by Hebby Roman
He ought to warn Audrey that her eyes might bug out of her head if she drank too much of the concoction, but he didn’t want to offend the older man.
Marv offered Braden a mug, but Braden waved him off.
The brew had come from an old-fashioned coffeepot hanging from an iron tripod over the campfire. Braden never understood why Marv insisted on boiling the Arbuckles’ blend as if they all lived in 1880. The resulting dreg was strong, bitter, and cleaned out Braden’s pipes a bit too much. He preferred the Keurig tucked away in his trailer’s tiny kitchen. And definitely decaf at this time of day.
But the rest of the men guzzled it down, even wet-behind-the-ears Davey.
“I always wanted to be a treasure hunter.” Marvin stretched his wiry frame. He was well into his sixties but still outrode most of them.
There were days when Braden’s body ached and creaked with a stiffness that seemed too soon. He wasn’t even thirty yet. All that bull-riding he’d done in his teens probably hadn’t helped.
“We rarely find treasure,” Audrey said, “at least not the type I’m guessing you mean.”
Marv rested elbows on knees and squinted at her. “Are you any good at what you do?”
“Sometimes.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Do you have one of those doctor titles before your name?”
Audrey nodded.
Marv took a swallow of his coffee. “But schoolin’ and experience can be two different things.”
Here we go. Marv had been with the Delaneys for a very long time. His loyalty and tenderhearted personality was, unfortunately, hidden behind a sometimes abrasive disposition. Braden hoped the old man didn’t give Audrey a hard time.
“I agree,” she said.
She raised her cup to her lips, but from Braden’s vantage point on her left, he noticed she didn’t actually take a drink. Smart girl.
She wrapped both hands around the coffee mug and held it perched on her lap. “While I worked hard for the title of Dr. Driggs, I’m more proud of my reputation in fieldwork.”
“You got a nickname?” Marv asked.
Braden bit back a retort. Audrey was going to have to navigate the road of Marvin Hempsted herself if she was going to sit amongst the company of these cowboys.
“Some people call me Bloodhound Driggs.”
Marv let out a bark of laughter. “Now that’s a nickname, girl. Tell me the strangest thing you’ve ever found.”
“I would have to say dinosaur bones. But I’ve heard stories from colleagues—and this is by no means official—that they found alien artifacts.”
“Are we talking little green men?” Skip asked.
Audrey smiled. “Or blue. Who knows what color they are.”
“So you think you’ll find something like that out here?” Davey asked from across the fire.
Audrey scratched her nose. “Would you happen to know of any strange areas? Braden said you’re all familiar with these parts, probably more than most people.”
“Wait.” Marv sat straighter and held up a hand. “Are you asking us if we’ve ever seen a flying saucer?”
Audrey didn’t answer and a loud silence ensued, instantly broken by a round of raucous laughter.
As the commotion died down, Davey asked, “What about Whisper Rock?”
Marv looked at the young man. “What’re you talkin’ about?”
“I’ve heard stories from the other ranch hands,” Davey said. “That place is spooky.”
“What’s Whisper Rock?” Audrey asked.
“It’s a place south of here in the hills,” Braden said. “It’s been part of the ranch since the beginning, but it’s an odd parcel and to be honest, it never made sense why we have it. It’s too rocky to build anything and the grazing is subpar. I’ve only been there once, when I was about twelve. I had a run-in with a family that was camping. There was this girl….”
Audrey’s gaze snapped to Braden.
Marv shook his head. “Trespassers.”
Braden shifted his attention to Audrey, caught by her sudden stillness. She seemed on the verge of saying more but held her tongue. “Would you like to go there?”
She appeared to shake off her peculiar reaction. “Could I? I certainly wouldn’t want to trespass, but it sounds promising. Has anyone ever investigated the site?”
“Not that I know of.” Braden stared into the fire, the black of night surrounding them. In the distance, the already gathered cattle mewled and bawled.
“I suppose one of us should take you,” Marv said, his tone one of speculation.
Braden frowned in his direction. Marv knew about the offer on that very parcel by Wes Schmidt. He was the only one who did, in fact. Braden hadn’t even told his mother, so there wasn’t much point in letting an archaeologist loose on it. It might sour the deal with Schmidt. Braden needed an influx of cash and soon, to pay off the balloon payment on the ranch due January 1—an unfortunate surprise Braden had discovered shortly after his father’s death.
“It ought to be Braden,” Marv continued. “He’s the only one that knows the way.”
Braden rubbed a hand on the back of his neck.
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Audrey said. “I know you all have work to do. You could tell me how to get there.”
No. That wouldn’t work.
Marv clapped Braden on the shoulder and gave him a good-natured shake. “Go on, Del.” The nickname brought on childhood memories. “You always were a wild boy. Take the lady to Whisper Rock and have an adventure.”
Braden gave the older man a questioning look. Marv was being deliberately obtuse, but Braden didn’t want to call him out on it, because he didn’t want to mention the land offer in front of the others.
“Marv, I haven’t been a boy in a long time.”
“Maybe it’s time you remembered him. We’ll cover your work.”
Skip and Davey grumbled.
A trailer door banged open and Lewis, a stalwart-built cowboy with thinning flaxen hair exited with a plate of food in hand. He walked over to Audrey and presented her with a platter filled with a pulled pork sandwich, golden potatoes, and a generous portion of salad. “Ladies first.”
Audrey’s eyes widened and a grin stretched across her face. “What a feast. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Dr. Driggs.” Lewis gave a nod and headed back to the trailer kitchen. “The rest of you cowboys can serve yourself.”
Chapter Four
Audrey’s eyes flew open. Where was she? As her vision adjusted to the darkness, the outline of Braden’s small living space came into clarity.
She brought a hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. She was sleeping in Braden’s bed, and it was more comfortable than a trailer mattress ought to be. He must have replaced it with a softer version. Of course, her current sleeping arrangement was a tent, a sleeping bag, and a thin foam pad, so it didn’t take much for a step up.
Also impressive—Braden had changed the bedding. The man kept a second set of sheets and blankets. Audrey wasn’t certain she even had spare linens in her condo in Phoenix, much less where they might be located; she’d always been a bit of a slob when it came to housekeeping. Despite the fresh-smelling bedding, Braden’s scent had lingered, tugging at her, stirring a hunger for the man that made little sense.
She wasn’t usually a one-night stand kind of girl, and that was where these thoughts were no doubt leading her.
Keep it together, Audrey.
She needed to get to Whisper Rock, and Braden was her way there. While she hadn’t known the place had a name, she was certain that area was her goal. And while she could have wandered around in the wilderness in search of it, and might eventually have found it, keeping Braden close by as her guide would certainly expedite the journey.
And now that she knew her childhood camping experience with her dad and sister hadn’t been on state land but rather private property—Delaney land to be specific—she didn’t want to knowingly break the law again. She believed that he
r dad hadn’t trespassed on purpose. Braden had said it was an unusable portion of land, so the boundaries were probably not well-marked.
Even stranger about all of this was that she was fairly certain the girl Braden had mentioned seeing when he was a boy had been her. She hadn’t said anything, and now that she was unable to go back to sleep she considered again whether she should. It would all lead to questions—about her, about that illegal outing on his land, about why she’d returned. Could she trust him?
She hardly knew him.
She’d wait. No reason to draw attention to the reasons she was here since there was a chance none of it might pan out. And Braden might just decide that she’d lost her marbles.
She’d be forced to tell him about her past health issues and that generally made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t that people were unkind once they knew—Chloe and Brynn called her the miracle child and claimed they were blessed due to their association with her. Chloe said that Audrey encircled them in a magical atmosphere of good luck; Brynn simply said that Audrey had received an extra dose of God’s grace.
But however it was phrased, the majority of people treated her differently once they learned of her stunning and unusual recovery at the brink of death. One college boyfriend had been so frightened of loving and losing her, he’d instead ended the relationship.
That one had knocked the wind out of her. Since then she’d been much more careful with whom she shared her secrets. In fact, no one at Heritage Archaeology knew of her medical history except the president, Margaret. Audrey had told her for health insurance reasons, and thankfully, Margaret had proven herself to be an exceptional boss, mentor, friend, and all-around spectacular woman.
If Audrey managed to find something significant at Whisper Rock, there was no doubt that she’d bring the firm into the fold. But then, that wasn’t really why Audrey was seeking the place her dad had taken her when she had been nine years old, the very place that somehow had given her life back to her.
Audrey rolled to her side, carefully extending her right leg. It was still sore, but she hoped she could get through the day with a bum knee. Tugging the blanket to her chin, she caught a whiff of Braden’s cologne.
The scent awakened places in her body that hadn’t been active in quite some time.
Maybe a one-night stand with Braden was just the ticket. No strings, no declarations of love, no heartbreak. Yep, it was making more and more sense.
When it was clear that continued sleep wasn’t in her future, she left the bed, switched on a light, and pulled on her pants, working the fabric over the bandage around her knee. She’d had to sleep in her BOOBIE t-shirt and underwear. A quick sniff under her arms told her she really needed a change of clothing. She shed the shirt along with her sports bra, found a bar of soap and a washcloth in the cramped bathroom, and performed a crude sponge bath of her upper body.
Once dry, she slipped back into the bra and did a quick inventory of drawers along the wall, locating a collection of shirts. She helped herself to a dark blue one, hoping that Braden wouldn’t mind. She certainly wouldn’t be able to hide it under her fleece jacket since the large garment hung past her hips and swamped her figure.
If the aroma of Braden’s masculine scent had been teasing her before, it was now a full-blown onslaught as her skin emanated his flavor of clean, fresh soap. His clothing, although laundered, brought to mind his dark eyes, square jaw, and stoic bearing.
She yanked and tugged the orange fleece atop the shirt then ran fingers through her hair and secured it behind her head. A peek out a narrow, rectangular window showed an ashen sky. The sun would be rising shortly.
Braden and the men were already awake, milling about.
“Early risers,” Audrey mumbled.
She laced up her hiking boots and hobbled out of the trailer, gingerly using her right leg. She shut the door behind her. The chilly air prompted her to zip the fleece to her chin.
Braden noticed her and approached. The curiosity in his eyes caused a rush of nerves to blast through her like a flash flood and settle in her belly. He wore a light brown canvas coat and his cowboy hat cast his face in shadow. Audrey crossed her arms to keep warm and to distract herself from staring at his swagger.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked.
“Good.”
“I’ve got a gentle horse picked out for you. That way you can rest your knee.” He paused in front of her and stared at her hips. “Are you wearing one of my shirts?”
“Oh, I hope that’s okay. My other one was getting a little stinky.”
He nodded, his gaze guarded.
“If we could swing by my camp first,” she continued, “I can get some of my things and return your shirt.”
“We can do that.”
“Mornin’, treasure hunter.” Marv grinned at her as he passed.
Audrey raised her arm in greeting.
“I’m pretty sure Lewis has cooked you a five-course breakfast,” Braden said, “so eat your fill then we’ll get underway.”
She went to the nearby trailer and knocked. Lewis opened the door and ushered her inside. By the end, she ate enough for two cowboys. She thanked Lewis profusely and wondered if he’d come back to Phoenix and cook full-time for her.
Exiting the only cowboy restaurant for miles, Audrey squinted at the half-circle of sun cresting the horizon. Braden had three dark brown horses waiting and ready—two with saddles and the third with supplies.
“Have you ridden before?” he asked.
She shook her head as she shuffled up to the animals. Braden had already secured her daypack to a russet-colored horse with a black mane and tail. Audrey assumed this was her guy.
“Not much to it,” he said. “And Bowie is as laid back a horse as you can get. I picked him for you for that reason. Just hold the reins lightly, and he shouldn’t need much guidance from you. He’ll keep his eye on my horse and the pack mule.”
The third one wasn’t a horse, apparently. Learn something new every day.
“Sounds simple enough,” she said, trying to convey more self-assurance than she felt.
“Come around to the left side so you can swing your sore leg over.”
She did as he said and his strong hands lifted her easily into the saddle. As soon as she was settled, the horse shifted on his feet.
“Easy now,” Braden said quietly.
He grasped the reins and indicated for Audrey to take them. His long, tan fingers spoke of hard work, strength, comfort, and no doubt confidence when he touched a woman. Audrey had always been a sucker for hands.
“Just hold them loose,” he said. “But if you need to have him stop, pull back. Not too much though, or else he’ll go backwards.”
She took a deep breath, hoping she didn’t screw up. “Got it.” She leaned forward and gave the horse a pat. “We’re gonna be friends, right, Bowie?”
Braden settled onto his horse in one fluid motion, the perfect picture of masculine grace.
Skip and Davey weren’t around and Lewis was still in the trailer, but Marv came to see them off. “Don’t get lost now.”
“I doubt we’ll have cell service,” Braden said. “I suppose we could be back tonight, but I’ve got supplies in case we stay over a day or two.”
“No problem. We won’t worry about you.”
Braden stared down at the older man, his brows drawn together in a serious expression. “Billy’s supposed to bring the semi-trucks for transport day after tomorrow. If for some reason I don’t return, have him send Jim and Kyle along to help get the cattle on board.”
Marv gave a mock salute. “Yes, Boss. We’ll be fine. And if you find little green men, or even little green skeletons, you’ll come straightaway and let me have a look.” He chuckled. “That would be somethin’, wouldn’t it?”
Braden’s serious countenance gave way to bemusement. “Maybe you’re the little green man out here.”
Marv let out a hearty guffaw as Braden set his horse in motion, the mule atta
ched by a lead line. Audrey tried to mimic Braden’s actions, but her horse remained motionless.
She lifted the reins over the horn-thingy, hoping that would cause some movement. “Come on, Bowie. Let’s go, handsome boy.”
Marv gave a pat to the horse’s rump. “Get goin’, you prima donna.”
Bowie took off at a trot. Audrey turned to wave thanks, but when she nearly fell off she focused forward with a lurch.
She hoped this wasn’t the last time she’d see Marv.
But she doubted she’d have little green men to share with him.
Chapter Five
It took Braden two hours to get to Audrey’s campsite, nestled in a small valley with few pines and an abundance of reddish-brown rock, but at least it offered a buffer against the wind. She’d been smart and positioned herself near a trickling stream, so he took the opportunity to water the animals while she repacked her camp and tidied up her belongings. He figured she also wanted to change her clothes.
When Braden determined that he’d given her sufficient time alone, he guided the horses and the mule up the slight incline back to her camp. Audrey hobbled around in olive-green pants and a snug black t-shirt, a ballcap covering her hair and a long ponytail swaying back and forth with her movements. For a moment, Braden indulged himself in the view. As she turned toward him, the writing splayed across her nicely curved breasts caused him to choke back a laugh.
Archaeology. Dig. Drink. Get Dirty.
He dropped the reins to the ground and the animals halted. “I like your shirt,” he said.
She laughed and made a face. “Sorry. I didn’t expect to have company this week, and I didn’t get my laundry done before I left. These were all that was left at the bottom of my dresser, and there’s more where this one came from.”
“I look forward to seeing them.”
She blushed. Hands on hips, she glanced around. “I’m about ready. Should I pull the tent down?”
“Probably. Let’s take all your stuff with us, in case you don’t want to backtrack later. We can put it all on Stevie.” With a slight inclination of his head, Braden indicated the mule.