Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance

by Jody A. Kessler

  “Ow, ow, ow!” She shook all over like a dog shakes off water. Her hands swiped over her head, face, and body. Her healing ankle screamed at her for the abusive behavior and she began hopping on her good foot.

  The oven beeped again. Treasure groaned and grabbed a potholder. Still recovering from the spider incident, and now squinting and blinking through tear-filled eyes, she removed the lid on the roasting pan, dumped in the gravy, not even bothering to check how well cooked the roast was. She unceremoniously threw the pan back in the oven to finish cooking.

  Treasure blinked rapidly, wrinkling and stretching her face to help the stinging eye settle down. Frustrated and in pain, she limped into the bathroom for a shower. Bodie would probably arrive while she cleaned up and got dressed, but at this point, she didn’t care. There was no way she’d let Bodie see, and smell, her covered in garage dirt, motor oil, and spider webs. As for the rest of the apartment, it would have to be good enough. She wouldn’t step a foot inside the garage until Denny evicted all the spiders.

  * * *

  “I’m impressed, Treasure Hope.” Bodie handed her a bouquet of flowers. He remembered to buy flowers with a vase this time since there wasn’t one in the apartment.

  “These are beautiful,” she said and inhaled their scent before placing the flowers on the table. “Don’t be too impressed. It’s dinner,” she said. “It’s what people eat in the evening.”

  One side of Bodie’s lip twitched at her sarcasm. His eyes roved over the table, taking in the roast and vegetables in a large dish. Treasure laid out a basket with bread, and a bottle of wine. His stomach growled.

  “Are you feeling domestic or what?” he asked, teasing.

  She appeared instantly self-conscious. “Maybe. I thought I would do something sort of normal, or whatever.”

  “Everything looks great. Including you.”

  She broke eye contact and fidgeted with a bottle opener.

  Treasure hid when her emotions ran strong. He wouldn’t take back the compliment. He wanted her to know. “And, you bought wine.”

  “Thought we could drink something different than beer.” She placed the opener down and leaned against the kitchen counter.

  “It’s perfect,” he said, approaching her.

  Her arms lowered to her sides. He took it as an invitation and stepped in front of her, resting his hands on her hips. Bodie lowered his lips to hers and kissed her hello properly.

  Treasure always seemed to melt into him when he kissed her. She became liquid and hot under his touch, like molten lava in his hands. It made him feel like the god of fire. Who was that? Vulcan? Hephaestus? Does it matter right now? Her body heated when he touched her, but his mind went to mush. There are a lot worse problems to have, he decided. He brushed her hair back and caressed the satin skin along the side of her neck and the top of her shoulder. Treasure’s hair was damp and smelled clean and sweet. He brought his lips to the spot just below her jaw, wanting to feel her pulse beneath his lips. A shiver, barely perceptible, breezed over her neck. She was burning and icy all at once. His affect on her limbic system made him crazy with need. She did this to him every time she was near. As soon as he thought he had control of these subtle changes in her body, he was struck with the truth. She was the one who commanded every ounce of his libido.

  “Thanks for cooking. I need to wash up before we eat,” he said softly.

  He stepped away and wondered if he should skip the food and take her on the couch, instead. Later, he told himself. She’d gone to the trouble of preparing dinner, and as much as his loins wanted to spread her out beneath him, he’d sit down to eat with her first. He walked into the bathroom to wash his hands, suppressing the burgeoning thoughts of her nakedness. Maybe later he would get the chance to offer her more than a kiss. God, he knew she was just as ready for him as he was for her. Staring at the shower and picturing the icy spray cooling his heated body helped, but not enough. She’s going to be the death of me, he thought as he dried his hands.

  “I have something for you.” He pulled an envelope out of his pocket.

  “What is it?” she asked as she slid onto a chair.

  “Your lost wages from your time off at work.” Bodie set the envelope on the table. He took a seat and looked at the spread. Treasure sat across from him at the small table. Bodie reached over, picked up the wine bottle, and filled both glasses.

  “What are you talking about? I talked to Paul yesterday and he didn’t mention any kind of reimbursement.”

  “No. I guess he wouldn’t. But I’m glad he called you.”

  “Yeah. Me, too. I was shocked when they said I could return to my normal schedule as soon as I get an okay from my doctor.”

  “How is your ankle?”

  “Much better. Your ointment helped a lot. I have an appointment tomorrow and I’m positive I’ll being going back to work by Monday.”

  Bodie picked up his glass and sipped the wine. He didn’t like the thought of Treasure living three hours away. He would seriously consider the distance when he decided where he wanted to live.

  “Did Paul say anything about Court?”

  “No. And I didn’t want to bring it up. Liz called me as well. She said Court left and wouldn’t be returning. She said after reviewing the meeting and my statements they couldn’t let me go based on Court’s false accusations. She was quite apologetic. The phone call was odd, but hey, I have my job back. Now, explain to me why you’ve brought me money and who it came from.”

  “There’s two thousand dollars for you from Court.”

  “It is not from that blowhole,” Treasure said. “Did you see him?” She glanced down at the envelope with disgust and leaned away from it.

  “I did. Remember the BMW R90 S? Well, he sold it. This is part of the money from the sale,” Bodie said.

  “Did you buy his motorcycle?”

  “Not me. Rob.”

  “Then that’s Rob’s money. I won’t touch it.”

  “He wants you to have it.”

  “I don’t care.” Treasure leaned back father and crossed her arms. “Do I want to know why or how this happened? Does this have anything to do with me keeping my job, Bodie?”

  She sounded worried with a slice of pissed off added for good measure. Bodie explained everything he had been doing with his brothers over the last couple of days. He finished by telling her Court had been thrown in jail for hitting Rob and trying to attack Kassie. Treasure remained unnaturally still as she listened to the recent events.

  “I can’t believe you did this without telling me. Did you even consider how I would feel about it?”

  “Treasure Hope, I’ve only been thinking about you.”

  She blinked. Bodie couldn’t decipher the blank expression.

  The food was getting cold, so Bodie lifted the lid off the roast. The meat, carrots, potatoes, and bread waited to be dished out and eaten. It looked perfect. He noticed an odd smell inside the apartment but the meat, gravy, and tartness of the cabernet mingled together, forming a miasma of scents. The other times he visited her shop and apartment the smell of engines, gasoline, and motor oil were usually present. He assumed the smell of decades of mechanic work penetrated every inch of the place. Bodie carved the roast and scooped out meat and vegetables onto both plates. He sat back and waited for her to speak before taking a bite.

  “I’m not sure what to say,” Treasure said. “I want to be angry with you for not talking to me about it. Why didn’t you invite me to come along? You have no idea how much I wanted to trash his truck or smash his face. I came back to Granite Lake to make sure I didn’t follow my impulses.”

  “You answered your own question. Believe me, I wanted to clean his clock and bury him in the forest. My brothers stopped me. It was awful, Treasure. Shane and Rob helped me get through this. We’ve been busy and we did what we needed to. I’m sorry if you’re upset I didn’t call. I needed to act.”

  Treasure stared down at her lap. Bodie wondered if he screwed up big t
ime. When she glanced back up, he saw her suppressing a smile.

  “Did you three goons get it on video?”

  Bodie shook his head. “No. I don’t need a replay. Let’s put it behind us, okay?”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  “And by unbelievable, you mean a bad-ass superhero who makes you swoon, right?”

  “Yeah. Goon also translates to testosterone fueled idiot.”

  She picked up the envelope full of cash. Bodie thought she would peek inside, but she flipped it across the table into his chest.

  “Tell Rob and Shane thanks, but I don’t want the money. Even if I did, which I don’t, I can’t keep it. It’s not mine. Rob got an amazing deal on an excellent bike.”

  Bodie picked the envelope up and put it in his pocket. Since she let go of her hurt so easily about him forgetting to keep her in the loop regarding Court, he thought it best not to push her about the money. And he could understand her side. If he were in her shoes, he wouldn’t accept the money, either.

  “I’ll tell them. Let’s eat.”

  Bodie bit into the roast beef and set his fork down. His tongue circled the inside of his mouth and worked at freeing the clinging oil from his teeth and gums.

  “What’s wrong?” Treasure asked.

  He couldn’t speak for a second as his body decided if it could handle what he swallowed.

  “Are you taking my words literally when I said you’re trying to kill me?” he asked, and tried not to laugh or cough up the single bite of beef.

  Treasure cut a piece of the roast with her knife and jabbed her fork into it. Bodie held up a hand, ready to warn her not to do it, but she put the bite into her mouth and started chewing before he spoke.

  He watched the realization of what she’d done cross her face. Treasure leaped out of the chair and spit into the trashcan. She drank from the faucet, rinsing her mouth out repeatedly.

  Bodie considered her reaction a little dramatic. He reached for the wineglass in front of him and began washing down motor oil with wine. Red wine supposedly helped clear arteries, didn’t it? The blend of oil and cabernet wasn’t all bad, he thought, and drank some more as Treasure finished gagging.

  She didn’t return to the table, and kept her back to him in silence.

  “It’s not all bad. The wine covers up the worst of the oil flavor.” He swallowed some more. Treasure picked an excellent full-bodied cabernet with undertones of smoky oak in the finish.

  “I ruined dinner.” She picked up a jar sitting by the sink.

  Treasure stuck her nose in the open jar and sniffed. She hurled the jar into the trashcan. The clinking crack of breaking glass ricocheted through the room. Bodie decided to choose his next words with care. Unable to think quickly enough, and offer consoling words, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  “I ruin everything. Even when I try to be thoughtful, I screw it all up. Look at what happened when I tried to help Vanessa on the side of the road. If I never stopped to help in the first place, we wouldn’t have almost drowned. And I’m positive she wouldn’t have made the gravy with dirty motor oil.”

  He tried not to laugh. He really did, but he couldn’t hold it in. His chest bubbled with mirth as he pictured Treasure pouring blackened oil over the roast and not even realizing it.

  “Damn it! This isn’t funny. You could get really sick.”

  “It’s only a roast, Treasure Hope. Don’t let it ruffle your feathers.”

  “But I… I thought I’d try to do something normal for a change. I mean… I wanted to— I can’t cook. I’m not good at laundry. I hate shopping. I don’t care if there’s grease stains on my holey jeans. And, I wear flannel shirts… and I drink beer. You’re falling for the wrong girl. Vanessa still loves you. She told me. She’s a better girlfriend than I am.” Treasure sniffed and ran out of the apartment.

  The tears in her eyes sobered him in an instant. He heard the shop door slam. Bodie hadn’t been prepared for an outburst. Particularly regarding Vanessa. He glanced at the dinner she made and wondered if Treasure had been comparing herself to his ex the whole time. She was everything Vanessa wasn’t, and in his opinion, that’s what he loved about her. The lack of cooking skills didn’t matter to him. He thought her boxes of cereal, eggs, toast, and other simple fast meals were part of her bachelorette lifestyle, and it was cute. As for the flannel shirts, they were the sexiest damned flannel shirts he’d ever seen.

  Bodie rose from the table and went outside. He didn’t see Treasure anywhere and that was okay. An idea came to him and he wanted to try it out before going after her. His father always let a woman cool off before confronting her. This trick of his dad’s worked wonders with his mother. Hopefully, Treasure wouldn’t do something asinine before he was ready for her.

  He kept an ear tuned for the sound of an engine, and an eye open, to make sure she didn’t take off in the Jeep or on the motorcycle while he prepared. About a half an hour later, he went to find her. If she went into the woods, he would wait for her to return. Fortunately, Bodie found her sitting beneath a decrepit tree fort behind the shop.

  “Is this your old hang out?” He stared at the ramshackle tree house.

  “Sort of.” She refused to meet his eyes.

  “Can I hang out with you?”

  “It’s your decision. I can’t choose for you.”

  “See, right there. You don’t try to persuade me to do things I don’t want to do — except for maybe when my pants are off — but putting that aside, it’s why I’m here. With you. You’re not like anyone I’ve been with before. You never try to make me into someone I’m not. And I don’t want you being anyone but yourself, either. I’m not with Vanessa for many different reasons, Treasure. Mainly because I don’t want to be with her.”

  Treasure shredded a leaf with her fingers. He let her have all the time she needed before speaking.

  “Almost getting fired has been the worst experience. I’ve worked hard at making a life in Reno. It’s not perfect, or totally wonderful, but it’s my life. And I was doing okay. Everything can change in a heartbeat. Nothing is guaranteed.”

  Bodie lowered himself to the damp earth beneath the tree. He kept his hands off her even though he wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be all right and she didn’t have to worry so much.

  “We’re still trying to figure out how life works. I’m trying to find my place in the world, too. I don’t believe we have to have all the answers right now. We keep moving toward our goals and hope they land us in a good place.”

  “I’ve spent too much time over-thinking everything that’s happened. I thought I lost my job, which was my own fault for making bad decisions. I nearly drowned after acting spontaneously. I’ve been stuck here at the shop, and I realized how much I like being back in Granite Lake, but detest living in my dad’s apartment. The memories are,” She hesitated and closed her eyes for a long steadying breath. “Too intense.” She paused. “I need to come to terms with some things about who I am and what I want.”

  “It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job of it right now. Don’t beat yourself up over normal reactions. Your childhood was hard and being back here is making you remember. Add that to the past few weeks, and you’re allowed to feel whatever you want. Treasure, it’s okay to work on one piece, or one memory, at a time.”

  Treasure’s hand rose and swiped at her eyes. He took her free hand in his and sat with her for a few quiet minutes.

  “Thanks, Bodie. I’m going to be okay.”

  “You are. When you’re ready, will you come back inside?”

  “Yeah,” She climbed to her feet and gave a tentative smile. “I’m sorry about dinner. I’ve been crazy busy today. Denny worked on the Vincent and helped me catalogue parts. There was a ridiculous mess afterward. I was in a hurry to get the roast in the oven and clean up. I forgot the wine and rushed to go get it. The list goes on. I must have put the jar of oil on the counter and forgotten about it. What a disaster,” she said as he led her t
o the house, her hand tucked neatly in his.

  “That’s all you did today?” Bodie felt her hesitate. He turned and watched how the starlight fell across her hair and highlighted the edges of her profile. “You worked all day, took apart a motorcycle, made dinner, picked out some awesome wine, showered and made yourself beautiful, and the worst thing you did was cook some motor oil. You’re such a slacker.”

  Her lip curled slightly, equally annoyed and needing to laugh. He finished leading her inside.

  “You went next door to see Mrs. Pinelli,” she accused as soon as they entered. Her nose twitched with the distinct aroma of tomato sauce with basil and garlic.

  “I did. Your neighbor is a culinary saint.” He pointed at the couch. “Will you pick out a movie and get comfortable? I’ll be right over to join you.”

  Bodie pulled Mrs. Pinelli’s lasagna from the oven. He brought Treasure’s refilled wine glass and the basket of bread to the coffee table. Treasure started a movie and the trailers were still playing when he returned with two plates of steaming lasagna. They ate side by side and laughed at a Monty Python movie. The wine went even better with the Italian food and bread than the roast. Bodie experienced food bliss as he devoured the impromptu meal.

  “You’re not so bad to have around, you know that?”

  “I’m glad you think so,” he said.

  Treasure set her plate on the table and leaned back against the couch cushions. Bodie wrapped his arm over her shoulders and she snuggled in. Her hand landed on his thigh and a warming tingle moved straight to his groin. It never took much coaxing from Treasure to get his blood moving in that direction. With the movie playing and the food settling comfortably in his stomach, the memories of Christmas in the cabin came flooding back. It had been the hottest night of his life. She told him he changed her, but she also affected him in ways he couldn’t forget.

  Bodie inhaled a long steady breath. He desired a repeat performance of their night in the cabin, but it could wait. Treasure’s emotions were more important than continuing where they’d left off last Christmas, or from their urgent exploits inside his boat. She opened up emotionally in front of him and he understood it was a turning point for her. Spending time with her on the couch was enough for him. He squeezed her shoulder and relaxed.