Bones Read Online Free Page A

reckon it is?”
    â€œA dinosaur,” I say.
    â€œMaybe so,” the guy says. “Word in town is that them bone guys have found a smart dinosaur, maybe even an alien or some such. They’re keeping quiet about it, but when word gets out, it’s gonna change everything. Something like that’d be worth a buck or two.” He rubs his thumb and fingers together in the sign for money.
    I stare at the man. “It’s an alien,” I say. “His spaceship’s parked down by the mall in town.”
    For a moment, the guy stares at me, his jaw hanging open. Then he laughs. “That’s funny.” He lets the clutch out and the truck jumps forward. I close my eyes and wrap my arm over my nose and mouth as the dust swirls around me. When it clears, I continue my miserable walk. That’s two people now who have told me that Dr. Bob’s dinosaur is special—smart or an alien or both.
    â€œWhere’s Annabel?” Of course that has to be the first thing my Mom asks when I walk through the kitchen door.
    â€œShe stayed down at the dig,” I say as casually as I can.
    Mom looks up from the counter where she’s rolling out dough. “Everything okay between you two?” She’s always had this incredible radar about relationships. The only couple it didn’t work with was her and Dad.
    â€œYeah. Yeah. Everything’s fine,” I say, reaching for a warm scone on the tray on the table.
    â€œJust one,” Mom says. “They’re a new recipe. Whole wheat, blackberry and ricotta. I don’t want you spoiling your appetite for supper.”
    â€œWhat’s for supper?” I mumble through a mouthful of scone.
    â€œMac and cheese.”
    â€œMac and cheese?” This doesn’t sound like the sort of thing that’s cooked at the commune.
    â€œYeah,” Mom says, “with basil, broccoli and Gruyère cheese.”
    â€œOh,” I say. That sounds more like it. In the days with Mom, I’ve learned more about weird food than I ever thought possible. I’ve also promised myself not to ask what something is, because it always leads to a long explanation of why it’s healthy. Not that I’m against food that’s good for you, but I am going to be craving a burger by the time I go home.
    â€œThe scones will go well with it, and there’s nettle salad.”
    â€œNettle salad?” I ask, forgetting my promise.
    â€œDon’t worry—they don’t sting once they’re cooked. They taste like spinach. Very rich in vitamins A and C and in iron, potassium and manganese.”
    â€œI can’t wait,” I say to interrupt the flow of information. “Who’s the creepy guy in the red pickup? He was driving around the field as I was coming up from the dig.”
    Mom grimaces. “That’s Darren. He leases the field from us.”
    â€œBut there’s nothing growing there,” I say.
    â€œLast spring, Darren was full of all these ideas for growing genetically modified crops and getting rich. We pointed out the clause in the lease that said he could only use organic farming methods on our land and GMO s didn’t fit the bill. He complained, but there was nothing he could do. He never got around to doing anything with the land—spends too much time with his no-good friends in the hotel bar. Still, it won’t do the soil any harm to sit fallow for a season.”
    â€œHe seemed interested in the dinosaur bones,” I say. “Thought they belonged to an alien.”
    â€œDarren’s a couple of nickels short of a dollar, if you ask me.” Mom brushes the flour off her hands, comes around the counter and envelopes me in a hug. “I’m so glad you came to visit,” she says when she lets me go. “I’ve missed you. I thought it would be years before I saw you again. Are you settling in okay?”
    â€œI am. School’s weird. They’re