by Katie Ashley
I grinned. “Let’s just say my 8th grade Georgia History teacher had a serious jonesing for Native American tribes.”
Maddox looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Did you actually just say jonesing?”
I cocked my head at him. “Why, yes, I did. So why don’t you laugh your ass off at me and get it over with?”
That was all it took to set him off. His laughter rolled through him, and it made me remember what it was like when we were kids. “Oh, Lane, you never change.”
“Thanks…I think.”
Straightening up, Maddox said, “So Gordon County can’t be too far from here, right?”
“I think it’s about an hour or two.”
Maddox appeared lost in thought. “Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head. “It might as well be on the other side of the country considering we don’t have a car.”
“Good point. I mean, we’ve got access to vehicles, but they’re directly in the line of fire.” For some reason, that was oddly comforting. There was a pretty vocal part of me begging to forget about the map. It pleaded with me to get to the nearest police department and put out an all-points bulletin for Jensen and his men. It wanted to be able to call my parents and tell them to come home because Maudie could be dead. More than anything, I wanted to forget anymore excitement by going back to the world I knew was safe—one that didn’t involve hidden treasure and men with guns.
Maddox’s next question brought me out of my internal struggle. “How much money do you have in the bank?”
“Huh?”
“We’re going to need some cash for a car. I wanted to know how much you had.”
“Nothing substantial enough for car—even a clunker.”
“Great,” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in frustration.
That’s when I stopped to allow the other annoying voice in my head to take precedence. It was the one that in spite of everything crazy and sad that had happened today still wanted to see this through. And there was also that nagging drive for once in my life to have an adventure. I mean, between my dance schedule and school, I never really had tried to let loose—not to mention I was the ultimate rule follower. Lying to my parents, hunting for buried Cherokee gold, and potentially being chased my armed men definitely was an adventure.
“Wait a minute…” I picked up my purse and started rifling through it. When I pulled out the stack of cash, Maddox’s eyes widened. I handed it over to him.
“Where did you get that?” he asked.
“Maudie’s safe.”
He flipped through the bills. “There’s at least five thousand dollars here.”
“Enough for a car,” I said, my voice a mixture of hope and fear.
“Exactly.”
I gulped. “So we’re really doing this, huh?”
He gave a short shrug. “I guess. Why not?”
I plopped back against the couch cushions in exasperation. “You guess? Please tell me at least your Army training is making you a little conflicted about all this.” At his blank expression, I shook my head. “Maddox, this is way too serious a decision for just guessing. We’re talking about throwing caution to the wind, saying screw you to Jensen and his armed thugs, ignoring all reason that tells us to go to the police, and potentially putting our lives in danger.”
A slow grin slunk across his face. “Well, when you put it that way, I would have to say hell yes, we’re really doing this!”
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes to the ceiling at his response. “Fine. We’re doing this.”
Maddox leaned over me, his face inches from mine. “Come on Lane, you know you want to find the treasure. Your head might be telling you that it’s scary and dangerous, and you could get hurt or even killed. Just like me, I’m sure your heart is telling you to do it for Maudie.”
I could barely breathe with him so close. “Maybe,” I murmured.
His eyes honed in on my lips before darting back to meet my gaze. “Even though you loathe and despise my company, you’re willing to stick it out because this is about the most excitement you’ve had in your little perfect princess world, and you like it.”
We stared each other down for a moment. He was right, and we both knew it. But I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. “Oh, don’t tell me it’s not exciting for you too, Rambo?” I countered.
The gleam in his eyes faded and was replaced by a sad, haunted look. “This is the most excited I’ve felt since they told me I was being medically discharged from the Army.”
My heart ached for him and the wounded expression on his face. Now I had another reason for wanting to find the treasure. I wanted to do it for Maddox and for whatever feelings I still had for him.
“Okay, okay, I sure as hell want to do this too,” I replied, with a smile.
He grinned. “Good. Glad to hear it!”
It was when we lapsed into silence that I realized how close were sitting together. To examine the map, we were plastered together on the couch. Maddox’s warm breath fanned across my cheek. My gaze dipped to his mouth as my own tongue darted out to wet my parched lips.
I froze when Maddox reached out and brought his hand to my face. His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth. “You had a little tomato sauce,” he explained.
“Oh,” I murmured. Thinking I might be a mess, I swept my own hand to my face. “Did you get it all?”
Maddox stared at me for a moment before putting his thumb in his mouth and sucking off the sauce. “Got it all.”
That one gesture sent my heart beating faster as heat burned below my waist. Leaning forward, Maddox drew himself even closer to me. Just when I thought he was going to kiss me, the sound of his phone going off caused us both to jump away from each other.
“Fuck,” he mumbled before digging it out of his back pocket. When he glanced at the caller ID, he grimaced. “Shit, it’s my sister.” He brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, Neely. What’s up?”
She started speaking frantically…and extremely loud. So much so that Maddox had to pull the phone away from his ear. Even though I couldn’t make out most of what she was saying, I did hear, “Where the hell have you been? Been trying to reach you!” to which Maddox responded, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve been in the backwoods, and the reception sucks.” Then out of nowhere, the blood drained out of his face, and he dropped the phone. It clattered onto the hardwood floor.
“What? What is it?” I cried.
Without responding, Maddox groped for his phone while my hand flew to my chest to still my erratically beating heart.
“Did you just say Maudie’s alive and in a coma?”
I sat frozen in my place on the couch. I could barely blink let alone process his words. I kept hearing them over and over in my mind. Maudie is alive. Maudie is alive. Maudie is ALIVE!
But in a coma.
After Neely said something else, Maddox replied in an anguished voice, “We thought the worst—that she was…dead.”
She continued to talk a mile a minute. Bits and pieces of their conversation floated over to me. “Was life-flighted to Erlanger Trauma Center. Twenty-four hour police protection outside her bed. In ICU. Is expected to pull through. May have a long road of recovery ahead. We’re listed as her next of kin. Have to make all the decisions about her medical care.” And then finally a very adamant, “Get your ass here now!”
“I really want to. But I can’t,” Maddox replied.
“Excuse me?” Neely screeched before launching into a tirade I couldn’t make out.
Maddox closed his eyes and let her rant and rave for minute or so. Finally, he shouted, “Would you please just shut up and let me explain?” Suddenly, it was dead quiet on her end. “I can’t come to the hospital right now. Lane and I are…well, we’re doing something for Maudie.” He cut his eyes over to me, and I nodded. He then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened and what we were planning on doing the next day.
“You’re serious?” Neely asked.
“Yes, I am.�
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“Let me talk to Lane.”
Maddox hesitated before handing the phone over to me. Visions of teenage Neely doing my hair, experimenting with make-up, and dancing with me to the Backstreet Boys filled my mind. I’d idolized her as the big sister I’d never had when I was growing up. Maddox loved to be a typical aggravating boy, aka a jerk, but she’d always been so sweet.
“Hi,” I said.
“Is my brother telling the truth?” she demanded.
“Uh, yeah, he is.”
Neely sighed. “I would have thought you of all people would have talked him out of all this craziness. You two should be at the local police station or here at the hospital, not treasure hunting.”
“You’re right, but we had to do this for—”
“Maudie. Yeah, I know.”
“Trust me, I know it sounds stupid and selfish and ridiculous, but I promise the minute we find the treasure, we’ll come to the hospital.”
“All right then. Put my brother on the speakerphone.”
“Okay,” I replied, before pressing the button.
“Maddox? Are you listening to me?” Neely asked.
“Yeah.”
“Regardless of how stupid and irresponsible I think this little quest is, I want you to promise if at any time this gets dangerous again, you’ll stop. I don’t want to imagine any more gun battles or car chases, okay?”
“Okay,” he grumbled.
“I’m totally serious. I’ve already had to deal with you getting hurt once. I can’t do it again—especially with Maudie in the shape she is. You’re all I have, little brother.”
Maddox’s face softened. “I promise I’ll stay safe.”
“And you’ll keep Lane safe, too?”
“Yeah, I’ll try.” He glanced over at me and winked. “She’s actually not as helpless as she used to be.”
“Ha, ha,” I muttered.
“Okay, fine. Lane, have you talked to your parents yet?”
“Yeah…but I haven’t exactly told them what happened. They’re in Charleston on Dad’s book tour.”
“Don’t you think they’d want to know?”
I fought the urge to say, Well, duh, of course they would, but when they find out, they’ll go ballistic. There won’t be a chance in hell I’ll still get to hunt for the gold! Instead, I replied, “Yes.”
“Listen, I’ve gotta go. I’m supposed to get an update from the doctors.”
“I really hate that you’re by yourself, sis,” Maddox said, affectionately. “Well...Justin is here with me now.”
Maddox scowled slightly. “Yeah, that’s good. I guess.”
“All right. Be safe, and I’ll talk to you soon. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Maddox hung up, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Who is Justin?”
He wrinkled his nose disgustedly. “He’s the douchebag that Neely’s been dating the last year or so.” He shifted on the couch—his jaw clenching and unclenching. “I mean, he’s not really that bad a guy. He’s a teacher and a coach, and he’s crazy about her. He’s not like the other tools she’s dated.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
He shrugged. “I dunno. I guess, it’s just the idea of her getting serious about anyone.”
“Spoken like a true commitment phobe,” I murmured.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think we both know you don’t do the relationship scene, so you don’t want your sister to do it either.”
“That’s so not true.”
“Which part? The one about Neely or yourself?”
“I do relationships.”
“Oh really? You certainly weren’t interested in doing one with me.” I blurted before I could stop myself.
“Yeah, well you were different,” he replied.
“Fine then. Name the last girl you dated for over a month.” Maddox’s brows furrowed as silence hung heavy in the room. “Okay, I’ll go easy on you. Name a girl you went out with for at least two weeks?”
“It’s not a fair question since I’ve been away from home the last few years,” he argued.
“All right then. What about high school?”
He turned to glower at me. “Fine. You’re right. I don’t do relationships. Happy now?”
“Not really.”
“And why’s that?”
“Everyone should have someone special in his or her life.”
“Oh, don’t worry. There’s been lots of special someone’s over the years,” he said, wagging his brows.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
He grinned. “Is this conversation making you uncomfortable?”
“Probably about as uncomfortable as you are with anything emotional,” I countered.
“Touché, princess.” He rose up off the couch and glanced at his watch. “Damn. It’s almost eleven.”
Warily, I stared past him to the bedroom and the infamous mirror on the ceiling. “Um, just exactly how are we handling the sleeping arrangements? I mean, should I go sleep in the guest room?”
“No, I think we need to sleep out here. We should be close to the doors just in case we need to get the hell out of Dodge.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He leaned over and took his pistol out of his bag. He checked the chamber before laying it down on the coffee table. When he caught me eyeing it, he said, “That’s for you.”
“Seriously?”
“I’ll keep mine under the pillow.”
I motioned to the oversized throw pillow with its out-of-control lace and beading. “There’s something kinda odd about keeping a gun under that.”
He snickered. “Tell me about it.”
“I guess you’ll take the couch?”
“Duh, I am taller than you.”
“Fine. I can sleep here,” I said, sinking down on the loveseat.
After Maddox plopped down on the couch, he plumped up the pillow a few times before turning on his side. Unfortunately he came face to face with my feet. He grimaced as he surveyed some of the calluses and blisters. “Jesus, ever hear of a pedicure?”
“For your information, those are caused by toe shoes. Every ballet dancer has really crappy looking feet.”
“Don’t they have something you can put on them? I mean, even in the Army, they teach us about jungle rot and trench foot.”
“Yes, there are exercises we can do and putting tape on them helps. But sometimes they still look like that.”
“It must hurt like hell to dance.”
I shrugged. “Using Orajel to numb them while you’re dancing really helps to cut the pain.”
“Dude, I can’t imagine twirling around like that on my freakin’ toes for hours on end.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t imagine you twirling period.”
Maddox chuckled. “Nope. Me neither.” He nudged my foot playfully. “You know, I went to one of your performances once.”
I rose up on my elbows to stare at him. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
“But when? Which one?” I blurted.
“The Nutcracker when I was home on leave this past year.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe it. You always hated ballet. You used to say you’d only ever watch it if you were drunk or comatose.”
A sly grin slunk across his face. “Trust me, I still hate it. But I had some time to kill, and each and every time I talked to Maudie, she bragged to me about the important role you’d scored playing this fairy—”
“The Rose Fairy,” I interrupted.
“Whatever. Anyway, I thought I was going to die during the first act. I probably checked my phone and email a thousand times. And then you came out.” He shook his head. “I was mesmerized.”
My heart jumped into my throat. “You were?”
“I couldn’t imagine how you did all that on your toes and shit. I about freaked out when those pansies in tights started throwing you around.”
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I gigged. “They’re called lifts, not throwing. And trust me, they’re not pansies. You should see the muscle tone they have.”
Maddox wrinkled his nose. “I was too distracted by the way their tights highlighted their…you know, …” he motioned toward to his crotch, “packages.”
“Did you just admit to staring at a dude’s package?” I asked with a laugh.
He elbowed my legs. “Watch it.”
“Well, I’m really flattered and honored that you risked boredom to come and see me.”
“No, I’m really glad I did. I’d never seen you like that before. So graceful and confident…not to mention so incredibly beautiful.”
Heat rose in my face. “It’s the combination of the costumes, makeup and lighting. It can make anyone beautiful.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t all that other stuff. It was just little Lane I used to push in mud piles, and she was beautiful.”
Oh God, was this really happening? Was I alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with Maddox, and he was telling me I was mesmerizing and beautiful? “Thanks,” I murmured.
He smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Trying to steer away from any more comments about my looks, I asked, “Why didn’t you try to find me afterward? We could have gone to dinner or something.” A look flashed in his eyes at my almost alluding to a date, so I quickly added, “My parents and I would have loved to have seen you.”
“Yeah, that would’ve been cool, but I didn’t have the time…you know, I had to catch a flight and all.”
I nodded. An awkward silence hung over us until I finally cleared my throat. “I guess we better try and get some sleep, huh?”
“Yep. Well, goodnight then.”
It was seriously unnerving that the only thing separating Maddox from me was the wrought iron coffee table. I didn’t want to lie facing Maddox, so I turned over on my side, facing the back of the loveseat. It was way too hot for blankets without any air conditioning on. After I curled my legs up, I shut my eyes, and in turn, I tried shutting out the day’s crazy events. But my mind still whirled with out-of-control thoughts. I tried taking a few deep breaths to clear my head. Once again, Maudie’s face appeared before me then Jensen and his men shooting at us. I wondered what was going on at the brewery after the fire…I wondered if my parents would find out what happened.