Page 45 of In the Pursuit of Haven
Perhaps Ann’s insanity had saved her from the sheriff’s reach. He’d gotten no clues from her. She hadn’t talked. I knew my witch history.
But tragically, in her confused state, Ann’s kids were taken and she’d lived in the homes of strangers who were paid by the city to take care of her after her father’s death.
I spit out my toothpaste in the sink, washing out my mouth.
Some of those strangers had been Edward and Sarah Bishop, who’d survived the witch trials. They’d taken in Ann before her death, which meant… they could’ve known her secrets.
Checking the mirror to make sure that I hadn’t left any incriminating clues on my face from the ink in Haven’s notebook, I left the bathroom to head downstairs to that tantalizing smell of breakfast.
The crash of pots and pans marked Jessie’s movements. The other half of him stuck out from the cupboard under the kitchen island before he came out with a biscuit tin, working his broad shoulders free. He startled when he saw me on his way out and almost hit his head. “Roxy?”
I leaned against the island’s counter, drinking him in.
After reading Haven’s dire predictions last night about him dying, I was terrified for him. “How did you sleep last night?” I asked.
“Stu and I had a party. You should’ve come.”
I was having my own party. Smiling tightly, I wondered how we were ever going to work this out. “Any second thoughts about going after that treasure?”
“Not at all… in fact, I think I found a lead.”
Oh, he has no idea what I’ve stumbled over.My fingers tightened over the edge of the counter. “Is that so?”
He set a plate in front of me. “Hungry?”
Starving, but I didn’t want to be too obvious about it. “Sure.” He gave me a generous portion of eggs and bacon. I poked at it with my fork before bringing it to my mouth. The cheese and eggs treated my taste buds to a savory feast from heaven. I swallowed it down before I lost all control. Thanking him with an abundance of kisses would give away my giddiness on being way ahead of the game than he was. “What did you find?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nope, this is the one thing you canneverbe a part of. You won’t like what’s involved.”
My fingers froze on the fork as my second bite of eggs stalled halfway to my mouth. Forget those kisses, I was getting ready to tackle him down. He thought I had too many scruples to tag along? Besides the danger, what was he possibly doing that I wouldn’t approve of? “And you expect me to be happy about that?”
“I don’t expect you to be happy about anything.”
I set the fork down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He threw the biscuit tin on the stovetop. “How about you eat first and then we can talk?”
On second thought, maybe Haven’s dire predictions had something to do withmetaking Jessie out?He thinks I’m hangry—he’s accused me of that on multiple occasions.“You think that I don’t want you careening headfirst into certain death because I’m in a bad mood?”
He licked his lips. “What do you think of my eggs?”
“They’re great, and you’re changing the subject.”
He began pouring blue berry muffin batter into the tin. “You haven’t been in a good mood since you started your new job in Boston.”
Because he kept disappearing on me! I knew he was hiding something and I was right! That treasure had torn our little family apart.
And what if I find it first?
Who better to do the job? I was a historian, after all, and with Haven’s info? Well, together we made an undefeatable team. It would serve Jessie right if we edged him out of that treasure! The punk! He thought he was good at being all secretive and pushing me out? What a joke! I could beat him at his game.
Scruples? What was that? Excitement danced through me as I thought of getting one over on him.
And what if? What if? No, I refused to think about how this would turn his attention exactly to where it should’ve been all along—on me.
Did that make me a negative attention seeker? Yeah, pretty much, but also I was tired of his double standards and his lack of respect and common decency. Another burst of energy shot through me at the thought of taking him by the shoulders and spinning him around to show him the museum’s new exhibit I’d made out of Crabb’s treasure! I’d donate it all to Salem’s museum. Jessie told me there were better things than money and I was holding him to it.
Smiling, I started to eat again. “You’re right, Jessie. I was just hangry. These are really good.”
