Smitten Book Club (8 page)

He stared at her with somber blue eyes. “I like Paul.”

“He’s very nice,” she agreed.

Something rustled behind her, and she turned to see Paul step on top of the ridge. He wore washed-out jeans, a
red jacket, and hiking boots. “I thought I heard you all up here. Where’d everyone go?”

“They had things to do. Where’d you come from?”

“I was out for a drive to look at houses and stopped to look at the fields.”

His stare was intense, and heat sprang to her cheeks. “What? I have dirt on my face?”

He glanced away and shook his head. “Find anything up here?”

“Nope. And we even had a gold-sniffing dog.”

A grin spread across his face. “Is that so? He didn’t find a lost Barbie ring? I can do better than him.”

“We didn’t find a thing but burrs.” She brushed two from her pant leg.

Was this the real reason she hadn’t left with her friends? She was honest enough to admit she’d wondered if Paul might stop by the farm. It was about time she took herself in hand and eradicated the feelings she still had for him. It was attraction
only
. And it had to stop.

“Any clues to look for?’

“I ran into something that suggested the opening to the mine might be small. A small cave or something in the hillside. There’s so much vegetation, though. We didn’t see anything.”

Charlie danced around beside her. “Mommy, I have to potty.”

“Oh dear, can you wait? There’s no potty here.”

He squirmed and shook his head, his expression a mask of panic. She bit her lip. It seemed awkward to let him water a bush right in front of Paul.

Paul seemed not to notice her discomfort. “I can handle this, man-to-man.” He took Charlie’s hand. “Come with me, bud.”

Heather watched him lead her son to some bushes. He bent over to help Charlie, and she smiled at his solicitude for the boy. He’d be a good daddy someday. Her smile faded. Just not with her child. She had to keep her guard up.

Paul seemed to stumble on a patch of loose rock. “Whoa, look out!” His arms flailed, then he pitched over the side of the slope.

Charlie started to approach the edge too. “Stop, Charlie!” She ran to grab his arm and pull him out of danger. “Stay here. Let me look.”

She stepped to the edge and peered over. Paul was sprawled on his back about twelve feet down. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” He struggled to his feet and turned to wave. “It would have been more fun if I had a sled.”

The blood rushed back to her head when his voice sounded so strong. “Need help getting up?”

“I might go on down. It would be easier than coming back up there. The slope flattens out in about five feet.”

“That’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her disappointment was only because she hadn’t found the mine. She turned to head down the path to the road, but he called her back.

“You have to see this, Heather. Can you get down here?”

“Only by sliding on my backside. And it’s not safe for Charlie. What is it?”

He bent over and removed a loose bush that had been dislodged in his fall. “An opening about three feet in diameter. I can’t see inside, though. I have a flashlight in my Jeep.
Let me go get it. I think you can access this hillside if you come down where I first came up, then cut over where it flattens out.”

Her heart slammed into her ribs. Could he have found the mine?

“Hold the light steady.” Paul wasn’t about to show his fear of close spaces in front of Heather, but he needed good light in order to manage the tightness in his chest. He touched her hands and guided them into position. “Right there.”

Getting onto his hands and knees, he crawled into the cave. It suddenly opened into a much larger space, easily twenty feet in diameter. “Hey, it’s huge in here!” There were pick axes and buckets around. The ceiling had been reinforced with beams. “It’s a mine! Let me take the light.” His fingers closed around the flashlight.

Heather squealed behind him. “I want to see!”

Though she couldn’t see him, he grinned. “I’m not sure it’s safe, and there’s Charlie.”

“This has to be it! Do you see any gold?”

He glanced around. “Nothing visible. I’ll come out and you can take a peek.” He squeezed back through the opening and stood to face her. Charlie lay on the grass with his head on his arm. “Looks like someone has been mining for sure. This might be it, Heather.”

Her hands flew to her cheeks. “I have to call Molly!” She did a little dance, then flung her arms around his neck. “You’re a genius, Paul. Thank you, thank you.”

She leaned up to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head, and her lips landed on his. He’d kissed plenty of girls in his life, but nothing prepared him for the jolt that ran through him. His hands went around her waist of their own accord, and he pulled her closer. She didn’t fight him but melted against his chest. Her lips were soft and warm, and her breath smelled sweet and fresh. Her fists clutched his shirt, and the passion simmered between them like heat on a summer day.

Then it was over. She leaped away like she’d been burned. Her face was white. Her eyes darted to her son, playing with ants twenty feet away. Paul followed her glance. Charlie seemed not to have noticed what the adults were up to.

Paul smiled and tried for a light touch. “I should probably apologize, but I’m not a bit sorry. Don’t you think we should explore our relationship a bit more?”

“Relationship?” Heather’s voice was wooden. “I have a son, Paul. I can’t risk getting close to anyone and having him leave us. You’re not the staying kind.”

That stung. He’d been that kind of man once, but he’d changed. Why couldn’t she see that?

He gave a curt nod. “I’ll hold the light. Take a look.”

She shot him a glance from under her lashes, then crawled into the mine. He crouched by the opening and listened to her move around inside. “It’s huge, isn’t it?”

Her voice echoed back. “I never expected it to look this way. Don’t most mines branch out? This seems to be just one big room.”

He leaned over and tried to peer in, but the opening was too small. “I saw a couple of areas where some probing seemed
to have occurred. Maybe all they found was in this one area. Or maybe they found nothing and gave up.”

She crawled back through the opening. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek and a twig in her hair when she stood. “This is on Chambers land, right?”

“Yes, this was all part of the original tract. I suppose it’s possible there’s more than one mine here, but it’s not likely. I could swallow one lost mine, but not two.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Molly wouldn’t have the money to try to start up the mine again. I hadn’t thought about that. I’d hoped we’d walk right in and find it in bags or something.” She laughed at herself. “I guess the girls were right. I’ve been reading too many mystery novels.”

He wanted to hear that hopeful tone in her voice again. “Let me take a closer look. We can string up some lights and give it an even better going over if I don’t find anything. Call your friends while I check it out.”

He crawled back inside and studied the space with the flashlight. There was no obvious hole where anything could be hidden. The couple of offshoots ended within a few feet, and he shone the light up the walls clear to the ceiling. Nothing.

He spent more time combing the bigger area, but still came up empty-handed except for an old axe with a
B
carved into the handle. When he went to the opening to tell Heather, he met her crawling through the hole with a bigger flashlight in her hand.

She looked up at him from her hands and knees. “Lia brought over several more flashlights, and Abby is on her way with a battery-powered floodlight.” Her small chin was set with determination. “We’ll find it.”

He helped her up, but she quickly stepped away from him. The cave felt intimate and warm with her in it. “Did you call Molly?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to get her hopes up in case this turns out to be nothing.”

“It’s the right cave. Look.” He turned and grabbed the axe to show her.

Her fingertips traced the letter on the axe. “You don’t think there’s any treasure here, do you?”

He shook his head. “I think someone probably took it out a long time ago. This place hasn’t been disturbed in ages.”

Shouts echoed from outside, and Heather turned toward the opening. “I think Abby is here. Maybe we’ll find something with more light.”

But an hour later they were still empty-handed. It seemed someone had already mined all the gold.

Never be afraid to apologize. It takes great courage to admit you’re wrong, and you will only be stronger for it.

P
EARL
C
HAMBERS
,
The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship

CHAPTER EIGHT

Y
ou look lovely, dear.” Rose bustled into the sun-room where Heather sat on the flowered sofa with her hands folded in her lap. “That bright blue suits you.”

“Thank you.” Heather had taken special care with her appearance today, and the short, form-fitting dress was new. Charlie wore new jeans and a blue T-shirt. She’d washed up his sneakers too. He leaned against her shyly.

The soft tans and comfortable furniture in the bright space should have put Heather at ease, but she wished she’d never agreed to come for dinner. It was going to be so awkward since Paul had kissed her yesterday. Her fingers stole to her lips. She’d remember that kiss the rest of her life.

Rose set a silver tea tray on the table, then lifted the pot to pour the tea into the delicate blue-and-white cups. “Paul will be here shortly. He’s out looking at houses to buy. I’ve told him
he can live here as long as he likes, but he’s a grown man and finds it off-putting to be living with his great-aunt, I think.”

Something inside Heather clenched. “He’s buying a house?” Somehow she hadn’t really believed he would stay here for good.

Rose nodded. “He seems to be done with city life and wants to settle down here in Smitten. I knew it would happen sooner or later. Paul puts on a front that fools most, but not his old auntie. He asked my David to tag along and give him an unbiased opinion.”

Heather smiled. Rose and her long-lost love were the cutest newlyweds she had ever seen.

“A front?” she said. Maybe this was her chance to learn a bit more about Paul.

Rose handed her a delicate teacup. “He’s always felt his mother’s abandonment. He and his sisters were yanked around from town to town until he was eight. She was an alcoholic, you know. Married five times. I think that’s why Paul has always been a little skittish of relationships. I knew God would help him settle eventually, though. It’s time.” She bent down and smiled at Charlie. “I brought you some cocoa, honey. And cookies.”

After a moment Charlie took the mug she offered, then scooted back against his mother.

Heather stirred sugar into her tea. “I never knew that. I just thought his mom died, and you ended up raising the kids.”

Rose crossed her legs, amazingly shapely for a woman her age. “That would have been traumatic enough, but those poor children didn’t have any stability from the time they were
born. I tried to heal the wounds, but some things take God’s hand alone.”

The front door slammed, and Paul’s voice called, “Aunt Rose?”

“In here, honey. Our guests have arrived.”

His footsteps came across the wood floors. He looked impossibly handsome and carefree when he stepped into the sun-room. His jeans hugged his hips, and Heather liked the red shirt he wore. His gaze darted to her and lingered on her face before sweeping down to take in the rest of her.

“Hi, Heather.” His smile broadened. “I like your dress.”

She resisted the impulse to tug at the hem. “Thanks. Did you find a house?”

He shook his head. “Neither house was what I was looking for.”

“I can keep an eye out. I’m a house junkie. I like to drive around town looking at what’s for sale. What do you want?”

He snagged a cookie, then dropped onto the sofa beside her. “I want at least four bedrooms. Something with character too. I’d really like a fixer, something I can design like I want it. And an attic. Have to have a walk-up attic like here. I used to love going through the boxes up there.”

Heather laughed. “I’ve never been in that kind of attic. Only ones with a pulldown ladder into a space above the garage.”

“I’ll have to show you the attic after dinner.”

Rose shook her head. “You’ll do no such thing. She’ll get dust all over her pretty dress.” She stood. “I’d better check on dinner.”

Heather sprang to her feet too, glad to get away from the enticing heat emanating from Paul. “What can I do to help?”

Rose waved her hand. “Nothing, child. It’s all in the oven. I just need to take a peek and see if it’s ready. It’s probably got another few minutes, but you never can tell with my oven. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

“I could set the table.”

“Charlie will help me.” Rose took the little boy’s hand. “Chat with my nephew while I show Charlie my special silver.”