Bone to Pick

Dr. Elena Vance has one goal: secure the fossil that will save her tenure and salvage her family name. She doesn’t have time for heatstroke, flash floods, or the rugged, infuriatingly attractive field tech standing between her and her discovery.

Silas Thorne doesn’t trust academics. They’re sloppy, ambitious, and usually gone by the first frost. He’s spent twelve years hiding in the Montana badlands, burying a past betrayal under layers of dirt and silence. He just wants to do the job and go home.

But when a massive storm traps them in a tiny canvas tent, the professional distance Silas has built crumbles.

Stranded with no way out, Elena discovers that the grumpy tech reads sediment like a language and touches her like she’s the rarest find of his career. And Silas realizes that the "Ivory Tower" princess has more grit—and more fire—than he ever gave her credit for.

As the floodwaters rise, they uncover a fossil that could change history—and a connection that could destroy their carefully constructed defenses. But when the skies clear and the academic sharks circle, Elena must choose: Protect the career she’s fought for, or hold on to the man who taught her that some things are worth the risk.