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Silence. Calum rammed the button. ‘Did he cut me off?’
‘Maybe the reception dropped.’
‘Yeah. It’s not great out here.’
Rhona sucked her lip and glanced at him. He sagged into the backrest and she wasn’t sure what to say. Her dad would have no difficulty interpreting the phone call. He’d put it down to Calum being stingy. But it was his job, his business.
He pulled into a quarried area beside the site. Temporary fences had been erected. Were they to protect the site or to stop people like her traipsing up for a nosey?
‘How can you stand the stress of your job?’ she said. ‘That would drive me mad having people calling me about stuff like that.’
He ran his fingers through his dark, neatly trimmed hair. ‘Yeah. It can be tough. People think I’m a bottomless pit when it comes to money.’ His gaze flicked sideways and he cleared his throat.
Yup. People like my dad.
‘Listen.’ He faced her square. ‘I might as well cut to the quick because there’s not much point in anything else.’
‘Er, yes.’
‘The history between our families will make any kind of working arrangement difficult. It makes me wonder why you want to do this. What are your motives? Did someone put you up to it?’ His eyes bored into hers.
Could he read minds just by looking? Because her defences had evaporated. Eye contact lingered. Her grip on the pick became painful. Her heart beat faster.Deep breath.
‘No, nothing like that.’ Her voice came out as barely a whisper. ‘I want to investigate this site for my own personal satisfaction. I love it here. It’s where I grew up and it’s always fascinated me. I hate the idea of someone else getting to do it when I’m right here and I have the skills and the time.’ She blinked and let out a sigh. The burn in her chest dulled, throbbing a reminder:he’s a Matheson. I’m a Lamond.‘But I’m not under any illusions about… the situation.’
‘Hmm.’ His eyebrows were low, creating an angular quality to his well-proportioned face. Dark hair continued around his jaw in a light stubble.
She swallowed hard, her knuckles still clamped tight to the pick. He rubbed his chin and studied her. Wow. The depth of those eyes, greenish blue, like the surface of the sea on a cool bright day. Were they angry? Or just sad? The hairs on the back of her wrist lifted as his focus shifted away.
Maybe he wouldn’t hurt her but he could crush her dreams with one word. His mouth opened and she scrunched her eyelids shut, waiting for the blow. Silence. She opened one eye. What was he waiting for? Just say no and get it over with. Why had she ever thought it would work?
‘It’s like you said…’ she blurted. The silence was too much. ‘The history between our families makes this… awkward. When I sent that email, I was…’Drunk?Shit, she couldn’t say that. It sounded terrible. ‘I wasn’t thinking straight. I guess I got starry-eyed at the idea of doing a dig here. If there’s something waiting to be discovered, I’d love to be the one discovering it, and I’m sure there is.’ Why was she rattling on?
‘You realise that doesn’t sound so appealing to me. The more discoveries you make, the more money it costs me.’ He quirked an eyebrow but his expression softened. Rhona’s grip on the pick slackened. ‘And that’s not me being a miser, it’s a fact and a practicality.’
‘Yes. This is what I have to learn. If I go into consultancy, it’s a fine line between keeping the customer happy and doing the job I have to do. That’s why I’m prepared to do it on the cheap. All you’d have to pay for would be carbon dating on any finds. My wages would be… Well, nothing.’ Her shoulders drooped and her insides followed.
‘I’m not that bad. I’d pay you sensibly.’ He stared ahead and tapped the steering wheel.
‘But…’ Did that mean? What did that mean?
‘Employing someone from the island will save me money elsewhere. If I hire someone from the mainland, the cost instantly goes up. You’re here already and you have the skills. You don’t need travel money or lodgings. You sound enthusiastic, but…’ He frowned and she clamped her lips shut, not daring to pre-empt what he might be about to say. What was he thinking? He was hard to read. Very subtly, he skimmed over her and tingles erupted in her stomach. The movement was so imperceptible it could easily have been missed or pulled off as casual. Was he silently sizing her up?
‘Have you done anything like this before?’
‘I’ve done several digs in Europe and I have an MA in archae—’
‘I know. You sent me your CV, remember. But have you ever run an investigation yourself?’
‘Not exactly.’ She wasn’t experienced. God forbid she made a mistake. That would be all he needed to bring her down. Working for nothing lowered the pressure but the whole thing could be more trouble than it was worth. Had she made a big mistake? ‘That’s why I’m willing to work for low pay. I need experience and it’s so hard to come by. This seems like the perfect opportunity. Or it would be if I wasn’t a Lamond and you didn’t own the land.’
Their gazes locked and Rhona clung to the pick. Calum adjusted his lapels. The corner of his lips quirked slightly though he still frowned. Rhona let go of the pick, her palm sweaty. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then trailed it under her chin.
‘That’s the crux of it,’ he said.
‘So…’ She swallowed. ‘Should I g—’
‘Would you like to look around?’ He unclipped his seatbelt but didn’t let it go.
