“The key was in Grandpa’s desk drawer. I knew I saw it that day you picked me up for the lighthouse.” Noah set his bag on the gravel and pocketed his keys. “I ran back up to the church this morning and Mr. Bolding let me in the baptistry area again. Sure enough, the clue was taped on the staircase railing.”
She jerked her head up.
He lifted one hand. “The only reason I didn’t call you was because I knew you were at the Blossom.”
Warmth spread through her chest. He thought she’d be mad at being left out. Before she could wonder if it was a good idea to do so in public, she stepped into a hug. “I’m not mad.”
His arms came around her immediately, embracing her with muscle and masculine soap and all things Noah. She spoke into the space where her mouth pressed against his neck. “That was a good call. I couldn’t have gotten away from the diner today, and I would have been stressing making us wait.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re not upset.” He pulled back a little, smiling down into her face. Tired lines creased his forehead. She knew the feeling.
His voice drew husky. “I missed you today, by the way.”
The admission warmed her more than the sun. “Same.” Guess he wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them—though they were partially hidden from the field by the cars.
Just in case, she stepped back a little and held up the paper. “I’m really proud of you, for the record. And you didn’t even have to sledgehammer your way through the wall.”
“I was considering that, if the key didn’t show up.” Then his flickering smile waned. “But did you read it yet? Because we have a new problem.”
She was so excited he’d found the clue on his own, she hadn’t even thought to. She looked back down at the scribbled writing.
How quickly Time passes
On tiny wings of Silence
Oh how it Waits
And oh how it Hopes
Cloudy as a silver lining.
She looked up and pursed her lips. “This is even harder.”
“Exactly.” Noah shouldered his bag again. “This whole hunt has felt like nothing but two steps forward, one step back.”
That last clue actually felt more likethreesteps back, but she didn’t see any point in raining on Noah’s already cloudy parade. She studied the words again. “It’s obviously not from the Longfellow poem. And this one doesn’t even seem to reference the poem like the others.”
“I thought the same.”
She read it through three more times, the words bouncing around her brain but refusing to land anywhere. “There’s some odd capitalization going on—maybe that’s something.”
“Like an acrostic?”
“Yeah. TSWH.” She tilted her head.
“Treasure Seekers Were Here?” He snorted.
“Maybe its directional? Like North, South, East West. So this could be… The South West…Hill? Haven?” She frowned. “I feel like we’re getting colder.”
“Maybe it stands for This Seriously Was Hard.”
Elisa elbowed him. “That Seriously Was Horrible.”
“Agreed.” Noah snapped a picture of the clue on his cell. “Let’s look at it again tonight when this is over.” He nodded toward the ball field. “Ready?”
“Sure.” Elisa shoved the card into her back pocket. The thrill of the hunt still lit something in her, but over the past twenty-four hours, it had felt more like a smolder than a spark. The clue deserved her full attention, yet one thing chafing the back of her mind was the fact that she’d had to cook again—which meant Delia wasn’t trying to find another replacement chef. Was Mama D feeling gun-shy after Lucius’s betrayal?
Or was she closer to selling than Elisa realized?
