Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance

by Jody A. Kessler

  When Treasure entered and didn’t find a boogeyman or an apocalypse, she set her bag down and went to the bathroom to see the remodel. It was better than great. They replaced her toilet, sink, countertop, and installed a new faucet. The shower stall gleamed and the new paint on the walls brightened the room. It was a mild consolation, considering her rent was about to go up.

  With the construction finished and the mold treatment complete, she took a deep breath and surveyed the apartment for anything out of place. Nothing looked suspicious, so she decided to unpack the Jeep. She had to stay busy. Otherwise, her mind would reel and spin out of control over the details of the hearing. As it were, she silently beat herself up for letting Court get away with telling flat-out lies.

  Treasure yanked the door open to make her first trip to the Jeep and stared directly into the face of Court’s lawyer, Mr. Trouski. He appeared young for a lawyer, built like a bouncer, and physically intimidating. She refused to let it show. Of course, now that she’d left human resources, her brain fog had cleared and she was much more herself, which translated to ready for battle. How come I couldn’t stand up for myself an hour earlier?

  “Ms. Vogle.” He held out his card.

  Her eyes flicked down to the card and then around his broad frame in case Court was with him. The lawyer knew her home address and it made her hackles raise and her jaw tighten. She hated the thought of Court also knowing where she lived. Treasure hopped backwards, attempting a smooth maneuver with her crutches, which was an impossible feat in her current state of distress, and tried to slam the door in his face. Battling while wounded was an ungainly and graceless endeavor.

  Mr. Trouski’s gleaming leather shoe blocked the door from closing.

  “I need five minutes of your time. I’m here in your best interests, Ms. Vogle.”

  “I don’t fucking think so.” She shoved the door against him and the toe of his expensive loafer caught on the bottom of the door. He yanked his foot away and she hoped there was a scar on the leather. Unfortunately, his hand held the door open against her efforts.

  “My client is prepared to file a sexual harassment and defamation of character suit against you. It would be wise to hear me out.”

  This plucked her attention to the forefront and she stopped pushing. Swinging the door open, she leaned forward with the crutches wedged securely under her arms, and shoved his chest. He moved onto the walkway outside, and she was fairly certain it was more from shock than from her shove. The man could have been a wall. She hopped out the door after him and poked him in the chest.

  “Who the hell does he think he is? Do you know what your client did to me? Shame on you for representing a no good ass bastard like Court Prescott! He should be in jail!”

  Treasure took another step forward so her eyes were level with the lawyer’s chin. Yeah, the guy definitely had a physical advantage over her. She placed the end of her crutch on his fancy shoe and turned up her voice another notch. As if she weren’t aware of crushing his toes, she pressed down harder. “I dare him to sue me! I’ll get my own lawyer, you worthless piece of paid meat. How dare you—”

  Before she finished ranting and insulting this loser, he grabbed her upper arm, removed his foot, and backed them into the apartment. The crutches fell to the ground as Treasure fought his hold. She stumbled over her sore ankle and a sharp pain pierced the tender muscles and healing tendons.

  Mr. Trouski deposited Treasure on the couch.

  “Your behavior is unnecessary, Ms. Vogle,” he said. “I didn’t come here for a personal injury case, but if I’ve found one, you will regret your actions for a very long time.”

  She started to rise from the couch, and winced when she attempted to put weight on her foot.

  “Don’t get up.” He reached in his suit coat, pulled out an envelope, and tossed it into her lap.

  “What’s this?”

  “This is your other option to refrain from a costly and lengthy lawsuit. Mr. Prescott is willing to forget any of this ever happened if you will sign a non-disclosure. You also agree to leave Washoe County EMS. Honestly, Ms. Vogle, after today’s meeting, I don’t believe they’ll be asking you to remain with the company anyway.”

  Treasure gawked at the envelope and tossed it aside. She found her feet. Regardless of the stabbing pain in her ankle, she wouldn’t let this abominable shameful reject of humanity continue to intimidate her. Her bag sat in the armchair to her right. She bent down and retrieved her cell phone.

  “You need to leave right now before I call the police.”

  He wasn’t fazed by the threat. “Sign the non-disclosure and let this be the end of it. We both know a lawsuit isn’t worth it.”

  “What kind of lawyer are you?”

  “The kind who watches out for his clients’ best interest.”

  She began to dial. He needed to leave.

  Mr. Trouski picked up the discarded envelope. “It’s straightforward and clear cut. Read it over and make your decision. Call me when you decide to sign. This will save everyone a lot of time and hassle.”

  Treasure dialed 9-1-1, but didn’t hit the send key. Mr. Trouski laid the envelope on the side table with his card on top, and walked out of her apartment.

  * * *

  Bodie had never heard Treasure so frazzled before. He listened, engrossed in her story while simultaneously in disbelief. Not only had she left Granite Lake by herself, without telling him, but her hearing with human resources was over. He would have gone with her. He offered to the night he nursed her, but Treasure didn’t sound worried about it and insisted she didn’t want him to accompany her.

  His body heated with anger as she filled him in on the details of the meeting. As she talked, he finally found out what this Court Prescott asshole had tried to pull on Treasure in the parking lot at the ambulance barn.

  “Why didn’t you tell me before?” he asked. He could understand her silence and refraining to give him the details, but he didn’t like it. Hell, Treasure never wanted to share anything too personal. Getting her to open up was as difficult as getting Vanessa to shut up. He knew Treasure was sensitive and felt everything and she’d open up when she was ready. Which was why he hadn’t pressed her the other night. If he had known what he knew now, things could have gone much better for her today.

  “I couldn’t tell you. I’m so fucking pissed about everything right now. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t vent on you. You don’t need to hear any of this. It’s my problem, not yours.”

  She went quiet on the other end and Bodie thought the call had been dropped.

  “Treasure, you can tell me anything. I want you to.”

  “I know you do, but seriously, you don’t want to hear about my regrettable mistake of sleeping with some numb nuts. I’m sorry, Bodie. I made a horrible error in judgment and now I’m paying for it.”

  The thought of Treasure sleeping with anyone curled the hairs on his arms and elicited thoughts of harm and destruction. He tamped the edges, tried to take some steadying breaths, and remain civil. He had no claim on her, especially while he was training. Since his return, he hoped this had changed. He didn’t want to be with anyone else and he wanted to see her exclusively. It was another point that needed ironed out between them, sooner rather than later.

  “He’s the only one.”

  “You don’t have to go there with me. We didn’t make commitments to each other.”

  “I wanted to tell you. Not only because Court turned up at work and what happened in the parking lot. I need to be honest with you. I knew I screwed up the moment I left the bar with him.”

  Bodie sat in his parents’ den, talking to Treasure on the phone. He called expecting to reach her at the shop and wondering how soon their dinner date would be. The last thing he thought he’d be doing was going over the details of his girlfriend being wrongly accused of sexual harassment. He needed to speak to Rob. His brother was a corporate lawyer. Rob despised his job and couldn’t wait to be done with it. It was one of the d
riving factors behind opening the brewery. And while Rob didn’t specialize in criminal law, he understood it better than Bodie did. As it were, Shane could be a huge help with Treasure’s problem, as well. Shane had once upon a time been a cadet at the police academy. When he discovered being a police officer didn’t fit his personality, he’d gone into private investigating. Shane enjoyed his job about fifty percent of the time. The other half of the time, he complained and moaned about the monotony and abundance of cheating, thieving, fraud plagued assholes in the world. Shane and Rob’s combined desire to change careers fueled the idea of starting a brewpub. Bodie had never needed his brothers’ expertise for any problem. The more he talked with Treasure, the more he appreciated how useful a law degree and a detective’s license could be.

  “Can you email me a copy of the non-disclosure form?”

  “I’m not sure if I want to,” Treasure said, sounding deflated. “I don’t want you to get mixed up in my mess. I needed an ear to bend. I’ll be fine.”

  She didn’t convince him in the slightest.

  “I’ve decided to schedule a consultation with a lawyer here in Reno.” She paused and Bodie pictured her biting her lip. “Know anyone?” she asked.

  “I do. Rob’s a lawyer. Don’t be stubborn about this, Treasure Hope. Email me a copy and Rob will look it over and give his two cents.”

  He listened to her sigh on the other end. “I’m such a loser.”

  “Yeah. It’s what I like about you,” he teased.

  “Shut up. It’s not sexy or attractive or anything. If you’re telling the truth, it means you are one twisted sucker for a messed up girl.”

  “Doesn’t bother me a bit,” he confessed.

  “It should.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong. Except, maybe sleeping with the jerk. You sound repentant, so you’re forgiven.”

  “You shouldn’t forgive me,” she said.

  “Do you want to be spanked or something?”

  He thought he detected a slight laugh coming through the line.

  “Depends,” she said with a hint of challenge.

  “On what?”

  “If you’re going to bend me over or not.”

  “Is that how you want it?”

  “Mm-hmm,” she hummed into the phone.

  The area below Bodie’s belt stirred when she made that purring sound in the phone. “Demon temptress,” he accused.

  “I’m not into being punished for my bad deeds, but it could be interesting.”

  “I can picture other things I’d rather be doing with you bent over.”

  “Me, too. When should we get together and try it?”

  “You tell me.”

  “I’m heading back up to Granite Lake to work on the inventory for my online store and to help Denny in a day or so. I doubt I have a job anymore, so there’s no need to hang around here. And I still owe you dinner.”

  “I’m committed to Shane and Rob tomorrow. They’re meeting with a restaurant supplier and want me to be there. How about Friday? At the shop?”

  “Sounds like a date with my favorite paramedic.”

  “Send me those papers, Treasure.”

  “All right,” she said reluctantly, and hung up.

  * * *

  After dinner, Bodie grabbed three bottles of beer and took them outside to the back deck. His brothers had driven up from the city to stay the night with their parents since they had an early morning meeting with the restaurant supplier. Although his parents’ house was forty miles out of the way, it still paid for Rob and Shane to come the night before. Commuter traffic could delay them by two to four hours if they left from home. Bodie understood all the reasons his brothers wanted out of the sprawling metropolis and away from their current lifestyles. His brothers’ transition to the mountains and to new careers would be good for everyone if they played their moves wisely.

  Rob set three glasses on the patio table and pulled a bottle opener out of his pocket. He passed it around so Bodie and Shane could open and pour the vanilla porter.

  “Great color.” Shane held his glass up to the peer at the beer in the evening light.

  “The head of foam is decent,” Bodie said. The vanilla porter was a new recipe and they had been waiting for the priming sugar and the carbonation to develop so they could taste it. Today was the day. These beer meetings with his brothers were also considered work time. Bodie could get used to being a brewery owner. He inhaled the scents of vanilla and roasted nut flavors before taking the first drink. “There’s a hint of dark chocolate and very light sweetness,” he concluded.

  Shane tipped his glass side to side, inspecting the beer with a careful eye. He stuck his nose over the top of the glass and sniffed before tasting.

  “I think it’s about seven percent on the alcohol,” Rob added.

  Bodie swallowed another drink and agreed with Rob’s estimate.

  “This recipe is a keeper. We should age this one in the oak casks for the next batch,” Shane said.

  Bodie nodded agreement to aging the porter. He took a longer pull of the beer and detected more subtle flavors. “The oak barrels will give the porter layers of flavor and will compliment the caramel and chocolate notes.”

  “What do you think about the carbonation?” Rob asked.

  “It could be toned down a little. It’s a little bubbly for a porter,” Shane said.

  “I agree,” Bodie said. “We should stick more to the classic English style.”

  “The carbonation will be different when aged in the casks,” Shane said.

  “True,” Rob said.

  Shane opened his laptop and began making notes of the changes they’d like to implement on the next batch of beer.

  “So, what’s up?” Rob asked Bodie. “Your text said you needed legal advice.”

  “And you asked me to bring my computer. What’s going on?” Shane asked as he tapped the keys.

  “Treasure’s in a bad position.”

  “What’s up with the two of you, anyway? Mom was all over me when I arrived. She wants me to talk you into not seeing Treasure anymore,” Rob said.

  You could always count on Rob to do Mom’s bidding, Bodie thought, and glanced over at the house. He wanted to make sure the sliding door and the windows on this side of the house were closed. His mother continued to guilt Bodie into taking care of Vanessa in her “fragile” state. As far as he knew, his parents were inside watching the television. The door and windows were shut, but he dropped his tone anyway.

  “Personally, I like her. She’s got personality,” Rob added.

  “And she’s smokin’ hot,” Shane said.

  “Watch yourself,” Bodie warned.

  “What? I noticed. You’d have to be blind not to,” Shane said. “Seriously, though, Vanessa is pretty, but she’s like the fragile knickknacks in Mom’s curio cabinet. Treasure is like a pilsner glass. Curvy, but not too delicate, and definitely something you want to get your hands on.”

  “Nice, bro.” Bodie glared at his brother, but couldn’t disagree. “She’s become more to me than just my work partner.”

  “That’s obvious. Are you seeing them both or what?” Rob asked.

  “No. Vanessa is some pointy thorn in my heel that keeps sticking in deeper and deeper. Mom needs to leave it alone.”

  “Probably,” Shane said. “Mom believes you two are perfect for each other. I tried giving her my view of the situation, but she wouldn’t listen to me.”

  “What do you think?” Bodie asked.

  “It’s none of my business. If you told me you didn’t like my fiancé and couldn’t understand why I was marrying her, I’d probable deck you,” Shane said, and raised his glass to his lips.

  Bodie let that sink in. “You’ve never even been engaged.”

  “Still. It’s my choice. Just like Vanessa was yours.”

  Rob chimed in. “I think you haven’t had anything in common with Vanessa for a long time. I honestly didn’t understand why you two stayed togeth
er as long as you did.”

  “Why haven’t either of you said anything before?” Bodie pressed his lips together as he considered his brothers’ observations of his previous relationship. “You’re both right. I don’t have anything in common with her other than our history. I don’t want her back.”

  “But you’re driving her around and taking her calls. You’re sending mixed messages, dude,” Shane said.

  “Only because she doesn’t have anyone else. Believe me, I’ve made it as clear as I can that we’re not getting back together.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re not a woman, and they see things totally different than we do.” Shane rose from the table. “I’ll be right back. Gotta drain the hose.”

  “Shane’s right. Vanessa requires a lot of work,” Rob said.

  “Another reason I don’t want to be with her. We broke up last year, for fuck’s sake. I’m so done.”

  “As long as you’re taking care of her, she’ll think you care.”

  “I see what you’re saying, but it’s complicated. She needs a hand right now because of the accident. I’m going to help her move to Washington where she has an aunt and uncle and some cousins. Then I’ll be free of her.”

  “Meanwhile, Treasure is waiting in the wings?”

  “It’s not like that,” Bodie said. “Treasure’s different. She doesn’t get involved in long term relationships. I have to play things right with her, or she’s going to run.”

  “Sounds like a pickle to me,” Rob said.

  “Yeah,” Bodie said into his glass. “Something of the sort.”

  “So, what do you need my mad P.I. skills for?” Shane said as he stepped onto the deck.

  Bodie waited to answer until Shane slid the door closed and rejoined them at the table. Shane sat behind his open laptop. Bodie filled his brothers in on Treasure’s problem at work and the possible lawsuit against her.

  “How badly do you want to smash this guy’s face in?” Rob asked.