Birthright

that don’t happen around here.”
    “This time it did. Do you remember anything, anyone?”
    “We talked about nothing else for weeks. Alice Lingstrom was head nurse on the maternity floor. She’s a particular friend of mine. She and Kate Regan and me, we talked about it plenty, over breaks and at lunch. Kate worked in Administration. We went to school together. Can’t say I recall what was what right off, but I could find out. I still got ways,” she said with a wink. “Guess I could do that. Jay Cullen, he taught my sister’s boy in school. Mike, he’s no brain trust, if you know what I mean, but my sister said Mr. Cullen worked special with him to help him out. So I guess I could see what’s what.”
    “Thank you.” Callie took out a piece of paper, wrote down her cell phone. “You can reach me at this number. I’d appreciate any information at all.”
    Betsy pursed her lips at the number, then peered up at Callie’s face when she rose. “You kin to the Cullens?”
    “Apparently.”
    T he poker game was under way when Callie got back. She could hear the rattle of chips from the kitchen. She turned toward the steps with the hope of getting up them and into her room unnoticed.
    But Jake appeared to have radar where she was concerned. She was halfway up when he took her arm, turned her around and marched back down.
    “Hey. Hands off.”
    “We’re going for a walk.” He kept his grip on her arm and propelled her through the door. “So nobody can interfere when I slap you around.”
    “You keep dragging me and you’re going to be flat on your back checking out the evening sky.”
    “Why did you sneak off?”
    “I didn’t sneak off; I drove off. In my freshly painted vehicle.”
    “Where did you go?”
    “I don’t report to you.”
    “Where did you go, and why did you have your phone turned off so I couldn’t call and yell at you?”
    When they reached the creek, she pulled her arm free. “I had some legwork I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it alone. I’m not having the team talking about us because we’re always together. You know how gossip can breed on a dig.”
    “Fuck gossip. Did it occur to you that I’d worry? Did it ever cross your mind that I’d worry when I didn’t know where you’d gone and couldn’t contact you?”
    “No. It occurred to me you’d be mad.”
    “I am mad.”
    “I don’t mind that, but I didn’t mean to worry you.” And she saw, very clearly, that she had. “I’m sorry.”
    “What did you say?”
    “I said I’m sorry.”
    “You apologized without being pounded into submission first.” He lifted his hands palms up, looked toward the sky. “It’s a day of miracles.”
    “And now I’m going to tell you what to do with the apology.”
    “Uh-uh.” He took her face in his hands, pressed his lips to hers. “Let me enjoy it.”
    When she didn’t kick him, shove him, he drew her closer. He deepened the kiss, let his fingers slide back into her hair.
    His lips were warm, and gentle. His hands more persuasive than possessive. This, she thought as she let herself float into the kiss, wasn’t the way he demonstrated temper. Not in her experience. The fact was, she couldn’t remember him ever kissing her in quite this way.
    With patience, and with care. As if, she thought, she mattered a very great deal.
    “What’s going on with you?” she murmured against his mouth.
    “That’s my question.” He eased back, let out a long breath. “We’d better talk or I’m going to forget why I’m mad at you. Where did you go?”
    She nearly refused to tell him, then realized that was simply a knee-jerk reaction. You demand, she thought, I refuse. And we end up nowhere.
    “Why don’t we sit down?” She lowered to the bank of the creek, and told him.

Seventeen
    C allie sat cross-legged on the ground, filling out a find sheet. Her notes and records were secured in a clipboard and fluttered in the light breeze.
    There were voices everywhere. The weekend team expanded with amateur diggers and curious students. Leo was talking about organizing a knap-in the following month to draw in more help and more interest before the end of the season.
    She imagined fall in this part of the world would be a perfect time for camping out and holding outdoor instruction. Some who signed up were bound to be more trouble than they were worth, but she didn’t mind the idea as long as it got the project attention and more hands.
    She heard the occasional car pull up