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A row of three buses and four food trucks was pulling toward them, stirring up a cloud of dust. Cleo sighed, knowing she would be outnumbered if she kept giving Nick a hard time. His charm was already winning Hunter over, and Cleo was not surprised. He had that kind of smile and zinger one-liners that always had people wanting to hear what he might say next.
“The taco truck is by far my favorite,” Hunter reported. “They’ll take a little while to set up, but we’re almost ready to lift this out. Want to stick around for that?”
“Yes,” Nick said, using his brush to unearth the side of the rock nearest to him. “What happens to these anyway? People from the tour keep them?”
“No. We need permits to do this work, and there is a hefty fine for people who try to do this on their own. The university has them on display or uses them for educational purposes.”
“So no keepsakes to remember this day.” Nick shrugged and looked at Cleo, who offered him a small smile.
“I don’t think this is something we’ll be forgetting anytime soon.”
Hunter chuckled. “Not bad for a work trip.”
CHAPTEREIGHT
Cleo
Sweat was dripping down her back, and dust had gathered on her forehead. This was backbreaking work but also so incredibly satisfying. Hunter had been right. The perspective that they were unearthing things that had been buried for millions of years was profound. A whole world was surviving, changing, and thriving well before she and any of her problems existed. And with any luck, the world would still be spinning for a long time to come.
“Have you had any water?” Nick asked, passing his bottle her way. “You should take a break.”
“I’m making some real progress here.” She gestured down the delicate work she was doing and beamed with pleasure.
“You’re hooked.”
“This is the best job in the world. Who wants to sit in a courtroom and litigate someone’s contested will when they could be out here finding things that have been hidden away for all this time? I don’t want to stop.”
“The sun is going down soon. The tour left an hour ago. No more food trucks. Though they were delicious. We should get back on the road so we can plan for dinner and where we’re going to stay.”
“I’m going to stay here. I live here now. In this hole under this tent.” Cleo closed her eyes and tried to remember the last time she felt this connected to the earth and to herself. “I still have my granola bar.”
Nick laughed. “I love this side of you. It’s completely illogical. You’re just a kid playing in the sandbox who doesn’t want to go home. But it’s time to pack up and go.”
She moaned like a petulant toddler. “Fine. But I know I’ll never get another chance to do this. Once I leave, that’ll be it.”
“Says who? Hunter mentioned there are lots of universities that offer things like this. If you like it, do it again.”
“You’re so flippant about everything,” she said with a sigh as she put her tools down and reluctantly stood. “It’s not that easy for me to get away and indulge in something like this. You do remember you had to practically drag me away for these two days. You won’t be around to do that after we’re done with work up here.”
“True,” Nick said, handing her a damp towel to wipe off her hands. “But maybe you’ll find some other guy to take you on random adventures that turn out to be amazing.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. She couldn’t picture that. She’d dated plenty of guys, and none had proven to be anything like Nick. There were stuffy guys who poured themselves into their careers and measured themselves based on their stock holdings. Disappointingly scattered guys who played guitar and scraped by with gig work. A few mama boys. A couple of bad boys. But none had the mix of competency and playfulness that Nick did. He could get the job done but knew how to enjoy himself too. He took work seriously but never took himself too seriously.
When this was all over, she couldn’t imagine a twist of fate that would let her meet someone like him, and that realization made her melancholy.
“Don’t pout,” he said, taking her hand and walking her to the car. “Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened.”
His poignant message was meant for their fun expedition, but at this moment held a bigger meaning.
“You two did a great job,” Hunter announced as she glanced at their hands linked together and smiled. “We made some amazing progress today. I’m glad you stumbled upon us.”
“Thank you so much for your kindness,” Cleo said, her heart full of gratitude. “I didn’t realize this was exactly what I needed. I envy your profession. It’s so fulfilling.”
“The world needs lawyers too,” Hunter said with a knowing smile. “I’m sure you’ve done some important work to help people. It’s not quite as fun as digging in the dirt all day, looking for treasure, but it matters.”
Nick looked at Cleo in a way she hadn’t recognized in him before. “She’s an incredible lawyer. I just got to see her save a family farm and keep a child with the right guardians. It was inspiring. She’s inspiring.”
Cleo felt her dust-covered cheeks turn pink. “I couldn’t have pulled it off without you,” she said, her lashes fluttering as she glanced back at him.
