Into the Fray (Daring Escapes #3) - Margaret Daley Page 0,35
vacations, we went to several excavated sites like Teotihuacan in Mexico, Mesa Verde in the United States, and Machu Picchu in Peru. My favorite was Machu Picchu. It was so different. That’s when I knew I wanted to be an archaeologist, even against what my dad wanted me to do.”
Guerrero walked next to her. “What did he want you to do?”
“Join the military and work my way up the ranks to become a general, following in his boot steps. He did everything he could to persuade me. I was his only child. He loved being in the army. I didn’t even like being an army brat. When I started college, I was on my own. It was a struggle for me to pay tuition. I worked two jobs. When I became a sophomore, my grandfather on my mother’s side began helping me, although my dad had a few choice words for both of us. My father took a post across the country from where we were living. I moved in with my grandpa, and when he died nine months later, he left me with a sizeable inheritance. My dad was so angry at me because I defied his order. He cut all ties to me. He doesn’t know it, but my mom and I still keep in touch.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Forcing someone to do what we want never works out in the end.”
She paused and turned toward him. “Has that happened to you?”
“Not exactly. My father had wanted me to serve our country. He was the U. S. ambassador to Puerto Sierra for years. That’s how he met my mother, who was a citizen of this country. I have dual citizenship: U.S. and Puerto Sierra.”
Surprised by what he was sharing with her, she decided to see what else she could get out of him. He usually was a very private person. “Are your parents alive today?”
“Yes. They retired to the United States. I try to visit them a couple of times a year.”
“And he didn’t get upset when you didn’t go into the diplomatic corps?”
“No. I have certain talents that lend my services in other ways.”
“Like helping me?”
“Sorta.”
She wanted to probe further. As an archaeologist, it was second nature to her, but the closed expression that descended over his features told her not to push. “I’m starved. After I eat, I’m going to check with Katie about how the sifting is going. I hope she’s found some evidence, especially from the other tunnel off the main one. It isn’t long. Ramon and I agree there’s another room behind the barrier. The people who built this temple wouldn’t have a short corridor that led to nowhere.”
“I agree. I can talk with Aapo and have him go to his village to recruit more men. If he goes later today, he’ll be there to recruit them by evening, and then they can return by ten or eleven tomorrow morning. If anyone can persuade them, it will be Aapo.”
“That would be great. That way we can simultaneously excavate both potential areas of the older temple." She grabbed a bowl of rice and beans and a plate of a variety of sliced pieces of fruits then took a seat on a nearby stool. To appease her thirst, she drank half her treated water while a steady breeze cooled her face. “Sometimes I wish we could plug in a big fan in the temple while I sit right in front of it.”
Guerrero chuckled. “I know that feeling, but it would create chaos.”
“One of the reasons I love to sit at the top of the steps to the temple’s entrance is to relish the cooler wind at night. Plus, right before the sun goes down, it’s a great view over the top of the jungle.”
“I agree. That time of day is my favorite.”
She eyed him. “That’s the second time you agreed with me.”
This time he laughed. “I’ll try to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Tory scooped up a spoonful of the rice and beans and ate it while her gaze locked with Guerrero’s. The sparkle in his dark brown eyes pulled her toward him. It had been days since he kissed her. She wanted to dismiss it as though it was a fluke, but it hadn’t been. Finally, she broke the spell enveloping her and focused on eating so she could get back to the temple.
As she finished the last bite of her meal, Ramon joined them with his food. “Have you broken through the