by Dana Mentink
She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek. “Oh, Victor,” she breathed. “I can’t believe you’re saying this.”
“I can’t either, but if I don’t I know I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life.”
Her eyes clouded. “But if my father had been guilty…”
“If your father had been guilty, I would feel exactly the same about you. I knew it the moment I nearly lost you in the flood. I didn’t want to believe that it was love, especially not for you.”
She looked down and he reached a finger under her chin and gently brought her gaze to his.
“I’m not asking you to give up anything to fit me into your life. I just want to know that you might feel the same way someday. I have to know if there’s the possibility of a future with you.”
She began to cry.
“Please, Brooke,” he said, pressing kisses onto her tear-streaked face. “Please, tell me we can build a life together. Just try, that’s all I’m asking.”
“But I might…” She began to shudder.
“You might what?”
“I might…have the disease my father has.” It came out a whisper, and in it he heard the fear that she’d kept inside for so long.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does,” she said, pulling away and turning from him. “My mind could get jumbled like my father’s. It’s a genetic flaw. Maybe someday—” she began to cry in earnest “—maybe someday I won’t even know who you are.”
He could feel the pain radiating out of her and he clasped her hand as if he could siphon some of it away. “You’ll always know who I am.”
“How do you know that?”
He cocked his head. “Someone once told me that faith is believing when you can see all around you the reasons to doubt.”
She wiped her face with her sleeve. “That was some pretty smart stuff.”
“From a pretty smart lady.”
She looked away. “I’ve booked a flight.”
“Cancel it,” he said, grabbing her hand.
“I have to find a job.”
He would not let her pull away. “I’ll help.”
She shook her head. “The press will hound my family.”
“I’ll scare them off,” he said, drawing her closer until he pulled her to his chest, pressing his lips to her cheek, her forehead, her temples. “Tell me you could love me.”
She sighed, a deep ragged sound. “I’ll tell you the truth, Victor.”
He saw a sparkle of tears in her eyes and his heart pounded against his ribs.
“The truth is,” she said, blue eyes luminous, “I already do.”
Joy surged inside him at a level he’d never thought possible as he molded his mouth to hers. Her love traveled through his lips into his soul, lighting a flame there that he knew he would treasure until his dying day.
A sound from the window drew their attention.
Luca and Stephanie crowded into the open second-floor window, smiling.
“About time,” Luca said. “Big brother’s finally found his treasure.”
“Yes, he has,” Victor said with a laugh, pulling Brooke to him for another kiss.
* * * * *
Dear Reader,
I’ve been a treasure seeker all my life. When I was little, I was convinced that the bits of colored glass and feathers I collected were precious and I hoarded them in secret drawers and boxes. Later, I decided frogs were the thing, and I’ve amassed a collection of stone, porcelain, glass and wooden frogs. I even have one made out of sand! As I’ve gotten older and my little children are not so little anymore, my idea of treasure has changed. Now it’s the rickety handcrafted ornaments from kindergarten and the pictures drawn with chubby crayons that I value. Each captures a moment gone by, a love memory that is as intangible as it is profound.
There are surely a lot of worldly treasures to pursue, aren’t there? The new car. The bigger house, the better job, an amazing vacation. Funny how none of these treasures could replace one happy moment with my children or a fond memory of time spent with my husband, sisters or parents. Our treasures truly are the things of the heart, the people that God has blessed us with for a season, aren’t they? I hope and pray that I can truly value those kinds of treasures here on earth, which are surely just a small taste of the Heavenly wealth God has in store for each and every one of us.
I am so pleased that you spent time with this book, the first of the Treasure Seekers series. I would love to hear from you via my website at www.danamentink.com. There’s an address there if you prefer to correspond by letter. God bless.
Sincerely,
Dana Mentink
Questions for Discussion
Brooke is a person who lost her dream of becoming a dancer. Have you experienced the loss of a particular dream or aspiration? What helped you cope with the loss and move on?
Victor Gage is from a wealthy family. Since profit is not his primary motivation, why does he passionately pursue treasure hunting?
Stephanie is described as fearless. Do you know anyone who comes across that way? How did they come by such a quality?
Colda orders grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and black coffee every day. What does this repetitive habit tell you about his character? What repetitive habits do you have and what do they reveal about you?
Tad has Fragile X Syndrome. What has your experience been with the mentally challenged? What direction can we find in the Bible to guide us in this area?
Victor asks Brooke if she’s afraid God isn’t listening. Are there times in our lives when we feel this way? What is the antidote for spiritual silence?
Victor carries the names of the three patients who die without apparent cause. Why do you think he clings so tightly to those three cases? Can you draw any parallels to your own life?
“It’s just a painting,” Brooke says of the Tarkenton. What material objects do we prize above all others? What are some Biblical comments on worldly wealth?
Tuney has a shady past. What is your opinion of him at the end of the novel?
What do you think of Brooke’s threat to destroy the Tarkenton? What action would you have taken in her place?
Victor sees the world in black and white. Do you know people who are similar? What is the strength of such a life view? The weakness?
What do you think will happen to Victor’s faith journey after the adventure is over? What makes you think so?
In our society, people spend their lives pursuing various worldly riches. What things do people seek instead of Godly treasures?
Brooke decides to donate the Tarkenton to the museum. Would you make the same decision? Why or why not?
What kind of adventures lie ahead for the Treasure Seekers?
ISBN: 9781459227910
Copyright © 2012 by Dana Mentink
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Dear Reader
Questions for Discussion
