The Treasure of Como Bluff Read online

  No more damned pink bonnets.

  The thought brought an image of Caroline and a reminder of his plan to join her for lunch. He stepped into the dusty street with a smile on his face and headed toward the hotel. Before he reached the other side, she burst out of the post office and ran toward him with a look of consternation on her face and a sheet of paper fluttering in her hand.

  “Nick, Nick, I need you!”

  His smile broadened.

  When she reached him, she stopped and gasped, her blue eyes huge. “I need you to be C. P. Hubbard.”

  Chapter Nine

  “I thought you were C. P. Hubbard,” Nick said.

  “I was...I am...but...I can’t be.” Caroline struggled to catch her breath as fear and excitement threatened to suffocate her.

  He cocked one dark brow. “It’s worked for you so far, hasn’t it?”

  She nodded. “But it won’t work any longer. He’s coming. He’s coming here.” She waved the letter in his face. Nick plucked it from her fingers and read.

  Caroline didn’t need to read it again. She’d already memorized the words in Professor Marsh’s flowing script. He was coming to Como Bluff to check her progress and would arrive in three days. Three days! The professor rarely ventured into the field these days. Why was he coming now?

  Nick finished reading and handed the letter back. “He’ll just have to accept C. P. Hubbard is a woman.”

  She began pacing in the middle of the one and only street in town. “No, no, he can’t. I’m not ready.”

  Nick frowned. “You have a collection of specimens prepared to ship and more bones in the ground. Show him those.”

  A riot of thoughts tumbled through her head. She needed clarity. She needed order. She needed a plan.

  She stopped and met his confused gaze. She had to make him understand; she needed his help. “You’re right. I have specimens, but so far they’re all known species. I haven’t discovered anything new, anything to make other paleontologists sit up and take notice. I haven’t found anything to make Professor Cope explode with jealousy.”

  “And that’s most important, isn’t it?”

  She sighed. “I’m afraid it is to Professor Marsh.”

  “I’m no scholar, but I don’t understand why those two are such bitter rivals. Wouldn’t they make more progress working together?”

  “Maybe, but that will never happen. Arthur said they were friends and colleagues in college because of their mutual interest in dinosaurs, but a few years ago, Professor Marsh pointed out in a journal that Professor Cope had attached the head of one of his largest specimens to the tail instead of the neck. Very embarrassing. They’ve been trying to sabotage each other ever since.”

  Nick shook his head with a wry smile, and Caroline suddenly noticed a major change in his appearance. “You have a new hat.”

  “I do,” he said, turning his profile to show it off.

  “It’s very nice.”

  “Better than your old bonnet.”

  She smiled, and her tension eased a bit.

  “And,” he added, “in a stroke of luck, I found my horse, my clothes, and even my grandfather’s pocket watch.”

  She forced herself to continue smiling. “It sounds like you’re properly outfitted for any adventure.” He couldn’t leave now—she needed him to stay.

  “I am at that.” Nick reached for her elbow. “Now it’s getting late, and I’m hungry. Let’s eat while we discuss your dilemma. My brain always works better when my stomach is full.”

  Caroline allowed him to escort her to the Burley House Hotel dining room where he ordered steak, potatoes, and biscuits for them both. As soon as the waiter disappeared into the kitchen with their order, she leaned forward. “About my plan—”

  “Why do you need me to pretend to be C. P. Hubbard?”

  “Professor Marsh mustn’t find out I’m a woman before I make more progress. He might withdraw his patronage and contract with someone else. Maybe even Harlow and Edwards. I wouldn’t put it past those two to play the professors against each other. If I lose his support, I’ll lose my opportunity to discover a new species and make a name for myself in the field.”

  Nick leaned back in his chair and regarded her with speculation. “Why is that so important to you?”

  She sighed. “This may sound petty, but I’m tired of being the little sister, of always being second in everything—from academics to my father’s affection. I want to achieve something on my own. My father died five years ago, so it’s too late to prove anything to him, but just once I’d like to hear Arthur acknowledge I’ve accomplished something worthy of notice without his help or interference.”

  “Your brother should be proud of you for traveling all the way to Wyoming and attempting such a challenge alone.”

  I wish that were true. “He thinks I’ve taken leave of my senses.”

  Nick’s expression turned serious. “You and I have more in common than you might think.”

  “Your older brother thinks you’re a lunatic, too?”

  “My older brother thinks I’m so deficient he married my fiancée to protect her from my ‘irresponsibility.’”

  Caroline winced. She’d nearly forgotten Lucinda. Nick’s injury made her own complaints seem petty.

  Just then, the waiter arrived with their food. As soon as he departed, Nick brandished his knife and fork and sliced into his steak. “I’ll do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “I’ll help you. I’ll be C. P. Hubbard. Just tell me what to do.”

  She could have kissed him. “Thank you so much. I’m sure I can teach you everything you need to know about excavation techniques and Jurassic period dinosaurs.”

  “In two days?” he sputtered. “I’ve always been a fast learner, but I’m not fast enough to fool a world renowned expert in two days.”

  She chewed her lower lip. “I suppose not.”

  “Can’t you handle the scientific details?”

  “I’m not sure how to explain my presence. Unless we can keep the professor away from the cabin, he’s going to see the accommodations are inadequate for C. P. Hubbard and a female assistant.”

  “You can be my wife.” Nick stuffed a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.

  Caroline’s silverware dropped to her plate with a clatter. Was it possible she’d heard him correctly? “Your what?”

  He chewed and swallowed before answering. “My wife. It’s the obvious answer. It would explain your knowledge of fossils and present a plausible excuse for us living in the cabin.”

  “But we can’t stay in the cabin together.”

  “Of course we can. We already have.”

  “You were injured then.” And now you’re...not.

  “It’s only for a few days.”

  She mulled over his proposal, looking for flaws. A few days. Just long enough to persuade Professor Marsh to continue supporting her work. Could she do it? She didn’t see another choice. “All right, if you think we can convince him we’re married.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. You already nag me like a wife.”

  Two hours later, Nick pushed back from the table and signaled the waiter, who had been hovering near the kitchen door. Caroline glanced at her plate and realized she’d barely eaten half her meal. She hadn’t stopped talking long enough to eat. There was so much to teach him and so little time.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked as they strolled into the lobby.

  “Yes.” She peeked at the large clock on the wall behind the reception desk and frowned. “I’m afraid by the time we get home there won’t be time to go to the dig site before dark, but you can start familiarizing yourself with the tools and practice on the rocks near the cabin.”

  As they stepped into the street, Nick settled his new hat on his head with evident satisfaction. “So, you’re willing to trust me with something more dangerous than a puny little paint brush?”

  “I’ll have to if we’re going to convince Professor Marsh
you’re a competent paleontologist.”

  “I’m looking forward to playing with tools and breaking rocks.” He grinned like a ten-year-old turned loose in a candy store. “My father didn’t think that sort of activity was suitable for a young gentleman.”

  “A young gentleman?” She raised her brows in skepticism. “Your father clearly didn’t understand you at all.”

  Nick’s expression sobered. “No, he didn’t.”

  She wanted to hug him to let him know she understood but settled for a brief squeeze on the arm. He was right; they did have a lot in common. Her family had never supported her interests and ambitions, either.

  When they reached the cabin, Caroline suggested Nick tether his horse outside the dilapidated shack she used as a stable. “I’m not sure how Jasper would take to having company. Besides, I think he’s jealous that you’ve abandoned him after all he’s done for you.”

  She wished she’d thought to ask the hotel kitchen for a couple of carrots to sweeten the mule’s mood. He seemed completely out of sorts and had snapped at Nick’s gelding a couple of times on the trail.

  “When can I see the tools?” Nick asked after they settled the animals and unloaded Caroline’s supplies from the travois. “All I saw yesterday, besides the brush, were the mallet and chisel.”

  “Oh, there are plenty more, but you may be disappointed.”

  “Why? Don’t you have a big sledge hammer like they use on the railroad?”

  “I have one, and you can try it—in a cautious, supervised manner, of course.”

  “How do you use a sledge hammer in a cautious manner?”

  She lifted her shoulders. “You’ll have to experiment. I don’t use it much. It’s unwieldy.”

  “It sounds like the perfect tool for me,” he replied, puffing his chest slightly.

  Caroline raised her gaze to the heavens. Oh, Lord, give me strength.

  She pinned Nick with a sharp look. “If you want to break rocks, you can break rocks, and we’ll see how long your enthusiasm lasts. Paleontology isn’t a game. It’s a hard, painstaking business.”

  He drew an X on his chest. “I promise to be careful. Now can we see the tools?”

  She smiled and shook her head. He really was about ten years old.

  “They’re over here.” She fetched a large roll of worn leather tied with a cord and took it outside in the fading sunlight. Kneeling on the ground, she unrolled the carrying case and spread it flat, displaying an array of tools, each in a separate pocket.

  Nick squatted beside her and slid a large chisel from its compartment. He held it up, turning it in his hands to examine the blade. “This looks pretty sharp.”

  “It is. Watch your fingers.”

  He carefully slid it back and removed another, then another. “This looks like an ice pick, and this is an awl. How do you use these things on solid rock?”

  “You’ll see tomorrow.” She flipped the top flap back over the tools and rolled the case up. “You’ll also need to learn to mix plaster of Paris to protect the bones during shipment.”

  “That sounds messy—and fun.”

  “You have two days to get all the fun out of your system and be ready for serious work. Professor Marsh will arrive on the Friday morning train. We’re to meet him bright and early, and you need to be ready to assume the persona of C. P. Hubbard.”

  “Don’t worry. With your help, I can’t fail.”

  “What a ridiculous statement.”

  Nick laughed. “Are you always this grumpy when you’re working?”

  “I’m about to face the biggest challenge of my life, one that will affect my entire future, and you refuse to take it seriously.” She glared at him through narrowed eyes. “I have every right to be grumpy.”

  “Perhaps, but remember, you asked for my help. You need me to pull off this deception.”

  He was right. She did need him, and if she wasn’t careful, he’d get back on his horse and ride out of her life forever. The thought pushed her near the edge of panic. “I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just that this is so important to me.”

  Nick slid his arm around her shoulders. “I know. Don’t worry; I won’t abandon you. I owe you. You saved my life, remember?”

  When he didn’t release her immediately, Caroline breathed a tiny sigh and allowed herself the luxury of leaning against him, wrapped in the safety and comfort of his arm. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the warm solidity of his chest, absorbing the reassuring rhythmic thump of his heartbeat. She’d always been alone in her quest; it would be a relief to have someone to share it with, even if only for a few days.

  She thought she felt something whisper-soft touch the top of her head, almost like a kiss of breeze, but the air was still. It couldn’t have been Nick...could it? She lifted her head and turned until she could see his face. The devil twinkled in those sea-blue eyes, and a lazy smile played across his lips.

  “Flip you for the bed.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Oh, no,” Caroline protested, shoving away from the sanctuary of his embrace. “It’s my bed, and you’ve recovered sufficiently to sleep on the floor. Or if you’d prefer, you can join Jasper in the stable.”

  “How would it look to the professor if C. P. Hubbard slept with a mule while his wife slumbered alone in the cabin?”

  She smiled sweetly. “I can always tell him you’ve contracted an unmentionable disease.”

  Nick laughed. “The floor it is.”

  The next morning, she awoke early to the tantalizing aroma of bacon. After throwing on some clothes, she poked her head around the sheet she’d tacked up across the opening to the sleeping alcove. Now that he’d recovered, she felt obliged to maintain at least a modicum of modesty. She spotted Nick spearing slices from the skillet with a long-handled fork. “You’re cooking.”

  He turned, utensil in hand. “I wanted to prove I’m not completely helpless.”

  “I never thought you were. I just didn’t expect cooking to be one of your skills.” She sniffed as she crossed the room. The bacon smelled perfect, hot and greasy but without the acrid scent of burned fat.

  “I learned aboard ship, although, to be honest, we didn’t have bacon very often. I wasn’t a great hand in the galley, but my grandfather insisted I work my way up by learning every job before he entrusted me with a ship of my own.”

  Caroline picked up a still-sizzling slice but quickly dropped it back on the plate and blew on her fingers to cool them. “He sounds like a wise man.”

  “He was. I miss him.” Nick stared at the floor, his expression pensive.

  She felt a stab of envy. Nick didn’t understand how fortunate he was. No one in her family had ever taken her scientific interests seriously. “You were lucky to have had a grandfather who believed in you enough to force you to develop your abilities.”

  “It didn’t always feel like that when I was swabbing the deck or painting the gunwales.”

  “And you still carry his watch?”

  He nodded. “It’s in my saddlebag.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t go back to sea after Lucinda’s betrayal.”

  “When I arrived home, Lucinda’s marriage to Nathaniel wasn’t the only piece of unwelcome news. I learned my grandfather had died a few weeks earlier, and my father had sold the shipping company.”

  “I’m so sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. Arthur might dismiss her dreams, but Nick’s father had cut his off at the knees.

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. “He thought he’d eliminated all my options. I found it necessary to create new ones.”

  Admiration tempered by apprehension shimmered through her. She’d hate to be the one standing in the way of that iron determination. “I’m glad you did. Otherwise we’d never have met, and I might have had to bribe Pete Newsome from the livery stable to play the part of C. P. Hubbard.” Caroline’s heart lifted when Nick’s fierce expression relaxed at the image of the cantankerous old man in the role of her husband.<
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  She reached for the bacon again, hoping it was cool enough to eat. It was. “Mmm. This is delicious.” She crunched the crispy slice then licked her fingers in total disregard for proper manners. Mrs. O’Rourke would faint if she saw her. “Your brother was wrong about you being irresponsible, you know. Your grandfather would be proud.”

  He raised a skeptical brow. “I’m not sure you know me well enough to have an informed opinion. We’ll see how you feel in a week.”

  “You came back to help me instead of taking off for the Amazon,” she pointed out.

  “I wouldn’t read too much into that. You know how fond I am of Jasper. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him yet.”

  Caroline sputtered then coughed. Nick rushed to her side and thumped her back. “Water,” she gasped with one hand splayed against her chest.

  He dipped a tin cup in the barrel by the door and handed it to her. She took several swallows before she could speak again.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m fine”,” she croaked. “I’m just not used to gentlemen ranking me second to a mule.” She wiped her eyes.

  “You have to admit, he is charming.”

  “I’ll let you tell him while you load the supplies.”

  “At your service.” He made a sweeping gesture of doffing an imaginary hat.

  Following her directions, he saddled Jasper, taking care to avoid the mule’s snapping teeth.

  “You must have forgotten to tell him how charming he is,” Caroline said.

  “I did, but it didn’t seem to help,” Nick grumbled. “This beast needs to learn how to accept a compliment.”

  “Give him these.” She held out two carrots. “They’re like catnip for mules.”

  “He’ll bite my hand off,” he protested, but he took the carrots. Holding them by the greens, he poked them toward Jasper, who lunged forward and gobbled both in a single gulp.

  “Son of a—” Nick jumped back and shook his hand. “I take it back. You’re not charming. You’re nothing but a mercenary whose affections can be bought with wilted produce.”