Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance

by Jody A. Kessler

  “You need to be open with him. Maybe he’s holding back, too. Maybe he’s been busy. You said he recently finished training, quit his job, is dealing with his brothers, and starting a new business. Talk to him.”

  “I would rather take the Indian on a tour of Mexico.”

  “But you’re going to tell him how you feel instead, because if you don’t, you’ll regret it forever. That’s my best advice. Take it or leave it.” Melanie smiled encouragingly at her friend and they finished their tea.

  Inside the workshop, Treasure was thoroughly impressed with what Melanie could do with the saws and electric sanders. She ran her hand over a three-drawer hall table, feeling the polished wood grain beneath her fingers.

  “The owner wants a more natural pecan finish. It’ll look good when it’s done. I like antiquing and distressing more than refinishing. Turning a piece of furniture into a one of a kind with paint and embellishments can make it stand out. Check out this hutch.” Melanie brought Treasure over to where her few future projects sat waiting for a facelift.

  “It’s obviously from the forties or fifties. The tone of the wood and the hardware are dated, but I can work on it for a few hours and it will be a gorgeous new addition to someone’s kitchen or dining room.”

  “It’s great, Mel. You have a creative eye for making something old new again. Wow, I love this bookcase! The eggshell color is perfect and the little doors at the bottom are darling. I always wanted a bookcase when I was kid, but my dad wouldn’t even buy me a bed frame. I knew not to bother asking for something frivolous like a bookcase.”

  “He didn’t understand girls, but he loved you.”

  Treasure stared at the bookcase trying to picture where she could put it in her apartment. “I suppose he did the best he could.” She started heading out of the garage. “I’ve made my peace with my childhood and I turned out okay.”

  “You did. For a time, I wondered if you’d end up as a Vegas call girl, or possibly a Marine,” Melanie joked.

  “Yeah. There’s no middle ground for me.”

  Melanie shook her head.

  “I proved everyone wrong. I save lives in the back of an ambulance by night and tear up the desert on my motorcycle by day.”

  “You’re doing great.”

  Treasure smiled as she swung a leg over the saddle of the Sport Scout. “Catch you later?”

  “Stop by anytime.”

  “Call me if Braden and Alana are back at it on the deck. I need a little nightlife to spice things up while I’m stuck here in the mountains.”

  Melanie grimaced then groaned at Treasure’s reminder of the neighbors. “I’ll call, but don’t forget to bring the bourbon with you.”

  Treasure laughed as she circled out of the drive and returned to the shop. The melancholy and regret over selling the bike were left on the road behind her.

  Twelve

  “HEY DENNY, are you done for the day?” Treasure held the phone up to her ear.

  Denny and his Harley were nowhere to be seen when she returned. His tools were still in the garage and the door was unlocked.

  “Sorry, darlin’. I ran home to grab my can of liquid wrench and found Pops looking not so good.”

  “I’ll be right over,” she said without any further explanation. She meant to drop by and visit Floyd anyway. Now was as good a time as any.

  Before jumping on the bike, Treasure grabbed the small medical kit she kept on hand. With the Sport Scout parked inside the garage, she locked up and straddled her BMW in the driveway. With a single push to the starter button, the GS’s parallel-twin engine purred beneath her. There was no reason to keep riding the old classic. Not at the risk of something happening to it.

  Treasure parked in front of Floyd’s house and hurried inside. Denny sounded worried on the phone and it unnerved her.

  “Hello,” she called out. “Anyone home?”

  “He’s in the other room.” Denny strolled out of the kitchen holding a meaty sandwich on a plate. “Says not to fuss after him, but I made him a sandwich because he hasn’t eaten all day.”

  “Did you tell him I was coming over?”

  “I did. Follow me.”

  Denny set the plate on the side table next to his father and grabbed the remote control to mute the television. Treasure walked into the bachelor pad, noting that not much had changed since she had been there a decade earlier, although, the recliner Floyd sat in appeared new compared to the older furnishings in the room. His oxygen tank was definitely new.

  “There you are, you sexy old badger.” She leaned down and kissed his cheek. “How the hell are you?”

  Denny’s dad watched her with red-rimmed eyes. He had a throw blanket over his lap and Treasure noticed he wore socks and slippers despite the unusually warm day.

  “You get prettier every time I see you, young lady,” Floyd said.

  He was barely able to get the words out through the rasp in his voice. Treasure was aware of the hiss of oxygen coming from the tubes below his nostrils, but she was more concerned with Floyd’s rasp turning into a cough.

  “Denny tells me you’ve been fighting a little cold bug?”

  Floyd covered his mouth with a fist as he fought to suppress the cough. He couldn’t answer and only nodded.

  “Have you seen a doctor since this started?”

  “No need,” he choked out.

  “Dad hates doctors and refuses to go.”

  “It’s only a cold and sore throat,” Floyd said.

  “Can I get you a drink?” she offered. The shredding tin sound of his voice made her own throat ache.

  “It’s there next to him,” Denny said.

  Treasure glanced at the glass of water and a mug on the table by the sandwich plate.

  “Well, I’ve been meaning to stop in and say hello. I hope you don’t mind since you’re not feeling great. I brought my stethoscope and kit. Would you let me listen to the old ticker? I’m concerned about your lungs.”

  Floyd lowered his gaze, screwed up his face, and relented. “I doubt you’re going to let me get away with saying no, so have at it. I’m still saying it’s a measly cold.” He crackled and sounded like a toad as he spoke, but he sat up straight and let Treasure examine him.

  She took his pulse and then dug out her scope to have a listen. His lungs were worse than she imagined.

  “Do you have a nebulizer treatment for your machine?”

  “No. My treatment is sitting here and hoping enough oxygen gets to my brain.”

  “Well, sir, I’m not sure your plan is working. I believe it’s time to see a doctor. Your emphysema and this blasted virus are causing some havoc for your lungs. You’re running a mild fever and your heart rate is higher than it should be. Are you feeling tired?” she asked.

  She had a bad feeling about the seriousness of his current state of health. He needed his oxygen saturation level measured and she didn’t have a pulse oximeter with her.

  “I am tired,” he confessed.

  “Let’s take a ride, Floyd.” She glanced at Denny to confirm her suggestion.

  He nodded and left the room.

  “I’m not up for being poked and prodded today, but if you think I’m dying in my chair, I guess I better go with you.”

  “Thank you.” Treasure squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and rose to her feet.

  They loaded into Denny’s pickup truck and headed to the emergency clinic. Treasure tried not to mull over her dad’s one and only trip to the same emergency room, but she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t been by his side and she regretted it more than anything else in her life.

  Treasure waited outside the local clinic while Floyd was examined by a doctor. Denny stayed with his father, but Treasure didn’t need to be in the room. The small town clinic boasted three exam rooms and had one doctor. Treasure leaned against the side of the building and breathed in the mountain air as she waited for news. A man with short blond hair wearing navy blue scrubs walked out of the building and glanced in her
direction. He kept going, but then looked back.

  “Treasure?” He turned to face her. A grin spread across his face. “You’re a sight. I always wondered what happened to you.”

  She tried to come up with a name, but it eluded her.

  “Josh,” he said. “Josh Lynch. We used to hang out with the same crowd.”

  The name vaguely registered somewhere in the depths of her high school catalogue of names. What stood out to her though was his name didn’t match any of the names of guys she’d slept with. Thank goodness.

  “You dated my best friend, Rick.”

  “Hi! Right. How are you?” She remembered Rick. He had a scrumptious ass for a seventeen-year-old and a cute face to go with it. Josh was sort of fading in from the black, but he must look a lot different now.

  As if following her train of thought, he said, “I was heavier back then. It only took like ten years to lose the baby fat. You look great, by the way.”

  “Thanks,” she said, not only for the compliment, but also for letting her off the hook for not remembering him.

  “I saw Denny inside. Are you with him?”

  “We came together. He and his father are friends of mine. What about you?” She gestured to all of him and the scrubs. “You work here?”

  “I do. I’m a physician’s assistant here at the clinic. I’m coming off my shift now. You interested in having a drink? We could catch up.”

  Did she just get asked out — at the emergency room? It took her by surprise. She recovered quickly. He wasn’t unattractive. The easy smile was endearing. But the timing was bad. Especially, since she never stopped thinking about Bodie. “I better not. I’m waiting to hear about Floyd. I examined him earlier and I’m worried.”

  “Right. Sorry. Of course, you want to stay with your friends. So, when you say you examined him, does it mean you’re a…” He paused searching for the right word.

  She filled him in before he suggested nurse or CNA.

  “I’m a paramedic over in Reno. I’m in town visiting. Floyd’s sick and I thought he better see the doc.”

  “Cool. It’s good to see you again,” he said and turned to leave. He stopped again. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the county passed a levy last fall for a new squad. It’s taken months for the funds to be available. Emergency services are finally hiring experienced medics for the station. If you transferred here, you would be around to let me buy you a drink.”

  “I hadn’t heard about the expansion.”

  “You should check it out,” Josh said.

  He smiled and she didn’t miss his quick appraisal of her body.

  “Thanks for the information.”

  “It’s good to see you, Treasure.”

  She stepped inside and found a seat in the waiting area. Denny eventually updated her. Floyd would be transported to Memorial Hospital in Evergreen Heights. He needed to be monitored until his oxygen levels came up. Treasure’s assessment had been correct. Floyd was dangerously ill.

  Thirteen

  SUNDAY ARRIVED and anticipation bubbled like champagne through Treasure’s veins. Most of the week had passed in a blink since she last saw Bodie at the tavern. They hardly talked on the phone and barely texted each other. Bodie and his brothers were preoccupied with their business plans, and she had been dealing with the Sport Scout, Denny, and Floyd.

  When she arrived at the Everett household, she parked the BMW GS and retrieved the box of mini cream puffs and a container of fruit salad from the hard bags. Bodie told her not to worry about bringing anything to the barbeque, but she refused to show up empty handed. Since she didn’t trust her mediocre cooking skills, she bought something premade.

  Bodie greeted her at the door and ushered her into the house. She glanced around for his mother, Carolyn, but didn’t see her. Treasure left the fruit and dessert in the kitchen and Bodie led her outside to the deck where his father and brothers were drinking beer and hovering around the grill.

  “Treasure, this is my father, Marshall.”

  “It’s great to meet you, Mr. Everett.” Treasure held out her hand.

  The man set the tongs on a tray next to the grill and beamed at her. He took her hand and reeled her in for a tackle hug. “Well, this is a treat,” he said, releasing her. “We finally get to meet you in person. Bodie has told me some amazing stories about your wild nights on the job.”

  She swallowed and peered over at Bodie, but he was busy pouring beer from a growler into a pint glass. “We’ve had our fair share of interesting cases over the years,” she acknowledged.

  “Like rescuing a young lady from a house fire?”

  “That night stands out,” she said.

  “I’d say. From what Bodie tells me, you’re a real live heroine. Your choice of professions says a lot about your personality and morals. I’m glad you came to our little cookout today. Have a beer and make yourself at home.”

  Treasure tried not to blush, but she could feel the warmth on her cheeks, and it wasn’t coming from the grill behind Bodie’s father. “Thank you for having me, Mr. Everett.”

  “And you can stop calling me Mr. Everett. Marshall works just fine.”

  “Call him Old Man, like I do.” Shane stepped up behind Treasure and placed his hand on her shoulder. “He likes it the best.”

  “Hush up, you heathen,” Marshall said to Shane and turned around to attend the sizzling meat.

  “Try this.” Bodie handed Treasure a glass of beer.

  She glanced down at the dark beer and smiled. “One of yours?” She took her first drink.

  “My dad’s recipe. It’s a dark lager.”

  “Hmm.” She licked her lips and considered the homebrew. “Toasty malt, medium bodied, mildly carbonated, and a hint of smoke and caramel. It’s excellent.” She swallowed more.

  “Ah, a woman after my heart. Bodie, you finally found someone who knows her beer,” Marshall said from his station at the grill.

  “I definitely did. And you, Brother, can keep your hands to yourself.” Bodie removed Shane’s hand from her shoulder.

  “What?” Shane asked innocently. “I was just going to ask her if she wanted a plate, but you butted in with a beer.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Bodie said to Shane. He focused on her. “Would you like to eat? Everything’s ready.”

  “Sounds great. Where’s your mom?”

  “She went to the store. We don’t have to wait on her.”

  After meeting Bodie’s father, a man who couldn’t rank higher in Bodie’s life, and being openly welcomed into the house, Treasure relaxed and enjoyed herself. There were casseroles and salads to go with the mouth-watering barbeque. Beside Bodie’s brothers and his father, she was introduced to a cousin and his wife and their son. Treasure and Bodie filled plates and sat outside on the deck to eat and drink. The day had turned into another spring dream filled with sunshine filtering through the pine trees, and birds chirping and singing from the branches. When Treasure finished eating, they returned to the kitchen to check out the dessert selection. She didn’t think she could eat another bite, but Bodie wanted her to try the pineapple pound cake with layers of whipped cream. He said it was a family tradition and she couldn’t pass it up.

  When she told him she needed to let some of her food settle before eating anything else, he sliced a piece for himself and ate at the counter. Bodie kept glancing down at the cake and then at her, making faces that suggested she was seriously missing out.

  “Treasure, you’re insulting my cooking by not trying this.”

  “You made it?” she asked.

  “I did,” he said, more serious now.

  She worked her lips back and forth and tried to figure out if he was messing with her.

  “What’s in it? Cake and cream doesn’t go with beer.”

  “Then finish your beer and have a bite.”

  “Pusher,” she said.

  He cracked a grin around his fork. She took a deep breath and sighed exaggeratingly.

  “F
ine. For you, I’ll try anything.” She lingered on the last words and let her gaze travel down the length of him, and back up again, taking her time and staring particularly hard at the bulging muscles — and other areas of his anatomy. She raised a suggestive brow. He swallowed and blinked a few times as if clearing his mind after her mental undressing. Treasure glanced across the open kitchen to the living area where the majority of his family had settled down to watch a baseball game. Bodie’s gaze flicked in the direction of his loud family and then met Treasure’s eyes.

  She tilted the glass to her lips and finished the remaining beer. “I’m ready for your cake now.” She reached for the knife lying to the side of the pineapple cream cake.

  “Try a bite first. I wouldn’t want it to be wasted on you.”

  Bodie took a forkful from his plate and held it up to Treasure’s mouth. She stared at the offered bite for a beat before slowly opening her mouth to accept. She should have known better. He jerked his hand and wiped cream and cake on her lips and nose. The pineapple flavored whipped cream was delicious, but she didn’t care to inhale it through her nostrils.

  “You are a dead man.” She dived for his plate, scooped cake with her fingers, and went for his face. Bodie must have known she’d retaliate. He had a hold of her wrist before she could do anything to him. Then his mouth covered hers and he kissed the whipped cream from her lips. She forgot she was supposed to be wiping whipped cream frosting on his face and hair and lost herself for an unknown length of time as his kiss melted with the cream and sugar. Okay. New favorite cake flavor has been discovered.

  He backed up a step when the cheer from the living room brought them back to reality. A napkin wiped across her nose as Bodie cleaned the mess he made on her face.

  “Give me that,” she said, fully returned to her senses.

  He grinned. “Pretty good cake, right?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed the napkin. Not wanting Bodie to wipe her nose for her, she walked into the hall bathroom near the kitchen smiling and rubbing her nose.

  Composing herself took an extra minute in the restroom and she reentered the family gathering imagining of all the ways to get back at him. Then she noticed Bodie’s mother had arrived with Vanessa in tow.