It was a long walk between the hills, and as Jonah had predicted, the needle-sharp wind was punishing. Progressing over the stony pathway wasn’t simple, either. He watched Rose. Like on that bitterly cold day when he’d taken her out to the Winterback Mine, she didn’t look as though she minded either the rough going or the chilling, dust-filled gusts. She was a good sport, and he valued that, but he wondered where all the resilience came from. The golden hair, soft mouth, and petite figure didn’t speak of the great outdoors or rough adventure.

His eyes picked out a narrow opening between high boulders on the left. Yes, this was the turning he was looking for. Reaching out, he caught her elbow in his hand. “We’re almost there, but be careful. Some of these stones are loose. Spraining an ankle would be pretty easy to do.” Twenty feet along, the passage took an abrupt turn. Suddenly, they were out in the open, in an area of jagged hills, where every surface was covered in geometric patterns, concentric rings, and tree-shaped etchings.

“How wonderful!” Rose turned slowly, took in every zigzag, each swirl. Her enthusiasm was sincere; he could see that by her shining eyes, hear it in the warmth of her voice.

“I never, not even for one single minute, imagined a place like this existed. Tell me all about petroglyphs. I know nothing at all—other than the fact that they’re incredibly old.”

“Well, few scientists agree on their exact age. People used to believe they were a mere three thousand years old, but we now know that the early North Americans made them around 15,000 years ago. Look over there, at those mountains in the distance. Do you see the carved terraces? Those were made by the waves of an ancient lake that once covered this entire area. The petroglyphs were created during a long, dry period when the lake temporarily vanished.”

“Do we know what the symbols signify?”

“No.” He shrugged. “Researchers have been arguing for years about their meaning. One thing we do all agree on is they’re definitely not a form of writing.”

The wind stiffened, became an icy tentacle that worked its way between the tightest seams. Despite her many layers of clothing, Rose must be freezing, although he knew by now that she would never complain. She had a delightful character, a complicated one, too. But standing out here in the bitingly raw air, he wouldn’t penetrate the deep mystery that was Rose Badger.

“Okay. Excursion’s over. What we need now is a warm car to take us back to civilization and a good dinner.” And the chance to get the answers to a few questions, he added to himself.

 

Secrets are the best protection against love

Rose Badger is the local flirt, and if the other inhabitants of backwoods Blake’s Folly, Nevada, don’t approve, she couldn’t care less. With a disastrous marriage and a dead-end career far behind her, settling down is the last thing she intends to do. Newcomer Jonah Livingstone is intriguing, but with his complicated life, he’s off limits for anything other than friendship. Besides, Rose has a secret world of her own—one she won’t give up for any man.

The last person geologist Jonah Livingstone expected to meet in a semi-ghost town is the sparkling and lovely Rose Badger. But Rose, always surrounded by many admirers, doesn’t seem inclined to choose a favorite. So why fret? Jonah keeps his personal life well hidden…and that's the best way to avoid disappointment.

Purchase links: https://books2read.com/RosesDesert

https://mybook.to/RosesDesert

Trailer : https://youtu.be/tHPrIciT0XU

Back to home page