Blue Jeans and a Badge by Nina Bruhns

job, so starting tomorrow I’m on my own dime.”
    â€œHe pays a per diem?” Philip asked.
    â€œOnly as long as I keep up my success rate,” she joked. But not really. She was lucky he paid any expenses at all. Most bondsmen didn’t.
    â€œYou could move in with me,” Philip suggested. His voice was neutral, but she could feel his muscles pull her closer.
    â€œYeah, that would be a good way to keep myself out of your bed,” she answered with a wry chuckle. Not.
    â€œI have a guest room.” He tipped her chin up. “Don’t you trust me?”
    â€œIt’s not a matter of trust, Philip. It’s a matter of prudence.”
    â€œHmm,” he said, and kissed her.
    She gave a hum of enjoyment as she opened to him, loving the taste of him in her mouth and the smell of him surrounding her. She was getting used to touching him, having his body pressed up against hers. She liked it. She liked it a lot. Which was why this whole thing was so dangerous.
    But before she could pull away, he did.
    â€œLet’s get out of here,” he said. “I have an idea.”
    So did she. She just hoped his wasn’t the same as hers.
    Because then she’d be in big trouble.
    Not that she wasn’t already.
    â€œWhere are we going?” she asked when they’d gotten back to the Jeep and were bumping down the dirt road.
    â€œI realized we’ve been going about this canyon thing the wrong way.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œDidn’t the old ladies say the kids hid out in some kind of ruins in that canyon?”
    â€œThat’s how the story went.”
    â€œWell, have we seen any ruins yet?”
    â€œNope.” She slapped her forehead as it dawned on her where he was going. “Lord, why didn’t we think of that before?”
    â€œPretty dumb not to check the archaeological maps, eh?”
    â€œOr talk to someone. Do you know anyone in the ruins business?”
    He thought for a minute, then nodded. “Yeah. I know someone who works as an archaeologist at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe. We could call her.”
    Luce didn’t know why the instant he said “her” Luce’s insides suddenly churned into one big, irritated knot. She certainly didn’t want to know how Philip knew “her.” Or how well.
    â€œSounds good,” she forced herself to say, and turned to look out the passenger window until she could get her frown under control.
    â€œRenata’s great,” he said, oblivious to the fact that Luce didn’t give a tinker’s damn how great Renata was. “She’s one of those women who walks into a room and lights it up with her presence and enthusiasm,” he continued, and Luce set her jaw. “She moved here from somewhere in Europe when she was a teenager and has been studying Indians and ruins ever since. She’s absolutely beautiful,” he said, and Luce wanted to lean over and strangle the breath out of him so he’d stop talking about the stupid b— “You’d never know she just turned seventy.”
    Seven—
    Luce whipped him a glance and he returned a guileless smile. The rat. He’d known exactly what he was doing, and her reaction to it.
    â€œDelightful. Can’t wait to meet her,” Luce said. And wondered about the sad state of her sanity. But she didn’t have time to wonder too much, because just then Philip’s cell phone rang.
    He grabbed it off the console and glanced at the screen. “It’s Ted. Maybe he found something for us. Hey, buddy,” he said into the phone. “What’s up?” He listened for a moment, then said, “We’re heading that way right now.” After another moment he looked at his watch and said, “Sure, we’ll meet you there about six.” Another pause, then a grin. “Yep, she’ll be with me.”
    When he hung up, she tipped her head at him expectantly.