She was so conflicted. Part of the reason why she’d agreed to come back to Treasure Harbor was because in her heart of hearts she’d wanted to believe that her series could be impactful. She had aspired to write about the treasure from a Christian perspective. Not everyone would be open to her message, but with themes of redemption and forgiveness and love, perhaps she would open hearts and minds.
So far, that hadn’t happened. She’d received a few emails after her first article, most of them criticizing her for question the quest for riches, while others had made mention of her last name and suggesting a bias on her part. It felt crushing. And it made her wonder if she’d made the wrong decision in coming back to her hometown.
Just after lunchtime, Ryan showed up at her bungalow. Although her heart leaped at the sight of him, another part of her dreaded seeing him.
He stood in the doorway, a perturbed expression stamped on his face. “So, are you upset with me about something? You took off the other day from the beach and you haven’t returned any of my calls.”
She waved him inside the bungalow. “I’m not angry, Ryan. The scene at the beach was awful.” She shivered. “It’s the worst aspects of humanity…greed, lust, inhumanity to your fellow man.”
“It wasn’t pretty, but I’m happy to report that everything settled down once it was established that no one had found the treasure. People just got a little overly excited.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” she said.
Ryan let out a sigh that came across to Lara as frustration. “I can hear the salty tone in your voice, but most of those people are God-fearing, decent folks.” He shook his head. “Some of them are out of work or looking for something to fill a void in their lives. We shouldn’t judge.”
“God? Ryan, He has nothing to do with this quest for riches. And I’m trying not to judge as you say, but seeing people bloodied and shoved and scrapping is unacceptable. I can’t pretend that it’s not.”
“Lara. I know that this treasure can bring out the worst in people, but I’m worried that you think it’s going to bring out the worst in me. I can still be a man of faith and aspire to find the treasure. They’re not mutually exclusive.”
Lara shook her head. “Is that what you’re telling yourself? Because if you think you’re going to walk away from this with no bruises, you’re kidding yourself.” she blurted out. “This search for the treasure ruined my childhood. It consumed my parents. It led me straight out of Treasure Harbor. It did major damage to my family.”
“I’m very sorry about that, but you can’t assume it will affect everyone the same way.” Ryan clenched his jaw. “You’re assuming that the treasure will corrupt anyone who finds it.”
“Look back in history, Ryan. Camilla Callahan died tragically because of a family feud. Drake Burton became a notorious pirate and looted the Callahan treasure all in the pursuit of vengeance. Then he dies in a shipwreck after looting the Callahan coffers. Things of this nature never go smoothly, especially with so many people laying claim to it. What happens if your family finds it and my family wants to legally challenge ownership? Or vice versa. Where does that leave us?”
“It won’t change a thing between us, Lara. What are you so afraid of?”
Lara let out a ragged sigh. She bowed her head and began to twiddle her fingers. “For me, the treasure is tied up with a lot of painful memories, so I’m not sure I’ll ever look at it the same way as you do.” She couldn’t help the way she felt. Perhaps Ryan couldn’t either.
Ryan frowned at her. “Painful in what way?”
Dear Lord. How can I make Ryan understand? Do I even want to dredge up these hurtful memories? Please help me show him that this quest for the treasure might come at a terrible price.
“My parents were obsessed with finding it. It became the most important thing in their lives. Way more important than Avery and me.”
“Nah. That’s probably just how you perceived it at the time. Through a child’s eyes,” Ryan said. “I’m sure they loved you more than anything else.”
Lara felt her cheeks getting warm. Her limbs trembled and she bowed her head down. He didn’t understand.
“We went through some really rough times as a family,” she blurted out.
Ryan reached out and gripped her hand tightly. “Is it something you can talk about? I hate seeing you so upset.”
Lara swung her gaze toward him. She could see compassion radiating in the depths of his warm brown eyes. Even though it was like resurrecting old hurts, Lara knew she could trust Ryan with her wounds. She trusted him.
“The treasure consumed my parents, Ryan. And I don’t mean in a good way where they were simply fascinated by it. They spent money we didn’t have on chasing it down. Our family suffered because of that single-minded pursuit of riches.” Lara shuddered. “There was one day that will always stay with me, no matter how old I am or where my life takes me. Avery and I came home to school to find a big notice on the front door of the family home. Even though we were in grade school, we knew what those words meant. Foreclosure. It was the single scariest moment of our lives. My parents nearly split up in the aftermath. By some miracle, they managed to scrape some money together and save the house, but Avery and I were scared by all the fights and the yelling and the knowledge that we might have to pack up all of our belongings and leave our home.”
Lara felt Ryan’s fingers trailing through the long strands of her hair. She closed her eyes, welcoming his tender touch.
“I’m so sorry you had to endure such tough times. That must have been terrifying as a small child.” Ryan’s voice was soothing and full of tenderness.
“You have no idea. I love my parents, Ryan, but Avery and I saw things we never should have seen. The dysfunction between our parents made our house a very fragile place to live in. It shapes who you are. It makes you feel as if life isn’t stable. I think it’s part of the reason why I’ve resisted getting serious with anyone. I never want to be in that place where love turns sour like that.”
“But they’re still together, right?” Ryan asked. “Somehow they made it work. That says something powerful about their love.”
“What I can say is that faith kept our family from completely falling apart. They were on the brink of divorce when they reconciled. I think it finally dawned on them that they were going to lose the very foundation on which our family was standing. And they turned things around by getting back to basics. Instead of clinging to the treasure they clung to God and the vows they’d exchanged. They spent a lot of time trying to make it up to us.”
“And did they?”
Lara nodded. She hoped that Ryan didn’t think she was bashing her parents, but it was important for her to be truthful. “To an extent. But some things can’t ever be erased. I still carry those memories around with me of a chaotic childhood. Those scars are permanently embedded on my heart.” She let out a tutting sound. “And for what? The pursuit of an elusive dream?”
Ryan knit his brows together. “Something tells me you’re trying to send me a message. About us.”
“Maybe I am. Here’s the thing, Ryan. I decided a long time ago that the treasure wasn’t going to rule my life. It’s the reason why I left Treasure Harbor. I ran away from here because I couldn’t bear to live in a world that revolved around something so destructive. It’s mercenary. And the desire to lay your hands on it is insidious. The lust for this treasure is all-consuming. It isn’t something I could ever aspire to.”
“The treasure is inanimate. It’s not the treasure that destroys. It’s people who get carried away with it and make it this all-consuming thing.” He shook his head. “That’s not me. It could never be me.”
“You say that now,” Lara said in a voice tinged with sadness. “But I saw through my own eyes how things spiral out of control. My parents were not the type of people who were prone to obsessions, yet they fell right over the edge.”
Ryan jumped up from his seated position. “Have faith in me, Lara. That�
��s all I’m asking you to do.”
Tears slid from Lara’s eyes. She brushed them away from her cheeks. “Don’t you see? I can’t, Ryan. How can I believe in something that is tied up in something that frightens me? I just don’t think it would work.”
“You mean we wouldn’t work?” Ryan asked, his voice laced with pain and shock.
“Maybe we should just cool things down a bit.” She nodded her head. “I live in Philly. That’s a long distance relationship that I’m not sure would even work. Then if we add in the fact that we’re on opposite sides of this quest for treasure it doesn’t add up to a very good outlook. Not to mention the fact that I came here to chase a story, not to get involved with someone.”
“I’m waiting for you to say we can still be friends. Isn’t that the usual brush off line?” He made a strangled sound. “You’re not even giving this a chance, are you?”
Lara stood up and reached for Ryan’s arm. He shrugged her off.
“So it’s your way or the highway?” he asked, clenching his teeth. “In order to be with you I have to say goodbye to the hunt for the treasure. A classic ultimatum. And you don’t even see the irony that you’re making a living writing about it.”
“My articles on the treasure are from a third party point of view. I’m not invested in the outcome. I’m not asking you to give anything up.” She heard the hard edge to her voice and hated herself for it. But she felt like a drowning person in need of a life preserver.
Ryan met her gaze, his blue eyes sparking with anger. “Aren’t you though?” He walked away from her, his strides full of fury. Before she knew it he had slammed the door and let the bungalow.
Lara raised a hand to her mouth. She’d made a mess of everything. She had tried her best to be honest with Ryan, and when he’d pushed back it had set off all of her alarm buttons. The truth was she could never be completely impartial about the treasure. And perhaps she was taking it all out on Ryan judging by their volatile conversation. The past had reached into the present and placed her in a chokehold.
Although a part of her wanted to run outside and flag down his car, another part of her knew that a wide divide separated them. She trembled at the idea that Ryan was walking out of her life.
**
Ryan couldn’t wrap his head around how quickly things had disintegrated between him and Lara. He hadn’t been personally responsible for the mayhem at Bounty beach. Why was she taking everything out on him? He wanted to kick himself for being such an idealistic fool. Of course Lara didn’t see anything long-term with him. She was only back in town for a short duration. Maybe this whole treasure thing was just an excuse she’d come up with to ditch him.
You know that’s not true, a voice buzzed in his ear. He’d seen the pain in her eyes when she’d reflected on the dysfunction in her family. As a kid, he’d never had a clue. Lara’s family had always seemed picture-perfect. And although Lara had alluded to some problems, she’d never been specific and he hadn’t possessed the emotional maturity to understand her sorrow.
He wished he could go back in time possessing the knowledge he now had. But then again, he’d just been a kid himself. What could he have done to change anything for Lara? And at the moment he wasn’t sure who he was upset with—Lara, himself or the entire situation. He knew that he hadn’t acted reasonably at the beach the other day. He’d allowed himself to get a little bit out of control. The thought of someone finding the Burton family treasure had been unsettling to him. No wonder Lara thought he wasn’t someone she wanted to be in a relationship with!
Ryan strode into the living room. He stopped short when he spotted his father in the room. He was sitting on the sofa with a newspaper splayed out in front of him.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like a thunder cloud. Did something happen at the office?”
“No, it’s not the office,” he said in a raised voice.
“Well, what is it, son? You can talk to me about it. We haven’t had a heart to heart in a long time.”
Ryan wanted to laugh out loud. He couldn’t remember ever having such an intimate discussion with his father. They talked often about the Burton family export-import business and the need to find the lost Burton treasure, but there were really no other topics they touched upon. Relationships? Hurts? The burden of family obligations? Not once had those topics ever been raised.
“It’s Lara. She doesn’t think we’re good together because of my interest in finding the treasure.” He shook his head, still annoyed by the situation. “She thinks that my quest to find the treasure isn’t healthy.”
Paul scowled. “Sorry, son. That’s never pleasant. But if she doesn’t understand upholding your family legacy, then she might not be worth the aggravation.”
Ryan turned toward his father and glared at him. “Not worth the aggravation? She’s an incredible woman. She’s brilliant and funny. And even though she’s only been back in town for a short time I feel like we were able to pick up just where we left off all those years ago. Speaking of which, it was pretty messed up that my friendship with Lara ended because of adult drama between our family and hers. Maybe if we’d continued our friendship she’d be able to trust me at the moment instead of doubting my integrity.”
His father fidgeted with his fingers and looked down. He cleared his throat. “Son, I don’t tell you this enough according to your mother, but you’re a fine man. You’ve done the Burton family name proud.” He made a face. “If a Callahan makes you happy, then who am I to stand in your way?”
Ryan began to sputter. “I think I must be hearing things. You’re actually giving me the green light with Lara?”
“I still don’t like the Callahans, but Lara seems like a peach,” Paul acknowledged. “I liked the way she stood up to me the other day. She showed a lot of guts.” He shook his head and laughed. “I don’t see a lot of that. I’m used to people kissing up to me.”
Ryan quirked his mouth. “I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s a little too late now. She basically told me to take a hike.”
Paul chuckled. “I saw the way Lara looked at you the other day. There’s no way she doesn’t have feelings for you.”
“I know she does, dad, but she doesn’t like my pursuing the treasure. She thinks it makes me mercenary.”
“I still want you find the family treasure, make no mistake about it. But if you really want my advice about Lara, don’t give up on her,” Paul said, locking gazes with his son. “Show her that you can pursue the treasure and still be a good person. Because you are a good person, Ryan. Way better than your old man could ever be. In other words, don’t give up so easily.” He winked at him. “Do you think I won your mother’s heart with a snap of my fingers?”
Ryan found himself getting a bit emotional. Just when he’d thought his father couldn’t show any growth, Paul Burton had gone and surprised him. He steadied himself against this foreign feeling bubbling up inside him. He could get used to this.
He sat down beside his father on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. His father grinned at him and followed suit. It was something they would never have done in his mother’s presence. Alana Burton would have had a conniption fit to see their feet on her Louis XIV table.
Ryan felt buoyed by his father’s support and kind words. Somehow he was going to make Lara see that they belonged together and that her fears about the treasure might just be tied up in her past. He was her future. And she was his. Ryan knew it with a deep certainty that he hoped he could convey to the woman he had grown to love and adore.
**
Lara heard a loud knocking sound on her bungalow door and hurried to answer it. It sounded like someone was in urgent need.
“What happened? What did Ryan do?” Avery stood on the threshold with her hands planted on her hips, looking like an avenging angel.
“You didn’t have to come all the way over here, Avery.”
Avery sailed through the door. “You didn’t sound like yourself on the phone. So
what did he do?”
“He didn’t do anything, Avery. It was me. All me.” She placed a hand on her chest. It felt as if someone was inside her chest squeezing her heart. “I basically put the brakes on things. I just got overwhelmed and I started second guessing things.”
Avery’s eyes widened. “Sit down. I’m going to put your kettle on and make us some tea.” After she put the kettle on, Avery turned back toward her. “So what gives? Why did you do it?”
Lara told her sister about what she’d witnessed at the beach, including seeing their parents right in the thick of it.
Avery made a face. “Sounds like a nightmarish scene. So that prompted you to end things?”
“In part,” Lara said with a nod. “It just emphasized how out of control this whole thing is. I think I’ve allowed myself to be in a bubble since I’ve been back. In doing my research I’ve been able to carefully segregate myself from the seedier side of this whole hunt for treasure. I probably wouldn’t have accepted this assignment if I’d know how heightened the tensions would be and how it would bring back so many memories of our fractured childhood.”
“What’s really going on, Lara?” Avery pressed. “The real nitty gritty.”
Lara hung her head. “I’m starting to fall in love with him and I can’t stand the idea of loving someone who is so wrapped up in this. And I’m afraid that I’ll fall for him and then realize he isn’t who I thought he was.”
“Lara, what is this about? Ryan? Or our parents?”
“Him. Them. Both I guess. It’s hard to separate the two. When I first came back home Ryan and I decided to pool our resources. He was going to help me with my research for the treasure series and I was going to help him with clues so he could have a shot at finding the treasure. In the end, he helped me far more than I ever helped him.”
Avery let out a sigh that sounded a lot like frustration. “Lara, don’t you think it’s odd that Ryan helped you so much when by your own admission you didn’t really help him with the treasure clues.”
Some Kind of Wonderful (Treasure Harbor Book 1) Page 8
