Birthright

different.”
    That got a laugh out of her. “What, do you remember all the alcoholic beverages we’ve managed to consume?”
    “You’d be surprised at what I remember.” The laugh had loosened the knot in his stomach. “I remember you toss off all the covers at night and insist on sleeping in the middle of the bed. And how a foot rub makes you purr like a kitten.”
    She said nothing as their beers were served. Nothing until she’d taken the first cold gulp. “And I remember you puking up your guts after some bad clams in Mozambique.”
    “You always were a romantic fool, Cal.”
    “Yeah.” She lifted her glass, drank again. “Ain’t it the truth.” He was trying to cheer her up. She couldn’t figure why he’d bother. “How come you’re not bitching at me for being away from the field today?”
    “I was going to get to it. I just wanted a beer first.” He grinned at her. “Want me to start bitching now, or wait until we eat?”
    “I had something I had to do. It couldn’t wait. And since you’re not my boss, you’ve got no authority to bitch and moan if I have to take a day off. I’m just as committed to this project as you. More, because I was here first.”
    He eased back as the waitress brought out their burgers. “Wow. I guess that told me.”
    “Oh, stuff it, Graystone. I don’t have to—” She broke off as the men who’d been at the bar swaggered up to the table.
    “You two with those assholes digging around by Simon’s Hole?”
    Jake squeezed bright yellow mustard on his burger. “That’s right. In fact, we’re the head assholes. What can we do for you?”
    “You can get the hell out, quit fucking around with a bunch of old bones and shit and keeping decent men from making a living.”
    Callie took the mustard from Jake, sizing up the men as she dumped it on her burger. The one doing the talking was fat, but it was hard fat. He’d be solid as a tank. The other had that alcohol-induced mean in his eyes.
    “Excuse me?” She set down the mustard, opened the ketchup. “I’m going to have to ask you to watch your language. My associate here is very sensitive.”
    “Well, fuck him.”
    “I have, actually, and it’s not bad. But regardless. So,” she continued in a conversational tone, “you guys work for Dolan?”
    “That’s right. And we don’t need a buncha flatlanders coming in and telling us what to do.”
    “There we disagree.” Jake dumped salt on his fries, passed the shaker to Callie.
    The pleasant tone, the casual moves gave the impression of a man not in the least interested in a fight, or prepared for one.
    Those who believed that impression, Callie knew, did so at their peril.
    Jake dashed some pepper on the burger, dropped the top of the bun in place. “Since it’s unlikely either of you know dick about archaeological investigation or anthropological study, or any of the associated fields such as dendrochronology or stratigraphy, we’re here to take care of that for you. And happy to do it. Want another beer?” he asked Callie.
    “Yeah, thanks.”
    “You think throwing around twenty-dollar words is gonna keep us from kicking you out of town, you better think again. Asshole.”
    Jake merely sighed, but Callie recognized the ice-cold gleam in his eye.
    The guys still had a chance, Callie calculated, as long as Jake wanted to eat in peace more than he wanted the entertainment of a bar fight.
    “I guess you figure since we’re academic assholes, twenty-dollar words is all we’ve got to throw around.” He shrugged, picked up a fry. “The fact is, my associate herehas a black belt in karate and is mean as a snake. I should know. She’s my wife.”
    “Ex-wife,” Callie corrected. “But he’s right. I’m mean as a snake.”
    “Which one do you want?” Jake asked her.
    “I want the big one.” She looked up at the men with a cheerful, wide grin.
    “Okay, but I want you to hold back,” Jake warned her. “Last time—that big Mexican? He was in a coma for five days. We don’t want that kind of trouble again.”
    “Hey, you’re the one who broke that guy’s jaw and dislocated his retina. In Oklahoma.”
    “I didn’t think a cowboy’d go down so easy. Live and learn.” Jake nudged his plate away. “You guys all right with doing this outside? I hate having to shell out for damages every time we bust ass in a bar.”
    They shifted their feet, bunched and released fists. Then the big one sneered. “We’re telling you the way it is.