Page 101 of Digging Up Love
“No.” Quentin held out a platter for his brother to load up with burgers. “She made her choice to stay. She didn’t want to fight for her future or fight for me. I’m done pushing her. If she’s not ready to be honest with herself or her family, then nothing I can say or do will change that. I need to let it go.” His grip on the plate slipped, and he put his other hand underneath. “I need to let her go.”
Once again, he’d put his heart on the line. And once again, he’d gotten burned. Only this time it wasn’t just his personal life up in smoke; his professional life had gotten caught up in the blaze, charred beyond recognition.
But the fire between him and Alisha didn’t compare to anything he’d ever experienced. When he’d lost Mercedes, what hurt the most was the pain of a lost future and shattered dreams. In losing Alisha, he’d lost a friend, a confidante, and—he shuddered as the word popped unbidden to his mind—a soul mate.
But forget all that. Forget meant to be and destiny. All that mattered was a person’s choices, and Alisha hadn’t chosen him.
CHAPTER 38
ALISHA
A block ahead, a slight, stooped man Alisha recognized as Dr.Yates from his staff photo sat at a wrought iron bistro table, checking his watch. She waited for the traffic light to change, clenching her purse strap in her hands. The shadows from nearby buildings hung over the sidewalk, blanking his face in a smudge of charcoal. Why had she insisted on doing this in person? Surely a phone call would’ve sufficed.
But theWALKsign flashed on and propelled her off the curb, across the street. One step, another.
Forward motion. Action.No more hiding, Alisha.
He’d spotted her. Her steps faltered, ankle turning in a misstep. Quagmire nipped at her heels, but she kept moving, out of the quicksand of doubt.
Forward. Action.
Dr.Yates stood up, shoved one hand in his pocket, careless, casual. But the other hand smoothed his tie, restless, and though his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, the edges of his mouth pinched tight. “Ms.Blake?”
“Dr.Yates.” They shook hands.
Stand tall, Alisha. But he’d taken his seat. Er, sit tall. She used the table to steady herself. Sank into the chair. Straightened her spine. Pushed aside that nagging, naked feeling of exposure. And used her voice.
“Thank you for meeting me.” Okay, so baby steps.
“Of course.” He inclined his head her way with a tight smile. “We’re indebted to you and your family for your contribution.”
“Indebted.” The perfect word choice. She’d come to call up the debt, is all.
“Yes, well ... actually, that’s what I came here about. We’re no longer comfortable with the university excavating on our land.”
He swept off his sunglasses to reveal narrow-set blue eyes. “Ma’am, if this is about Dr.Harris—”
“It’s absolutely about Dr.Harris.” About using her voice when he needed her most. The last time they’d spoken, she’d used her words to build a wall and shove him off into the chasm below. But now her words could be a lifeline. “Your handling of the situation is unacceptable.”
Dr.Yates dug his fingers back over his head, leaving tracks in his thinning gray hair. “Couldn’t agree more. His conduct was inexcusable. He should’ve known better than to embroil you in this drama.”
“Thisdrama,” Alisha said, channeling Grandpa’s flair for meaningful emphasis, “has nothing to do with Quentin’s ability to do his job. And he didn’t drag me into anything. It was mutual. A relationship.” Her voice caught. Ithad beena relationship. Now? More collateral damage from her inability to fight for what she wanted. “And the fact remains that Quentin’s private life is no one’s business.”
“I would disagree.” Leaning back, he tucked his sunglasses into the pocket of his shirt. “Clearly Harris lost focus.”
“Really?” Alisha withdrew a manila envelope from her purse. Gripped it tightly to still her shaking hands. “Because I have a signed document here from his grad students saying Dr.Harris provided excellent guidance all summer. And another letter from Dr.Reid, stating thatQuentin was indispensable in every part of the excavation, including being the one to identify the first dinosaur fossils in our state.”
She passed the envelope to Dr.Yates, then placed it next to his americano when he didn’t reach for it. “In layman’s terms, Quentin did excellent work this summer, and also happened to have a girlfriend. He didn’t leak the photo, nor has he done anything personally to tarnish the reputation of the university. In fact, your treatment of him following this invasion of his privacy is the only disgrace.”
The speech rattled out faster than she’d practiced, but she’d spoken nonetheless.
“I can’t think what else we could’ve possibly done, under the circumstances.” His voice was cool, his ice-blue eyes colder.
Offer support. Go on record to defend Quentin. “Here’s what you can do now. Reinstate Quentin fully. Or the tyrannosaur skull the crew unearthed yesterday becomes the foundation for my grandparents’ swimming pool.”
His eyes flashed. Boom. Her ace in the hole, and he’d never seen it coming.
Shuttering the eagerness in his expression, Dr.Yates pushed up his cuffs, placed his elbows on the table, palms up. A phony gesture of supplication. “Ms.Blake, you must see how bad this makes us look. One of our scientists, caught in a compromising position in the field.”
