Page 57 of Tempting Fate
“If you’re not out of my truck in two seconds, I’ll physically remove you.”
She opened the door and put one foot on the running board. “I’ll go to the police right now and tell them the truth. I swear.”
And she did. But it was too late. She’d already lost two of the most important people in her life: Lucky and Cecilia. They had never talked to her again, a punishment that had crushed her black heart. She’d betrayed them and her entire hometown, losing everything that mattered. At least she’d been able to redeem herself in Logan’s eyes, and for that she thanked her lucky stars. Her half brother was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she planned to hold on to him with both hands.
Gabe cleared away the breakfast plates. “Let me jump in the shower and we’ll get going. I’ll call the hardware store and tell them that we’re keeping the metal detector an extra day, and check with Griffin about stable space.”
She rose to help him clean the kitchen, walked over to the sink, and covered his hand with hers. “Thank you, Gabe.”
“De nada.” He stared into her eyes, and then he kissed her, his lips softly brushing hers while he held her close. It wasn’t the most passionate kiss she’d ever experienced, but there was something about it that was deeply intimate, and a dozen unwelcome emotions swamped her.
Her cell buzzed with an incoming call, interrupting the moment.Thank God. It was the area code for Nugget. Not Butch. Hallelujah.
Raylene took a deep breath and answered, “Hello.”
“Raylene, it’s Dana. The buyers want to know where we’re at on their offer. Technically, our deadline to respond was an hour ago.” Raylene didn’t say anything. “Are you there?”
“Uh, yeah, sorry. So if we accept, when would they start their inspections?” She needed time.
“They’d start right away. Typically, they have seventeen days to get it done and drop their inspection contingency. Because they want the property for commercial purposes, they may ask for extra time, but you don’t have to be here for that.”
She may as well have said,And don’t let the door hit you on the way out. The whole town couldn’t wait for Raylene to leave, and she didn’t blame them. She’d be out of here as soon as she found the gold.
“It’s not that; I was just wondering about the timing.”
Dana audibly sighed. “If you’d rather not see the land turned into a motocross park, we could hold out for other buyers.” Her voice sounded hopeful.
A dirt bike track wouldn’t go over well, though it would bring revenue to the town. And lord knew Raylene couldn’t afford to be choosy. She had a hefty rent payment due first of the month, a horse to board, and Lucy’s House was counting on her. If they didn’t get her donation, they’d have to close their doors, and then how many women would suffer?
“No, let’s accept,” Raylene said. She’d just have to work faster to find the treasure.
“Okay. I’ll let them know.” For a woman who stood to make a fat commission, Dana didn’t sound the least bit happy. “Can you come in today to sign paperwork?”
“Uh, how about this evening, about five or six?” Later was better, so she could take advantage of the daylight to continue the hunt.
“That’ll work,” Dana said, and signed off.
“What was that about?” Gabe hung up the dish towel and leaned against the counter.
“My property. I accepted an offer, which means we have to find the gold before the buyer starts his inspections.”
“Afraid he’ll get to it first?” He could laugh all he wanted now. When they were sitting on a big pot of money, she’d have the last laugh. “Who is it, anyway? Someone I know?”
“Nope. They’re from out of town.”
He pulled off a glove with his teeth and cracked his knuckles. “Ranchers?”
“Uh-uh. They’re in the entertainment industry.”
His expression turned into a giant question mark. “What do you mean by ‘entertainment’?”
“Racing.” She grabbed the sponge and began scrubbing pancake batter off the stovetop.
He let out a whistle. “Thoroughbreds, huh? I would’ve thought cattle, but yeah, racehorses make sense. Plenty of room for them to run.”
She couldn’t stand it. Being vague was one thing, misleading him was…well, it was lying. She used to be quite accomplished at stretching the truth, even mangling it for her own purposes. Not anymore. Not since Lucky almost took the fall for what her father had done.
“Not horses,” she said. “For a motocross track.”
