Page 62 of Field Rules

ChapterTwenty

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.”

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