“Yes.” Wade remembered the large gold ring with the black stone in the center. How could he forget it? He’d had an imprint of it punched into his face once. “I remember because I thought about taking it off so no one could identify him. But I didn’t know what to do with it. I decided it was better to just leave it on, since he would’ve taken it with him when he left.”
“I guess that was a good idea. We’d never find him without it.”
“I’m beginning to think we won’t find him even with it.” Wade looked across the dark landscape of Tori’s property. The rocky ridge where she planned to build the house was off to the back. There was no way he could’ve buried anything there, even with the backhoe. Maybe the construction crew that would build her house wouldn’t find anything. Maybe, despite his failures, this secret would stay buried.
“Are you sure it’s on her plot and not one of the others?” Heath asked.
At this point, Wade couldn’t afford to consider that possibility. To know he’d wasted all this time on the wrong property? And if there was one thing he knew, it was that the owner of the largest plot, a large commercial development company, wasn’t going to sell for any amount of money. Brody had done some research, and they were building a small resort retreat. They’d already started working out there.
“No, I’m not sure,” Wade admitted through gritted teeth. “But I swear I didn’t go that far. This area looks right. It’s got to be right.”
Heath nodded and started swinging the metal detector over a different segment of land.
“Let’s load up and call it a night. We can try again in the morning before it starts to snow.”
They each grabbed their shovels and equipment and had started walking back to their four-wheelers when they were suddenly bathed in bright white lights. Headlights.
Wade froze in place like a deer. He clutched his incriminating tools tighter in his fists. Who was it? He couldn’t tell. They were blinded, unable to see anything but the bright white orbs aimed in their direction.
Was it the sheriff? No. He wasn’t that lucky. He knew the sheriff and could talk his way out of this. The lights were way too high for a patrol car. It was a truck. An older truck, judging by the loud rumble of the engine.
An old truck.
Wade swallowed hard. She couldn’t be back already. Not this soon. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was today. Tori would’ve had to drive straight back after it ended to be here already. She said Monday or Tuesday at the earliest. Why would she have rushed home again?
The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t even want to think it, much less say it. The way she’d looked at him last night had been different. Something had changed. He’d tried to deny it at dinner, and when he made love to her. He told himself it was just because they both knew it was the end for them.
Wade was a fool to ignore the truth. Tori had fallen in love with him. He couldn’t be certain, but maybe she’d decided to come home early before he returned to New York so she could see him again. Or maybe she’d gotten brave enough to tell him how she felt.
And instead she’d caught him red-handed on her property with a shovel and a metal detector. Damn.
Heath leaned in to him, finally daring to move. “Are they just going to watch us or get out of the truck? You think they’re calling the cops?”
Wade shook his head. “I doubt it. I think it’s Tori.”
“Oh, man,” Heath said. “I thought she wasn’t coming back for a couple of days. What are you going to tell her? You can’t tell her the truth.”
That was a great question. He’d have to think of something, because the truth was completely off the table. “I have no idea. But you just get on your four-wheeler and go, okay? She and I need to talk alone.”
“I’m not going to leave you out here. Doesn’t she have a shotgun?”
Wade had forgotten about the shotgun. Hopefully it was locked in the Airstream and not with her in the truck. “Yes, you are. Seriously. I’ll be okay. Go, now. It’s better that way.”
Heath shrugged and turned away from the light to go to his ATV. He loaded his things, cranked the engine and disappeared into the trees. It wasn’t until he was gone that Wade heard the truck’s engine die. The lights stayed on when the heavy door clicked open.
Wade still couldn’t see, but he could hear boots crunching on the gravel. Then a woman’s silhouette appeared between him and the truck’s headlights. He’d know those curves anywhere.