Page 24 of Troy Story
“Not that. If Hughes wants to act like a spy, that’s on him. But he used Mort as his shield. Probably puffed up the guy’s ego by treating him like a friend and telling him he needed him for his ‘secret mission’ or whatever.” She shook her head. “That’s a terrible way to treat a volunteer. Someone needs to tell Hughes he can’t pull shit like that.”
From Dusty’s tone, Stuart suspected she wanted to do it. He needed to derail that train right away. “Calm down. By the looks of it, they’re becoming real friends. Hughes has spent more time hanging out with Mort than actually working, which is a huge blessing for me and Kerim. I agree, we need to keep Hughes away from the Germans, but I can’t tell him what to do. So, let it go, all right?”
She crossed her arms. “Do you realize how dismissive you sound?”
Swallowing back his frustration, Stuart locked eyes with her. He couldn’t fault her motivation since she was speaking on Mort’s behalf. But sometimes her temper got her into trouble. “I’m sorry I came across that way, but youhaveto stay on Hughes’ good side.”
“You told me that already. I’ve been playing nice with him, even when he’s been a total prick.”
Stuart blew out a long breath. Over the past week, he hadn’t missed the way Dr. Hughes had treated her, especially during the afternoon lab sessions. More than once, he’d demanded she redo a drawing, even when she’d done a flawless job. Each time he criticized her, she let it slide without a word of protest. “I know how hard you’ve been trying, but…”
“But what?”
Should he warn her about Dr. Hughes’ threats? Tell her that his boss was eager to replace her with Clarissa?No. He didn’t need her getting more riled up than she already was. But before he could speak, Dusty’s expression softened.
She placed her hand on his arm. “Sorry, bud. You’re under enough stress already. I’m making this harder for you, aren’t I?”
He leaned in closer, suddenly noticing how the dirt had blended in with her adorable freckles—something he shouldn’t be fixating on right now. “Maybe a little. But your heart’s in the right place. I didn’t even know you liked Mort.”
She smiled. “I’ve been warming up to him. The guy loves archaeology stories, so I’ve been telling him about our adventures in Egypt. He couldn’t believe all the shit we got up to when we were kids. Do you remember when our parents were feuding with that nasty team of treasure hunters?”
He chuckled, grateful her burst of anger had passed. “How could I forget? You volunteered to sneak into their camp in the middle of the night to gather information. I was terrified you’d get caught.”
“I figured if I got pinched, I’d pull the ‘innocent kid’ act. But I nailed it.”
“Yeah, you were gutsy as hell.”
She gave his shoulder a gentle poke. “Partly because I wanted to impressyou,Dr. Carlson.”
He’d always been impressed by her. Still was. Staring into her hazel eyes, he longed to break the boundaries he’d set in place. He wanted to reach over and wipe the dirt from her cheek, then cup her face in his hands and kiss her tenderly.
But he had to stay focused. As much as he admired her feisty spirit and her willingness to take risks, that wasn’t what he needed from her right now. He needed her to play by the rules, even if it ran counter to her nature.
“Are you okay not saying anything to Hughes?” he asked.
All at once, the gleam vanished from her eyes. Whatever connection they’d shared evaporated into the warm summer air. “I’ll keep quiet, but I’ll be watching him.” She cast a wary glance toward the professor. “He’s definitely not to be trusted.”
Stuart couldn’t argue with that. But there wasn’t much else he could do except hope his boss would behave himself.
CHAPTERTEN
Cradling two bottles of beer in one hand and a bowl of roasted chickpeas in the other, Dusty kicked the door to the field house shut. She joined Emilia on the patio and passed her a beer. “Your beverage, madam.”
“Thanks.” Emilia unscrewed the top and took a long drink. “And thanks for joining me when you could be out carousing with the others.”
Dusty settled herself in a patio chair and looked up at the evening sky, now speckled with stars. Summer nights in Turkey were so pleasant compared to the blistering heat of the day. “I’d rather be outside than in a crowded bar.” She held up her beer. “Here’s to surviving another week of excavation.”
Emilia clinked her bottle against Dusty’s. “I’ll drink to that. I’m beat.”
“Is that why you wanted to stay in tonight? Usually, you’re first in line for a bar crawl.”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I needed some space from TJ.”
Rather than tease her, Dusty softened her tone, aware of the vulnerability in her friend’s voice. “Why? What did he do now?”
“It’s not really his fault. But there’s an archaeology conference coming up in October that I wanted to attend. I applied to speak on a panel session but found out today I got rejected.”
“Sorry, Em. That sucks.” Dusty held out the bowl of chickpeas, and Emilia grabbed a handful.
