Look What the Wind Blew In by Ann Charles Read Free Book Online Page A

staying long.” Angélica was still standing looking ready to pounce.
    Jared tsk-tsked his ex-wife. “I thought I’d stay and help out until the dig season is over.”
    “You thought wrong,” she bit out.
    “Your father mentioned you were short-staffed this year due to lack of funding.”
    “We’re fine. Go home.”
    “Angélica,” Juan chastised.
    “Absolutely not,” she told her father. “We already have one visitor. Two’s a crowd.”
    “Do you find the idea of me working here with your father for a month so appalling?” Steel reached for her hand.
    She pulled away before he could catch her. “Incredibly.”
    “You didn’t used to feel that way about spending time with me, darling.”
    “What do you want, Jared?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you really down here with the lowly commoners?” She emphasized the last part as if referencing something he’d said before.
    Steel frowned up at her. “Fine, if you want to skip the niceties, I’ll play along.” He looked at Juan. “The university wanted me to come down and personally oversee your work. The decision on whether to continue your funding for this research project will be based on my findings.”
    The smile Juan had been sporting slipped. “What? You’re kidding. You mean all of the paperwork I turned in on the scientific importance of Maya architectural styles and know-how that we catalogued down here wasn’t enough?”
    Quint lowered his cup to the table, an epiphany hitting him. So that was why Juan had invited Quint to come down even though he had known it would piss off his daughter. This article in a well-known and respected national publication could very likely improve the chances of Juan receiving continued funding.
    “The thing is,” Angélica said, “I don’t remember the university petitioning for additional archeologists to be allowed at the dig site this year.”
    Steel shrugged. “They must have overlooked it.”
    She leaned forward, both fists on the table. “Overlooked my ass, Jared. You know damned well you need permission from the Mexican government to have another archeologist at this site. I put that clause in the university’s contract myself to control who could work down here and how often. If you think you can start sniffing around on these premises without my permission, you’d better be prepared to deal with the federales .”
    “Maybe you should discuss this with your father.” Jared’s tone warned.
    “Maybe you should go to—”
    “Angélica!” Juan interrupted, all stern and fatherly. “Let’s finish our breakfast and go back to your tent to discuss this.”
    She didn’t move except to blink. And grind her molars.
    “In private,” Juan added. “Please, gatita . Sit down.”
    Quint couldn’t take his eyes off of Angélica. There was something about a woman who could spit fire that made a man sit up straight and pay attention.
    Several hushed seconds passed before she settled back onto the bench seat next to him. But those green eyes remained locked on her ex-husband. It didn’t take a fortune teller to see a butt-kicking in Steel’s future if he didn’t remove himself from her dig site sooner rather than later.
    “Thank you, Juan.” Steel smiled in the face of Angélica’s lack of love. “Now what does an archaeologist have to do to get a cup of coffee around here?”
    Juan motioned to María, who had been watching the showdown from the counter next to Teodoro. She waddled into the kitchen.
    “Good to see you again, Fernando,” Steel said. “How are the wife and kids?”
    Fernando looked at Angélica. At her nod, he answered, “They are well.”
    “Glad to hear it.” Steel thanked Teodoro for the coffee he placed in front of him. Then, for the first time since he’d entered the tent, he spared Quint a dismissive look. “I see you have several new faces since I was here last.”
    Quint’s shoulders tensed, waiting for the anvil to fall out of the