Page 4 of Accidentally Yours
Paige hesitated, her mouth open, and for a moment, Ethan thought she might tell him. But then she squared her shoulders and her expression hardened. “I don’t owe you any explanations.”
Ethan tried to keep his cool, but his chest tightened as memories of his grandfather flooded back. The clues were supposed to be part of his family’s treasure hunt—an adventure his grandpa had planned before he passed. His grandpa, the eternal explorer, had left behind a series of clues to lead him to the ruby necklace, tying each clue to the love story he’d shared with Ethan’s grandmother. But there had been a mistake in the will, and the first clue had ended up in the museum’s collection.
Ethan had come to the museum today for the first clue, hoping it would lead him to the next one, so he could recover his family’s story and history. He’d spent the last few hours combing through exhibits, studying every plaque and artifact, trying to connect the dots of his grandpa’s riddle.
In the wild, not all jewels are stone,
some are worn, some are shown.
Seek the creature whose crown is bright,
hidden where day turns to night.
But if Paige had the envelope, that meant she’d found the second clue before he could.
And she was the last person who would do him any favors.
Ethan pointed to the envelope, which was still tucked under Paige’s arm. “I saw the seal. It’s the same as the one in the exhibit.”
Paige’s eyes darted to the envelope again, and her fingers tightened around it. She looked like she was weighing her options, deciding how much to reveal. “Maybe I do. What’s it to you?”
Ethan took a steadying breath. How had she figured out the riddle? The words were linked tohisgrandparents’ love story. He should’ve been able to connect the dots quickly.
After reading the clue, he’d gone straight to the museum’s Africa wing, scanning every inch of the lion exhibits. A safari in the Serengeti was one of the last trips his grandparents had taken together. Ethan could still picture the pure joy on both of their faces as they told him of multiple lion sightings. He knew they considered a lioness the queen of the jungle, which linked back to the riddle’s mention of a crown. Ethan was certain the second clue was hidden there.
“I’m just curious,” Ethan replied, downplaying how much he wanted—needed—to have the envelope Paige was guarding.
He considered grabbing the clue and making a run for it. She already hated him. He couldn’t make it worse, could he?
Paige huffed a laugh, throwing him off. “Like I’d tell you what this says.” She pulled the clue out from under her arm, waving it at him before stuffing it back in her armpit. “It leads to a ruby necklace worth millions.” Her voice was firm, as though daring him to argue.
Ethan frowned.
“It’s priceless,” he replied, and meant it. To him, the necklace was more than dollar signs. He wanted it back for his grandmother. Paige cocked a brow at his response, and Ethan cleared his throat. “Besides, the necklace belongs to the museum. Even if you find it, you’ll have to turn it in. The police are looking for it too.”
“I know.” Paige shrugged her shoulders, as if this was meaningless information to her.
“You do?”
He must’ve looked at her like she was crazy because Paige took a frustrated breath and added, “I’ll turn it in when I find it.” Her expression hardened, and she squared her shoulders, but a flash of something almost vulnerable flickered in her brown eyes. It quickly vanished. “I’m going to follow the clues, find the necklace, and write a book about the real love story behind the jewels and the riddles. Windy City Press already bought the rights.”
“What?” he asked, exasperated. Paige had sold his family’s story to the same publisher he worked for? “You’ll never figure those out.” He pointed to the envelope still tucked under her arm, meaning to explain that the riddles were related to his grandparents, that no one outside his family would understand them. But Paige’s eyes went wild, and she cut him off.
“I found this one, didn’t I?” She waved the paper in his face. “And I’ll find the others.” Her tone went resolute. “Just you watch.”
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Paige was talking about the people he loved.She didn’t know it, but she was claiming their story for herself.
Before he could form a response, Paige slipped the envelope into her purse and shot him a pointed look. “Why don’t you tweet about that, Cole?”
And just like that, she spun on her heel and strode away, leaving Ethan standing in the middle of the museum, wishing he’d kept his thoughts of margarita explosions to himself. With a maddened groan, he pulled his phone from his pocket. His jaw tightened as he thumbed through his contacts, finding his editor’s name. He hit the call button.
“Ethan?” Marsha answered on the second ring. “Tell me you’ve got good news.”
“I do,” he said, his voice firm. “I know what my next book is going to be about.”
“Thank the Lord! I’m just getting ready to go into my meeting. Give me the elevator pitch, quick.”
Ethan glanced toward the museum stairs, where Paige had just disappeared. “Paige Moon and I are about to write the book of a lifetime, together . . . about the real love story behind a missing necklace.”
