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

sky.
    Gathering up dishes from around the table, Angélica scoffed, “It has been over four years, Jared, since you last graced us with your presence.”
    Juan beamed at Quint like he was his favorite student. “We’re fortunate to have a renowned photojournalist interested in our work this season. He’s going to write an article on the work we’re doing. Dr. Steel, I’d like to introduce you to—”
    “Quint Parker,” Steel finished for him.
    Juan cocked his head to the side. “How do you …”
    “I met Mr. Parker years ago. At this very site as a matter of fact.” Steel lifted his cup to Quint in a mock toast. The jerk’s smug expression made Quint want to throw the last dregs of his coffee in Steel’s face.
    Angélica paused in the midst of standing. He could feel her gaze boring into him. He peeked at her from the corner of his eye. Wrinkled brow, flared nostrils, death rays shooting from her peepers. Yep, he was dog shit now. It’d only be a matter of time until she scraped him off the bottom of her shoe.
    “How long has it been, Quint?” Steel asked. “Almost two decades since we worked at this dig site with Dr. Hughes?”
    Wincing, he tossed back the last of his coffee and held tight to the cup, waiting for Angélica to jump on his back and pummel the crap out of him.
    “Isn’t that what you told me last evening, Quint?” She picked up her mug and put it on top of the stack of plates she held. “You know, when you walked me to my tent?”
    Quint nodded cautiously, wondering what game she was playing now. He guessed it was something to do with appearing in the know in front of Steel and the rest of her crew who were eavesdropping.
    “Have some breakfast, Jared. But don’t unpack your bag just yet.” She cast her father a weighted stare. “Dad, I need to talk to you.” With a nod at her foreman, she left the table, dropping her load of dishes onto the counter.
    “Excuse us, please.” Juan followed her out.
    Quint watched them go, unsure if he should stay in the mess tent or go pack his stuff to head home. One look at Steel’s smug expression and he knew one thing for certain—this dig site wasn’t big enough for the two of them.
    * * *
    “We have a problem,” Juan said, zipping the tent’s mesh flap closed behind him.
    Angélica paced the floor. No, they had a category five hurricane about to make landfall at her dig site. “Did you know he was coming?”
    “Last I heard, my request for continued funding was out of his hands.” Pushing several books aside, he sat down on the corner of her desk. “He assured me he would do his best but made no guarantees.”
    “Do you really think they sent him down here to monitor your work?” Why Jared? Why now? She didn’t need him nosing around. There was too much at stake.
    “I wouldn’t put it past the board to send him. They’ve cut funding left and right this year. Money is tight, and the state doesn’t have any extra in their budget to help.”
    A snort sounded from under her cot, reminding her of the tortilla she’d stuffed in her pocket earlier. She squatted next to the cot. “Come here, Rover. I brought your breakfast.”
    The pudgy, reddish-brown baby javelina scrambled out.
    “I can’t believe you’re keeping that overgrown rat in here, gatita .”
    Rover snarfed the tortilla in one grunt. Angélica stroked the wiry hair on his head. “You’re not a rat, are you? You’re just a baby jabalí .” She used the Spanish name for javelina because it sounded cuter.
    “Where did I go wrong with you, child? You know how destructive the herds of javelinas can be on our ranch. Not to mention how much they reek.” He made a pinched face at Rover. “There’s a reason they call them skunk pigs, you know.”
    “For one thing, his scent gland isn’t active yet, so he doesn’t stink. For another, javelinas make good pets if you start domesticating them young.”
    “He’s a wild animal, gatita .”
    “If you’d have just let me