Forbidden. Ellen James

as if to make absolutely sure she got the point. What an irony–this thirteen-year-old boy deciding that he needed to defend the almighty Dr. Nicholas Petrie.

      “Message received, Daniel,” she said. “Loud and clear.”

      He gave her a sharp glance, as if not quite convinced. Then, with a brusque nod taken right from the book of Nick Petrie, Daniel turned and strode away.

      Dana watched him go, experiencing a mixture of frustration and reluctant admiration. Daniel knew how to handle himself, all right, and she ought to have known he wouldn’t take kindly to her interference–particularly where Nick was concerned. Daniel was a determined kid. From the little Dana had been able to gather, he’d taught himself English just by picking up whatever he could from the tourists who visited the island. Smart…and determined. He was also an adept student of Nick’s. Dana had often seen the two of them engrossed in some job at the excavation pits, both dark heads bent together as Nick explained and Daniel emulated. But Daniel wouldn’t let anyone else get close to him, least of all Dana. The boy disdained her, and she couldn’t figure out exactly why….

      She tried to get back to work, but now it was Jarrett who came up to her. “How are you doing?” he asked. “I know that none of this has been a pleasant experience.”

      “I’m fine. But thanks for asking.” She glanced at him. In spite of the heat, Jarrett wore an old-fashioned paisley vest over his shirt. Combined with his longish hair, it made him look like one of the Victorian explorer gentlemen who had discovered the Mayan ruins of the Yucatán back in the 1840s. Jarrett seemed so open faced, so essentially good-natured. Yet, according to Pat, he was a bit of a back stabber. What was he really like?

      As Jarrett often did, he lingered beside her. “Don’t blame Nick too much for coming down hard,” he said. “This has been a pretty big shock for him. For me, too, I’m afraid. We work for months, and then something like this can happen.” Jarrett’s hazel eyes seemed to reflect only concern. If anything, he was too quick to excuse Nick. But Dana knew she hadn’t imagined that flash of hostility she’d seen earlier.