting what she wanted without too much effort. Sure, she had to work hard to get through a Ph.D. program, but studying for long hours and worrying about exams and her dissertation wasn’t an emotional pit. Assuming that her career was over before it began was, and that was why she’d found her Beacon.
Time travel was an odd coping mechanism that she didn’t think existed beyond her direct family line. The link between Beacon and Traveler began to help a Traveler deal with a crisis in his or her life. Once forged, the bond lasted a lifetime. She pondered that for a moment. Mark said he was her grandchild, which meant that she had been with him as an old woman during his childhood, but now, when she visited him they were both young adults and they would grow old together. She would never really leave him. That would be an incredible relationship. Not only would she see her grandson live to old age, but she would be able to watch her great grandchildren, and perhaps even her great, great, grandchildren, grow up.
The thought had her grinning at the scar on the landscape she was ostensibly scrutinizing, until she realized that she would only be able to connect with Mark if she lived here, or if he moved to Boston, where she’d be returning in about forty-eight hours or sooner. She doubted he was going to abandon that lab with all of its sleek sophisticated technology. If she wanted to continue to visit the future, she would have to find a way to stay right where she was.
She shoved her hands in her pockets and stared at the bone she and Mike Edmonds had found. There was no other option. She would have to convince Mike to include her on the dig, whether it was on his land or not.
Chapter 6
The find was exactly what it had looked like from the lip of the crevice—a femur from an enormous creature, probably one of the giants of the Cretaceous period. Mike slid an unobtrusive glance at the woman beside him. She’d stayed put at the top of the scar until he returned, as he’d asked, then she’d scrambled down the slope behind him, making no attempt to push past, and showing reasonable caution. He didn’t think that came easy for her, which made him wonder why she was suddenly so respectful of his authority.
They both set to work, exposing as much as they could of the find without damaging it, cautiously exploring to discover the extent of the bone bed. The sun was high in the sky before Liz stepped back and said, “I think we have an almost complete skeleton here.”
Mike nodded. He though so too. He also thought there might be more than one skeleton. This was a phenomenal find. “The only problem is the location.”
Liz rubbed her forehead with her arm. The cool of the morning had given way to a hot midday. “I’m going to have to get back to Scarr’s camp. He’s probably frantic by now.”
Apparently she hadn’t called in, either because she couldn’t get cell service or because she’d been so caught up in the find, she hadn’t thought to. Whichever, her need to get to Scarr’s camp suited Mike just fine. Once he was on his own, he’d be able to get his team working on staking out the find. Around here, possession was nine tenths of the law, especially when the person claiming that last tenth was not much respected in the area.
“So,” she said, breaking into his thoughts. “Are you going to tell me what the GPS reading is?”
He looked at her blankly, his mind scrambling for a reply.
She laughed. “You don’t think I missed you checking the readings earlier, do you? Come on, Edmonds, give. Who has the legal right to dig this creature?”
He cursed himself for assuming she’d be easily duped, just because her heart-shaped face, big blue eyes, and soft, lush lips were so totally feminine and, well, sweet, somehow.
She wasn’t sweet or soft. She was prickly and tough. He knew that from last night and from her reputation as Scarr’s site supervisor. She stood there, now, hands now in her pockets, her stance relaxed as she stared at him. There was challenge in those wide blue eyes, and the amusement in her expression somehow added a feminine power to her features. She was all woman, intelligent, strong, and determined. She wasn’t going to give in easily.
Slowly, he smiled. Nor would he. “What makes you think I took a GPS reading?”
“Because I would have,” she said with a shrug.
Well, that was unexpected. Still, he liked that forthright quality, so he said, “You’re right, I did do a check.”
She raised her brows when he didn’t continue. “Are you trying to make me beg?”
At that he grinned. “It’s a thought.” She shot him a fierce frown and he laughed. “Okay, I’ll give it to you straight.”
“That would be appreciated,” she said, her tone tart.
He chuckled again and touched the exposed bone that first drew them into the gully. “This is on my side of the border.” He walked the length of the animal’s body to the last bone they’d found, one from the creature’s neck and pointed. “This is on Scarr’s.”
She sucked in a breath and her breasts swelled beneath the thin t-shirt. “Shared
jurisdiction?”
He was momentarily distracted by imaginings that had nothing to do with the workplace. He dragged his mind away from her body and back where it should be, on this momentous find. “Most of the skeleton is on my side of the line. I dig the site.”
She frowned at the bones for a minute, then looked squarely at him. Her expression was all business. “Scarr will dispute. He’ll get an injunction to keep you from digging and he’ll pull in every expert in the field he can to destroy your reputation before the case ever gets to court.”
She was right. He’d met guys like Dr. Alfred Scarr before. “I don’t have a reputation to destroy. I’m already an outlaw in the paleo field. What Scarr and his colleagues think doesn’t matter to me.”
She shook her head. Her short blond hair, cut long in the front, but short on the sides, fell into her eyes. She raked the bangs away in an impatient move. “You don’t know Scarr. Whatever has happened before, he’ll make it worse.”
“I’ll take my chances.” She actually looked worried. He appreciated her concern, but he didn’t think she had any idea of how far out of the tightly knit academic community he was. If Scarr dragged in professors and scholars to condemn him, they’d only be heaping their dirt onto an already huge pile.
“Look.” She drew in a deep breath. “There’s a good chance that there’s more here than one skeleton. This area has tremendous potential. It needs to be thoroughly explored. I think we’ll find there are more bones on Scarr’s side of the line and on yours. This will be a major site and you will have to work it with the professionals.”
The word grated. “I am a professional.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay, my mistake. With academics like me, or Dr. Scarr. The relationship needs to be cordial—”
Still annoyed, he said, “Not likely.”
She actually laughed at that. “Okay. You’re right. It’s hard to be pleasant to Alfred Scarr. Let’s say polite, then. I can do that. I can be polite, even cordial. Let me talk to Scarr. See what I can work out.”
