Eliza sent her a smile. “Well, I’ve seen the way you look at Mr. Hawkins. It appears that part of the plan worked out all right.”
Deborah leaned forward, her face radiant with a glow that could only be attributed to love. “It did. And I am thankful.” She looked down at her hands. “But I haven’t had any children yet, and well...” Her gaze snapped back to Eliza’s. “I was wondering if I could help you out here. My husband said he’s fine with it if you are.”
Eliza could barely restrain from grabbing the woman and twirling her around, much the way she would Devin back home. Taking a breath, she tamped down most of her giddiness and smiled at the woman. “I’d love to have your help! I’m not sure there would be any funds to pay you much, but I will gladly pay you out of my own earnings.”
Oh! To have another woman around! How wonderful!
Goodness. She hadn’t realized how starved for friendship she was. Without Devin around, it felt like half of her was missing. Maybe she and Deborah could team up ... especially if her next question had a favorable answer. “Did they ever dig up the bone discovered at the Meyer’s?” As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. She should have asked aboutthe tragedy of the family first. But she’d been holding it in ever since Deborah brought it up.
“No. The discovery was forgotten when the whole family disappeared. The grandparents. The parents. The children. All of them. Nowhere to be found. Food was cooking on the stove. Horses were saddled right outside the door. It was strange. They were never found.”
“Who owns the ranch now?”
“A long-lost brother. He’d been the black sheep of the family for a good while but returned when the sheriff sent him word of what happened. He’s not a rancher, but he’s done his best to make his family proud.”
Eliza could almost taste a victory. If those bones were still there ... if she and Deborah could somehow be allowed to dig them up ... imagine what that could do for the world of paleontology. Perhaps Dinosaur National Monument could even be expanded? They could have a visitor center and bring Earl’s vision for the place to life. “Do you think you could go with me to speak to Mr. Meyer?”
“Of course.” Deborah’s eyes widened. “Do you think he’ll allow you to look around and dig?”
“Maybe. But we won’t know unless we try.”
MONDAY, JUNE19, 1916•PITTSBURGH
Devin stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. “Dad?” His day had been full of meetings that had been exhausting and boring all at the same time. Some of the older professors seemed to enjoy talking simply to hear the sound of their own voices. He made his way through the small cottage he shared with his father and laid his leather case on the table.
“Back here!” His father’s tone was full of the same joy he exuded every day. “How did the meetings go?”
Devin found his father in the little room off the kitchen. His favorite. Probably because it was full of windows and was the cheeriest room in the house. “Long.”
“Sounds like you need to get away.” Dad stood and walked over to him, handing him an envelope. As he stepped around Devin, he gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “I’m going to make some dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Famished, actually.” Devin turned the envelope over in his hands.
Eliza.
Her handwriting sent his heart into a fast trot. He closed his eyes for a moment and steadied his breathing.
Dad began to shuffle around pots and pans in a cabinet. “She addressed it to both of us. It was sweet that she sent me a note in there too. My letter is on the table if you’d like to read it.”
The clanking covered up the pounding of Devin’s heart. It had been one thing to say good-bye to her and an entirely different thing to realize each day that she wasn’t within walking distance. They hadn’t been apart more than a few days since they were children. Each day that passed he told himself to push thoughts of her aside. After all, that was what he wanted. To let her go.
But now, she’d been gone for two weeks, and it had been awful. Pure torture.
“Are you just gonna stand there staring at it? Or are you gonna read it?”
Devin laid it on the table on top of the letter to Dad. “I’ll read it after dinner.” He had to do something about these feelings for her. If he allowed himself to get eager every time she sent word, he would never be able to let her go.
“You’ll read itnow.” His father was beside him holding a skillet, his firm voice scolding. “You’ve been a complete grump since she left. It’s going to take time for me to concoctsomething for us to eat anyway. Take them back to your room and read them.”
He’d never shared his feelings for Eliza with his father. Hadn’t told him about the promise he’d made to Mr. Mills. Then the pledge he’d recently made to himself.
“Son?”
He’d been standing there staring at the letters. He glanced back to Dad. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His father set the skillet down on the table and took a seat. “All right, sit.”
He did as he was told.
