Lovebird Café Box Set

by Dylann Crush

  After we discussed her fall crops in the community garden she organized, the conversation lagged. Then Scarlett popped her head out of the kitchen to let us know it was time to eat. I shook off the pain that still pulsed around my cheek and nose. This was nothing compared to some of the hits I’d taken in football. But at least then I’d had a helmet to protect me, and I’d gone into every game expecting to get hit. Being attacked by Scarlett in the bathroom had come as a bit of a surprise.

  “Chicken fried chicken?” Mrs. Cahill passed a platter of something that smelled deep fried and delicious.

  “Thank you.” I held it while Dorothy helped herself to a piece of chicken then dropped a giant chicken breast onto my plate.

  “We’re so glad you could join us tonight,” Mrs. Cahill said. “How’s everything going with the bat search?”

  “Great. Dad confirmed my findings. You’ve got Indiana bats right here in Swallow Springs.” I reached for the mashed potatoes, my mouth already watering.

  “And how’s Rodney?” Mrs. Cahill passed me a basket of rolls followed by a small plate of pats of butter in the shape of flowers.

  “He’s doing well,” Scarlett said. She shot me a smile that seemed to hold equal portions of apology and worry.

  I needed to come clean with her about her son. If she found out I knew that Judd had said something and chose not to tell her…all bets would be off. But I’d promised the kid I wouldn’t say anything and I needed to keep my word. If I wanted any kind of future with Scarlett, Rodney would be part of the package. I’d always avoided dating women with kids for that exact reason, but here I was. And as complicated as things were getting, I liked where I was. Seeing where things might go with Scarlett was worth navigating a relationship with Rodney. I just needed to get him to tell her so I didn’t end up looking like the bad guy.

  “I heard something today.” Mrs. Cahill cast a bit of a nervous glance Scarlett’s way. Her lips pinched and her eyebrows rose. “About Rodney.”

  “What?” Scarlett dropped the roll she’d been about to take back into the basket.

  “Now I don’t want to be speculating or spreading rumors, but I took a little walk this afternoon. It helps with my hip to get my daily exercise, you know.”

  “You’ve got to keep that up,” Dorothy said. “It’s done you a world of good, those daily walks.”

  Dottie patted her sister’s hand then turned back to Scarlett. “Well, as I passed by the church, I heard the good reverend talking to Judd Waite about his son.” She bit her lip.

  Scarlett’s eyes had narrowed. “Which son?”

  “That’s just it, sugar. He said something about his son, Rodney. I knew I must have heard him wrong so I doubled back and took a seat on that bench they put in behind the bushes. You know the one—the little prayer garden?”

  Nodding, Scarlett seemed to hold her breath while she waited for Mrs. Cahill to continue.

  “He said Rodney, clear as can be. Honey”—she reached out and put her hand over Scarlett’s—“is there any truth to that? Is Judd Waite your boy’s dad?”

  The color drained from Scarlett’s face. All except for two red spots that centered on her cheeks.

  “You don’t have to say, sugar. But if there’s anything I can do for you…” Mrs. Cahill gave Scarlett’s arm a squeeze.

  I waited, not sure how best to support her. Then she looked at me, her eyes taking on a glassy sheen like she was about to cry. “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I understand. You just let me know if you need anything.”

  Reaching under the table, I rested my hand on Scarlett’s leg. She glanced over, giving me a shaky smile.

  It was time for someone to talk to Judd. He needed to stop threatening Scarlett. The least he could do was let her handle things on her own time. If he wouldn’t listen to her, maybe he’d listen to me.

  36

  Scarlett

  How could it be Monday morning already? I had a major case of the Monday slumps since Theo left last night. We’d spent most of his three hour drive talking on the phone. I couldn’t remember having so much to say to someone except for Jaylene. The more I got to know him, the further I fell. And I didn’t want to stop.

  He’d been so sweet in spite of me accidentally attacking him in the shower. If I wasn’t already head over heels for the man, the way he offered to stand up to Judd for me would have done it. But I had to fight my own battles.

  With the salon closed today and Rodney off at school, I figured it was as good a time as any to pull out Dad’s map. If I could figure out where the treasure was hidden, I might be able to change my future. Talking with Theo reminded me what it felt like to be excited about something. And having him and Rodney share my enthusiasm for the ice cream shop made me even more eager to see if I could turn that dream into a reality.

  It seemed like months since I’d looked over the map, but in reality I’d spent time poring over it last week. Right before April dropped in unexpectedly (and unwelcome), I’d been trying to figure out which cave the map referred to.

  Perched on the edge of the faded couch cushion, I smoothed the wrinkles out of the map as I unfolded it. The location wasn’t obvious. Landmarks had probably changed and shifted over the years since someone had taken pen to paper and drawn out the map. But the entrance to the cave where Theo found the bats did have some distinguishing features. There was a huge rock formation off to the right of the entrance. The map had a sketch of a pile or something that might signify the rocks. Plus, the creek ran behind the entrance to the cave. The entrance was built into the side of a cliff and the way the map was drawn, I was sure it was the one.

  Theo had promised to come back the following weekend and help me search. I wasn’t brave, or foolish, enough to try to find the treasure on my own. With his experience and my map, surely we’d be able to find what my dad had searched for all of those years.

  Satisfied I’d soon be in possession of some priceless treasure, I turned my attention to the kitchen. If Cassie wanted more hot fudge, I was more than willing to make up a quadruple batch. I might even want to start experimenting with some ice cream flavors. For the first time in a very long time, excitement sparked. Even with the threat of Judd violating my wishes, I still had a lot to look forward to.

  As I began to pull supplies out of the cabinets, someone knocked at the front door. A tiny glimmer of hope that Theo had decided to play hooky this week gave way to confusion as I pulled the door open.

  A man decked out in khaki stood on my front porch. He had a badge on his chest and a patch that read something about Missouri Natural Services or something.

  “Can I help you?” I asked.

  “Are you Scarlett Jarrett?” He held a clipboard in his hands.

  “Yes.” Fear sliced through my chest. Had something happened to Rodney?

  “We got a report you’ve got a colony of hibernating Indiana bats on your property. A parcel of land you own with Dustin Jarrett.”

  “That’s my brother.”

  He nodded. “We tried to contact your brother, but his address lists him in California.”

  “He moved back home last year. What can I do for you?”

  “As you might know, the bats on your land are a protected species. We’ll need to close off that cave you’ve got to make sure they’re not disturbed.”

  “What do you mean ‘close off?’?” The conversation I’d had with Theo floated through my head. He said they wouldn’t do this. That they couldn’t. “It’s private property. You can’t just come in and shut down something on private land, can you?”

  “Fortunately for the bats, we can. Since they’re a protected species, we’ll do what we have to do to make sure their environment isn’t threatened. In most cases like this we put in a bat gate that lets the bats come and go but prevents other disturbances like humans from gaining access. If I can just get a signature from you here…” He held out the clipboard.

  “No.” I crossed my arms over my ches
t. “I don’t want the cave blocked off.”

  “Ms. Jarrett, we don’t necessarily need your permission. It’s easier if you cooperate, but in the case of a threatened species, we have the right to take necessary measures.”

  I shook my head, my mind on the treasure. How was I going to find the treasure in the cave if there was no way in? “When would you do this?”

  “As soon as possible. If you sign here we might be able to get it in place as early as this weekend. It’s imperative we act fast…” He continued to speak but I couldn’t hear him. All I could think about was the treasure. And Theo. He’d lied to me. Why would he lie to me? Maybe the rules were different in Illinois. Maybe he didn’t know that they could come in and block off the cave.

  “I’m going to have to talk to my family about this.” I could stall him, buy some time until Theo and I could go down and find the treasure. “Do you have a card you can leave with me?”

  He dug into his back pocket and produced a business card. I took it without looking. Didn’t matter, I had no intention of calling him or relaying his message to my brother. At least not until Dad’s treasure was safe and sound.

  “Please get back to me as soon as you can.”

  I nodded.

  “Expediency is important.” He gave me a strained smile then headed back to his truck.

  I stood there until he’d backed down the driveway and disappeared from sight. This changed things. This changed everything.

  With my pulse whooshing through my ears, I jerked my phone out of my pocket and pulled up Theo’s number. He didn’t answer. He was probably speaking in front of some elementary school this morning. I’d lost track of where he said he’d be.

  Rodney had practice after school today, which meant I had some free time on my hands. Maybe I could find the treasure myself. Based on the map it didn’t look like it was too far down into the cave. I could be in and out before anyone suspected. Now that I had a good idea on which cave I needed to explore, it should be relatively easy to follow the path.

  I shoved the ingredients I’d pulled out back into the refrigerator and headed into the bedroom, trying to remember the kinds of things Theo had taken into the cave with us. I’d need a headlamp with some extra batteries. And I’d take a change of clothes to keep in the truck, just in case. Probably needed a few bottles of water and a snack in case I had to go farther than I thought.

  The more things I shoved into my backpack, the more prepared and confident I felt. I could do this.

  Five hours later, dirty, hungry, and grumpy, I pulled myself out of the entrance to the cave. I’d tried following the map exactly as it was written, but I hadn’t found a thing. Whoever had drawn the map obviously hadn’t marked down every possible tunnel or path, and I’d spent most of my time following offshoots to dead ends.

  My back hurt, my feet ached, and my head throbbed. At least Rodney wouldn’t be home yet. I had time to run home, shower, and even get something going on the stove before he got home from practice. I reached the truck and peeled off the top layer of clothing. No need to contaminate the interior of my truck. I had just crawled behind the wheel when my phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, how’s your day off going?” Theo asked. His smile literally came through the phone in the sound of his voice.

  “Not so good. I had a visit from one of your friends.” My hands gripped the wheel.

  “What?” His voice lost a little bit of that cheer. “Who came to visit you?”

  “I don’t remember what group he was from, but he said he was going to put in a bat gate. But you promised me I wouldn’t lose access to the caves on my land. Remember that?”

  Theo groaned. “I’m so sorry. My dad must have called them.”

  “So what am I supposed to do now? They’re going to block the entrance. Whatever my dad was trying to find down there will be gone forever.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll fix this. Let me call my dad and sort it out. And we’ll go down there this weekend, okay? We’ll find it together.”

  The thought of going back into that cave alone gave me the heebie jeebies. I’d be more than happy to wait for Theo. “You promise?”

  “Yes. I’ll call my dad and hold them off. We’ll go down Saturday, spend the whole day if we have to, but we’ll find what you’re looking for. I promise.”

  I let out a frustrated breath. “Fine.”

  “Promise me you won’t go in there without me. Now that we know the bats are there, any interference or disturbance by humans could disrupt their hibernation. We need to protect them as best we can.”

  “I promise.” I loosened my grip on the steering wheel and my hands shook. I wasn’t cut out for this. The cave exploration thing was better left to professionals.

  “Hey, I’m really sorry about my dad. He’s just excited about finding the bats. You have no idea what a big deal this is.” Theo’s voice soothed my raw nerve endings.

  “I just can’t let them block off the cave. Not until I have a chance to finally find what my dad was looking for.”

  “I get it. We’ll find it. Okay?”

  “Okay.” My breath came out like a sigh of relief. I wasn’t on my own anymore. I’d found someone I could believe in, who believed in me. We’d handle this. Together.

  37

  Theo

  I hung up with Scarlett and immediately pulled my dad’s number up on the screen. He didn’t answer which was no surprise. Usually he was so engrossed in research that he failed to even hear his phone ring. I left a message for him to call me immediately about the bat gate and tossed my phone on the passenger seat. Scarlett had been pissed, and I didn’t blame her. I’d promised her they wouldn’t come block off the cave. But that was before I knew her. I would have promised her anything back then just to have the chance to get down there and see if there were bats.

  I’d screwed up. Of course they’d put a gate in to prevent disturbance of the bats. It was standard protocol and necessary to protect the population. But if I wanted to keep things going with Scarlett I’d have to find a way to help her get in there and grab whatever her dad thought was hidden before it was too late.

  It would take time to create a plan for the bat gate. There were only a few people certified to do a proper installation. And they’d have to make arrangements for funding. The tightness in my chest began to dissipate. Scarlett would get her treasure. I’d get my acknowledgment. We’d both come out of this with exactly what we wanted. And maybe we’d end up with a little extra. Finding Scarlett had been an unexpected bonus. The icing on the cake. The cherry on top. I wasn’t going to risk losing that.

  Maybe someone else in the office could help me out. Lewis. He knew everything that went on, even the stuff nobody cared about. I pulled up his number and dialed.

  “Theo, my man. How’s life in the backwoods of Tennessee?”

  “I’m in Kentucky this week.”

  “That’s right.” He chuckled. “It’s hard to keep track, isn’t it?”

  “Sometimes. You remember what a pain in the butt it was to be on the road all the time, don’t you?”

  “Sure do. What do you need?”

  Lewis was about as close of a friend as I had at the office. But I didn’t want to make him suspicious. I had to move forward with care so he wouldn’t sound the alarm at work and get the team bent out of shape.

  “I was wondering if you had any updates on the bat gate for that cave in Missouri. The landowner was curious and I told her I’d look into it.”

  “Mmm hmm.” I could picture the knowing smirk that probably spread across his mouth right now. “You mean the hot chick wants to know how much longer she’ll have to put up with you coming around?”

  “Right.” More like the hot chick might dismember me if I didn’t come through for her. But Lewis didn’t need to know that.

  “Lucky for her your dad hired a guy full-time on the team who’s certified to install the bat gates for us. We don’t have to mess around with finding
a local. Should cut the time significantly.”

  “Great,” I said. What I meant was more like no fucking way. Of course my dad would find a way to be more efficient. But he still had to jump through the proper hoops. There was no way he’d be able to get something installed before I got back.

  “Yeah. I had a report from the local agency they tried to get permission from the landowner today. She wasn’t very agreeable.”

  Thanks to my chat with Scarlett, I already knew that. But it sounded like we’d have the time we’d need. Even with someone on the team, it would still take a few weeks to push the paperwork through.

  “Thanks for the update. I’ve got to go. I’m about to head into another meeting.”

  “I don’t envy you, my friend,” Lewis said. “Good luck out there. Should I tell your dad you called?”

  “That’s okay, I left him a message.” No need to bring attention to the fact that I was scrounging around for info. That would only make Dad nervous. And a nervous scientist wasn’t a good problem to have.

  “Alrighty then. Have a good week.”

  “You, too.” I clicked the phone off. Lewis wouldn’t know it, but he’d just set my mind at ease.

  38

  Scarlett

  By the time Rodney got home I’d showered, scrubbed the grime off of my skin, and started a huge pot of spaghetti and meatballs—his favorite. With the threat of Judd wanting to expose my fifteen-year secret, it was time to talk. I’d decided that, as hard as it would be, I needed to be the one to come clean. Otherwise Rodney might find out on his own and hold it against me forever.