“Not all parks do, but the bigger ones all at least have some sort of cultural resources and historic preservation program.” She dropped into a seat at their small table. “You’resureyou don’t mind?”
“You know I’d say so if I had a problem,” Jae said.
“Plus, you’re saving me from a lonely evening when he heads home,” Xavier added.
“You aren’t leaving too?” she asked.
He leaned back in his seat and slowly smiled. He couldn’t stop himself from letting his gaze slide down her face. She wasn’t conventionally beautiful—at least, not in the way of glamor and polish. She was the opposite, and so much more. Striking. Appealing. Utterly attractive in an earthy, athletic sort of way. The streaks of dirt on her skin reminded him of her plea to Jae. “Nope. I have a room here—complete with a shower and bathtub.”
She let out an excited little pant, then leaned forward and planted her chin on knitted fingers. “Tell me more.”
He chuckled. It didn’t appear she had a thing for Jae, but she definitely had a thing for men who could give her hot and cold running water. He’d enjoy it and not even feel conflicted.
He should probably be concerned about the permit application that would cross her desk in a few weeks’ time, but right now, he just wanted to sink into this rush of attraction. It wasn’t like this would go anywhere, and it would be good for him to flex his flirting muscles. After Lynn, he’d let them rust over.
Later, after Navy operations inside the park were complete, he’d get her number from Jae.
He leaned in, bringing their faces close. “Hot and cold knobs. Wand showerhead on a flexible hose for washing those hard-to-reach places. You’re welcome to borrow it, and it won’t even cost you naming rights for your firstborn child. All I ask is you join us for a drink and tell me about your job.”
“Deal,” she said without hesitation.
“Service is slow tonight, I’ll get you a beer from the bar,” Jae said, but as he stood, the waiter appeared, and he settled in his seat again.
After placing her order, she leaned back and studied them both. “So, how do you two know each other?”
“When I said ‘old friend,’ I meantveryold friend,” Jae said. “Probably, what, thirty years?”
“Closer to thirty-five, I think,” Xavier said. “We grew up in the Bay Area together.”
“You’re from Walnut Creek?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Audrey knows the area. She went to grad school at Cal,” Jae said, “and has a PhD in anthropology.”
“I’m impressed.” He really was. Oh, how his mother had wanted him to go to Cal.
She smiled, her face a little flushed. Did praise make her uncomfortable? What else made her blush?
“Thank you. So what do you want to know about my job?” She held up a hand before he could answer. “And please, no Indiana Jones jokes or comparisons. Fun movies, really crappy archaeology.”
He grinned. “Can I make a Lara Croft joke?”
“Only if it’s a good one.”
“Damn. Never mind, then. So you’re the only archaeologist for the entire park? How big is the park, anyway?”
“Nine hundred and twenty-two thousand, six hundred and fifty-one acres,” she and Jae said in unison, then they shared a high five.
Xavier laughed, then said, “You know, you could say ‘almost a million’ and it would mean the same thing.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” she asked.
The waiter returned with her beer. She reached for her wallet, but Xavier beat her to it. “On me.”
“Thank you.” She took a sip and let out a happy sigh. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment all day.” She took another sip, then set the glass down and met Xavier’s gaze. “As park archaeologist, I’m the head of the cultural resources department. I have one full-time assistant and other seasonal staff, plus we hire temporary field techs as needed. Today, I was supposed to have a tech with me in the field, but he was a no-show. He claimed he had a stomach bug, but it turns out the surf was up at Hobuck. A few minutes ago, I learned he inadvertently canceled my room for the night when he canceled his.” She glanced at Jae. “Samantha was on it. She got screenshots of his Facebook post bragging about catching a big wave and everything. Dude is SOL if he ever wants to work for a park again.”
“Samantha needs a raise.”