The Treasure of the Hairy Cadre (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 8)

by Susan C. Daffron

  Sara laughed. “I’m sure it will be fine. You’ll need to get used to having family stuff to deal with like the rest of us.”

  They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and throwing sticks for Holly. Now that Flan was gone, Sara was far less worried about the dog barking and chasing after something in the woods. Apparently, Holly had been aware of Flan’s presence long before the humans figured it out.

  After dinner, they retired to the tent. Sara had placed the metal box outside the tent flap, filled it with rocks, and attached Holly’s leash to it. If Holly tried to run off, she’d make a whole lot of noise and probably not get far. Holly curled up next to the box, hiding her nose behind her long, feathery tail.

  Zack wrapped his arms and legs around Sara. “You’re warm.”

  “You have to be the biggest cold wimp I’ve ever met.”

  “Too much time on park benches, I guess.” He nuzzled closer. “I’m all about staying warm and well fed.”

  “That reminds me. Something has been bothering me about Flan.”

  “Just one thing?”

  “I’m serious. How does Flan manage to get by with no job? Does he have a place to live? Is he living on the street like you were?”

  Zack disentangled himself so he could look at her face. “Not exactly.”

  “Then what exactly? From what he said, he doesn’t do taxes, have a driver’s license, or even use his real name for much of anything. How does he exist in a modern world?”

  “I asked about that, since I wondered too. It turns out he does have a place to live.”

  “Where? How does he pay rent?”

  “Actually, he owns the place.”

  Sara propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at Zack. “You’re kidding. Flan owns his own home? How is that possible?”

  “He inherited it from his mother. As it turns out, it’s the same place I lived with her before she died and they threw me into the system. The neighborhood has gone downhill since then though.”

  “But to keep it, he still must have to pay property taxes. Does he really not have a bank account?”

  “Nope.”

  Sara flopped back down on her back. “I don’t understand how that works. Everything requires money. How do you manage without a bank account?”

  “It sounds like he has a stash.”

  “Well, that was obvious after his little excursion into the forest.” Sara grabbed Zack’s arm. “Wait! He was the one smoking near my house, wasn’t he? Flan set my house on fire!”

  “Easy on the arm, Sparky. He said that was an accident. And by stash, I meant a money stash. Although, yeah he probably has the other kind too. It sounds like he has money hidden in boxes in various locations around LA.”

  “Okay, maybe I’m not feeling sympathetic because of what he did to my house, but that’s completely bizarre. What if someone takes it?”

  “Hey, I’m just telling you what he said. I guess he and Ira were big on hiding stuff in boxes. Some money is under his mattress too. Even he realizes that’s a cliché though.”

  Sara rolled over and looked at Zack’s face. “Please tell me you don’t smoke and you actually have a bank account.”

  “I’m a dedicated nonsmoker and yes, I really do have a bank account. And a retirement account, life insurance, and even mutual funds.” He tickled her ribs. “I sold all those businesses, remember? I had to put that money somewhere.”

  “And you promise you don’t have cash scattered around in little boxes anywhere?”

  “Nope. Not my style. I may be kinda disorganized sometimes, but not when it comes to money.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  The next morning, they packed up the gear and trekked back down the hill to the boat. Going downhill was a lot easier and faster than going up, and in keeping with Sara’s plan, they made it back to the boat around lunch time. Much to her relief, the boat was still exactly where they’d left it.

  By the time they got back to Sara’s house in Alpine Grove, everyone was exhausted. Even Holly was subdued. On a normal day when they returned to the house after their morning run, the dog would rush inside and gallop in circles through the downstairs. But after the long hike and the boat and car ride, when Sara opened the door Holly plodded in, making a beeline for her dog bed in the corner.

  Sara put down her pack, next to the hall closet. “Welcome to my humble home.”

  Zack looked around the entryway. “It still smells a little like smoke, but it’s not too bad.”

  “I’m still trying not to be upset that Flan was the one who set my home on fire.”

  “He kept saying he didn’t do it on purpose.” Zack dropped his pack on the floor with a thud. “But who knows with that guy?”

  “Do you want something to eat? It feels like ages since I’ve been here at my own house. I’m not sure what I have. Maybe I could heat up some soup or something.”

  Zack put his arms around her. “You don’t have to. I’m tired and grubby. I want to take a shower and sleep for many, many hours curled up next to your warm, soft, lovely body.”

  Sara gave him a kiss. “I think that can be arranged.”

  They slept late, until Holly made it clear to Sara that she wasn’t tired anymore and wanted to go outside for her morning run. Sara disentangled herself from Zack, rolled over, and pushed Holly’s nose away. “I know. Okay. Fine.”

  She got up, went to the bathroom, and put on her running clothes. Bending to clip the leash onto Holly, she mumbled. “Why aren’t you tired? I can’t believe you want me to do this after hiking all day yesterday. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m sore.” Holly leaped around the entryway, oblivious to Sara’s complaints.

  It was a beautiful morning and after a somewhat slow start, Sara enjoyed the run through her residential neighborhood. It was good to get her blood moving, clear her head, and return to her normal routine.

  All the time chasing after treasure had been way out of the ordinary and stressful in many ways. She still didn’t know what was going to happen with Zack and it bothered her not knowing what was next. The leaves on the big maple trees were starting to get the tired, slightly yellowed look that indicated the end-of-summer transition. The leaves wouldn’t start to change color for another few weeks, but the crispness in the air was another sign fall was definitely coming.

  They returned to the house and Sara unlocked and opened the door so Holly could dash in and do her circuit of the living room. The dog stopped short in front of Zack, who was sitting on the couch looking disheveled. Holly woofed once at him and ran off into the kitchen.

  Zack grinned. “She sure told me off.”

  Sara sat down next to him, put her arms around his neck, and gave him a kiss. “You messed with her morning routine.”

  “Hey, she messed with mine first. I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

  “I can tell. Would you like some?”

  “More than you can possibly imagine. I looked in the kitchen and didn’t see a coffeemaker sitting around anywhere, so I came in here to sulk.” He pointed at a guitar sitting on a stand in the corner. “Do you play?”

  “It’s my sister’s. I was hoping to learn so I could play songs for the kids. She tried to teach me, but I’m terrible. In fact, I might be completely tone deaf.” Sara gestured toward the kitchen. “Didn’t you see the French press in the cabinet?”

  “I don’t know what that is. Does it make coffee?”

  “I’ll show you how it works.” She took his hand and pulled him off the sofa. “All you need to do is boil water. It’s easy.”

  Zack followed Sara into the kitchen and sat down at the little round bistro table tucked into the corner. He watched silently while she fed Holly and made the coffee.

  She handed him a mug and sat down across from him. “I think a French press makes better coffee than a drip coffeemaker.”

  “Cool.” He took a sip and set the mug down, interlacing his fingers around it. “I like your house. It suits you.”

  �
��What do you mean it suits me?”

  “It’s cozy and all tidy and organized. Everything is all lined up in your kitchen cabinets. They’re probably alphabetized.”

  “Oh please! No, they’re not. Well, except for the spices. Those are alphabetized, so I can find them more easily.”

  A corner of his mouth turned up. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

  “I don’t see why everyone doesn’t alphabetize them. It’s so much harder to find the cumin if it’s out of order and hidden behind the turmeric.”

  “I suppose that makes sense, but when you see my kitchen, you might freak out.”

  “Does this mean you’re inviting me to see your kitchen?” Sara put down her mug and looked into his eyes. “I still haven’t experienced those legendary fluffy pillows and sheets either.”

  “Well, I do have to get back home. Why don’t you come with me?”

  “I have to prepare for school.” Sara sighed. “I was wondering when you were planning on leaving, but I didn’t want to ask.”

  “I have to work. But you don’t yet. I thought you said teachers didn’t go back until the end of the month.”

  “We don’t. But I need to work on my lesson planning and think about how I’m going to decorate my classroom.”

  “Do you have to be here to do that? I was thinking I should probably leave today. My email is probably going to take a week to wade through as it is. It’s not like I could bring a computer out into the forest.”

  “Today? I was hoping we’d have more time together.”

  “I have to go back to LA sometime.” Zack gestured toward the door with his mug. “I figured after all that wandering around in the woods, you’d be sick of me by now.”

  “No, I told you that before. The fact that you live so far away bothers me. Once school starts, I’ll have to be here for the next nine months.”

  “I could visit sometimes. Maybe Christmas and spring break, I guess.”

  “How about a compromise? I need to talk to my mom about Olivia and make a few other calls. What if you stay here today? I’ll see if I can talk Kat into boarding Holly. If I can convince her, then I’ll go with you to LA for a few days.”

  “It’s a deal.” Zack got up, walked around the table, and bent down to kiss Sara’s neck. “It’s peaceful here. Spending some time relaxing and processing the weirdness of the last couple days before I go back to my real life probably isn’t a bad idea.”

  Sara reached up and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Alpine Grove does have peace and quiet going for it.”

  He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “The fact that you live here is another big point in its favor.”

  Chapter 11

  It’s Up to You

  Zack spent some time unpacking while Sara gathered their clothes and threw them in the laundry. After showering and having breakfast, Sara made her calls. As she had predicted, Olivia had a new home and her parents had even taken the cat on a short excursion in the RV to see how she did. They had purchased a special cat bed and according to Mom, Olivia was unfazed by the excursion, mostly napping away the journey. After briefly relaying the story of the treasure, Sara assured her parents that she’d be able to pay off the loan for the replacement canoe soon.

  She went back into the living room and found Zack sitting on the couch, hunched over the guitar and picking at the strings. Whatever he was playing was pretty.

  He looked up. “How’s Amy?”

  “She’s great. You didn’t tell me you play the guitar.”

  “I don’t. Not really. Ira taught me some stuff, like how to read music and some chords, but that was a long time ago. Then after the whole fire and moving thing, no more guitar.”

  Sara went to a dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a book. “Here’s the book my sister gave me. Don’t ask me anything. Like I said, I’m awful.”

  He took the book and opened it up. “Cool. Thanks.”

  Sara went to make more calls while Zack played the songs in the book. By the time she’d talked to all the people on her list, Zack was playing better than either Sara or her sister did.

  When Sara walked back into the room, he set the guitar aside. “So what’s the word on dog-boarding? Do you get to come with me to La-La Land or not?”

  Sara grinned and clapped her hands as she did a little hop. “Yes! I talked Kat into it. Technically, she isn’t opening until after Labor Day, but as it turns out, they finished the new kennels early. And they even have a new fenced-in area where she can play Frisbee with Holly. It sounds perfect.”

  Zack gave her a hug. “That’s excellent. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet.”

  “I know. I wasn’t either. How is this ever going to work?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like I can stay on vacation forever.”

  Sara made a face. “And I definitely can’t. I’m already in debt to my parents. This is so embarrassing. I’m way too old to be getting loans from Mom and Dad.”

  “While we’re in LA, we can get some of the treasure appraised. I don’t care about keeping things like coins for posterity, do you?”

  “No. I’d rather have the money. I told my mom I’d pay them back soon.”

  “It’s my fault you lost the canoe. I can give you the money for the new one.”

  “No, it’s not your fault. I’ll use the money from my treasure proceeds.”

  He leaned back and picked up the guitar again. “Okay. If that’s what you want to do. But Ozzy was chasing me, not you. According to Flan, he thought the canoe was mine, which is why he ran off with it.”

  “I suppose. But we found the treasure, so it doesn’t matter. It has to be worth something, so I should be able to pay off my parents.”

  Zack strummed the guitar strings idly a few times, offering up a few menacing chords that sounded like they belonged in a soundtrack for a scary movie. “The offer still stands. I don’t think it’s fair that you have to blow part of your share of the treasure because of my unfortunate association with that scumbag Ozzy.”

  She put her hand over his on the guitar. “Thanks for the offer and the musical accompaniment. I need to stop by my classroom and pick up some stuff. Do you want to come with me?”

  With a grin, he set the guitar aside. “Sure! I want to see where you lord over unruly second-graders.”

  Alpine Grove Elementary School was at the extreme southern edge of town and not within easy walking distance, so Sara drove. The quaint red brick school building sat among a wide expanse of sports fields and blacktops. There were two swing sets, monkey bars, an array of wide tunnels, and a huge jungle gym. The thought of the kids running around at recess made Sara smile happily. The start of the school year was an exciting although somewhat nerve-wracking time for her.

  Zack followed her inside the building, turning his head to examine the bulletin boards and murals on the walls. “Wow, this is way nicer than the schools I went to.”

  “This is a fantastic elementary school. I was thrilled when I got the job. Everyone in the area wants to teach here, and it’s rare for there to be an opening. Although I liked the school in Gleasonville, I absolutely love it here. Last year was so much fun and the other teachers are amazing.”

  Sara walked into her classroom and gathered up a stack of papers that had been left for her on her desk while Zack looked around the room, examining all the colorful cubbyholes and folders at the activity stations. He looked at her. “This is so cool. I want to be a kid in your class so I can play with all this stuff.”

  She giggled and grabbed his hand. “If you’re really nice to me, I’ll bring you some crayons.”

  “I can think of ways to be nice.”

  “I’m sure you can.”

  Once they were back outside, Zack turned to her. “Look at those swings! I want to go play on the swings!”

  “I should be getting back home.”

  Zack was already dragging her across the playground toward the swings. “There’s no on
e here. We can’t miss this opportunity to do some swinging!”

  Sara laughed as she ran alongside him. He let go of her hand when they stopped in front of the swings. Grabbing a chain, he sat down, and pushed off.

  Sara put down her papers, commandeered another swing, and looked over at Zack. “Bet I can go higher than you can.”

  “Yeah, but I bet I can jump off farther than you. That’s the super-fun part.”

  Sara pumped her arms and legs, swinging higher. “The kids aren’t allowed to do that. It’s dangerous.”

  At the apex of the arc, Zack leaped off and spread his arms wide as he went airborne across the grass with a whoop. He landed on his feet and pivoted to face her. “That was awesome!”

  Sara dragged her feet to stop the swing. “I see why you were the kid the teachers didn’t want in their class.”

  He held out his hand to her and gave her a mischievous grin. “You know it.”

  After they returned to the house and had lunch, Holly jumped up on the sofa next to Zack, who was picking at the guitar strings again. He looked at the dog, who was panting in his face expectantly, and then at Sara. “Your dog is having a problem.”

  “She wants her afternoon walk. You might think that dogs can’t tell time, but that’s not true. They can.”

  Putting the guitar aside, he got up. “Yuck. You still stink, dog.”

  Sara stood and Holly jumped off the couch and ran toward the front door, pirouetting gleefully. “Maybe Kat would be willing to wash her. She said they were putting in a grooming area.”

  Zack followed Holly to the door. “Bad news for you, fuzzball.”

  Zack wanted to see more of Alpine Grove, so they walked with Holly toward the main street of town. Tourists loaded down with shopping bags wandered slowly, stopping to window-shop at the stores that lined the thoroughfare.

  Zack pointed at a wheeled vending cart ahead of them that sported a festive turquoise umbrella. “Ice cream!”