"Well, it is ugly enough for a museum."
"We're ready for you, Mrs. Delaney," a smiling young woman said as she ushered them onto the set, which was cluttered with lights and cameras.
An older man of Asian descent greeted them. After inspecting the dragon, he told them the statue had probably been crafted during the Zhou dynasty. "A rare find," he added, launching into a detailed explanation of the materials used, including the jade that made up the eyes, and the twenty-four karat gold strip that encircled the dragon's neck.
Riley wondered if he could possibly be hearing the man correctly. It appeared that this very odd-looking dragon had some important place in Chinese history and quite possibly had belonged in the private collection of an emperor. The expert estimated that the dragon might be worth thousands of dollars, maybe hundreds of thousands.
When their segment ended and they were escorted off the set, they were immediately swamped by appraisers and other experts, who handed them business cards and shook their hands. Riley kept a tight grip on the dragon as well as his grandmother's arm. The dragon was like a prime steak tossed into a pack of hungry wolves. He'd never seen such covetous looks, such outright greed and hunger.
His grandmother wanted to stop and chat, but he forcibly propelled her through the crowd, not relaxing until they were in his car with the doors locked. He let out a breath. "That was insane. Those people are crazy."
"Just excited, I think," Nan said, looking at the statue in his hands. "Can you believe this thing is thousands of years old?"
For a brief second he almost could. There seemed to be an intense heat radiating from the dragon, burning his hands. Oh, hell, it was probably just his imagination. Whether it was a year old or several thousand years old, it was still just a piece of bronze, nothing to get worked up over. He set the statue on the console between them, more relieved than he cared to admit to have it out of his hands.
"And it was in our attic," Nan continued, a dreamy note in her voice. "Imagine that. It's like a fairy tale.”
"Or a nightmare."
Nan ignored him as she flipped through the pile of business cards she'd received. "Oh, my goodness. The House of Hathaway. Look." She held up the simple, engraved card naming San Francisco's most famous and elegant store. "They want me to call as soon as possible. I have a very good feeling about this."
"Do you? Because I have a very bad feeling."
"You worry too much. Don't think about the problems—think about the possibilities. This could be the beginning of something amazing."
End of Excerpt – Buy Golden Lies
Book List
The Callaway Family Series
#1 On A Night Like This
#2 So This Is Love
#3 Falling For A Stranger
#4 Between Now And Forever
Nobody But You (A Callaway Wedding Novella)
#5 All A Heart Needs
#6 That Summer Night
#7 When Shadows Fall
#8 Somewhere Only We Know
#9 If I Didn’t Know Better
Lightning Strikes Trilogy
Beautiful Storm (#1) Coming October 2015
Lightning Lingers (#2) Coming 2016
Summer Rain (#3) Coming 2016
Bachelors and Bridesmaids
#1 Kiss Me Forever
#2 Steal My Heart
#3 All Your Loving
#4 Before I Do
The Wish Series
#1 A Secret Wish
#2 Just A Wish Away
#3 When Wishes Collide
Standalone Novels
Almost Home
All She Ever Wanted
Ask Mariah
Daniel's Gift
Don't Say A Word
Golden Lies
Just The Way You Are
Love Will Find A Way
One True Love
Ryan's Return
Some Kind of Wonderful
Summer Secrets
The Sweetest Thing
The Way Back Home
The Sanders Brothers Series
#1 Silent Run
#2 Silent Fall
The Deception Series
#1 Taken
#2 Played
The Angel's Bay Series
#1 Suddenly One Summer
#2 On Shadow Beach
#3 In Shelter Cove
#4 At Hidden Falls
#5 Garden of Secrets
About The Author
Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 43 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 5 million books! Twenty of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists.
Known for her emotional and compelling stories of love, family, mystery and romance, Barbara enjoys writing about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary adventures. She is currently writing a connected family series, The Callaways. If you love series with romance, suspense and a little adventure, you'll love the Callaways.
Barbara is also launching a new romantic mystery trilogy in 2015 with BEAUTIFUL STORM, the first book in the Lightning Strikes trilogy.
If you like lighthearted fun romance, check out Barbara's ongoing Bachelors & Bridesmaids Series featuring seven women who start out as bridesmaids and end up as brides.
For information: [email protected]
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Table of Contents
IF I DIDN'T KNOW BETTER
Also Available
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Epilogue
Excerpt - GOLDEN LIES
Book List
About The Author
If I Didn't Know Better Page 26
