One Night with the Texan

by Lauren Canan

  “So, you’re refusing?”

  The bullheaded man obviously hadn’t heard one word she’d said. She shook her head and absently pulled the banana clip from her hair. She finger-combed her locks, twisted the length back into a scruffy knot and replaced the clip.

  “I’ll try and work in an area as remote and out of sight of your guests as possible on that day. But I can’t stop working completely. I’m sure it never occurred to you, but I want to go home as badly as you want me to. But this isn’t over until I find proof of what I’m looking for or run out of time.”

  “Even if I extended your ninety days by another four days to make up for it?”

  She shook her head. “The day after I finish here I’m on a flight to Brazil.” At least that had been the plan before an egotistical, drop-dead gorgeous male had gotten her pregnant. “I just don’t see any need to stop if I stay out of the way.” She pointed to an area on the other side of a shallow ravine. “I’ll work over there while your group is here, but that’s all I’m willing to do. I cannot lose a full day of work.”

  “How about if I call you before we get here and you disappear for an hour or so?”

  That would work. She nodded her head and provided him with her cell number.

  Today Cole wore a T-shirt, his biceps stretching the short sleeves; a slight smattering of dark hair peeked over the top of the neckline. The jeans he wore were not skintight but it was still easy to see the muscles. They made his legs appear slightly bowed, which seemed to emphasize his sexuality. Well-worn Western boots completed the effect. Which was all undoubtedly part of his plan. Dress down. Talk to her on her lower level. She could appreciate the effort but it didn’t work. God! If he would just stop the stupid sneak attacks and be open and straightforward about things.

  But she had to admit, whatever he wore, he was temptation run amok. With his almost golden eyes, thick, dark hair and full lips begging to be kissed, he could easily have most women falling at his feet. He could never know how close she was to giving in and running into his arms. She wanted that and more. And how stupid would that be? Cole Masters made her ex look like an amateur by comparison.

  Good grief. She pushed such thoughts away. She had to focus on her work and keep her imagination at bay. Still...it was next to impossible to not imagine his arms around her, his lips on hers as he explored deeper inside her mouth, his touch scorching her skin. She envied the beautiful women who drew him like a hummingbird to nectar. But she would never be one of those women. She’d be wise to remember that.

  * * *

  A week later Tallie still hadn’t found anything. That morning she slept in. Not that she did it on purpose. She’d always used her internal clock, which was amazingly accurate but apparently had failed to work this time. Cole Masters had turned off the alarm. Her dreams had been filled with him and that bothered her.

  Yawning, she thought about her next steps. Toward the cliffs. She just had a feeling if there was ever a tribe in this immediate area, it would be within a fairly small radius of the cliffs. Prepared for surprises, she always began her digs at the furthermost spot and worked her way in. Now, with time growing ever shorter, she needed to move faster, take bigger steps to where the heart of the village might have been. The area where she would stake out yet another grid was still within the field of wheat but would edge her much closer to the sharp incline at the foot of the mesa. If there had been caves in the cliffs at some time in the past, there had to be remnants of a society below.

  An hour later, after finishing her tea, she was on her way to the site to set up another grid. It took a couple hours before Tallie tossed her first shovelful of soil from the new area into the sifter. And an hour later still, all she’d found were rocks and some pottery splinters. They were definitely old and came from deeper in the ground than the other remnants she’d found, which was promising. Unfortunately she didn’t have the equipment or the software to determine age. That would require a lab. All she could do was make a best guess.

  As she began to shake the dirt from the wire screen, a flash of light caught her attention. Glancing over to the tracks behind the cabin she saw a line of limos turning into the gates of the property, headed in the general direction of the cabin. Crap. Was this Friday? As usual she’d lost all track of time.

  Why hadn’t Cole called? That was the plan. Cole was to give her a one-hour heads-up. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her cell. No bars. She had no reception. She stared at the phone in shock. Cole’s guests had arrived. And even after the stunts he’d pulled, she believed in keeping her word. She’d told him she would disappear for a couple of hours and she would do it.

  She glanced around her, making sure all of her equipment was out of sight. She was lower than the trapper shack, giving them a better view of her than she had of them. Thankfully everything looked to be as camouflaged as was possible. The sifter was the only obvious tool and there was no time to tear it down.

  The cars were slowly approaching the gate to the property fifty yards from the shack. The shack. She’d forgotten to clear her things out of the old cabin. Would they look inside? She did a quick mental calculation. She might have time to remove her belongings before the motorcade got to Cole’s project site. She’d also have to move her old Ford wagon, which was parked right next to the shack. If they even slowed down, they would know someone was working in the area.

  She tossed the shovel into the hole and hurried to the old trapper’s cabin. Sprinting up the steps and into the building, she grabbed an armful of clothes and headed back out to throw them into the wagon. The bedroll and pillow were next. She had just cleared the last of her personal items from in and around the rickety old building and shut the Ford’s door when the first limo drove past. She darted back inside the shack, having no clue what to do now. Maybe no one would come over. They had no reason to. Backing into the corner next to the window opening, she silently watched as several more limos eased past. Could she slowly back her vehicle out of here without anyone knowing?

  The dig was in the opposite direction from the shack and his project site. If she could sneak out the door and get to the oak tree, maybe she could nonchalantly stroll back to her dig? The current excavation was deep enough to provide cover if she could make it there. But she immediately nixed that idea. Better not to take a chance. She would stay where she was and hope no one noticed.

  Tallie could hear Cole’s voice as he explained his vision for the corporate retreat center he was planning, answering questions and fielding concerns. Then there were a few chuckles, which should be a good sign, but nothing in Cole’s voice indicated he was laughing. More to the point, it sounded as if he’d been put on the defensive. Dare she peek at the small group to see what was happening? Curiosity overcame her. Easing over to the doorway, she peeked out in time to see several people in the group pointing toward her dig.

  Oh, man. She withdrew inside the cabin. Everything outside got quiet. What was happening? She didn’t want to sabotage Cole or his project. She didn’t have the same ruthless character he did. His project was as important to him as her dig was to her. She went back over the actions she’d taken since first seeing the limos start to arrive. She was certain no one had seen her dumping clothes and tools in her wagon. She was done before the first car had topped the small rise. So what was going on out there?

  She again stepped over to the door, peered around the corner and came face-to-face with Cole. He was definitely not a happy camper. Though his features were still handsome, his eyes narrowed, honing in on her. She pulled back then took a couple of steps further inside the cabin. She felt like an animal caught in a trap. When he stepped inside, the space in the small room seemed to evaporate. His shoulders were so wide he had to turn slightly sideways to enter; his head was mere inches from the ceiling rafters. His full lips were pulled into a straight line. She never thought she would see him angrier than he’d
been that first day. She’d been wrong.

  “Your presence is requested outside,” he said. “It appears digging a hole is more interesting than any project I could come up with. Would you mind coming out and addressing the group of investors?”

  “You’re kidding.” Her voice was gone; a whisper was the best she could do. “Tell me you’re joking! Everything is stashed out of sight except...”

  “The sifter,” they both said at once.

  “Why didn’t you leave?” he asked in an angry whisper.

  “Because I never got your call,” she snapped, equally mad. “You should have known there would be no cell service down there.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you!”

  “You’re the one digging over there.”

  “It’s not my land.”

  “You couldn’t prove that by me,” he huffed. “Come on. Might as well give them some reason for being here.”

  She took a deep breath and blew it out, shaking her head at the irony. One small sifter on forty thousand acres and that’s what they wanted to see. She glanced down at her bare legs and shorts. The worn T-shirt added to the effect. “I’m not appropriately dressed.”

  Cole’s eyebrows went straight up. “Dr. Finley, that is the least of your worries.” He walked back outside and turned around. “Are you coming?”

  Nine

  Tallie didn’t want to go out there and address his potential investors, and the temptation to be stubborn almost won out. But, taking a deep breath, she removed the banana clip from her hair and quickly brushed it out. When she stepped outside there were approximately twenty people, men and women, all standing under the giant oak tree, and everyone was smiling. Everyone except Cole Masters.

  “This is Dr. Tallie Finley, archaeologist with the North Texas Natural History Museum. She has degrees in biological and forensic anthropology. She’s agreed to take a few minutes and answer your questions.”

  Without any hesitation the questions started coming hard and heavy but she’d heard them all before. Many times. They were talking her language now and she felt herself start to relax. Most people were intrigued by the recovery of ancient artifacts but very few got to visit an actual dig. She could feel the investors’ excitement building.

  “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.