by Kate Pearce
“Thank you, sir.” Jackson stepped into a hallway lined with books on either side, leaving a narrow passageway through to the rear of the house. “I appreciate your time.”
He ended up walking sideways just in case his broad shoulders took a book out and the whole pile came tumbling down. The kitchen beyond the books was remarkably clutter free, and sun shone through the windows.
“Would you like some coffee, son?”
“Yes, please, sir. That would be nice.”
Mr. Perkins indicated that Jackson should sit at the kitchen table, which he did, placing the locked box on the surface in front of him. There was no TV in the space, no laptop, and no sign of a cell phone. The big old-fashioned rotary phone, with its long curly cord, hung beside the refrigerator. It was like stepping back in time to when Jackson was a kid.
Mr. Perkins brought the coffee to the table, along with two mugs, lumps of brown sugar, and cream. “Help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
While Jackson added sugar to his coffee, Mr. Perkins retrieved a green folder from a pile on the countertop and set it in front of him.
“I sold your father a number of coins over the years, so if you still have those, I have a fair idea of their current value.”
“That’s awesome.” Jackson found the key and opened the small strong box. “I did try to check some of them out online, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure whether they were genuine or not.” He hesitated. “My dad didn’t always make the best business decisions.”
Especially when he was drunk, but Mr. Perkins didn’t need to know that.
“I can assure you, young man, everything I sold your father was completely verified and has excellent provenance,” Mr. Perkins said pointedly.
“I’m sure it was,” Jackson rushed to agree with him. He didn’t want to be thrown out before he got a full accounting from the man. “I’m just not sure where he got half these coins.”
Mr. Perkins put on his glasses, got his magnifier out of his pocket, and bent over the coins Jackson was taking out of the box. Up close, the guy smelled like mothballs and cedarwood, which made Jackson’s nose itch.
“Hmm . . .” Mr. Perkins deftly sorted through the coins, consulting his list and separating them into two piles. “This lot are the ones I sold him over the years and are definitely genuine.”
“Awesome.” Jackson breathed through his mouth.
“I’d place their value now at around seventy-five thousand dollars.”
“You’re kidding me.” Jackson gazed at the small pile of coins. “That’s amazing.”
Knowing his father, he’d been expecting the worst, so that much money was a surprise. “What about the rest?”
“I’ll have to go through them individually.” Mr. Perkins squinted at one small silver coin through his magnifier. “This one is quite old. Mark told me he first got interested in coins as a boy when he found them at the Morgansville silver mine and down in the creek. Everyone else was looking for gold, but he preferred the coins the miners and townsfolk had left behind.”
Jackson tried to imagine his father at a young, carefree age and failed miserably.
“We found the box of coins in an old filing cabinet in the Lymond side of the old silver mine,” Jackson said. “Most of the mine is going to be filled in now, so I’m glad we got them out.”
“Indeed.” Mr. Perkins turned his attention back to the coins. “Some of these are quite . . . unusual, and will require a little cleaning up before I can date them with any accuracy.”
“Take your time.” Jackson waved him on. “I’ve got all day.”
Mr. Perkins frowned. “Well, you can’t stay here, young man. I’m going out for lunch. If you give me your cellular phone number, I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Do you think that might be today?” Jackson asked.
“It depends. I should be able to call you by the latest tomorrow evening.”
“Okay.” Jackson nodded. “I really appreciate you taking the time to see me, Mr. Perkins.” He hesitated. “If I wanted to sell the coins, would you be willing to help me with that?”
“For a small fee.” Mr. Perkins finally smiled at him. “And I promise I won’t run off with them in the meantime.”
“Good thinking, seeing as I know where you live.” Jackson winked at the old man and stood up. “If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow night at eight, are you okay if I call you?”
“Sure, but I should be finished by then.” He glanced back at the table. “Most of these aren’t very interesting or valuable, but I’ll have a total value for you and we can take it from there.”
“Great.” Jackson shook his hand. “Thanks so much.”
Jackson let himself out and got into his truck. He’d noticed a mall on the way to the house, so he’d go park there, get something to eat, and consider his next move. Seventy-five thousand dollars was peanuts to Cauy, but half of it was the deposit on something for Jackson.
He considered texting his oil-rich, penny-pinching brother but decided to wait until he had the final total. Cauy would be stoked. Despite his wealth, he’d never say no to extra money.
Jackson parked at the side of the mall and went in to celebrate in solitary style at the sports bar. He still hadn’t replied to Daisy, mainly because he didn’t know what to say.
He was just about to enter the bar when there was a screech of brakes behind him. He turned just in time to see a big rig truck that was backing out of one of the loading bays, lose traction and slowly sideswipe a whole row of parked vehicles—including his.
“Shit,” Jackson breathed.
He ran back the way he came. He wasn’t the only person who’d seen what had happened, and everyone was shouting and screeching. On first investigation, it didn’t appear that anyone had been hurt. There were a couple of abandoned shopping carts and one empty stroller, but no one lying on the ground or injured.
Sirens wailed in the near distance, and Jackson walked around to take his first proper look at his truck. He’d been in the first slot and the whole left side was caved in from the force of the collision. Under cover of the noise, Jackson let off a whole string of curse words. There was no way his truck was drivable.
He whistled softly and stepped back as the local cops arrived on the scene. After he’d talked to the police, he’d be able to find someone to tow the truck to a local garage. He’d noticed there was a BART station right in the center of town, which meant he could go into the city, take a plane home, or stick around to hear from Mr. Perkins, who still had the coins.
He found his cell and looked for Chase Morgan’s number. He could only pray Chase was in town and would be willing to help out a fellow Morgan Valley dude. If not, he’d have to find someplace to stay, rent a new truck, or get a flight home late the next night.
Chapter Nineteen
Daisy’s cell phone buzzed, and she took it out of her backpack. After the series of meetings, she’d immediately told Ian what had happened with Clive. He’d agreed they needed to meet up the next day to talk the offer through with the rest of the team. Daisy had hoped he’d instantly repudiate it, but like her, the thought of all that money after years of disappointment and debt was incredibly alluring . . .
Hey, are you okay to come on a rescue mission with me?
Daisy checked who the text was from and wondered what the heck Chase Morgan was on about.
As in . . . ? Daisy texted back.
You’re staying at my place tonight, correct? There’s a complication. I’ve got to pick someone up from the BART station and thought you might want to come along rather than me coming back for you later. If that’s okay, I’ll pick you up in five minutes.
I’m parked just behind my office, so meet me there.
Okay, Daisy agreed.
She didn’t want Chase going off and forgetting to come back to pick her up at all. She’s spent quite enough of her day adulting for VCs as it was. A diversion to the BART station was no big deal, seeing as Chase was o
ffering her accommodation in his spare room for free.
She went out into the hazy evening sunshine, the roar of commuter traffic from the freeway a constant sound that never seemed to dim. Chase was already sitting in his all-electric car, which was about as far away from the Ford F-450 he drove on the ranch as you could get. He also left his cowboy hat at home, which made him look weird.
Daisy waved at him and got into the passenger seat.
“Thanks for this,” Chase said as he backed out of his space. “Do you mind if I take a couple of calls while we’re driving? Hands-free of course.”
“Sure, go ahead. I’m done talking today,” Daisy said.
His bright blue eyes narrowed with laughter. “I hear you’re very popular in the valley right now, Ms. Miller. All the sharks are circling.”
“Tell me about it.” Daisy leaned back against the seat and briefly closed her eyes.
Chase’s phone buzzed and he was off, talking to someone in Austin about something so complex Daisy gave up listening and just luxuriated in the knowledge that he wasn’t going to ask her anything. She and Ian might be the most outgoing of their gang of five, but they were still basically introverts who didn’t do well in company. That’s why she and Jackson got along. She didn’t do social chatting and his frankness didn’t bother her much.
Chase ended his call and frowned as he circled the BART station. “I hate this place. It makes no sense.”
Daisy pointed to the right. “If you pull off here, you can pick passengers up.”
“Well spotted.” Chase moved over a lane and put on his blinker. “Look out for a guy possibly wearing a cowboy hat.”
Daisy squinted at the crowd of people, her gaze immediately going to the tall, dark-haired guy with a backpack and a blue baseball cap on his head.
“We’re picking up Jackson Lymond?”
“Yeah.” Chase grinned at her as he pulled up at the curb. “I thought that would cheer you up.”
Chase got out of the car to shake Jackson’s hand and put his bag in the trunk, while Jackson got in the back. Daisy slowly turned around to stare at him.
“Hey.”
Jackson sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why the hell this keeps happening. It’s like the harder I try to get away from you, the more the fates laugh their asses off.”
“Thanks a bunch,” Daisy said. “It’s nice to see you, too.”
“See? There you go. One second in your company, and I’ve already ticked you off.” He rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw. “I’ll tell Chase to drop me at the nearest hotel, okay? And then you can go back to doing whatever it is you have to do out here.”
“There’s no need.”
Daisy turned back around as Chase got in the car.
“Everyone good?”
Daisy and Jackson both nodded as Chase moved off.
“So what exactly happened to your truck?” Chase asked Jackson.
“Totaled in a mall parking lot,” Jackson said. “Luckily, I wasn’t in it.” He exhaled. “My insurance said they can get me a rental tomorrow. It’s really kind of you to help me out, Chase. I appreciate it.”
“Not a problem.” Chase headed back onto the freeway. “It’s always nice to help a friend from Morgan Valley.” He glanced over at Daisy. “And further the course of true love, right?”
She smiled, because what else could she do when he was being so nice to both of them? Chase chatted away to Jackson, and Daisy focused on looking out of the window until Chase stopped at a barrier leading into an underground parking lot and punched in his code.
“We’re here. Follow me.”
The fast elevator opened up onto a landing with only four doors leading off it. Chase unlocked one of them and beckoned them inside.
“Wow . . .” Jackson stopped so abruptly, Daisy cannoned into his back. “That’s some view.”
The floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides of the corner apartment looked out over the Bay Bridge, the city, and the bay itself. They were jaw-droppingly high. Daisy didn’t have a problem with heights, but from the way Jackson was gripping the back of the couch, she remembered he’d confessed to not liking to be too high.
“It’s awesome, isn’t it?” Chase dropped the keys on the counter and went into the kitchen, which was a sea of stainless steel, granite, and high-end appliances. “I bought it during the construction stage. I also own the one next door, and Matt and Jake have the other ones on this floor.”
“Nice.” Daisy finally remembered to say something as Chase started opening doors.
“There are two bedrooms, both en suite, and a powder room back down the hall. The kitchen is stocked up. If you need anything specific, or want take-out, just call down to the concierge and he can go pick up what you need.”
“Thanks.” Daisy followed Chase around while Jackson stayed in one spot, pivoting his head and nodding.
“Great.” Chase turned to the door. “Then I’ll see you both tomorrow morning.”
Daisy blinked at him. “You’re going?”
“Yeah. As I said, I own the one next door as well.” Chase gave her a funny look. “This is our guest suite. I thought you two would be more comfortable here without having to worry about me.” He winked at Daisy. “If you need a ride in the morning, let me know. I go in around eight.”
“Thanks, Chase,” Jackson said.
“You’re welcome. I’ll take you to the rental place whenever you’re ready as well.” Chase slapped Jackson on the shoulder as he went past him. “I’ve left the keys and programmed in all the codes, so if you want to go out to dinner, you’ll be able to get back in. If you have any problems, just call me, okay?”
He shut the door, leaving silence behind him as Daisy stared at Jackson. She sank down onto the couch and laughed so hard, she almost peed herself.
Jackson’s rigid stance slowly disappeared as he stared down at her. “It is kind of funny, isn’t it?”
Still wiping tears from her eyes, Daisy could only nod like a fool.
He walked around the side of the couch and took the seat opposite her, his back to the view.
“I can go explain things to Chase and ask if I can bunk at his place if you’d like,” Jackson offered.
“No, it’s all good.” Daisy finally managed to speak. “There are two bedrooms, and we’re perfectly capable of behaving like reasonable human beings.” She fought another gurgle of laughter. “Well, I am anyway.”
She got up and swiped a piece of paper towel to mop her face. “Why don’t you go choose a bedroom while I make some coffee?”
He stood and shouldered his backpack. “Okay, thanks. I’ll do that.”
“The one at the back has no view at all,” she called out to him as she opened the refrigerator and discovered it was stocked with three kinds of milk, including soy and almond, and two types of creamer.
The coffeemaker was the cup kind she was familiar with, so she made them both coffee, added cream to hers, and left Jackson’s black. Just the sight of him did something to her heart. She resolved that whatever happened next, she would do her best to make sure he felt welcome in Morgan Valley, and wouldn’t feel he had to leave.
He came back in after removing his cap and jacket. He took the mug of coffee and cradled it in his hands. “This is great.”
Daisy perched on one of the high stools set against the countertop. “Your truck was totaled?”
“Yeah. I went to meet with this guy in Walnut Creek, parked afterward to get some lunch, and got hit by an out-of-control supermarket big rig.” He sighed. “I’m just glad I wasn’t in the truck at the time.”
“So am I,” Daisy agreed fervently. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Not as far as I could tell. Apparently, the driver’s brakes failed as he was backing out of the loading bay, and he lost control of the rear of the vehicle.”
“Why were you in Walnut Creek?” Daisy decided if she kept asking questions, it would stop her wanting to reach across to hug him, and kiss him, and . . .
<
br /> “It’s a long story—”
“Which of course you don’t have to share with me!” Daisy interrupted him way too brightly.
He gave her a look. “I’m quite happy to tell it to you. I just didn’t want to bore you.”
“Okay, then, I’ll leave it up to you. Would you like more coffee?” Daisy asked. “I’m going to have another cup, and then we can decide what we want to do about dinner. There’s loads of stuff in the refrigerator and freezer, or we can get take-out?”
“Daisy.”
“What?” She looked back at him over her shoulder as she set the coffee machine going again.
“Are you going to keep this up all night?”
“I’m not sure what you mean. I’m just trying to be pleasant.” She opened the refrigerator, hoping the cold air might cool her flushed cheeks. “I don’t want you to think you have to leave Morgan Valley just to avoid me when we really can still be friends.”
He didn’t say anything, which made her want to stare into the refrigerator forever rather than turn around.
“I don’t want you to think you have to leave Morgan Valley either,” Jackson said quietly.
Daisy let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. “That’s good because I’m not going anywhere.” It suddenly occurred to her he hadn’t actually said he was going to stay.
“Are you looking at property out here, then?” She forced herself to face him.
“No.” He met her gaze squarely. “I’d rather be in Morgan Valley.”
“Okay.” She smiled goofily at him. Maybe one day, in about a million years, when he’d settled down and forgiven her, she could ask him out on a date or something. “So what do you want to do about dinner?”
* * *
Jackson finished his beer and half of the pizza he’d shared with Daisy. She was being really nice to him, and it was awful.
Not that she was awful; it just felt that way when all he wanted to do was sit her on his knee and kiss her until she kissed him back. But this was what civilized people did, right? Stayed friends even when things hadn’t worked out the way they’d wanted?