by Tanya Agler
“What’s that?” Ethan stilled and paid attention to Caleb—a small victory, but he’d take it.
“It’s when we both get something but not everything.” Mattie sniffed and held her nose higher.
Caleb blew out a deep breath and placed his hand on his back before stretching out the muscles. “How about Mattie holds the leash until you turn around and head back? Then it’ll be Ethan’s turn.” He knelt next to Ladybug, who slurped at his hand, drawing a rare giggle from Mattie. “But remember to take your cue from Ladybug. If she’s happy, let her be.”
“Mr. Caleb.” Ethan tapped his shoulder, although Caleb wasn’t quite sure why—he already had his attention. “Can we see what you’ve done with the cabin? And do you have any food? I’m starving.”
“We ate breakfast an hour ago. How can you already be hungry?” Mattie sighed before glaring at her brother.
Caleb whipped his cell from his back pocket. “Hold that thought.” He sent a quick text to Lucie and laughed at her return text emoji with the bright red cheeks. Three, two, one. Sure enough, his phone rang on cue. “Hi, Lucie.”
“Mattie and Ethan weren’t supposed to leave the front area with Ladybug.” Lucie stopped and inhaled.
He kept silent as it was obvious she had something else on her mind.
“I’m sorry about leaving the soiree suddenly.”
“Is your hay fever better?” Caleb waited until Lucie replied in the affirmative. “For the record, Ethan saw me on the porch and came over to investigate. Mattie followed. I texted you to see if it’s okay if they have a snack.” He stopped as Ethan and Ladybug both perked up. Caleb pleaded his case. “They’ll be helping me. I’m already missing Izzy and Vanessa.”
“Are you sure they won’t be any trouble? And aren’t you supposed to be resting?”
“Actually, the physical therapist taught me some new core-stabilizing exercises. The twins might have some fun doing them with me. They’d be helping me.”
And they could also help him with his new project.
Last night Owen had given him strict orders to be on the lookout for woodpecker habitats. As far as Caleb was concerned, today was the perfect time to start. When the twins’ attention span started to go, that would be his sign he needed to rest.
“I would get more done...”
“I’ll escort them back to you the second they’re trouble.” Caleb glanced at Ethan, who smiled with angelic goodness, and Mattie, who frowned with eternal perseverance. “Tonight I’ll get so much rest, I’ll be a dead log and the Timber River woodpecker will make a nest in me.”
They arranged a time for a transfer and Caleb led the kids inside. Ethan made a beeline for a particular corner. “What’s this?”
“It’s a Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector.”
Ladybug came over, sniffed it and sat at Caleb’s feet, trying to convince him she was much more interesting.
“Yes, Ladybug, you have definite merits, but you’re fun in a different way.”
“This thing is fun?” Mattie approached it but stopped short. “Can I touch it?”
“Yes, and thank you for asking first.” Caleb watched as first Ethan then Mattie stroked the side like they would Ladybug. “Better yet, I’ll show you how it works. Then you can decide for yourself if it’s fun.”
They settled Ladybug in the kitchen with a bowl of water. There wasn’t anything for her to destroy or eat, so Caleb didn’t worry about leaving the bulldog alone for a short time. After texting Lucie and receiving her approval to search around the low ropes course, he grabbed the metal detector and the twins followed him outside.
Caleb soaked in the gloriousness of the spring sun, the warmth and brightness the best medicine for his back. He’d been so busy this morning he hadn’t noticed the creamy yellow daffodils in the garden patch or the deer tracks in the mud. All around, signs of the season bolstered him almost as much as the antics of Mattie and Ethan.
And Lucie? Where did she fit into his life? According to her, they were friends and nothing more. There was something about Lucie, though, that he didn’t feel for any other friend. The way she made him feel at ease, the way she made him feel like the only person in the room even when a crowd surrounded them, the way she brought order out of the hustle and bustle surrounding her.
“Have you ever found anything with that?” Mattie picked up a leaf and tossed it in the air.
“A few quarters, some dimes and a buffalo nickel.”
Caleb demonstrated how to use the metal detector. Finding treasure wasn’t why he’d picked up the hobby, although it was nice to uncover something that was hidden from everyone else, a little like when he’d uncovered Lucie’s true spirit when they were teenagers. Back then, everyone had a different idea of Lucie’s nature. Some assumed she was a spoiled debutante, yet they hadn’t seen her work hard at her parents’ wedding event business, adding special touches in the cabin for every bride on her day.
Lucie was a rare butterfly, spreading her colorful wings. One in a billion.
Ethan swung the metal detector a little too high, and Caleb took his head out of the clouds. “Whoa, a little lower. That way the detector can send an electromagnetic wave into the ground. If we get lucky, an object will answer back, and we’ll dig it up.”
“We should just look for more woodpeckers. We can see those.” Ethan handed the detector back to Caleb and ran ahead before glancing over his shoulder. “And definitely hear them. Why are those birds important anyway?”
“Stay near me, Ethan.” Caleb used his ranger voice, and Ethan headed back. “One thing at a time. Woodpeckers are nature’s cleaning system and so much more. Other species use their nests, and they keep the insect population under control.”
“They eat bugs? Yuck.” Mattie wrinkled her nose and shuddered.
“It’s the mainstay of their diet, along with acorns, pine seeds and berries. They also love suet. Tomorrow, I’m setting up some special feeders, along with installing motion-sensor cameras so we can monitor where they are.” Caleb swung the detector in an arc and then turned to Mattie. “Would you like to try this?”
Mattie stepped back, her apprehension clear. Cautious but careful. No wonder he wanted Mattie on his side. “It looks really heavy, and I might break it.”
“It’s light, only a couple pounds, about the same as a laptop. If it were too heavy, I couldn’t tote it around.”
Mattie and Ethan might not know about his back. He’d keep that part to himself.
“You won’t break it.”
He handed it to her, and she bit her lip. He showed her how to operate the detector. The second he stepped away, strong beeps echoed.
“I broke it,” Mattie wailed.
“You found something on your first try,” Caleb reassured her, and her face lit up.
“Lucky.” Ethan ran over and stared at the ground. “What did she find?”
“Only one way to find out.” With a flick of his wrist, Caleb detached the digging trowel from the side of the detector. He knelt and the kids followed suit while he dug. A couple scoops of dirt later, the trowel clunked against something hard.
“What was that?” Mattie’s blue eyes grew even wider.
“Did we find buried treasure?” Ethan fisted his hands and pulled them together for a victory pump. “Way to go, Mattie.”
This was no ordinary earring or coin. With a delicate hand, Caleb unearthed the soil and pulled out an old tin canister. He squinted and made out the words on the side: Carolina Country Coffee, Blue Seal Best.
“Woohoo! Treasure!” Ethan jumped up and danced around in circles. “The kids at school are gonna love this. Can I open it?”
“I found it. I should open it.” Mattie stood next to Ethan and folded her arms together.
“I think your mother should be here when we open this.” Caleb replaced the soil before patting the eart
h with the back of his trowel, taking care the area looked the same as before. “We’ll go back to my cabin.”
Ethan clicked his tongue. “That’ll take forever.”
No, forever was the amount of time it had taken him to realize what a treasure Lucie was. The question was, when was he going to do something about it?
He’d start by sharing this with her.
Then he’d share everything else, including his heart.
* * *
LUCIE RUSHED INTO Caleb’s cabin with one sneaker on her foot and the other in her hand. Now here, she felt silly for not taking time to even put both shoes on properly. In the past couple of weeks, Caleb had demonstrated his concern for the twins. If anything was truly wrong, he’d have called or rushed to the lodge.
“Hi, I’m here.” She was proud of her calm voice and the restraint she was showing. Taking a minute, she looked around and appreciated the changes. In a mere weekend, Caleb had placed his stamp here, the comfortable couch winning her seal of approval along with his other simple but stylish purchases.
She sat and appreciated the comfort of his couch before putting on her other shoe. Trust came hard for her, but Caleb’s patience was winning her over.
Slowly, she was getting back in touch with parts of her former self she’d hidden for self-protection. She had missed that part of herself that knew how to twist everything into a positive. Even last night, there’d been positives. She’d respected herself enough to stand up for herself. In the two weeks since Caleb had returned, a whirlwind really, something had been different. Could she be different? Could she be ready for a relationship?
But what if something went wrong? Another kiss could devastate their fledging friendship.
But what if it brings out something as amazing and beautiful as the kiss itself?
Ladybug trotted over and sat in front of Lucie, her tongue dangling. The normal grunts were a sign everything was right with the world.
She knelt beside Ladybug and scratched her dog’s favorite spot, receiving a moan of approval. “Should I throw caution to the wind?”
Caleb emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands with a paper towel. “About what?” His smile, visible under his beard, which was growing in fuller and getting more attractive by the day, touched her heart. “You have something splattered on your bandanna. Painting again?”
Lucie yanked off her bright pink bandanna. Sure enough, traces of white trim paint dotted the cloth. “Is everything okay? Your text was rather vague.”
“Mommy’s here. Hurry up.” Mattie emerged from the bathroom and held up her hands. “All clean. Mommy, do I get the treasure because I found it, or do I have to share it with Ethan?”
“I was there, too.” Ethan scurried out, his small face aghast at being left out of whatever Mattie was talking about.
“You found something?” A pinprick of curiosity tickled her spine. “In the loft?”
“Mattie found a coffee tin using my metal detector.” Caleb ruffled Mattie’s hair and Mattie sent a small smile of approval his way.
Her daughter had blossomed quite a bit under Caleb’s attention over the past couple of weeks, but what would happen when Caleb’s work kept him busy to the point where they didn’t see him for days or even weeks at a time? What would happen if Caleb changed his mind about wanting a relationship and found someone who didn’t have so many trust issues?
Her stomach twisted at the thought of anyone else claiming Caleb’s affections, bringing out the best in him, making him laugh when he took things too seriously.
“But I was there, too, and it’s not fair Mattie gets it all.” Ethan brought his foot back and kicked the floor.
“I don’t know what’s in the tin.” That note of caution in Caleb’s voice gave her pause. He pointed to the fireplace mantel, where a rusted tin sat in the place of honor.
“Ethan Christopher, it’s impolite to act like that in your house, let alone someone else’s. We’re Caleb’s guests.” She searched Caleb’s face for advice, and it wasn’t hard to read his mind. The tin had been found in an offbeat area. For all they knew, it could contain something grisly or illegal. She sought a compromise. “How about we take Ladybug outside for a quick walk? Caleb can make sure it’s suitable for little eyes.”
“That’s not fair.” Ethan’s leg went up again, but he sighed and brought it down without kicking the hardwood floor. “What if it’s pirate treasure and it’s worth a gazillion and one dollars?”
Lucie clasped Ladybug’s leash onto her collar. “I don’t think pirates made it this far inland.” She met Caleb’s gaze, and the depth of her trust surprised her.
He’d earned something rarer than the endangered Timber River woodpecker.
“And Caleb’s one of the good guys. He’ll do right by us. I’m curious myself—give us the all-clear signal once you’ve opened it.” Lucie ushered the twins outside, but her gaze stayed on the front door.
It wasn’t long until Caleb called them. “Mattie can do the honors.”
Mattie rushed ahead and they gathered around a blanket Caleb had laid on the hardwood floor. Plopping onto the floor, Mattie accepted the tin from Caleb and unscrewed the lid, reaching in for the first item.
“Aw, dump it out so we can see everything at once,” said Ethan.
After she arched an eyebrow in his direction, Ethan folded his arms and clamped his mouth.
Mattie pulled out a circular golden item and handed it to Caleb. “What’s this?”
“It’s a pocket watch.” He examined it for a minute, then pressed the small golden pull at the top. The lever mechanism worked, and the front popped open. Caleb showed Mattie and then Ethan.
Mattie handed the tin to Ethan. “Here you go. I want you to take out something next.”
“Really?” Ethan’s face blossomed with joy. “Thanks.”
Motherly love filled Lucie’s heart. Her two little nestlings were growing up. Then Ethan dumped the rest of the tin onto the blanket and Lucie sighed.
“Ethan!” Mattie wailed.
He grinned and shrugged. “Couldn’t help it.”
Atop the blanket, several coins, marbles and some metal toy soldiers winked at Lucie. Ethan reached for a coin. “Huh. This isn’t real money. It’s fake.”
That didn’t surprise Lucie. So much in her life had appeared to be one thing on the surface and was something different underneath.
Through it all, Caleb had dug deeper and seen the real her, the Lucie she’d kept buried for a long time. Caleb accepted her and had kissed her anyway. A feeling close to bliss settled in her chest.
“Let me see it.” Caleb reached for the coin and his eyebrows knit together. “Actually, this is real currency. Considering it’s been in a coffee tin for years, it’s in mint condition and might fetch a good price.”
Lucie wiped her clammy hands on her overalls. “You mean these might be valuable?”
Caleb rubbed the coin in his hands and pulled out his cell phone. “If there’s a coin dealer near here, you might want to consult with him. This is a 1916 buffalo nickel. Depending on this mark, its value could be between seventy dollars and...”
“Or what?” Lucie laughed. “Seven hundred dollars?”
Caleb leaned over. His beard tickled her cheek as he whispered a six-figure number in her ear.
“You’re kidding.”
He showed her his phone screen and her stomach sank.
“You’re not kidding.”
Lucie glanced at the contents of the container and closed her eyes. Who would have buried this here? This windfall might not even be hers. “We have to take this to Sheriff Harrison. Until I know whether this is legally mine, we can’t keep it.”
Mattie and Ethan groaned. Even Ladybug seemed to get into the act by hiding her snout behind Caleb as he shrugged. “It was found on your property. Why wouldn’t it be yours?
”
Lucie inhaled and exhaled. “I don’t know how long it was buried there, or who buried it.”
“Isn’t it finders keepers?” Caleb still looked as though he wasn’t connecting the dots.
“Better safe than sorry. If the coins are valuable, I have to turn them over to the authorities until they determine if they are ours or not.”
Caleb’s face crumpled. “You don’t think—”
Oh, she hoped Justin hadn’t buried them there. The odds were slim, but she wanted a second opinion anyway.
“But, Mommy, don’t we even get to keep the soldiers?” Ethan pouted.
“Or the marbles?” Even her sweet Mattie’s voice was tinged with slight resentment.
Lucie collected the contents and placed them back in the tin. “Until I hear otherwise, we can’t keep this.” Her weak smile probably wasn’t much consolation. “What’s important is that we found it and can return it to somebody.”
She’d rather err on the side of caution than have anyone accuse her of impropriety or any crime. Not for the first time, Lucie wondered if life would have been simpler for Ethan and Mattie if she’d moved them away from Hollydale, but with the house and lodge tied up in litigation, she hadn’t had anything more than the clothes on their backs to start over.
For Mattie’s and Ethan’s sakes, she hoped Hollydale would move on, and soon.
* * *
CALEB OPENED THE door to The Busy Bean for the three Deckers, two of whom had the longest faces he’d ever seen. Lucie was rather stoic, though, proclaiming you can’t miss something you just found.
She was wrong. Tonight, when he told her the truth about his parents, she might decide he’d waited too long to confide in her and cut him out of her life completely.
His heart pinged. He wanted time with Lucie, Mattie and Ethan, not to mention every lovable animal in the Decker household.
More than that, he wanted a lifetime, and that wouldn’t change even though he’d only been back in Hollydale a short while.
“Hot chocolate isn’t as good as antique marbles,” Mattie softly voiced, her depth quite remarkable for someone so young.