by Mona Ingram
He grasped her by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. “It doesn’t sound foolish, but I’d hate to see you disappointed if we can’t find it. Promise me that you’ll be all right if we come up empty-handed.”
The concern in his eyes touched her heart. “I promise,” she said, “but we’re going to find it. I know we will.”
“With an attitude like that, we can’t miss.” He glanced at the wall clock. “If I hurry with my chores we can search for a few hours this afternoon. Do you mind waiting for me? I’d like to be there when you search.”
She smiled up at him. “I’d like that. See you later.”
Chapter Twelve
CHARLIE SPENT A LAZY morning deciding what to wear for the dance and re-painting her fingernails and toenails. “I’m like a kid going to my first dance,” she said aloud. She smiled to herself. There were times when Jason made her feel like a schoolgirl, but where it counted, he’d brought her alive as a woman. By comparison, her relationship with Carson had been bland and uninteresting. She blew on her fingernails, anticipating the evening ahead.
IT WAS MID-AFTERNOON when Jason pulled the ATV into the shade of the poplars that lined the eastern border of Janelle’s property. “I’ve been thinking about the best way to do this,” he said. “I brought these to mark out a rough grid.” He untied a bundle of stakes from the rack on the back of the ATV and handed them to her. “We can stake out each area as we search so we don’t cover the same ground twice.”
“Good thinking.” Charlie studied the long line of trees. “Do you think we should start at the end?” Her gaze kept returning to the highest point, slightly left of center.
“You decide.” Jason unloaded a shovel. “I trust your instincts on this one.”
Without hesitation she pointed. “Then I think we should try over there.” She shoved a stake into the ground, surprised to see that her hands were trembling. Right about now she could use a four-leafed clover, a shooting star...anything that would bring them luck.
Jason outlined a rough square by hammering four stakes into the soil with the flat side of the shovel. Then he reached for the metal detector. “Come on, I’ll show you how to use it.” He swung the flat sensor plate from side to side, covering approximately a square yard. “Like that,” he said, placing it into her eager hands. “I’ll be right beside you to do the digging if we get any hits.”
Charlie swept the detector back and forth for several minutes, moving from tree to tree. “Are you sure this thing is working?” she asked, giving it a shake.
Jason smiled patiently. “I’m sure. Anyway, only about thirty more trees to go.”
Charlie glowered at him and shoved back the strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes.
“You didn’t think you were going to find it in the first two minutes, did you?” He leaned casually on the shovel, but his eyes watched every swing of the detector.
“I was kinda hoping we would.” She was getting into a rhythm, and started another pass. “Don’t count me out yet though.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The detector squealed loudly and Charlie jumped back. “I found something!” she cried unnecessarily. “What do I do now?”
“Keep moving the plate in smaller circles ‘till you’re centered over the signal.” His voice betrayed his excitement and he stood by impatiently as she followed his direction. “That’s it,” he said. “Shut it off and leg me dig.”
Charlie placed the detector on the ground, trying to hide the fact that her shoulders ached from holding the awkward piece of equipment. Jason dug into the ground, grunting as the shovel hit something. “These roots make it hard to dig,” he said, tipping the soil onto a piece of canvas he’d brought along. “Look through the soil, Charlie. See if you can find anything.”
Charlie brushed the soil aside, scanning for a glint of gold. “Nothing.”
“One more shovel.” He stood over her, admiring the way she searched the soil with her bare hands. Then those hands stilled.
“I’ve got something” she said, holding up a nail. She tried to smile, but it was difficult. “I hadn’t thought about this. We’re going to find everything that’s metal, aren’t we?”
“I’m afraid so.” Jason lifted the detector. “Shall I scan for a while? You keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t miss any spots.”
“Okay, and I’ll dig,” said Charlie confidently.
After two and a half hours, they had searched the entire length of the row of poplars. Charlie’s confidence slipped away as each hit turned out to be nothing more than a twisted scrap of metal or another nail. Jason looked back. He’d refilled the holes, but it was still clear where they’d disturbed the earth. “It looks like a bunch of gophers have been following us.”
Charlie had stopped trying to hide her frustration a long time ago. “How could there be so many bits of metal around here? Especially the nails.” She gestured disdainfully to the bag of rusted metal. Jason had insisted on taking the false treasures home where he could dispose of them.
“Maybe there was a fence along here a long time ago. That’s all I can figure. The rest of it’s probably stuff that was dropped while they were building it.” He lowered himself onto the ground and dragged Charlie down beside him.
“Don’t say it,” she said with a small shake of her head. She turned, and saw her disappointment reflected in his eyes. “Or else I might cry.”
“Come here,” he said, pulling her into the circle of his arms. “I know how you feel, and I’m just as disappointed as you are. You made a believer of me, and I really thought we’d find it.” He picked up her hand and she pulled back, wincing. “What’s the matter?” he asked, turning over her hand to examine her palm. “Charlie!” he said, shocked at the condition of her hands. “These blisters are about to break. I blame myself for this; we should have stopped an hour ago.”
“No!” She jumped up, hands curled into fists at her sides. “I won’t give up.” She switched on the detector. “I’m going back to where we started and look again. I’ve got a strong feeling about this.” She studied the line of trees. “She would have gone to the highest spot.” She looked back at him. “One more hour, okay?”
Jason felt a surge of admiration as she walked back to the original square. Within a minute she was scanning again, chewing at her bottom lip as she focused all her concentration on covering every square inch of ground.
He watched her as she worked. He’d never met a woman like her before. Her fierce independence had made him uncomfortable at first, but he now found that he respected her for it. Besides, he’d come to know the gentle but passionate woman beneath the prickly surface. With a start he realized that he didn’t care if she talked to ghosts; he wanted to keep her in his life. He stood up, stretched his back and walked over to join her.
“There’s nothing here,” she said later in a small voice. “We found every scrap of metal on the first go.” She switched off the metal detector and leaned on the handle, looking out over the rolling countryside. “I remember the day I arrived. I was so delighted to find that the prairie isn’t completely flat.” Her gaze followed the contours of the land, taking note of the darkening shadows in the valleys. “Hey, look. I can just see the roof of Janelle’s farmhouse tucked in that stand of trees.”
“Look over there,” he said, pointing over her left shoulder. “See that ridge? That’s the southern border of the original farm. Our farm and Janelle’s were all one property at one time.”
“Really?” Charlie shaded her eyes and looked into the distance.
“It was split up long before I was born. Brad and I were talking about it the other day when we were digging through old records.”
Charlie frowned. “I can’t imagine anyone giving up part of their land.”
“I hear you; they must have hated to do it. Some people around here still remember the great depression and how hard it was. In many cases, the land was the only asset they had. Times were tough and farms got carved up.�
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Charlie exhaled loudly and he looked down at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just that talking about the depression helps to put things in perspective. Back then people had a lot more to worry about than a missing ring.” She shoved back her hair and met his gaze with clear eyes. “I won’t say I’m not disappointed about today, but at least we tried.” She gave a short, mirthless laugh. “Know what I’m dreading?”
“What?”
“Telling Harm, although I guess he’ll figure it out for himself on Sunday night when Charlotte still can’t see him.” She shook her head slowly, sending one last look along the row of trees. “We gave it our best shot, but I still wonder if I missed something. Can you think of anything else we could have done?”
“Nothing I can think of. Come on, let’s get back.”
Riding back to the farm in silence, Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d let a piece of the puzzle slip through her fingers. As Jason said, they’d run out of ideas but somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind a thought lurked, waiting to be coaxed out into the light. Stubborn to the last, it remained hidden, taunting her with unknown possibilities. She looked up as Jason pulled under the willow beside the duck pond.
“Earth to Charlie.” He waved a hand in front of her face. “Are you in there?”
“I’m just tired,” she said, rubbing the small of her back.
“Do you still want to go to the dance tonight?” He bent his knees to look into her eyes.
“Of course I want to go.” The smile on his face eased the tight knot in her back. “What time should I be ready?”
“Eight o’clock?” Before she could respond he swooped in and planted a quick kiss on her lips.
She steadied herself with a hand against his chest, blisters forgotten. “What was that for?”
“That was for nothing, Wait ‘til you do something!”
“I can hardly wait,” she murmured to herself as the ATV disappeared around the corner of the barn. She looked at her hands and groaned aloud. “But first, I have to fix my fingernails.”
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR it, you know.” Janelle held up a skirt. “But when I saw it in town I thought of you going to the dance tonight. I can take it back if you don’t like it.”
“It’s wonderful.” Charlie sat on her bed, drying her fingernails. “I love the colours.”
“Me too.” Janelle held up the layered skirt, studying it with the eye of an artist. “I like the way the fabric moves, and the way the colours flow together. Sort of like the northern lights. And look...” She dug further into the bag. “I got some sandals to match.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Charlie touched the wispy fabric with her fingertips. “Except thank you.” She slipped the sandals on and danced around the bed. “They’re perfect.” She paused by the dresser and pointed to a pair of antique mother-of-pearl combs. “I found those in Charlotte’s trunk. Would it be okay if I borrowed them? I’d like to wear them in my hair.”
“Of course. As a matter of fact, I’d like you to have them.” Janelle swept back a handful of Charlie’s hair and stuck in one of the combs. “Jason’s going to take one look at you and swoon.”
WHEN SHE CAME DOWNSTAIRS, Jason was in the front room, studying one of Janelle’s sketches. He turned to greet her, blinked a couple of times and then opened his mouth, but no sound came out. A slow smile moved from his lips to his eyes. “You’re beautiful,” he said finally. “You look like a princess.”
“You look fine yourself.” She assessed him boldly. His hair was still damp from the shower and he wore a pale blue shirt, open at the neck. Faded jeans fit him like a second skin, hugging his hips and emphasizing long, muscular legs. A hint of after-shave lingered in the air and Charlie breathed it in, savoring the moment.
“You two have a good time tonight.” Janelle came into the room, fumbling with an earring. Her eyes swept over Charlie’s outfit and she smiled her approval. “See you down at The Trip.”
Jason watched her go but made no move to follow. He crossed the room to Charlotte and took her in his arms. “I’ve been wanting to do this all day” he said, his voice low and husky. This time when he kissed her there was nothing tentative about it; his mouth slanted over hers, leaving her breathless with desire. He pulled back and looked at her. “My life has changed since you walked into it” he said huskily. “I was simply going through the motions before.”
His eyes glittered. Was that love, or was it too soon? Whichever it was, she wasn’t sure if she could handle the answer. “Why Rhett, how you do go on.”
He nodded, seeming to understand her reluctance to be serious. “Shall we go Miss Scarlet?” he led her to his truck. “Your carriage awaits.”
The dance hall looked different tonight and Charlie paused for a moment, wanting to remember every sight and sound. Jason guided her to an empty booth, acknowledging greetings as they passed. He paused at one of the booths to introduce her to a group of people who checked her out with barely disguised interest.
“Haven’t seen much of you recently, Jason. I can see why.”
“I’ve been busy,” he said, his hand firmly on Charlie’s waist. She smiled at his friends, feeling every bit like Cinderella. Even the carousel horses seemed to greet her from their niches on the wall.
“Penny for your thoughts” he said as they slid into the booth.
He put his arm around her and she sighed. “We did that once, remember?”
“Was that us?” he teased. “Seems like two entirely different people from another lifetime.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” She studied the carousel horse beside their booth, afraid to let Jason look into her eyes. For some reason she wasn’t ready to give away her feelings. The music started and she turned back to him.
“Would you like to dance?”
Several couples were already up. It was one thing to practice dancing with Tyler when the hall was empty, but now? Her hand trembled as Jason led her onto the floor.
He linked both arms around her waist and gazed into her eyes, swaying slowly to the music. “We don’t have to do this if you’re nervous. We could wait.”
Charlie felt safe in the circle of his arms. She closed her eyes and recalled Tyler’s words. ‘Feel the music’ he’d said. ‘Let your body move with it, and before you know it you’ll be dancing.’ She gave Jason a tentative smile. “No, I want to try.”
“That’s my girl.”
His words lightened her feet. He placed one hand on her back and held her hand tenderly, careful not to touch the blisters. Before her feet could betray her, she and Jason were dancing together, floating around the room as though they’d been doing it for years. The other couples, the music, the flying carousel horses all faded into the background and they danced together in their own world. He pulled her closer and she tucked her head under his chin, her ear against his chest. With a secret smile on her lips she realized that his heart was pounding just as fast as her own. She couldn’t help but wonder if Charlotte had experienced a magical evening like this. But not even thoughts of Charlotte and the disappointment of not finding the ring could spoil this magical night.
UNSEEN BY THE OTHER dancers, dark eyes watched Charlie’s progress around the dance floor. The dance ended and she looked into the man’s eyes with the same adoration Charlotte used to bestow on him. Had she found any more clues to the ring? The moon was almost full and now that it was so close he wasn’t sure if he could stand another disappointment. Charlie and her escort walked back to the booth and sat close together, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. He fought against the desire to appear before her and ask what had happened. Instead, he contented himself with the thought that soon he would have his answer. With one last look at the couple he dissolved into the darkness.
Chapter Thirteen
“ARE YOU SURE YOU JUST learned how to dance?” Jason brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. “You’re great.”
Charlie cou
ldn’t stop smiling.
“Would you like something to drink? Soft drink, or a glass of wine?”
“A glass of wine would be nice. White, please.” She watched him stride confidently across the room. A pair of girls at a nearby table nudged each other as he walked by and the jolt of jealousy that surged through her body took her by surprise.
Drinks in hand, he paused at the table. “Would you like to go outside?”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t mind a chance to cool down.”
The outside tables were all occupied and they found themselves standing at the railing in the same spot they’d occupied previously. The tiki torches flickered lazily, adding to the already romantic atmosphere.
“This must be our spot,” Jason said, looking out over the dark water. He set his beer down on the rail and turned to her. “Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”
She had no idea what was coming. “I suppose not. I’ll try to answer.”
“I’ve been wondering how long you plan to stay here.” Blue eyes watched her reaction.
She didn’t know what to say. His question was one she’d been asking herself for several days now and she still didn’t know the answer.
“I don’t really know, Jason. I’ve been so wrapped up in this business with Charlotte that I haven’t thought much about myself.”
He nodded. “When you figure it out, will you let me know?” He leaned in and kissed her. “You see, I’ve become rather fond of you, Scarlett.”
He didn’t need to say it; he’d been hurt once by a woman who didn’t like farm life.
“Why Rhett, you’re making me blush.”
He leaned in once again, his lips beside her ear. “I’d like to do more than that,” he said, the desire in his voice unmistakable.
She turned her head and their lips met. His mouth closed over hers with an exquisite softness. She slid her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss, his tongue probing her lips until she opened and let him in. A soft moan clawed its way up from her throat and she pulled back, dazed by the kaleidoscope of sensations that stampeded through her body.
