Page 72 of The Rancher’s One and Only

“You’ll live,” Jax said, unrepentant.

“Also,” Ernestine said. “Mastodons aren’t dinosaurs. They’re mammals. Oregon didn’t really have dinosaurs.”

“That’s disappointing,” Rowdy said.

“Life is disappointing,” Dakota added.

“Well, I think Ernestine should stay around and run a gift shop,” Jessica said. “God knows I don’t like being the only woman around.”

Ernestine blinked, and looked at him with what appeared to be abject terror.

“Ernestine can’t stay and run a gift shop,” he said. “Because she is actually a very important scientist who works in a premier natural history museum. So, she has to go back.”

Jessica sighed. “I mean, I know that, because I have a sense for how brilliant she is, but I selfishly would like to keep her as a new friend.”

Ernestine looked awash in emotion at that statement. And he felt… He always wanted to pick her up and protect her. Wanted to make her feel safe and secure. Wanted.

He cleared his throat. “Just so you know, Ernestine, the gift shop option is available if the museum ever seems like it’s getting boring.”

“Thanks,” she choked.

There was a point where they had to get to ranch duties, and Ernestine decided to go write up a proposal about the employment idea for the museum, and also send some progress reports to her boss. Though, later she confided in him that she didn’t tell the museum director about her discovery via email.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea. Anyway, I need to be more sure about what I’ve got. Tomorrow, I’ll hopefully make some more progress, and gather more information.”

“I don’t blame you for not wanting to put it in writing. All things considered.”

“Yes. It’s dangerous to do that. I don’t know who’s looking at emails, and I still don’t know who told Haley about my research.”

“Not your boss, though.”

“Oh. No. There’s no way. That would only compromise the museum, and if she wanted to help Haley, then she would hire Haley at the museum. Also, she is a woman who is not interested in women.”

“Got it. Pretty much discounts her then.”

“For many reasons.”

“What will this mean for you professionally?” he asked, elbows resting on the counter as he looked across the bar at her. They had just finished dinner, and he had a feeling he was going to end up staying the night with her again. Because he wanted to. Because they wanted to be around each other.

“I don’t know, a lot. Possibly a promotion. Job offers from museums around the world, which I would have to think very critically about, because I love my museum, and so much of my work is centered there. I mean, the implications for this are pretty profound. Because it isn’t only that I was using this equipment, it’s that my research brought me here. Which means that the way I determine migration patterns is right. It’s better than what a lot of other people have done. I have all the data on how I arrived at the conclusion that I would find a high concentration of animals here. And while some of that information is in what Haley got hold of, not all of it, because I reserved this place. And that’s a huge missing element to the information that she has.”

“Conniving.”

“You have to be. I’m not naturally that way. Not even a little bit. But I had to be with all of this subterfuge going on. But this is going to be a new method for finding fossils, believe me. It’s going to change the way that people do their research, and decide where to dig. And that really is going to be something.”

She was quiet for a moment, and then looked up at him. “I keep thinking about what Jessica said. About the gift shop.”

“That was silly. Obviously she doesn’t know anything about what you do.”

Ernestine shook her head. “I’m not offended. Believe me, people take me very seriously. I’m not offended. Only…what if there was a museum?”

“What?”

“I’m not suggesting it would be a museum that I would work at. Obviously it’s not…”

“You’re not talking about anything on the caliber that you work for.”

“No. Of course not. But I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea. A museum that centers on the history of this area, and on the prehistoric migrations, we can even do migrations of people. We can partner with local indigenous groups and tribes and make sure we get human history represented as well. But…think about it. It’s another thing you can use your land for.”