Ah. So that was it. “It’s the first day. You have to start before you can finish.” She repeated the phrase that he had used with her dozens of times in her lifetime.
After a shaky breath, he dipped his head. “You’re right. I don’t want ... to admit it, but you’re ... right.” He glancedback out the window. “This is a greater burden ... than I ever thought I’d have to bear.”
Her idea came back. From his place in the bed, there was an amazing view out his bedroom window. It would be the perfect place, if she could do it without killing everything. “Perhaps this will cheer you up. Let me show you something Zach discovered today.” She pulled a paper out of her bag. “It’s a rough sketch, but I think there’s more bones there that we are unable to see in the first layer.”
A smile almost reached his eyes. “This is remarkable.”
“You know what that means, don’t you?”
He stared at her, question in his eyes.
“We could spend years digging out at the site and possibly find more than one intact skeleton. Perhaps several.”
The light in Dad’s eyes was back.
“All the more reason for you to work hard on those exercises, rest, and do everything Doc says. Every little bit of progress counts, Dad. We need you out there.”
Days out at the dig site were hot and long. But Joshua enjoyed the manual labor more than he’d imagined he would.
Perhaps it was because Anna loved this work and he wanted to feel connected to her. Especially since she’d been avoiding him like he had the plague.
Tonight, he was determined to do something about it. He’d allowed years to pass without any communication with her and now that he saw her on a daily basis, he couldn’t bear to let this rift between them continue.
Of course, she could always tell him to take a hike and leave her alone. A possibility he had to consider. But he didn’t think she would.
Not with their history.
Their history.
If he included all the yearspriorto the day of their hideous fight, it was quite good. Funny how one day—one explosive argument—could change the course of everything.
Well, he’d had days to plan and think about this. He wasn’t wasting any more time.
As soon as they were done at the site, he took off on his horse and rode straight to the Lakeman home.
If Anna wasn’t there, he would wait until she returned home. A lady had to sleep at some point.
When he arrived, he made short order of tying up his horse and getting him a bucket of water. By the time he reached the door, Louise stood there with a smile on her face.
“Come on in. Mr. Lakeman is waiting for you.”
“Thanks.” He removed his hat and headed down the familiar hallway.
To his surprise, Anna sat there with her father. She hadn’t run away from him again.
The softest smile flitted over her lips. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He cleared his throat and turned his attention to her father. “Evening, Mr. Lakeman.”
“How many times ... must I request ... that you call me Peter?”
Every night, the man said the same thing. “Sorry, sir. I forgot.” In his defense, it was hard to think of him as a colleague ... because he would always be Anna’s father first and foremost. When he’d messed things up with Anna, he’d lost the privilege—at least in his own mind—to call the man by his first name.
“Anna showed me ... the sketch of the new layer.”
“It’s fascinating. It will take the team a long time to get through the first layer, but how marvelous to think there’s more underneath.” He stole a glance at Anna. What was she thinking?
They chatted about the day and all they’d found. Mr.Lakeman—Peter—began to droop. “I’m afraid the exercises ... today drained me ... of all my energy.” The man’s eyes slipped shut for a long moment. Then they opened halfway. “Any news ... on Caleb?”
