Page 96 of Destined Paranormals: Volume One

Maybe think about the university? If you’re looking for a change? You seemed quite melancholy toward the end of your last visit. We would love to see you more, but we understand you are doing what your heart desires.

The council is growing, and Benjamin has started going out on more assignments. He was in Europe recently. There will be a smaller branch set up in Europe somewhere. They are still deciding the location as of now.

Your father has thought about requesting to transfer there. It would break my heart to leave Spencer and Maverick, but I go where your father goes, and he’s thinking about trying to be more centrally located among the three of you. Not that it matters. He can travel with a thought.

I suppose I’ve talked your ear off by now. I miss you. I understand you are almost three centuries old, but I still miss you. You’ve always followed your heart, and that’s all we ever wanted for any of you.

When you get the time and are back to civilization, give me a call if you can. It helps to hear your voice. Your father says to tell you hello, and he will always help with travel if you wish.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Love,

Dad

I couldn’t help but smile. Dad had attached a video that I couldn’t get to open or play, but the pictures he sent were small enough that they came through. Spencer and Maverick were certainly getting big. They were crawling around on the floor, it looked like, and I wondered just how soon it would be before they were walking.

I loved how Dad hinted without hinting. I had actually already looked into the two larger universities in Montana. Both of them did have an anthropology program, but I wasn’t aware the one closest was hiring. Not that I would get the position if I applied. I was halfway around the world. But it was certainly something to consider more.

I closed Dad’s email and found one from Dr. White, who was running the current expedition.

Dr. Ward,

I hope this email finds you well and the field work is going well. I wanted to give you a heads-up that you will need to return early, unfortunately. They are predicting some unusual and intense haboobs over the next several days, so the site will need to be as secured as possible. The trucks will be there to bring you and your crew back tomorrow afternoon.

I understand this couldn’t come at a worse time with the dig being so close to removal, but the safety of you and the team always comes first.

Call if you have any issues and I’ll do what I can.

Dr. White

This. This was why I had spent so long in Montana last winter. I wasn’t a fan of the storms over here, and I’d purposely avoided taking a dig in an environment that had the possibility of sandstorms. They made it difficult to breathe and put my fox on edge. I should have known better. I quickly typed a reply and sent it off, then went ahead and filled out my notes for the day and uploaded them to my online journal that Dr. White could access. He had no edit authority, but he could read the notes as I uploaded them, and in turn, he asked questions and made suggestions as needed.

He had absolutely no clue that I was quite a bit older than his own sixty-something years, but that was something I would never share with my colleague.

I finished today’s notes, and after shutting down my laptop, I packed it up in my bag. I wouldn’t need it again until we got back to Cairo, and I was safely ensconced in a hotel to ride out the storms. I would send Dad another email after we returned to the city, but I wouldn’t be able to do much once the sand hit. All service ceased to work when the skies were filled with dirt. But in moments, I’d decided that I needed to look into their local university and get away from places that send me into sandstorms. The worst were in the spring, but it wasn’t unheard of for them to decide to make an appearance in the middle of winter.

I knew I needed to let my crew know we would be securing the site first thing in the morning before we tore down camp and left for the safety of the city, but when I listened for them, it sounded as if they had all gone into their tents.

I decided to set my alarm for a bit earlier and would let them all know in the morning at breakfast. We had time; it wasn’t as if a sandstorm was coming through tomorrow. But we would need to get to work and make sure everything was as secure as it could be before the trucks arrived to take us back to the city.

The thought of a long, hot shower and a soft bed with crisp sheets was entirely too tempting, and I couldn’t ignore everything going on any longer. To me, things were pointing to change. It was time for me to once more reinvent myself somewhat, I believed.

I changed out of my clothes and into sleep pants and the T-shirt I’d been sleeping in before I once more pulled out my laptop. I didn’t think I would need it again until tomorrow, but now that the seed had been planted in my mind, I couldn’t deny it any longer.

After the laptop was once again booted, I opened my email app and composed a long email to Dad.

Dad,

First, don’t worry too much. We are returning early in the morning because there are storms predicted in the near future. I’ll be safe, so please don’t worry when you don’t hear from me for a few days. You know how sandstorms can be.

I’ve been thinking about your email, and being completely transparent, I have been considering changing things up a bit since my last visit. I want what you and Father had and have. What Benjamin now has. You’ve known longer than I have just how much my fox and I long for a mate and family of our own. Sadly, I’ve not been able to find my mate. Maybe I’m one of the unlucky ones that won’t ever find my mate. I hate to even consider that, but I have to accept that it is a possibility.

After I finish this expedition, I’ll be returning home long enough to get things sorted. I would like to come for another extended visit. I miss you and Father, and Benjamin and his small family. I’ll look for somewhere close by, but not so close that I feel as if I’m intruding on you all. Closer would be better, would it not?

I’ll put out feelers and see if the university is looking for someone in my field. It has been some time since I was last in the classroom, but I always enjoyed it. There are always expeditions in the summer months, and I’m sure those would be more than enough to satisfy my wander bug.

I make no promises to settle there permanently, but as of right now, an extended stay in the general area, Montana, is more than appealing.