by Amy Gamet
“Me?” He was incredulous. “I’m the only honest person in town, the only one who doesn’t have some kind of ulterior motive.”
“I had high hopes for you. But any man who thinks my Tori would go whoring around with his brother, doesn’t deserve to have her by his side, anyway.”
Tori came back on the screen and slipped the ribbon off the paper scroll.
Melanie turned to Jed. “Hush now, here we go.”
Tori cleared her throat.
* * *
Pearls glow like moonlight
As if from within
Long prized for their beauty
These baubles have been
Like beacons that show
The way home in the night
Cross slow-moving waters
With far-reaching sight
A fool cannot tell
True treasures from fakes
A wren from an eagle
A pond from a lake
And so it has been
Since the first dawn of time
Not all can see
When love’s genuine
* * *
Jed walked along the winding road, barely distinguishable from the grass in the darkness of night. Melanie had walked with him the first half a mile, until she went in one direction to head toward her mother’s house and he continued on toward Tori’s place.
He didn’t know what he would say to her, he only knew Melanie was right. He needed to ask Tori what happened between her and Gabe, not assume the worst without even confronting her.
Maybe she’s not even home.
“Oh, man,” he mumbled under his breath. “I’m about to make a serious ass out of myself, aren’t I?”
He rounded a bend in the road and the old Victorian came into view. “I love that house,” he said out loud. “Crazy old creaky house. Probably haunted, that house.”
A light burned in a second floor window.
It was late, and he wondered what she was doing. He kept his eyes trained on the window as he walked, looking for a glimpse of her.
The road was steeper now, and his breath came in little pants, making tiny clouds in the late summer air. What did he think he was going to say to her, anyway? Showing up on her doorstep late at night to ask if she was in love with his brother.
“Please don’t be in love with my brother, okay, Tori? You can do that. Mel says you love me. She seems pretty sure of herself, though I swear, that broad could convince a sailor he’s sitting on dry land.”
A movement in the window caught his attention. Tori stood by her work desk in plaid pajamas.
He smiled. “Now you’ve just got to be alone, and we’re all set.”
He crossed the parking lot first, pleased to see it was empty, then walked up the front porch steps and rang the bell.
He heard a window open upstairs. “Who is it?” she yelled down.
“Jed.”
The window closed, and he saw her come downstairs in the dimly lit shop. She opened the door and stepped outside. “I thought you went back to the city.” She smelled like flowers and clean laundry.
“Can we sit?” he asked. They moved to the steps and sat down. “I was going to have lunch with Gabe today before I hit the road, but when I swung by the bed and breakfast to pick him up, I saw the two of you together.”
She raised her chin and crossed her arms, but said nothing.
Jed sighed. “You were hugging, and kissing.”
“One kiss.”
“One kiss, then.” A deep sadness settled in his chest as the silence stretched out between them. She wasn’t denying anything. She wasn’t telling him he had it all wrong, that it was him she really cared for. It felt like his heart had stopped beating.
“Tori, is that all you have to say?”
She shook her head. “No, it isn’t. I kissed your brother on the cheek because he’s dear to me, and he is a good friend. I made love to you because I love you.”
Jed leaned back.
“And you can’t even handle hearing those words, can you? Well, it’s true. I love you, Jed.” She stood up. “But I think you should go. I think you should leave Moon Lake and go back to your life in the city, and forget all about me. Because I want a man who knows that he loves me, who treasures that feeling and screams it from the rooftops for everyone to hear, who knows I could never go after his brother, and who doesn’t need a few drinks to get up the nerve to come knock on my door. And that’s just not you, is it?”
He rubbed his hand over his jaw.
“And it’s never going to be you. Goodnight, Jed. I wish you well. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish my speech for the festival tomorrow.” She turned and walked back into the house, bolting the door behind her.
Chapter 12
“You sent him away?” Melanie said incredulously. “What the heck did you do that for?”
Tori unpacked boxes of angel figurines and set them on the counter. “Because he doesn’t love me.”
“Sure he does, girl, are you blind?”
“I know he feels something for me, but he doesn’t want to feel anything for me. He’d sooner die than say admit it. Does that make sense?”
“You’re splitting hairs.” Melanie shook her head. “When I saw him last night, he was like a little lost puppy dog, wondering if you were interested in his brother.”
“See? Like that. Come on, how could you be around me, have sex with me, and wonder if I have feelings for somebody else? He doesn’t listen to himself. He doesn’t trust our feelings for each other. He’s like a passenger in our relationship, and I’m the driver.”
“There are worse things in life, sweetie.”
“Well, I don’t want to be the driver. I want a partner, not some dead weight I’ve got to drag around behind me.”
“He’s a millionaire entrepreneur, not a cadaver.”
Tori rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m done.”
She hoped she sounded as sure as she wanted to be. She’d stayed awake for hours after Jed stopped by last night, crying into her pillow for the man she’d sent away. It was the right move. It was the only move. But she didn’t have to like it.
She checked her watch. “I’ve got to get going. The festival starts in an hour.”
“Do you think anyone’s found the treasure yet?”
“My spy called an hour ago. Someone found it.”
“Did they say who?”
“A man.”
Melanie popped open a diet soda. “So, that’s it then. It’s over.”
“After my speech and the press conference at the festival, yes.”
Melanie frowned. “I’m really sorry it didn’t go as well as you wanted, sweetie.”
Tori began breaking down the small paperboard boxes. “Some dreams aren’t meant to be, no matter how much you want them to work out.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“Sell the house. Settle up the debts I can manage. I’ll have to finance the rest and find another job.” She looked at her best friend, touched that Melanie had been there through it all. “What about you?”
“Oh, gosh.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry about me, honey. I’ve been taking some horticulture classes online. I think I’d like to work outdoors with the plants and the sunshine.”
“That’s great, Mel. I had no idea.”
“Would you believe, I didn’t want you to feel bad that I wanted out of the jewelry business?”
Tori went over and hugged Melanie. “I love you, Mel.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
* * *
Tori remembered coming to the Grape Festival when she was a child, helping her parents run the booth for the vineyard, handing out cups for tastings and participating in the grape stomping competition that stained her feet a deep purple for days.
It had always been one of her favorite events, and she wondered if her disappointment today would forever taint the festival in her mind.
“Tori, may I join you
?”
She looked up and into the eyes of Rafael. “Of course.”
He sat down next to her. “This festival always reminds me of your father. I miss him very much.”
She smiled. She knew very little about this man, even though he’d been running Crescent Moon for months now, apparently quite well. “Me, too.”
“I think he would be proud of you for what you have accomplished.”
Tori couldn’t help but frown, knowing she hadn’t accomplished nearly enough. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do. No matter what, that man would have been proud of you.” Rafael smiled.
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “I enjoyed playing your treasure hunt. I can’t wait to see who won.”
The mayor of Moon Lake cleared his throat and adjusted the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention for just a moment, I have an announcement to make. As most of you know, Tori Henderson has been running a treasure hunt for a chest of jewels hidden somewhere around our town. I know my wife, for one, has been paying close attention to this one!”
The crowd laughed.
Tori stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to give my speech now.”
“Of course.”
The mayor continued. “All seven riddles and their corresponding locations were just posted around the park, with maps and full explanations of the clues. Now, if you’ll please join me in welcoming Ms. Henderson to the Grape Harvest Festival, we can find out who won the whole shebang!”
Tori took a shaking breath and climbed the gazebo’s steps as the crowd broke into applause. She greeted the mayor, then took his place at the microphone.
“Hello everyone. I’m excited to find out, just like you are, who has won the Hunt for Tori’s Treasures. Hopefully the promise of one last piece of jewelry will be enough to lure him or her out into the open here today.” She withdrew a box from her pocket. “This is a one carat, heart-shaped, chocolate diamond pendant, set in white and rose gold. Will the person who found the treasure please step forward to claim your prize?”
A local band was setup in the square, and the drummer began a drum roll. Moments passed as Tori scanned the crowd, each person seeming to look around with her.
This isn’t happening.
She waited as long as she could, then spoke up again. “Will the person who found the treasure chest please come forward?”
It doesn’t matter if no one shows up.
It’s okay.
Just because you look like a total idiot doesn’t mean anything.
When it was clear no one was going to answer, she frowned. “It looks like our winner is a bit bashful…”
“Wait!” yelled a voice from the crowd, and everyone turned toward the sound. People cleared the way as a tall black man made his way toward the gazebo, the treasure chest in his arms.
“Whew, that was a close one!” said Tori, and the crowd laughed.
The man made his way up the stairs and stood next to Tori. “I’m sorry. I got here as fast as I could.”
“What’s your name?”
“Malik Davis.”
“Congratulations on finding the treasure, Malik!”
“I didn’t.”
Tori shook her head. “What?”
“I didn’t find the treasure. It was given to me. To us,” he stammered. “I’m the director of the Sonnet-Brown house over in Ithaca. We take care of foster children. About an hour ago, I went outside and found the treasure chest on the front porch, along with this note.” He held out a piece of paper. “Read it.”
Tori furrowed her brow as she unfolded the paper. “Dear Mr. Davis, You and the Sonnet-Brown house are shining lights in the darkened lives of the children you help. You are the real treasures. Take these jewels and sell them. Use the money to do what you always do. Make kids happy.”
A collective sigh went up from the crowd, and Tori bit her lip at the wave of emotion that rose up in her. “That’s incredible.” She handed the note back to the man, and pulled out the box with the pendant. “Then this is for you, too. I hope it brings in lots of money for the children.”
The grateful look on his face filled her with happiness. Here, she’d thought her treasure hunt was a failure, and look at the good that had happened because of it. Needy children were going to be helped, and Tori’s heart swelled.
The crowd dispersed and the band began to play some old standards. Tori sat on a bench near the vendors, the smell of fresh-baked grape pie filling her nostrils and a sense of well-being filling her heart.
Her eye caught her mother and Edward strolling hand-in-hand down the aisle, stopping to look at an artist’s paintings. Tori may not have found love of her own, but she couldn’t have been happier that Bonnie had found it with Edward.
Tori knew she’d miss Jed in the days and weeks to come. Maybe even longer. But she also knew she had a beautiful life here in Moon Lake, even without him in it. The thought made her sad.
Melanie sat down next to her on the bench. “I’ve been looking all over for you,” she said.
Tori looked up, her eyes instantly going to the bold filigree earrings dangling from Mel’s ears. Tori cocked her head to the side. “Are those the earrings from the treasure hunt?”
“You tell me.”
“Where did you get them?”
“Someone left them in a little box with a big red bow, right on my doorstep. I almost tripped on it when I was leaving to come here.”
Tori reached up and touched the familiar metalwork. “Can I see?”
Mel removed one and handed it to her. “This is definitely the one from the treasure chest. Did they leave a note?”
Melanie looked away, then back at Tori. “It said, ‘Beauties for the beauty.’”
“Was it signed?”
“No. Stop making such a fuss.”
“You’re blushing.”
“I know. Leave me alone.” Melanie swatted at her. “So, who found the treasure chest?”
Because whoever found it had a crush on Melanie.
“I have no idea. Whoever it was gave the rest of the treasure to the Sonnet-Brown house and told them to sell it.”
“Oh.” Melanie’s face fell. “Well, drat.”
Tori put her arm around her friend. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”
* * *
Jed was focused on getting his car and finally getting out of Moon Lake. He had forgotten all about the festival until he went walking from the bed and breakfast to go pickup his car, and saw all the traffic and commotion.
He crossed the street to avoid the crowd, knowing Tori was somewhere in that park.
They had nothing left to say to each other.
His head was pounding with a raging hangover and the memory of his pathetic attempt to get her back last night. What a fool he’d been, thinking she would welcome him with open arms. He remembered every word she said, and suspected they’d be with him until the day he died.
Because all of it was true. She’d summed him up like a trite little book she’d read and tossed aside in a huff of disappointment.
He crossed the road again a block or so from the car dealership as the last sounds of the festival faded into the background. With every step, his mind replayed his time in this town here with Tori. The sound of the water lapping on the shore. Her sounds of pleasure as she moved beneath him. Her laughter. Her touch.
Jed’s mouth tightened into a straight line. There was no use remembering what he could no longer have, and he worked to turn his thoughts to something else.
“Mr. Trainor.”
His head shot up. The mechanic tossed Jed his keys.
“You shouldn’t have any more problems.” He handed Jed a clipboard and a pen. “I hope you didn’t mind spending an extra night in our sleepy little town.”
Jed shook his head as he signed. “Not at all,” he lied. “But I’ll sure be happy to get home.”
* * *
Jed knew he was dreaming.
That
was the only way he got to see Tori anymore. In his sleep.
Now that he was beginning to wake up, he fought to remain in her arms, snuggled against her body, still warm from their lovemaking.
His alarm began to chime and he closed his eyes tightly against the intrusion. He reached for her, but it was too late, and she disappeared into nothingness.
He opened his eyes and turned off the alarm, swinging his legs off the bed. His eyes went to the window and the dimly lit sky beyond, the first rays of sunshine just beginning to curl around the earth.
This was the worst time of day, even more so than the night. By then his mind was busy with other things, the tedium of life that made it seem like everything was okay. But here in the morning, there was only the memory of Tori, and the gaping hole she’d left in his life when she sent him away.
Shower.
Yes, a shower and a shave. A suit and a tie. Another meeting, another decision to make that didn’t matter. Nothing seemed to matter in the month since he’d returned home. He wasn’t even especially happy when he took control of his company back from Henry and voted him off the board.
Gabe had been the one positive force in Jed’s life since he returned. His brother had been a welcome addition to Trainor Enterprises, surprising Jed by asking for a job when he got back to town. But Gabe’s presence was also a constant reminder to Jed of everything he’d lost by not believing in Tori, and thinking she was still hung up on the other man.
He rubbed soap over his arms and shoulders.
Gabe can run the company, while I go back to Moon Lake.
It wasn’t the first time he thought about it. If he believed for a minute he could win Tori back, he would do it in a heartbeat. But she’d hit the nail on the head when she said he wasn’t capable of love, didn’t know what to do with it when it was freely given to him. And he didn’t have the first idea how to fix that.
He fastened his cufflinks, tied his tie at his neck, pulled on his suit jacket, and stared at himself in the mirror. One minute passed, then two. He pulled at the cuffs of his shirt, his eye catching on the mother-of-pearl inlay, the words of the treasure hunt clue floating back on his memory.
