“And the same number,” Brynn pointed out. “Lillian sent us here to find this box.”
Wyatt nodded, trying to make sense of what was happening. Why would Lillian send them here?
“Should we call her?” Brynn asked.
“Yeah, but after we get to the SUV.” Wyatt could no longer feel his hands. He glanced around. For the first time since they’d come out here, he felt vulnerable. No telling how much the jewelry was worth. It would make them a target.
Once they got in the SUV, Wyatt started the engine and blasted the heater. They’d placed the box on the floorboard, at Brynn’s feet.
“Your poor hands,” Brynn lamented.
Wyatt looked down. His hands were numb and beet red, his nails covered with dirt. He’d wiped them off as best he could, but they’d have to stop where he could clean them with soap and water. He held his hands up to the heater, but it hadn’t warmed up yet. The blasting cold air made it worse.
“Here, let me help.” Before he could protest, Brynn took his hands in hers and brought them to her lips, slowly blowing. The warmth from her seeped into his fingers and feeling returned to his fingertips.
Wyatt was touched by her gesture, and it was dang attractive. “Now your hands are dirty,” he noted.
“No biggie. In my line of work, I’m used to dirty hands.”
“Huh?” He shook his head dubiously. “What do you mean?” Color crept into her cheeks. Was it Wyatt’s imagination or had Brynn suddenly become nervous?
“Never mind,” she shrugged. “It was a bad joke.”
He didn’t get it. Any other time, he might’ve questioned her more, but his mind was on the box of jewelry and what to do about it. Once his fingers were warm and functional, Brynn released his hands. Wyatt backed up and pulled onto the road. A few seconds later, Brynn spoke. “Should we call the number and see if Lillian answers?” She shook her head. “I don’t know why Lillian didn’t just tell us about the box, instead of pretending to have lost her ring.”
“Me either. Both of us thought she was strange though.”
“Yes.” Brynn frowned. “Now she seems even stranger.” She pulled her phone out of her purse and pressed in the number.
“Put it on speaker, so we can both hear it.”
After the third ring, a professional-sounding voice answered. “Hello?”
“Hello,” Brynn replied. “Is this Lillian?”
“No, it is not,” the woman responded briskly.
Brynn shot Wyatt an exasperated look. “Is Lillian there? We found something that belongs to her.”
There was a momentary pause. “Can you describe what you’ve found? For the record,” the woman added when Brynn remained silent.
“Should I tell her?” Brynn whispered, moving the phone away from her mouth.
“Yeah, I’m sure the woman already knows.”
“We found a box filled with jewelry,” Brynn said into the phone.
“Fantastic,” the woman said with gusto.
Wyatt tightened his hold on the steering wheel. This was getting stranger by the minute.
“Is Lillian there?” Brynn pressed, her voice laced with irritation.
“Here are your instructions. Do you have a pen? You’ll need to write down this address.” Brynn huffed out a breath. “We just want to speak to Lillian,” she grumbled.
“All in good time,” the woman said patiently. “Are you ready for the address?”
Brynn retrieved a pen from her purse and held out her hand. “I’m ready.” She began scribbling on her palm. “I don’t have any paper,” she explained to Wyatt.
He grinned, nodding.
“We’ll be waiting for you when you arrive,” the woman said in a crisp, impersonal tone, like a corporate training video, giving instructions. “Congratulations,” she said, a smidgen of warmth entering her voice. “Lillian has been waiting many years for this day.”
“Waiting? I don’t understand. What do you mean?” Brynn asked, but the woman disconnected the call.
Brynn shook her head in disbelief. “What do you make of that?”
Wyatt laughed under his breath. “I’m not sure. It sounds like Lillian set us up though.”
“For what?”
He shrugged. “I guess that’s yet to be determined.” He pulled over to the side of the road and put the address into the Range Rover’s GPS. A second later, they were on their way.
“Do you think it’s safe to go to this place?”
“We’ll drive that way and see what we think. If we get a bad vibe about it, we’ll call the police.” He glanced at Brynn. “Does that sound okay to you?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip. Then she chuckled humorlessly. “I don’t know whether to celebrate finding the box or to be worried.”
Brynn’s comment was spot on. That’s precisely how Wyatt was feeling. He sighed heavily. “I guess we should’ve known we were in for an interesting run when we spent the night at the inn rather than a run-of-the-mill hotel. Who’s grand idea was that anyway?” he asked dryly.
“It’s been great.” A smile tugged at Brynn’s lips. “Even the freak show room.” She tilted her head. “This may be great too. I guess we’ll just have to see how it plays out.”
“Yes,” Wyatt agreed.
Ten minutes later, they were back in the town of Remember. They looked at each other in surprise when they realized the address had led them back to The Magnolia Blossom Inn.
“This is insane,” Brynn laughed. No sooner had they pulled into the driveway than a convoy of vans drove in behind them.
“What the heck!” Wyatt looked in the rearview mirror. “Who are these people?” he muttered, his patience with Lillian’s antics wearing thin.
Brynn’s face tightened as she looked back over her shoulder. The doors of the vans flew open as reporters sprang out, carrying microphones.
“News reporters?” Brynn asked, her eyes radiating concern.
Hard-faced, Wyatt stepped out of the SUV. He came around and opened Brynn’s door. She got out, holding the box. The reporters surrounded them.
A chipper brunette with short, no-nonsense hair shoved a microphone in their faces. “How does it feel to know that you’ve found The Lillian Yates Treasure?”
Wyatt and Brynn just looked at each other, dumfounded.
“Where did you find it?” another reporter asked.
Wyatt straightened to his full height, glaring at the reporters. “We don’t know anything about a treasure. We were helping Lillian find her ring and found this instead.” He motioned to the box as oohs and ahhs rippled through the group.
“The treasure has a reported value of over $450K. Would you mind opening the box, so we can see the contents?” the reporter asked eagerly.
Wyatt’s mind began to spin like a beach ball caught in a hurricane. $450K? Lillian Yates led them right to the box. The question was—why? He glanced at Brynn whose face had gone ashen.
Rapid-fire clicks sounded around them as the reporters snapped pictures.
Seeing Wyatt and Brynn’s confusion, the short-haired brunette launched into a full explanation. “When her husband Howard died of a heart attack, Billionaire Lillian Yates took the jewelry Howard had given her and put it into a box. She buried it in an unknown location somewhere in the Southeast and has been posting vague clues on a blog site. People have been searching in vain for the treasure over the past ten years.” The reporter flashed a cheerful smile. “Lillian claims to have buried the treasure in memory of her husband.”
Understanding registered on Brynn’s face as she turned to Wyatt. “The town’s name.”
“Remember,” Wyatt mused. “Does Lillian Yates own the town of Remember?” he asked the reporter.
She nodded. “Yes, she does … including this inn.”
Wyatt draped an arm around Brynn and pulled her closer to whisper in her ear. “Lillian wanted us to find her treasure near the anniversary of when she and Howard first met.” He bunched his brows. “I wonder why
she picked us.”
Brynn’s eyes softened around the edges. “Because she thinks we’re in love.”
Wyatt felt the familiar zing as their gazes locked. Love was a definite possibility. A goofy grin stretched over his mouth. “This is an interesting turn of events.”
A smile curved Brynn’s lips. “Yes.”
“What’re you going to do with the treasure?” A reporter asked.
That’s all it took for them to get bombarded with questions.
“Where did you find the treasure?”
“Did Lillian Yates tell you where to look?”
“What are your names?”
Wyatt went cold. Crap! His full name would become public. He wasn’t necessarily worried about Brynn hearing it. Just hours from now they’d arrive at his parents’ house and she’d know everything. He felt Brynn tense beside him. Concern washed over him when he saw her distraught expression. “What’s wrong?”
She offered a tight smile. “Nothing. It’s just a lot to take in.”
“Your names please?” the brunette pressed.
It went through Wyatt’s mind that he should give the name he went by professionally. Then again, the reporters would sniff out the truth. “I’m Charles Wyatt Black … Davenport,” he added. “This is Brynn Lockwood.”
A murmur went through the crowd.
Wyatt looked at Brynn whose face was carved with concern. She was probably wondering why he’d tacked on Davenport. Maybe she even recognized the name. A hot shame filled Wyatt. He’d not wanted Brynn to find out about him this way. He’d wanted to break it to her gently when they were alone, explain why he kept his real identity on the down low. Too late for that.
“Are you The Charles Davenport, son of the real estate and medical supply tycoon?”
Brynn gave him a questioning look, to which he only shook his head. He held up his hand, his tone firm. “No further questions.” How many times had he seen his dad do this very thing? Wyatt made a practice of staying out of the limelight. It was easy to do so in New York. He winced inwardly. Well, it might not be so easy from here on out—once this story broke. He was sure Lillian Yates meant well, but she wasn’t Wyatt’s favorite person right now. Her “kind gesture” was going to cause Wyatt a truckload of problems.
“Smile for the camera. You’re about to be the most famous couple in America,” an attractive woman standing in the middle of the group shouted.
Brynn shot him a terrified look. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she protested.
“Too late for that,” Wyatt said, pulling her close and plastering a large smile over his lips. “Being the social butterfly you are, I’m surprised that you’re acting camera shy,” he said under his breath.
“This is different.” She arched an eyebrow, cutting her eyes at him. “Charles Wyatt Davenport.”
“I promise. I’ll explain everything,” he assured her. He placed his hand on the small of Brynn’s back as they turned and walked toward the inn. The reporters followed them like yappy dogs, nipping at their heels and throwing out more questions, which they ignored. When Wyatt and Brynn stepped inside the inn, they found Sam behind the front desk, a gargantuan smile on his face. “Congratulations,” he beamed.
“No reporters allowed inside the inn,” Sam said, his jaw clenching as he eyed the cluster of people who’d come in behind Wyatt and Brynn.
After a moment of grumbling, the reporters left through the door, slamming it shut behind them.
Wyatt and Brynn stepped up to the counter. “Where’s Lillian?” Wyatt demanded.
“She had to leave for Connecticut, but asked me to congratulate you.” Sam grinned. “And, to tell you that she knew from the moment she saw you that you were the ones who were supposed to find the treasure.”
“How kind of her,” Wyatt said tonelessly.
Brynn held out the box. “She’ll want this back.”
Sam shook his head, holding up a hand of refusal. “No, the jewelry is yours to keep.”
“How about the metal detector?” Wyatt asked dryly.
“You can keep that too,” Sam chuckled.
Wyatt turned to Brynn. “Well, should we get on the road?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Sam peered out the front windows. “If I were you, I’d hang out here for a few more minutes until that pack of wolves disperses. Otherwise, they might tail you all the way to Atlanta.”
Wyatt made a face. “How did you know we’re headed to Atlanta?”
“Lillian told me.” He leaned forward, his elbow resting on the top of the counter, his tone conspiratorial. “By the way, I don’t know if you’ve thought of this yet, but had you not gone the extra mile to help Lillian, you never would’ve found the treasure.”
“No good deed goes unpunished,” Wyatt rattled out, then felt a little guilty when Sam’s jaw went slack. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a spoil sport, but this stunt’s gonna cause me a lot of trouble.”
Brynn frowned. “Care to explain that comment?”
“Yeah.” He motioned to the sitting area.
10
Everything was happening so fast that Haven hardly knew what to think. She’d been so consumed with her own situation, fearing what would happen when the news of the treasure reached Brynn, that it took her a second to realize that Wyatt had identified himself with another last name. Charles Wyatt Davenport. She assumed Wyatt’s family was wealthy, but seeing the reporters’ reactions, she gathered it was more than just wealth, but influence as well.
She wasn’t sure how to react to the news that Wyatt had withheld his real name. It seemed like such a small thing compared to what she was doing. Still, she had to act a little put out or else he’d get suspicious. Then again, maybe now was a good time to tell Wyatt her true identity. How could he blame her for coming forward with the truth when he was doing the same?
They were sitting on a couch. Wyatt angled to face her, taking both hands in his. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about myself,” he began.
“Why keep it a secret?”
He let out a breath. “For most of my life, I’ve been defined by my dad. I wasn’t known as Wyatt, but as Charles Davenport, the second. I was just supposed to follow blindly in my dad’s footsteps.” His jaw became rigid. “When my dad deemed me worthy, I was to take over his businesses.” His eyes narrowed. “I wanted to live my own plan, to break the mold and become my own person.”
“You don’t want to take over the businesses?”
“Yeah, eventually. But right now, I want to continue treating patients. I want to build my satellite office in NoHo.” His eyes burned with intensity. “I want to be known for me, not my name.”
“I see. It makes sense.”
He gave her a hopeful look. “You’re not mad?”
She laughed. “How can I be mad at you for wanting to be your own man?”
A relieved smile moved over his lips. “I’m so glad you see it that way.”
She thought of something he’d said. “So, your dad wants you to settle down and take over the companies?”
“Yes.”
“And, bringing me home for Christmas shows him that you’re closer.”
“Yeah,” he said warily.
“Why do you care? You don’t want his businesses right now.”
He laughed uneasily. “You make a good point.” He released her hands and rubbed his neck. “I guess I’m one of those tormented dummies who cares what his parents think.”
Haven smiled. “That’s not a bad thing. I cared what my dad thought of me.” Oh, how she missed her dad. She had to laugh inside, wondering what he would think of the treasure. $450K was more money than Haven had seen in her lifetime. She wondered what they would do with the jewelry. Try to sell it, maybe? Haven didn’t like wearing a lot of jewelry.
A pained look touched Wyatt’s handsome face. “The other reason I wanted you to come home with me was knowing it would be easier to deal with Kat, if I had you with me.”
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“You mean, another girl on your arm.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “Things have changed though.” He gave her a meaningful look. “You and I are in a different place now.”
His words were like a warm blanket she could snuggle into. “Yes.” A smile stretched over her lips. Her next thought sent her heart plummeting through her chest. What would happen when Brynn found out about this? Icy fingers pricked at the base of her skull. Oh! What a tangled web we weave.
Wyatt looked at her with such admiration and tenderness that it caused her insides to melt.
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
Her heart began to pound like it was trying to push through her ribcage. Tell him the truth now, her mind screamed.
“Wyatt,” she began. The word lost air. She sucked in a breath, trying again. “There’s something I need to—”
His phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket.
Haven held her breath, waiting. Was it Brynn? How long would it take for the story to break? How often was Brynn checking the news and social media? Even if Brynn didn’t see it, Demi might. She’d call Brynn, asking about it. Then everything would go haywire.
“It’s my mom,” Wyatt said. “I’d better get it. I told her we’d arrive in the early afternoon. It’s going to be much later now.”
She forced a smile. “Sure, go ahead.”
“Hey, Mom. We got a bit of a late start.” He chuckled. “It’s a strange story. I’ll tell you all about it when we get there. Brynn’s excited to meet you too. She’s sitting here beside me.” He clasped her hand as he spoke. “Yes, I’m sure the famous designer won’t mind giving you a bit of advice.” He moved the phone away from his mouth. “Mom wants you to give her advice on her dress for the Christmas Eve Party.”
“Uh, okay.” Haven’s throat tightened as she swallowed. How could she tell Wyatt now? It could ruin his family’s Christmas. Sure, he’d withheld his last name, but pretending to be a completely different person was something else altogether. Even though Haven had only been with Wyatt for a couple of days, her world was rich and brilliant with him by her side. She loved his confidence, personality, kindness, and consideration. Haven didn’t want to lose him.
The Christmas Bliss Romance Collection Page 9
