Page 28 of Field Rules

ChapterNine

At six thirty on Monday morning, Olivia waited by the cars in the parking area, eager to get started. Eager or anxious? She wasn’t sure. More than anything, she wanted to get her first day of surveying over with. Even if she’d been spared the agony of working on Grant’s team, she was still worried about screwing up. The last two nights, she’d been plagued by disturbing dreams in which she’d gotten hopelessly lost.

She checked over her daypack to make sure she had all the essentials: GPS unit, spare batteries, water bottle, granola bar, field notebook, two pencils, and her inhaler. She’d also tossed in a paper copy of the topographic map for backup.

Rick strolled over to meet her, appearing more rugged than ever with his sturdy hiking boots, faded t-shirt, and wide-brimmed hat. His calves were so firm and muscular he looked like he could climb an entire mountain without breaking a sweat.

Stop ogling his legs. He’s your team leader, not your high school crush.

“Hey, Rick.” She gave him a casual wave, hoping he hadn’t noticed her staring.

“Morning,” he said. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah. I’m kind of nervous. But also excited? Maybe?” She tugged on her ponytail. “Does that make sense?”

“It does, coming from you.” He gave her a warm smile as if to reassure her.

She looked away, feeling awkward. All of a sudden, she wasn’t sure how to act around him. If they were just friends, why did she feel so self-conscious? And why couldn’t she stop gawking at him? By now, she should have adjusted to his hotness.

She turned her attention to the row of vehicles in the parking area—five compact cars and a pickup truck. “Where’d the Jeep go? Isn’t that our ride?”

“Hate to disappoint you, but we don’t get the Jeep.”

“Why not?”

“It’s Roth’s. He borrows it from the Department of Antiquities every summer. He lets us use it for errands and airport pickups, but not for the survey. Instead, each team gets one of these crappy rental cars.” He pointed to a drab gray Kia. “That’s our ride for the next three weeks.”

“Bummer. I’d feel more like an archaeologist if we could use the Jeep.”

“Another time.” He gestured with a sweeping movement. “Hop in. TJ, Marisol, and Brynn should be here soon.”

She opened the door to the front passenger side, but a snotty voice interrupted her. “You’ll need to get in the back.”

Excuse me? She turned to face Brynn—a student best defined as high-maintenance. So far, she’d bitched to Olivia about the cold showers, the uncomfortable cots, and the heat. All of which were fair criticisms, but it wasn’t like Olivia had any control over the conditions.

Olivia tried to keep her irritation from showing. “Any particular reason?”

“If I don’t sit up front, I get carsick.” Brynn brushed past her and plopped down in the front seat. “That’s how it is.”

Fine. If riding shotgun would make Brynn happy, Olivia wasn’t about to argue. But as she got into the back, she realized how truly compact their rental car was. For once, her height—or lack thereof—put her at an advantage. A minute later, TJ settled in beside her, carrying an oversized daypack and an enormous water bottle, as though prepared for a lengthy expedition.

When Olivia’s phone buzzed, she pulled it out of her pocket. Marisol had sent her a text. Not going to survey today.

Olivia texted back. Sorry to hear it. You okay?

Marisol replied quickly. I’m fine but not up to surveying yet. Dusty said I could work with her instead.

Of all her students, Marisol was the most anxious about the course. Olivia had hoped to offer reassurance by showing her surveying wasn’t that scary. But maybe Marisol needed to ease into it. All the students were allowed to miss a few days of the survey, providing they used the time to learn the basics of archaeological illustration from Dusty.

“Marisol’s not coming,” she said, “so we can get going.”

“Is she all right?” TJ asked.

“Yep.” Olivia didn’t want to reveal too much, especially since TJ didn’t seem like the empathetic type. “She’s going to help Dusty today.”

By now, the other students were waiting in the parking area for their team leaders. Rick put the Kia in reverse. “First ones out.”

“And we’ll be the first ones back.” TJ thumped the roof of the car. “We’re going to kick ass.”

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