Wilde One

by Jannine Gallant

  “I can’t be sure, but it looks like something might be stuffed in the neck of that bottle.”

  “Hey, folks, sorry I didn’t hear you come in.” A man who looked barely old enough to legally drink hurried out of the back room. His gaze landed on Ainslee, and brown eyes lit with appreciation. “What can I get you?”

  “This might sound a little strange, but can we take a look at a couple of those bottles.” She pointed to the display.

  “Those are empties. Some of them we don’t stock anymore, but I’ll be glad to pour your choice if we carry it. Uh, after I see your ID.” He glanced toward Griff. “Just the lovely lady. I have to card anyone who looks younger than thirty.”

  Griff scowled. “I’m not that old.”

  Ainslee’s lips stretched in a broad grin. “Can we look at the bottles first and then have a drink?”

  “Sure. Which ones?”

  She laid their labels on the gleaming bar. Second row in the middle and fourth row on the right end.”

  The bartender hesitated. “May I ask why you want to see them?”

  When Griff opened his mouth, Ainslee poked him with her elbow. Leaning forward she flashed another smile. “Would you believe we’re in a contest, and our next clues are in those bottles?”

  The man’s eyes widened, and he glanced around. “Are we on TV or something? Is this one of those reality shows?”

  “Kind of like that but without the cameras.”

  Griff gave her a thumbs-up behind the kid’s back as he turned away to reach for the two bottles. Ainslee’s looks definitely came in handy when it came to soliciting favors from men.

  “Here you go.” The bartender set both bottles in front of them.

  Ainslee stuck two fingers into the neck of the whiskey bottle and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. She did the same with the tequila bottle to retrieve the clue.

  “Nothing else in them?” Reaching around her, and enjoying the brief contact with her bare shoulder, Griff gave the bottle a shake. When a rattle sounded, he upended it. A ring rolled out.

  Ainslee touched the red glass stone. “Looks like it came out of a gumball machine.”

  “I guess you don’t leave the real deal behind in a bar.” He tilted the whiskey bottle. This time the ring that slid out had a fake golden-brown stone. He glanced toward the bartender. “This is what we needed.”

  The man shrugged one shoulder. “I suppose you can take the rings. It’s not like they’re worth anything. Do you still want that drink?”

  “Sure.” Griff grinned. “You up for a shot?”

  “You bet.” Ainslee pulled out her wallet and flipped it open to display her ID. “Tequila, but we’ll take your house brand instead of this expensive stuff.”

  Griff snuck a peek over her shoulder at her driver’s license and did some quick math. “You’re twenty-nine?”

  She nodded. “How old did you think I was?”

  “I don’t know, twenty-four or five. You look younger.”

  “Let’s hope people are still telling me that in twenty years.” She picked up one of the shot glasses the bartender slid across the mahogany surface.

  Griff picked up the second one. “To Speed.”

  “To Speed.” She tilted it back then bit into the slice of lime stuck on the edge of the glass.”

  Tequila burned down his throat as he threw back the drink.

  Ainslee’s eyes watered, but she gave him a sweet smile. “Shall we hit the road?”

  He handed the bartender a twenty. “Thanks a lot, and keep the change.”

  “Appreciate it. Good luck. I hope you win.”

  “We hope so, too.” Ainslee scooped up the rolled notes and the rings.

  Griff followed her to the door and pulled it open. Before he’d walked two yards, perspiration dotted his brow. “I say we get out of this furnace and try to find some shade before we figure out the clue.”

  “Excellent idea.” Her hips moved beneath the clinging skirt as she hurried down the sidewalk.

  His heat level rose higher than the skyscrapers visible in the distance.

  When they reached the SUV, she unlocked the doors then handed over the keys. “If you want to drive, I can work on the riddle.”

  He climbed in then rolled down the windows. “What, you think you’re better at puzzles than I am?”

  She shot him a smile as she eased onto the hot seat. “In a word, yes.”

  “You’re probably right.” He started the engine and pulled out onto the street. “Since we really have no direction to go but west, we can at least escape the city while you put those special skills of yours to the test.”

  Turning in her seat to face him, she laid a hand on his arm as he stopped at a red light. “I might be better at riddles, but you’ve contributed plenty, and I don’t mean just your grandfather’s letters. If it weren’t for you, I probably would have quit by now.”

  He frowned. “Really? Why?”

  “Because this hunt wouldn’t be any fun. Having a partner makes the whole process entertaining.”

  “I couldn’t agree more—holy shit!”

  “What?”

  Craning his neck as the light turned green, he was forced to drive away. “Did you see him?”

  “Him, who?” Ainslee stuck her head out the window.

  “Parnell Jones. With his height, he’s kind of hard to miss. He disappeared into Fast Times.”

  She turned back to face him. “Do you think he’s one of the contestants?”

  “He must be. It’s too big a coincidence to have seen him twice in two days for any other reason.”

  Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she settled onto the seat and smiled. “That’s great.”

  “It is?”

  “Sure. If he was headed into Fast Times, it means he hasn’t figured out the Speed connection. At least we know we aren’t in last place.”

  “Gotta love that, but we don’t have much of a lead.” He let out a long sigh as traffic stalled. “Read the clue. Let’s hear what the old bastard has tortured us with this time.”

  Chapter 5

  Ainslee slammed the door of the SUV and walked to the same picnic table in the same rest area she’d stopped at the day before. The phrase running in circles sprang to mind. Plopping down on the bench, she dropped the clue on the table.

  Griff sat beside her. “We aren’t idiots. We can figure this out.”

  “Then why do I feel so stupid?”

  He scowled as he spread out the paper between them. “You shouldn’t. Victor was a sadist. He wanted us to sweat over these clues.”

  “They seem to be getting progressively harder. Or parts of the riddles are harder, anyway.” She planted her elbows. “We’ll get this.”

  “Read it again. The beginning, which should give us our next destination city, has been nagging at my brain.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.

  She took a moment to study him. The hard jaw, straight nose and angled cheekbones coupled with straight dark hair suggested a touch of Native American blood in his heritage. But it was his direct green gaze that sent a quiver through her every time he glanced her way. The man had sex appeal to spare.

  She cleared her throat. “Large simple, like a phase of the moon where the old man ends. Look behind a founding father’s little achievement for your stone.” She frowned. “What part of the riddle is bugging you?”

  He rolled his eyes. “The whole thing, but in particular, large simple. Somehow they go together, but not the way he words them, if that makes any sense.” He let out a sigh. “Let’s focus on the moon instead. What are the different phases?”

  “Full, new, waning, waxing. Do any of those suggest a place to you?”

  “Isn’t waxing what women do to their legs?”

  “Yes, but people wax other things, too. Like furniture or cars.”

  His brows shot up. “Detroit is the Motor City.”

  “Definitely large, but I d
on’t know if it’s simple. The residents probably wouldn’t appreciate the description.”

  He pulled out his phone. “What about waning? Sounds like a town in Texas.” He scrolled for a moment then scowled. “No city anywhere called Waning. Are you sure those are the only phases? Isn’t there a crescent moon?”

  “It isn’t an actual phase, just a description.” She smacked her head. “Who says Victor knew that, though? I really am an idiot. Check Crescent City.”

  Griff typed on his phone. “There’s one in California and one in Florida.”

  “Victor sent the letters from San Francisco. The California one could represent him in the game, since he was one of the six men in their squad.”

  “Crescent City is hours north of San Francisco. Wait! New Orleans is called the Crescent City.” He jumped up from the bench. “Now I know what was bothering me.” A smile spread. “Large simple is a play on words for Big Easy, another New Orleans nickname.”

  She stood and gave him a high-five. “You rock. Nice job.” Scooping up the clue, she read through it again. “Well, duh! Where the old man ends refers to the Mississippi River, which is called Old Man River. Boy, am I dense.”

  “Maybe a little slow…”

  She smacked his arm. “What about the second part of the clue?”

  “Who cares. We’ll figure out the specific location once we get to Louisiana. It’s a long drive.”

  She glanced down then ran the toe of her shoe through the grass. “Are you going to ditch me to catch a flight south?”

  A finger touched her chin, tilting her head upward. She looked into clear green eyes filled with promise.

  “No, I’m not going to ditch you.”

  “If the others fly, they could get ahead of us.”

  He took a step closer. “We know Parnell Jones hasn’t figured out the New York clue yet. The bartender at Fast Times said a blond man had been in the night before looking for the correct bar. If he figured it out, he can’t have much of a lead, and my guess is he didn’t. We wouldn’t have found the right place without Grandpa’s letters. Searching every bar on Mulberry Street for the bottles holding the clues would take a while.”

  “So there’s only one other person who could be ahead of us at this point.”

  “Exactly. I’m not in such a giant rush I’ll dump you at this stage of the game.” Another step brought him right up against her. The hand on her chin held her in place. “Anyway, I like hanging out with you.” He dipped his head and dropped a light kiss on her upturned lips.

  Ainslee drew in a breath when he returned for a second, this one no simple peck. She opened her mouth a little, and his tongue stroked inside. When he finally pulled away, she grabbed his arm to steady herself.

  The smile he gave her shook a little. “Wow.”

  “Yeah, wow.” Flutters danced in her stomach. Taking a step back, she pressed a hand against her middle. “Is this going to complicate things between us?”

  “Doesn’t have to. We’re still in the getting to know each other stage of our relationship. That kiss was just part of the process. Anyway, I don’t do complicated. I like to keep things simple.”

  “If you say so.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Since he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of the kiss, neither would she. “I guess we should hit the road. We have a long drive ahead.”

  “No doubt. We’ll check the map and plan our route then figure out where we want to stay tonight.”

  She walked toward the SUV at his side, their shoulders brushing. Griff’s easy-going good cheer was contagious. The anxiety stirred up by the kiss they’d shared eased. Sure it had rocked her world, but she wouldn’t let a kiss ruin what was turning into a promising friendship. In her experience, admittedly not vast, friends with benefits always ended in someone getting hurt. Best to back off and simply ignore the fact that Griff had the ability to heat her southern regions with a single glance.

  Sure, Ainslee. That’s going to happen.

  She chose the passenger side, content to let him drive. Before long, they cruised down the freeway, radio blasting a classic Rolling Stones tune, windows wide open with the breeze blowing her hair into tangles and cooling her libido. Pulling out the road atlas, she anchored it on her lap. “Too bad we can’t take our time and do a little exploring. I’d intended to visit a few historic landmarks this summer. As it is, we’ll be rushing past them all.”

  “We don’t have to. No reason we can’t take a break for an hour or two now and then to do what? Tromp through old battlefields?”

  She smiled. “I wouldn’t mind.”

  “Then we’ll stop and tromp. I have at least a month before I need to think about my next salvage job. Since I’m still a total skeptic about the value of Victor’s treasure, at least to us in the long run, it’s no skin off my nose if one of the others beats us to it.”

  “With that attitude, why are you even bothering to compete?”

  “Because I like a challenge. I’m having fun hanging out with you, and there’s the slight possibility I’m wrong about Victor. All good reasons to continue with the quest—but at our own pace.”

  “In that case…” She stabbed a finger at the map. “Have you ever been to Manassas?”

  “Can’t say I have. What’s in Manassas?”

  “The Battle of Bull Run. It’s not much of a detour off the interstate.”

  He glanced over. “Uh, refresh my memory. Which state are we talking about?”

  “Virginia. What did you do in your high school American history class?

  “Napped. I think it was first period.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You sound like the majority of my students. It’s hard for teachers to stay motivated when the kids don’t care.”

  “In that case, we’ll renew your enthusiasm by getting up close and personal with the past.”

  She leaned back against the seat and eyed him as he tapped the steering wheel and sang the chorus to “Satisfaction.” If she wasn’t careful, she’d get very attached to Griff’s company. As even-tempered as he was, she had a hard time believing he wasn’t married—or at least claimed by a woman somewhere.

  “You ever been married?”

  He shot her a quick glance before focusing on the big rig he was passing. “Nope. You?”

  She shook her head. “No. Why not? You’re easy to get along with and not exactly hard on the eyes.”

  “I could say the same for you, and now that I know you aren’t as young as I thought…”

  When he didn’t continue, she let out a sigh. “I’ve had a couple of long-term relationships, but they fizzled before the engagement stage. We were talking about you. What’s your excuse for being single at the advanced age of…thirty-something?”

  “Two. I’m thirty-two, which isn’t exactly ready for a retirement home.” He shrugged. “I’m not in the market for a serious relationship.” His eyes darkened. “Casual works better for me. Anyway, most women run in horror when I mention I live on a boat for months at a time.”

  “Hmm, I guess I could understand that. You actually live on the boat?”

  “Depends on how near to shore the wreck we’re working is located. If it’s close, we generally rent rooms. For anything further out, we bunk on the boat.”

  “Must be fun” —she waved a hand— “going wherever the mood strikes to dive for gold doubloons and priceless artifacts.”

  “There is the matter of extensive research to find a likely location and sometimes waiting days or even weeks for conditions to be right. Not to mention hours and hours of tedious dives searching for some sign we’re in the correct spot.”

  “You make it sound so glamorous.”

  He grinned. “Then we bring up the gold. That’s the fun part.”

  “I bet.” She pushed her hair behind one shoulder as the wind whipped it in her face. “Other than the fact that I tend to burn rather than tan, hanging out on a boat doesn’t sound so bad.”
<
br />   “I like it, but then I try to enjoy everything I do.”

  They cruised along in silence for several minutes before she switched to a new topic. The desire to get to know him better kept the questions flowing. “Tell me about your family. You mentioned you have brothers?”

  “Two, both younger, and one sister. Eden’s the baby at twenty-six. Sawyer’s second in line, only a year younger than me. He spends winters on the ranch carving these little gnomes.” Griff rolled his eyes. “For some reason, people pay a fortune for them. Then in the summer, he’s a rafting guide operating his own company.”

  “A what?”

  “Rafting guide. He organizes whitewater raft trips on some of the most challenging rivers in the west. The ones with class four and five rapids. No leisurely float down a river drinking beer when you sign on with Sawyer. His customers are looking for a thrill.”

  “Insane.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. Shooting through rapids is exhilarating.” A smile lit his face. “Then there’s Tripp. He’s twenty-nine like you. An extreme skier. If you’ve ever watched one of those movies where guys ski off cliffs in Alaska or Chile or some mountain in Europe—pretty much anywhere there’s snow and rocks that look like they could kill you—my little brother was probably one of the stars. They call him the Wilde Thing.”

  “Unbelievable. Maybe you aren’t the wild one in your family.”

  “Oh, I have my moments.”

  Her heart stuttered before picking up its normal rhythm. “I bet you do.”

  The glance he shot in her direction held a simmering heat. He cleared his throat. “Eden’s the only one who still lives full-time on the ranch in Wyoming with our parents and grandfather. She breaks horses—wild ones.”

  “I’m suitably impressed. Geez, Griff, your whole family sounds a little crazy.”

  “So people tell us. What about you? Let’s hear your life story.”

  “It isn’t very exciting. I grew up on our family dairy farm. My older brother runs the business with my dad. My younger brother is a vet. I wanted to teach. A couple of years after college I threw caution to the wind and left Iowa for New York. Not a mistake, exactly, but not the experience I’d dreamed about. I wanted to make a difference. I’m not sure I succeeded.”