Page 10 of The Fragile Truth

“About Oliver Chasing and his hidden treasure.”

Relief pelted over him as a smile slid over his lips. “Ah, the famed treasure that Oliver Chasing supposedly amassed when he was part of a notorious group of thieves who stole priceless pieces of art and sculptures from museums and private collections from around the world.” The legend of Oliver Chasing’s treasure lived large on the island and Summerhaven.

Her voice took on a hushed excitement. “Do you think the treasure exists?”

“I’m not sure. When I was a kid, I asked for a metal detector for Christmas one year.” He shook his head, laughing. “My buddies and I spent weeks combing the beaches, certain that we were gonna find the treasure. All we found were a few coins, trinkets, and a spoon ring.”

“I hear there are lots of rich people who live on the island.”

“Yep. It’s the summer sandbox of the rich.” He thought of the Chasings. Shame on him for assuming that money equated to corruption. While he detested himself for it now, during the months when Lina was missing, he’d wanted Talon to be guilty. It was his way of coming to terms with the fact that Lina had chosen Talon over him. Ian wasn’t proud of the person he became. His hatred had nearly consumed him.

“How often do you go over to the island?”

“It depends on the week. On average, I’d say I’m over there once or twice a week. Why do you ask?”

“Just making conversation,” she said lightly. “After your deputy disappeared, did you take charge of the island?”

“One of my deputies oversees it, but I keep a close connection with him.” Ian kept a thumb on all his deputies, which is why it bothered him that Brent hadn’t confided in him about someone blackmailing Lina.

She jumped to another topic. “What do you do for fun when you’re not working?”

A corner of his lips lifted. “You mean when I’m not frequenting sports bars and guzzling down club sodas?”

“Or rescuing naive girls who agree to go on blind dates with cocky jerks?”

Their gazes locked, sending a rush of awareness through Ian. “That too.” For a second, he got lost in the mystery of her compelling eyes. The flicker of the candle brought out gold flecks. What had she asked? He roused his brain to remember. It was about what he liked to do in his free time. “I enjoy rock-climbing.”

“Oh, wow. An adventure sports guy. That’s impressive.”

“A buddy that I played high school football with got me into it. We usually climb together. It’s safer that way.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“One younger brother. He’s the smart one in the family. A family practitioner over in Raleigh. He’s married with three girls. What about you? Do you have any siblings?” Time to find out more about her.

“Nope. Just me.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I start a new job on Monday.”

“Oh, wow. What will you be doing?”

She moistened her lips as she shifted in her seat. “I’ll be working as a server in a restaurant …” her eyes sparkled “… in Summerhaven.”

“Really? That’s great.” He couldn’t stop the large grin from overtaking his lips. “Which restaurant?”

“The Sea Salt Grill. Are you familiar with it?”

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. The manager is a good friend of mine.”

“Mike seems like a nice guy.”

“He is.” He shook his head. “Wait a minute. How did this happen?”

“How did what happen?” she asked in amusement.

“I come to Wilmington and meet a girl who happens to be starting a job in my hometown on Monday. That’s some coincidence.”

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