After her painful incident in the ravine, Olivia worried her carelessness had jeopardized her chances of succeeding as a TA. Even though Dr. Roth had supported her, she’d been so afraid of messing up again that she’d spent the following day sorting pottery in the lab. However, the work was so tedious she longed for another chance to prove herself on the survey. Once Juno fixed her GPS, Olivia was determined to get back out there.
Rather than let her mistakes sideline her, she’d learn from them and move on. That was what she should have done seven years ago instead of becoming so risk averse.
Despite her apprehension, she’d gotten through her last week of surveying without any issues. Since her topo map had proven so useful, she’d been relying on it more. Before each day’s outing, she studied the contour lines to determine what the hill country had in store. Knowing where she was going heightened her confidence.
Olivia’s final transect took her up a steep hill, but she made the climb without needing her inhaler. Standing on a ridge overlooking a valley, she took a moment to appreciate the view: the rolling green hills, the vineyards, the small stone cottages, and the gnarled olive trees. Thanks to the survey, she’d gotten to explore a part of Cyprus most tourists never saw. She’d even used her Greek when she’d crossed paths with local villagers.
The breeze ruffled her hair. The sun warmed her skin. Though she’d found surveying to be a challenge, she wasn’t afraid of it anymore.
She wished she could tell Rick how she felt. At first, he would insist that he’d been right all along. But more than anything, he’d be proud of her.
Nope. Not going there.
Even if she’d grown more comfortable with surveying, the past week had held other challenges. She’d made sure Rick never caught her alone. Every time she heard his guitar, she resisted temptation by holing up in the research library and helping the students with their site presentations. But at night when she lay on her cot and looked up at the stars, she couldn’t get him out of her mind.
She told herself it was better this way. Neither of them could afford to fall out of favor with Dr. Roth. But it didn’t stop her from desperately wanting Rick. She missed him so much it hurt like a physical ache.
When she reached the car, Stuart sat beside a scrubby bush, reviewing his field notebook. Getting to work with him was the sole upside of joining his team. Their easy friendship didn’t leave her heart in a tangle of raw emotions.
“First one back,” he said. “Anything good out there?”
Brushing aside a few dried branches, she sat beside him. “Not a thing. Trust me, I was looking.” Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she’d skipped breakfast. She rooted through her daypack until she found a squished granola bar at the bottom. Not ideal, but it would tide her over until lunch.
“These hilly areas are tough. Usually, it’s a whole lot of nothing unless you hit the exact right spot.” Stuart set down his notebook. “Last day of survey. What’s your final verdict?”
“I like it. I’m glad I got to see this side of Cyprus, and I’m in better shape than when I started.” She glanced at her bare forearm. “Even my sunburn turned into a tan.”
Stuart chuckled. Because of his fair complexion, he always wore long sleeves, pants, and a hat. “I wish I could tan like you, but I can’t risk it. I’ve had my share of agony-inducing sunburn.” He took a bunch of grapes out of his pack and handed her a cluster. “Grapes?”
“Thanks. I thought California grapes were good, but these are the sweetest I’ve ever had.”
“Yeah, they’re great.” He spat a seed into the bush. “You looking forward to the party tonight? Gotta admit, I’m kind of surprised we’re having a party halfway through field school. Every dig I’ve been on, we didn’t celebrate until the project ended.”
“Maybe Dr. Roth does it because the survey unit is so intense? Either way, it should be fun. I guess.”
She wanted to drum up more enthusiasm, but she didn’t feel much like celebrating. Avoiding Rick had been stressful enough during the workweek. How was she supposed to act around him at a party? Should she keep shutting him out? Treat him like a colleague? Neither option held much appeal.
Stuart cocked his head to the side. “That doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement. Did you and Rick have a fight?”
Damn. Why was she so transparent? “Wh…what do you mean?”
“Last week, you guys were together constantly. Now you avoid him at every chance. I asked Dusty if she knew anything, but she clammed up. Normally, she doesn’t keep secrets from me.”
“Rick and I aren’t together. Not anymore. It was a bad idea.”
“Because of Palaikastro? He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know.” She stared at the ground, too ashamed to meet Stuart’s eyes. “We…we have a history together. Sorry I never mentioned it before. I met him seven years ago—back when I went on my first dig.”
“The one that shall-not-be-named? You were so excited about it before you left, but when you came back at the start of sophomore year, you wouldn’t tell me anything.”
A rush of heat traveled up her cheeks. During their second-year Latin class, Stuart had tried to pry a few details out of her, but she’d remained tight-lipped. “I didn’t want to talk about it because it ended badly. Rick and I were totally irresponsible and broke a ton of rules. When we got caught, we were both expelled from field school.”
“Olivia Sanchez got expelled from a class? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
She put her head in her hands. “I’m not. That’s why I never talk about it. I can’t afford to make the same mistakes again. No matter how I feel about Rick, I need to act like a professional. Especially if I want to impress Dr. Roth.”
Stuart barked out a laugh. “You’re kidding, right? You think Roth’s going to care if you hook up with someone? The guy’s all about field rules.”
She met his gaze with an incredulous look. “I thought he was married.”
“He’s been divorced for about ten years. From what I’ve heard, he hooks up on every dig. He hasn’t tried to hide it, either.”
“Even here? I haven’t seen him with anyone.”
Then again, why would she? Dr. Roth didn’t spend much time at camp and always went back to the field house after dinner. He could easily indulge in a passionate affair without any of the students taking notice.
Stuart shrugged. “I’m not sure who he’s with this year. Last summer, he fooled around with his housekeeper. The year before that, he was with a paleo-ethnobotanist who joined the team for a few weeks. None of his flings ever last longer than a season.”
Though Olivia wasn’t in any position to judge, she still found the revelation somewhat unsettling. Dr. Roth gave off such a paternal vibe that she didn’t want to envision him as a serial womanizer.
“If you want to be with Rick, then go for it,” Stuart said. “As long as you’re not breaking any laws, Roth won’t care about your after-hours behavior.”
As the rest of the team came into view, he switched gears and waved them over. “All right, everyone, let’s pack it in. If I can beat Juno back to camp, she’ll owe me five euros.”
During the drive, Olivia mulled over Stuart’s words. Since Grant had worked with Dr. Roth last year, he was clearly aware of the senior professor’s womanizing. That meant Grant had deliberately misled her, making her think Dr. Roth wouldn’t approve of her and Rick. No doubt Grant had done it to keep her in line.
Knowing she’d pushed Rick away based on Grant’s lies made her feel even worse than she had before.
To Stuart’s dismay, they pulled into camp only seconds after Juno, making her the victor in their daily wager. Olivia washed up and found a spot at the picnic table beside Stuart and Dusty. As they regaled her with a story about Egypt, she got so caught up in the conversation that she didn’t notice Rick’s absence until Juno brought it up. Olivia’s apprehension grew as she checked her watch. His team should have been back by now. Had something happened to them? Given the steep terrain they’d been traversing, one of them could have been injured.
After they finished lunch, the entire group waited in uneasy silence. With each passing minute, Olivia’s anxiety escalated. She checked her watch, then her phone, then her watch, flitting between the two.
When Rick’s car pulled into the parking area, she released a tight breath. No matter what had delayed them, they’d made it back to camp. Rick led the way, with his team following close behind. None of them looked injured. If anything, their walk had an air of bravado.
Grant sprang from the table and marched over to them. Olivia tensed up, anticipating an unpleasant confrontation. She wanted to leave but couldn’t make herself pull away.
Before Grant could utter a word, Dr. Roth strode over to join them. Olivia stared in shock. Apart from the first day of lectures, the professor had never shown up at camp before two.
“Rick!” Dr. Roth exclaimed. “Just got your message. I can’t wait to see what you found.”
Rick grinned. “Thanks. Our team uncovered evidence of a Stone Age site—possibly early Neolithic.”
Our team. Olivia swallowed back a lump in her throat. If she hadn’t distanced herself from Rick, it would have been her team, too.
Rick passed Dr. Roth a large Ziploc bag filled with obsidian flakes and chipped stone tools. The professor took out a perfectly formed arrowhead made of light brown stone and held it up. He let out a low whistle. “Marvelous. Looks like a Neolithic projectile point.”
“The site was in a prime location,” Marisol said, glowing with pride. “Lots of trees, nice vantage point, overlooking the Xeros River.”
“We’re talking a serious lithic cache,” TJ added. “I’d say it’s worth investigating.”
Alisha held out her phone. “Here. Have a look.”
Dr. Roth examined the pictures. No one else spoke, though Olivia caught a few of them smiling. Grant had to be seething. He couldn’t yell at Rick—not when this site trumped everything else they’d found on the survey.
“We took a little longer than we should have,” Rick said. “But we wanted to make sure we gathered up enough artifacts.”
“Excellent work.” Dr. Roth clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s not waste any time. After you grab a bite to eat, you should head back and get more samples.”
Rick nodded. “TJ, you want to help? You’re the lithics expert.”
TJ pumped his fist. “Hell, yes. I can’t wait to see what else is out there.”
Olivia pasted a bright smile on her face. She couldn’t let anyone know how disappointed she was to have missed out. “Great job, you guys.”
“Who’s going to supervise your team during lab?” Grant asked.
“I’ll do it,” Olivia said quickly. “That okay with you, Stuart?”
“Go for it. I’m just a little jealous.” Stuart aimed a mock glare at Rick. “Curse you, Langston, for claiming tonight’s prize.”
“Just got lucky, that’s all.” Rick flashed Olivia a quick smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
She wanted to praise him for his amazing find, but she couldn’t do it now. Not when she was perilously close to losing control of her emotions.
Tonight, at the party, she could congratulate him. Instead of avoiding him, she’d treat him like a colleague. Someone she liked and respected. She owed him that much.
If she put him firmly in that compartment, maybe then she’d be able to move on.