The drive back to Granite Lake took longer than the normal two and a half hours. At the late hour, there hadn’t been much traffic, but a storm coupled with low visibility slowed her down. After the stress from work, her ruined bathroom, and the long drive, Treasure was mentally and emotionally exhausted by the time she arrived. She spread blankets on the couch, tucked a pillow under her head and fell asleep.
Eight
WHEN MORNING arrived, Treasure pried herself off the sagging, lumpy couch and scowled at the room. She picked up her phone from the coffee table and saw it was approaching eleven in the morning. Her frown deepened. For someone who normally went to bed around nine in the morning, eleven a.m. was unjust torture. It didn’t matter that she’d fallen asleep relatively early. Her internal clock believed it was the middle of the night.
Treasure had too much to do and made herself stay awake. The phone call to human resources went somewhat better than expected. Treasure made an official statement regarding Court. The disgust and anger rose like a fire-breathing dragon as she recounted the events, but she managed to persevere through the phone call. The woman in HR believed her side of the story and informed her Court would receive the same suspension she had. Unfortunately, her time off from work would remain until a decision was made. There could be a hearing if the head of HR wanted one, but the decision would be on hold until she returned from vacation. Treasure hung up and rose from the couch to make coffee. She made it halfway across the room, then turned around and went back to her makeshift bed. A nap would be a much better use of her time.
Hours later, Treasure sat at the public library, siphoning high-speed internet through her laptop. Her research proved to be potentially very profitable. The box of motorcycle badges she found in the shop would pay her rent in Reno for a couple months. If she sold them. The motorcycle forums and enthusiast groups had pages of people searching for specialized parts. Ideas swirled through her head, but her business-minded thoughts needed to be refined and organized. An online store seemed to be the best way to deal with the motorcycle parts she owned, but there were steps to take if she were to do things right. Sitting at the library, which was about to close for the evening, wasn’t the place to figure it out.
Her phone buzzed and she read a text message from Bodie. Call me tonight if you have time before your shift.
She needed to tell him about being on forced leave. And he had to finish telling her why he quit being a paramedic. Did it mean he wouldn’t be coming back at all? She had so many questions. There hadn’t been a spare minute to talk to him since she returned to Reno and then back to Granite Lake. Everything she relied on in life to keep her life in balance had shifted in such a short amount of time.
Treasure left the library and climbed into Bodie’s borrowed Jeep. She dialed his number and waited to hear his voice.
“That was fast.”
“I’m not working tonight,” she said.
“Something happen?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you still have a job?” he asked, his voice low with concern.
“I’m not sure,” she said, staring across the street from the library parking lot at her old elementary school.
“Sounds like we both have a lot to tell each other. Can I see you?”
“I’m back in Granite Lake. Where are you?” she asked with a measured amount of surprise that Bodie was free to come see her. “Are you finished with your training?”
“I have all my new certifications and I’m done. I’m in Redwood Valley, staying with my family.”
“You’re only an hour from here,” she said, feeling her heart pitter-patter with excitement.
“I saw that on my GPS. You’re a lot closer than Reno.”
“Want to meet up for a beer? I still have to prove how gross your bitter brew is compared to my more refined palate.”
She thought she heard a small chuckle.
“I do, and I bet I can find a pale ale you’ll love and beg for.”
“You think I’ll actually beg for it?”
“I know you will,” he said.
She inserted a private insinuation into his words and licked her lips. God, she longed to lay her eyes on him again. It’d been months and she needed to know if a spark still burned between them or if they would remain just friends.
“The thing is, I can’t come yet. My family made all these plans and I’m expected to be there. I have to go to dinner with my mom tonight. How’s tomorrow night for you?”
“I don’t know. I’m waiting to hear back from human resources. I may be back on shift tomorrow.” A thought occurred to her. “Are you free right now?”
“Yeah, until eight.”
“Can I meet you somewhere in town? We have,” She stared at the clock on the dash. “A few hours.”
“Meet me at Peak 10. It’s a bar in downtown Redwood Valley. You can’t miss it.”
“You don’t mind getting together on such short notice?” she asked.
“Treasure, I can’t wait to see you.”
Treasure hurried to the apartment, braided her unruly hair, threw on a little makeup, worried too much about her appearance, and jumped back into the Jeep. His final words played on repeat. He sounded a bit off from his normal good-natured self. What could it mean? Was he all right? There were too many unknowns. She found herself dissecting every one of them. Is this what it’s like to care about someone? If so, she wasn’t sure she could handle it.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, she drove into downtown Redwood Valley. The town sat at the base of Peak 10 for which the restaurant and bar were named. She glanced at the small ski area on the side of the mountain after she found a parking spot. Redwood Valley was larger than Granite Lake and catered to more tourists because of the skiing and the proximity to the interstate, but her hometown had the lake, and consequently, its own charms. She didn’t know Bodie’s family lived so close to the town she grew up in. It made her wonder what else she didn’t know about him.
Even in the spring off-season, the bar and restaurant bustled with a lively crowd of customers. She found him sitting at a table and all the extraneous sounds and movements faded into the background. Her heart began to pound against her ribs. Nervousness competed with elation and sent her blood racing. Bodie managed to become even hotter than he was a few months earlier. Wilderness training toned his physique and gave him an edge that hadn’t existed before. He had not shaved for a day or two, and the stubble had a measurable effect on her libido.
He stepped forward and wrapped Treasure in a warm embrace. She wanted to melt into him and stay there.
“You’re not on your bike.”
She gazed up at him. He hadn’t released her and she was glad. “How’d you know?”
“No leather.”
She smiled and backed out of his arms with regret. “I’m still driving your Jeep. There was a storm last night. I guess I’m getting soft in my old age.”
His eyes roved over her and she relished the heat that rose to her cheeks with his glance.
“Yeah, right,” he said doubtfully.
Treasure draped her jean jacket over the back of the chair and they took their seats at a high top bar table. She sat close enough to hear him in the noisy bar, but also so their knees touched.
“You look incredible,” he said.
She dropped her gaze to hide the pleasure of the simple compliment. Her nerves refused to settle down. This coy maneuver wasn’t an act, but she realized how she must look, and glanced up.
“You’re not too shabby looking, either. Living off the grid must have been hard work.” She poked his bicep and flashed an appreciative smile.
He glanced at his bulging muscles and shook his head. “It was grueling. You would have loved it. Rescuing dummies from cliff sides and jumping out of helicopters. Seriously, it would have been right up your alley.”
He was damn sexy, but never acted like he knew it. The strength in his jaw, those pronounced cheekbones, straight nose, combin
ed with his luscious lips were tantalizing in every hormonal way. But when his single dimple twinkled at her from his right cheek, she nearly lost control.
“You must have forgotten what a wuss I am. Search and Rescue is all your department.”
“Right, because driving vintage motorcycles at a hundred miles an hour in the desert isn’t thrilling at all. You don’t fool me, Treasure Hope. You could train with us and hold your own.”
“Not hardly,” she said.
A waiter appeared and asked them what they’d like to drink.
Bodie said, “Can we have a taster tray?”
“Absolutely,” he said with the enthusiasm of someone working hard for his tip. “If you would like, we have guest brews on tap to add to your flight. It’s optional, so you have a choice of seven or ten tasters.”
Bodie checked in with Treasure. “Will you share a taster tray with me?”
She nodded and looked forward to trying new beers.
“We’ll take all ten,” Bodie said.
“Can we have some water, too?”
“Of course,” the waiter said.
Treasure caught Bodie up on the happenings in her life. It made for awful conversation, but he acted like he genuinely wanted to know. The beer arrived in ten four ounce glasses and a laminated card describing each of the microbrews. They started tasting from light to dark. Treasure told Bodie the Imperial IPA was all his, but he made her sip it anyway. As expected, Treasure scrunched up her face and waited for the bitter flavor to wear off. She followed with a gulp of water.
“Bleh. Still my least favorite,” she said.
Bodie took the Imperial India pale ale from the table and swallowed it, smiling behind the glass as he did so. They ordered fresh stuffed pretzels with dipping sauces, and worked through a few more microbrews as they waited for the appetizer to arrive.
“And you quit your job because of why?” she asked after telling him about her suspension. Treasure neglected to share the detail of what happened with Court. The situation embarrassed her. She didn’t want to upset Bodie more than he already was when she said the new blowhole accused her of false accusations.
Bodie rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “I don’t want to live in Reno anymore. My dad and brothers want me to go into business with them.”
“What about your search and rescue training? Aren’t you a certified incident commander now?”
“I can join search and rescue anywhere. When there’s a national emergency, I’ll go to it. Basically, I can live and work anywhere I choose.” Bodie picked up the maple nut porter and drank half of the taster in one gulp. “My family wants me to start a new business with them. It’s an interesting prospect with potential. I’m considering joining them.”
It smelled like another but. “But?” she asked when he didn’t elaborate. Treasure hung onto the Belgian style apricot lambic like it was a carbonated fruit infused life raft. “What business are they starting?”
“I’m doing research for them right now,” he said.
“They want to start a restaurant?”
“A brewpub. We’re considering Redwood Valley as a prime location.”
Treasure absorbed the information. “What part will you play as a brewery owner?”
“I have a business degree. After college, I couldn’t see myself wearing a tie all day or being stuck behind a desk, so I went back to school for my paramedic certification and you know the rest. I can’t be tied down to an office. It’s not in me. Rob, Shane, and my father want me to help on the business side of it. They need me to balance the spending and help them invest wisely. That sort of thing.”
“Let me guess, you’d rather be their official product tester and assistant brew master than the paper pusher.”
He smiled, his dimple twinkling at her. Treasure’s thighs tingled with pleasure as he began to lighten up a little. They had both been in such a somber and serious mood. It hadn’t been the reunion she’d dreamt about, but they both had a lot on their minds, and a lot going on in their lives.
“I need to weigh all the options. I haven’t turned them down, or agreed to go into business with them. It’s all a mute point right now until they find the right location.”
“Anything look promising in Redwood?”
“Not really,” he said, shaking his head. “My parents recently bought their retirement home near here, but they’re looking in all the surrounding areas. Peak 10 is popular and well established. We’d be their direct competition. I’m not certain this town is right for us, but I think we could hold our own if this is where we end up.”
“It sounds as if you’re already a part of it.”
One side of his mouth lifted in an uncertain smile. “Could be.”
They dipped soft pretzels in various cheese and mustard dips and finished their beers. Bodie checked his watch. Their time together was coming to an end.
He dug money out of his wallet and Treasure said, “What’s my share?” She reached for her own wallet.
“You don’t have a share. I’m buying.”
“Can I leave the tip?”
“I got it.” Bodie placed some bills with the check and found his feet. “Let’s walk off some beer. I’ll show you the possible location for the new pub.”
She slid off her chair. “Do you have time?”
“For you, yeah.”
He guided her out the door, keeping his hand on her lower back. Warmth seeped through her clothes and sent ripples of pleasure up and down her spine. How could his innocent touch create so much sensation?
Downtown Redwood Valley had settled down considerably since Treasure walked into Peak 10. A few cars trawled down the main avenue through town and the foot traffic had pretty much disappeared. Bodie took her hand and led them down the sidewalk.
“Are we still friends after Christmas break?” she asked because she wanted to hear his thoughts after sleeping together. Yes, they’d spent many hours texting and flirting on the phone, but did it mean anything more to him than just having fun?
Bodie knew about some of her past dating habits. Treasure dated men until she became bored with them and never committed to any single person. She never told anyone about her failed relationship with Andrew. She longed to tell Bodie how she felt. The urge to confess how she wanted to try dating sat on the tip of her tongue. Real conversations with spilled truths and actual feelings were uncharted territory. The foreign landscape made her uneasy and awkward. What if she scared him away? If he turned her down, it would ruin their friendship. In many ways, Bodie was her best friend. She spent more time with him as previous work partners and over the phone than anyone else in her life. Should she tell him? Did she want to risk it?
“What do you think?” he asked. His fingers squeezed hers reassuringly.
Bodie watched her closely and she relaxed a bit.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She trained her gaze on the far distance. “I don’t want to think about anything. I want to pretend my life doesn’t royally suck right now.”
“Okay. Then forget about it. Tonight you can forget about all of it.”
Her brows quirked with mild surprise. “I thought you were more responsible than that, Bodie. Have you had a turning point in your life? Are you joining me on the dark side?”
“I might be.” He took a breath and they stopped walking. “You must be corrupting me. Or I’ve realized that sometimes we have to take a break from everything and say to hell with it, and everyone out there who expects me to be there for them and always do what they need me to do.”
He was unspecific, but laying his heart on the line for her to inspect. What was going on with him? Treasure wasn’t used to Bodie acting serious and tangled in his own thoughts. “You know you can tell me anything,” she said, sensing he was referring to more than starting a brewpub with his brothers.
“Something unexpected has come up. It’s the reason I haven’t been able to come see you until tonight. And, I’ve reached the point where I don’t wan
t to talk about it. It’ll make me angry again. I don’t want to be angry. Tomorrow I’ll go back to dealing with my family and the other… situation.”
“We need the night off from our lives,” she said. In truth, she didn’t feel as miserable since seeing Bodie. The stress and problems still existed, but having him here was exactly what she wished for. She decided now wasn’t the time to share her feelings.
“This is it.” Bodie inclined his head toward the vacant building. “There’s not enough square footage for a pub and the brewing equipment, but it’s a prime location on the main drag through town.”
“Does that mean you’ll have to lease or buy a second building to make the beer?”
“Yeah. Rob and Shane know more about the equipment than I do, but in my opinion, this place is too small and renting an additional space will eat away the profits.”
Treasure leaned toward the glass and peered inside the darkened windows of the storefront. “It’s exciting. Working for yourself means you can set your own hours. Plus, you can take off when you need to for search and rescue. I’m sure you can volunteer as a paramedic for any local EMS service.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing. It could work.” Bodie reached out and took her hand again. “Come on. You need to burn off more beer before I’ll let you drive.”
“Aren’t you thoughtful,” she teased and loved the way her hand felt in his. They crossed the street to a small city park in the middle of the historic downtown. Lofty trees with spring blossoms surrounded the park. A gazebo dominated the center of the park and a small bandstand resided on the far side. Gardens and walkways could be seen in the dim amber light filtering from the street. She thought the park must be beautiful in the daylight when the colors of the forsythia and cherry blossoms could be seen clearly. Even at night, the soft white, pink, and yellow spring blooms were lovely.
He led her around the park and they talked about the best and worst parts of Wilderness School. Their footsteps slowed as they approached the backside of the gazebo.
Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance Page 7
