“We’re looking for relics dating back about five or six thousand years. We received some evidence that a tribe once lived in this area. Mr. Masters was...gracious enough to let us come in and search, even though doing so delayed his own project.”
Tallie didn’t dare look at Cole, who stood next to her. “If we find what we’re looking for, it could change the way we understand Native American history and culture, including my own lineage. We, at the museum, are holding our breath, we’re so excited about this site.”
Excitement spurred the crowd to ask more questions. Eventually someone asked to see where she was now digging. They followed Tallie down the small incline to the two large square holes.
After explaining the various tools and how they were used, Tallie reached down and picked up a tea can, tumbling a few objects onto the sifter so all could see. She picked one dark gray rock and held it up. “So far I’ve found several of these. The arrowheads were attached to sticks or poles and used for hunting.” She put down the rock and picked up several pieces of pottery. “This is evidence that a village was here. We can scan these pieces and, with today’s technology, the computer can give us a realistic idea of the size of the actual pot and, in some cases, what it was used for.”
“Isn’t that what you’re looking for?” someone asked.
“No.” She smiled and shook her head. “These are relatively new. Only a few hundred years old.”
Everyone chuckled. Except Cole.
Tallie tossed the pieces back into the sifting tray and walked over to an odd-shaped rock, round on one end with a long, narrow stem on the other, sitting near a small shrub. “This we found yesterday.” She was careful to use “we” instead of “I,” implying a much bigger operation. “It was used to grind corn and wheat.” She held it up for them to see. “And, yes, this, too, is only a few hundred years old.”
The questions continued: How did she know the age of the samples? What kind of artifact did she hope to find that bore evidence of something five thousand years old? How long would this dig go on? What part did Cole play in all of this?
“If it were not for Mr. Masters, we wouldn’t have any chance at obtaining the necessary proof.” That much was true, even if it had taken a court order to search there.
She glanced at Cole. His face was unreadable. But his lips were pursed as though he was holding back a grin. Why would he do that?
The questions continued for several more minutes then eventually died off.
“If no one has any more questions, let’s return to the house where a late luncheon is waiting.” Cole directed them up the slight hill and back to the limos. Before following, he stepped over to Tallie. “You and I are going to have a talk.”
“No problem. Name the place and the time.” If he thought he could intimidate her, he could think again. He was not so different than John, who walked into a room as though he owned it. The only difference was that Cole actually did own this property.
“I’m curious. Where did you learn to lie so well?”
“I didn’t lie.” She shrugged. “I just didn’t go into too much detail in my answers. And it just seemed like the right thing to do. Have a good afternoon.”
Lively sparks lit his brown eyes and that said a lot. Just what, exactly, she didn’t know. But she was ready. She had formed tough armor long ago when she was in school. So bring it on.
He looked at her for another few seconds, pursed his lips again and shook his head before turning and walking away.
Tallie finished a quadrant and hung her head. Sitting back, her elbows bracing her shoulders, she asked herself what she was doing wrong. The top few layers of soil had not given up any secrets. Not surprising. Most of what she was searching for was so old it would be covered under several layers of dirt. Erosion, windstorms, flooding, any number of weather-related changes could move soil up or down or to a different location, making it harder to find what she was looking for. It was like stirring batter in a mixing bowl. The question was: where to go next? And how? Lately, she was starting to feel uncomfortable lying on her stomach. She certainly didn’t want to do anything to hurt her baby.
She rose, looking at the red earthen cliff less than a hundred yards away. Shielding her eyes from the lowering sun, Tallie again scoured the embankment, alert to any signs of caves or stacked rocks. There were a couple of places that piqued her interest but getting to them wouldn’t be a walk in the park. She would continue her search down here. She reasoned if anyone had lived up in the cliffs, they would have surely had to throw something down at some point. So she would keep looking on the ground.
The sun was setting on another day. She would move her exploration to the north, just below the dark spot on the cliff face. How she wished her grandmother was here so that she could ask her any number of questions. When she got back to camp, she would study the map again. Maybe she’d missed something.
She felt sick. She hurried away from the grid and dropped to her knees. She was so tired and the daily sickness seemed to zap the last bit of strength from her. A small part of her wanted to break down and cry—but she clamped down hard on those emotions.
As she walked back to the cabin her thoughts were of Cole. Sooner or later she would have to tell him about the baby. It was beginning to be impossible to snap her jeans, so she’d need some new clothing that would doubtlessly show her pregnancy. How would he take the news? What would he do? Would he accuse her of getting pregnant on purpose or would he be happy?
A sadness in her heart told her he probably wouldn’t. Would he deny it was his? She almost wished he would. She’d loved the night they shared. She didn’t want to have the memories of that night tainted by ugly accusations and anger. She longed for him to accept her; to accept the baby. But it was not reality. The most she could hope for was to complete her assignment as quickly as possible then leave with him being none the wiser.
Deep inside where no one could see, she’d given the mysterious stranger in New Orleans a small piece of her heart. Now, knowing the true identity of the man didn’t change that at all. She remembered the sparkle in both of her parents’ eyes when they were together. It was pure devotion; there was never a thought of anyone else. She doubted that dream would ever be hers. Especially with someone like Cole Masters. He was too handsome, too powerful. The epitome of a perfect male. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of. Her and a million other women. She needed to find the proof she was after and leave before she fell in love with a man who would never, could never, love her back.
The meeting had gone exceedingly well and while Cole was reluctant to admit it, in large part it was thanks to Tallie. Watching her address the guests, her long hair flowing down her back, and that incredible smile on her beautiful face, he realized she’d been right when she’d said people were curious about her work.
The conversation over lunch was lively, the topics ranging from his project to her dig to Masters Corporation. Cole avoided these last questions, needing the prospective investors to know from the get-go that his project had nothing to do with the family business. Most understood, or said they did, and were okay with it. Then Tallie’s search for pottery or whatever she was looking for inched its way back into the conversation.
Several investors told him before leaving that if he was willing to go to such lengths to bring history alive, they had every confidence in his ability to bring his own project to fruition. And they’d all pledged they were on board. In one afternoon, Tallie had helped make his anxiety vanish. And for that, Cole was in her debt.
Tallie Finley was living in dangerous conditions. She could joke about finding the grass snake in her shoe but what would happen when she woke up one morning to find a rattlesnake coiled in the corner of the small shack or under the rusty old bed? He didn’t like the odds of her coming away from this dig unscathed. And although signed disclaimers said differently, he felt ultimately responsible. If she wouldn’t see reason and leave, it was up to him to ensure her living environment was as safe as he could make it. Staying at the ranch house was the ideal solution. If he was honest with himself, that idea had as much to do with his libido as it did with her safety, but he’d see to it safety concerns were addressed nonetheless.
He’d told her they needed to talk after the investors left. And he wanted to see her; to thank her for her participation and the positive way she’d handled the situation.
Once everyone was gone, Cole bounded up the stairs and changed into jeans and a plaid shirt. He was going to drive out and personally thank Tallie for her assistance. She’d made the difference. When he was dressed, he walked outside and jumped in the truck and headed for Tallie’s dig.
It was a beautiful evening for a ride. He should have taken one of the horses, but he’d been in a hurry. A sensation akin to panic urged him to get to her as quickly as possible. He didn’t question the why of it.
When Cole drove up to the little cabin he didn’t immediately see her. Once more, a little twinge of concern nipped at his senses although why he didn’t know.
He walked around to the front of the shack and peeked inside. She wasn’t there. He took in the bedroll spread over a nasty mattress on a rusty bed that should have been thrown out years ago. A bird darted out the window. The rays of the setting sun lit the holes in the ceiling. He still couldn’t believe she’d been living in this pathetic excuse for a shelter. Glancing toward the river, he spotted two jeans-clad legs under a tree. Sure enough, Tallie leaned against a giant tree trunk, sound asleep. Her hands were pressed together, palm to palm, making a pillow for her head.