Chapter 3

Four foldable buffettables with folding chairs surrounding them were set up under an Army-style canvas tent. The tent's sides were rolled up, and a bug zapper sat in the corner. The sound of sizzling snaps announced the deaths of mosquitoes and flies.

Ty grinned. It all felt so familiar—like many a traditional field kitchen he'd eaten in while deployed. At one end was a large portable stove and another buffet table with metal tubs filled with food. Two Mexican women wearing plastic gloves stood behind the table, ready to fill trays with food.

Cara walked to the serving table, picked up a tray from the stack and a roll of silverware, and then moved down the chow line. Ty followed suit, nodding as ladles of spicy street corn, seasoned rice, chicken, and a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and bell peppers were deposited in the wells of his tray. Before leaving the table, he took a tall glass of iced tea, skipped the caramel flan dessert, and followed Cara to the table where Cookie and Gino already sat.

Ty leaned over his tray and breathed in the aroma of the food. "Honey, I see they feed you well."

Sitting opposite from him, Cara's gaze narrowed. "Cookie is ex-Army?—"

"Ah, just like you," Ty said, grinning. "Thank you for your service," he said, nodding at Cookie, who gave him a cheeky grin.

Cookie's glance swept him. "I take it you're ex-military as well," she said. "Close-cut hair, sharp amber eyes, muscles in all the right places…"

Cara turned to glare at the cook.

"Sorry," Cookie said, shrugging, "your boyfriend's cute."

"Not my boyfriend," Cara muttered, her mouth thinning.

"At the moment…" Ty said then grinned.

In the distance, the sound of insects and birds died down, and the hum of engines grew nearer.

"That'll be the professors and their students," Cookie said.

"I thought the students were all sent home," Ty said.

"The American ones were," Cookie said. "You don't think the guys in charge are going to do the heavy work themselves, do you?"

Cara rolled her eyes. "Cookie likes to talk trash about the professors, but they get down in the dirt like everyone else."

Cookie cleared her throat. "Well, you'll get to meet everyone in a minute. I send them with lunch bags in the morning, but they're always starved when they come in at night. If you want seconds, I'd suggest getting them now."

Ty shook his head and dug his fork into the rice and chicken. "This is really good."

"Just because we're deep in the jungle does not mean we can't have good food. An army runs on its belly."

He studied her face. She was a little older than Cara and himself. "Did you retire?"

She gave a firm nod. "Had my papers in the second I was eligible. I was ready for new adventures."

He chuckled. "But you're still feeding people in less-than-optimal environments."

"I like to cook. I get paid for it, but I don't have to answer to a bunch of officers who like to show up and find some gotchas."

"Nope," Cara said. "As long as we don't come down with food poisoning, we'll stay out of your way."

A group of men strolled toward the tables.

Four were obviously students from the university. They were young, dressed in shorts and T-shirts, and were grubby from head to toe. The three older men all appeared to be in their forties or fifties and were equally as grubby. Two were darker complected, which left the tall, wiry figure with the speckled beard and hair as the American, Professor Roy Beacham.

Professor Beacham's gaze swung toward their table and narrowed when it landed on Ty.

Cara stood and waved the new arrivals over. "Let me introduce you to our visitor," she said, her voice a little tight but free, for now, of irritation.

The professor gestured to the younger men to go ahead and fill their trays. The three older men then approached.

"Roy," Cara said, "this is Tyson Quigly. He's, um, a friend of mine. Ty, this is Professor Roy Beacham."

The professor raised an eyebrow. "It's kind of an out-of-the-way place for a friend to drop in."

Ty stood and held out his hand, and they shook. "Call me Ty. I'm her boyfriend. It's been a little hard to reach her for the last couple of weeks, and I heard you all were cutting your dig short due to some troubles, so I thought I'd head down to help out."

"Her boyfriend?" The professor shot a glance at Cara and gave a small, insincere smile that indicated he was anything but pleased.

Ty wondered if maybe the older man was interested in the pretty and competent site manager.

"Are you related to Bradon Quigley?" he asked.

Ty nodded. "He's my brother—and he's the one who introduced me to Cara."

The professor made a soft huffing noise, then turned to his companions and began making introductions in Spanish. The other men stood far enough away that Ty didn't offer his hand, but he nodded to each man, "Professor Arredondo. Professor Gomez."

Professor Arredondo grinned. "We both speak English. Call me Paulo."

His friend said, "I'm Raul."

"I go by Ty. Nice to meet you both." He didn't bother sparing Professor Beacham a glance because he figured the older man would want to hold onto his title to put some space between them rather than offer his first name. He was okay with that. A twinge of something that felt a lot like jealousy told him why he'd taken an instant dislike to the other man.

Perhaps it was because he wasn't much of an actor. Pretending to be something he wasn't didn't come naturally. So, when he'd decided he'd fill the boyfriend role, something inside him had decided that should be true.

The men turned away and headed to get their meal trays.

Cara and Ty resumed eating their food.

Cookie set down her fork and sighed. "Nighttime's the only time the temperature is bearable here. If it weren't for the winged critters, it would almost feel like paradise."

The bug zapper sizzled as though adding its own commentary.

"I take it you'll be accompanying Cara to the market tomorrow?" she asked, glancing at Ty.

"If she's leaving the site, I'll be with her," Ty said.

"I thought you brought some equipment you wanted to install to make things a bit safer around here," Cara murmured.

Ty turned to Cara. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Around nine."

"I should be finished by then."

Cara nodded slowly, then gave Cookie a smile. "I should probably show Ty where the latrines and the shower tent are."

Ty grinned. "I'd appreciate the chance to clean up, but maybe we could find a cot first so I can get that set up."

She nodded and stood, picking up her tray.

Cookie put a hand on her arm. "Leave it. I'll take care of this. I'm sure you'll both need some time to talk before lights out." She waved a hand at the lights strung along the ceiling of the mess tent. "After the kitchen is clean, we turn off the generators to conserve fuel. You'll lose your cell phone because the modem shuts off. A couple of tiki torches will be lit among the tents, but that won't be enough light. Do you have a flashlight?"

He nodded. "I have one in my gear. Thanks for the heads-up."

"Good night, you two," she said as she headed back to the kitchen area.

"I like your friend."

"I do, too," Cara said. "She's dependable, and damn can she ever cook." She drew a deep breath and then gave him a direct look. "Let's get that cot; then we'll hit the shower."

He couldn't help where his mind went but managed to keep his expression neutral as he followed her.

After she'd shownhim a cot in one of the tents the American students had abandoned, she headed back to her tent to gather her shower kit and a clean set of clothes while he broke down the cot to move it. She lit the large citronella candle she kept under her cot when it wasn't in use and set it in the center of the floor, hoping it would do the trick and hasten the mosquitoes from her tent before she returned from her shower.

A few minutes later, he arrived with a cot and set the bundle on the floor. Quickly, he unlocked his equipment box, retrieved his flashlight, and then dug clothing and a towel from his duffel.

They were silent as they made their way through the tents to the east side of the encampment. She pointed to the three wooden structures standing side by side. "The latrines," she said. "The workers who arrive to help with meals also keep these clean and restock them. The shower tent is here."

Another canvas tent, medium-sized, stood a dozen feet from the latrines. Large barrels of water were parked at the far corner. "It's not potable water," she said. "So don't drink it from the faucet. I have water bottles in our sleeping tent if you get thirsty."

She swept the canvas door aside, and they walked inside.

The floor of the tent was a wooden lattice with gravel poured into the spaces. A tarp was hung between two shower heads to provide privacy.

She arched an eyebrow. "We're adults. No peeking around the canvas."

He grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Just then, the light bulbs above flickered and then blinked out, and the distant hum of the generator fell silent.

Cara was the first to turn on her flashlight. "I'll hang mine from a tentpole. Watch where you step. Luca, one of Paulo's students, stepped on a coral snake in here. I've never heard such a shrill scream from a man. Cookie relocated it. Snakes are protected here in the Yucatan—although the locals pretty much kill any they find, venomous or not. Something like twenty percent of the snakes in this region are only found here. Some are endangered."

"So, no killing snakes," he said. "Gotcha." Ty clicked on his flashlight and aimed it at the flooring in the changing area and inside the stalls.

"If you'll give me a minute to undress, I'll jump in first. And keep the shower as short as possible. We don't have unlimited water because we depend on rainfall to refill the barrels."

He turned slowly and stood at parade rest.

She smirked behind him and stripped, taking time to fold her clothing and leave it on the bench before pulling the tarp to enclose her space. "All done." She flipped on the water faucet and sucked in breath as the water sprayed her body.

A minute later, the other faucet turned on, and she heard a quick, harsh gasp.

"Guess I should've warned you we don't heat the water," she sang over the tarp wall.

"It's great. No problem," he said, although his voice sounded a little strained.

And just that easily, all her irritation drained away. Call me petty, but damn, I enjoyed that.

After the showerand dressing in the shadows, Ty followed her back to her tent. He had to admit that the less-than-lukewarm water had cooled off his body, and he was contemplating pulling on a sweatshirt once they reached the tent.

Still, he was smiling because he knew she'd enjoyed catching him by surprise. Let her have her little revenge. I'm still sleeping in her tent.

When they arrived, she quickly pulled down the mosquito net door and tied it to a stake inside the entrance but close to the tent wall to keep the bottom edge snug against the floor. A candle burned in the center of the floor, emitting an odor he recognized. At least they wouldn't be eaten alive while they slept.

He quickly assembled the cot, placing it opposite hers. Then he shoved his duffle under his cot and his locker box at the foot. Then he rolled out his sleeping bag on the cot. He thumbed the button on the flashlight, extinguishing the light, and then laid it atop the box before stretching out on his bed.

She was still stuffing dirty clothes into a laundry bag and fluffing her pillow. He watched her from the side of his eye, enjoying watching her move because he could see the way the movements made the fabric of her clothing twitch, revealing her curves. He was just wishing he'd brought an inflatable pillow when she bent to blow out the candle. "Sorry, I can't keep it burning all night. The air gets unbreathable."

"No worries. I've survived mosquitoes—and I've been vaxxed for malaria."

"All the Americans here have, too. Along with shots for some other lovely sicknesses."

They were silent for a long moment, and he was just beginning to relax.

"So, you're really going to stick around until we go wheels up?" she asked.

"That was the deal." He liked her "lying down" voice, which was a little huskier than her normal speaking voice. Maybe it was sharing this small, confined space that made it feel more intimate. "Are you gonna fight me over everything?" he asked, his mouth stretching into a grin in the darkness.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I have to. You're so darn arrogant I feel as though I'm striking a blow for all womanhood."

He chuckled. "I'm arrogant? Maybe you're just easy to provoke."

She huffed a breath. "I'm usually the last to let my temper go."

"So, it's just me?"

"It was that damn kiss."

His laughter gusted. "Maybe we should do it more often so you become immune."

Her laughter was soft. "Just stop."

"Yeah, I suppose we should get some sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day."

He listened as she shifted on her bed.

He turned onto his side. With scant moonlight piercing the jungle canopy, it was pitch black inside the tent. He couldn't see even an outline of her body across the space.

"You were Army…" he said softly.

"Yeah. Signal Corps."

"Ah, so an officer. No wonder you're so good at being bossy. Does Cookie know that? She didn't seem so fond of the officer class."

"Thought you were worried about getting some sleep," Cara muttered.

"Just lying here wondering how you wound up here in a jungle in Mexico."

"A headhunting company recruited me after I resigned my commission. They kept sending me notices for positions in corporations. Some of them were abroad, but they still seemed kinda…stiff. I told them I was ready for a new adventure—something like the military but without the brass."

Again, he chuckled. "Is this what you had in mind?"

"Well, I've organized doctors and dentists working in South America. Churches who needed a wrangler for water projects in the Congo. I've worked this gig three years in a row, now."

"So, now you get repeat business?"

"Yeah, and I'm free between jobs to travel."

"I would've thought you'd be over the travel bug after being in the military and your gig work."

"Not even close."

"Do you have a bucket list?"

"I do, actually."

"That's so…organized," he said, his tone wry.

"I don't know whether I should feel insulted or not."

"No, it works for you."

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you have a bucket list?"

"There are a few places I'd love to go. Somewhere with a beach. Somewhere on a river with big fat trout. Nothing ambitious."

"So, a Yucatan jungle doesn't cross anything off your list?"

"It might if I get a chance to see a jaguar in the wild. That would be pretty cool."

"Well, after we make our trip to the market tomorrow, I'll show you the dig site. You might think that's pretty cool, too."

"You're talking Mayan ruins, right?"

"How about a newly discovered pyramid?"

"That does sound pretty cool."

"Good night, Ty."

"Good night, sweetheart." In a softer whisper, he added, "That was just in case someone was walking by."

Her soft snickers had him smiling as he stared at the ceiling.