Temperance Brennan stood on the summit, looking down over the parched landscape that made up the Four Corners region. It was good to be back at Mesa Verde. She had done archaeological work there during a couple of summers while she was in college. At first she thought it would be a waste of time for an anthropologist to work on archaeological sites, but over time she noticed the links between the two sciences and found she enjoyed the work.
Booth had insisted that she come to the workshop offered by the University of New Mexico... three weeks during the summer devoted to learning about the Anasazi and the present day Pueblo dwellers that would provide background for one of her books. Kathy and Andy would soon be solving a case involving a murder and the disappearance of ancient Native American artifacts. She smiled. Booth knew that one way to keep his wife happy was to insist that she go on small scale expeditions to keep her from getting dragged down by all the murder and mayhem back in her real world.
She looked out over the vista below, considering how lucky she was. Booth loved her so much that he wanted her to be free to do whatever she wanted to do. He'd never force her to be someone she wasn't. He respected her intelligence and her desire to better herself. She would come home with her mind refreshed and invigorated. It was a marvelous gift...his selfless love….more than she had ever believed she could receive from anyone.
She missed her children and sleeping in her own bed next to her husband. She missed her friends at work. She was hot, tired, sweaty, and covered with dirt. She was achy from working hard. She was also incredibly happy.