Nancy let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re right. Those two are never ones to let a challenge pass them by—even when they should. I’m just glad Harry’s not here.”
“Where is he?”
Nancy shrugged. “I hope he’s not embarrassed about the country album nonsense.” She ran her hand over her face. “I’ll bet he’s out at the flea markets today.”
A jolt shot through Asher. The country album? There was only a one in four chance the secrets box had made it to the inside trash can. And the thought that anyone would see it and go through it … wasn’t that hard to believe, actually. He’d been in such a hurry, and it was too big to fit all the way into the trash bin. Someone might have thought it was a giveaway box.
There’s no way that had happened.
Except he could picture it in his mind—someone opening the box, realizing what it was, taking it home, and then revealing people’s secrets. But why? Why would someone do that?
From the corner of his eye, he saw Eliana put her hands on her hips and scan the crowd. Asher felt the moment her gaze landed on him. It was like warm sunshine escaping a patch of clouds.
“Asher! Partners?” she yelled over all the people between them. For some reason—whether it was the twist in his stomach, the increased beat of his heart, or the certainty that he would never get enough of Eliana Peters—he hesitated.
Nancy nudged him. “Go on. Don’t leave her waiting.”
Eliana waited, her eyebrows raised, her perfectly pink lips curled into a smile just for him.
Nancy nudged him again—really, it was more of a shove between his shoulder blades—knocking him out of his stupor, and he jogged in her direction.
“Yay!” She took his arm when he got close.
“We may have a problem,” he murmured.
“What?” she asked.
“You may be right about the box of secrets.”
“That someone found it?”
He nodded grimly.
“What are we going to do if it’s out there?” she whispered.
“I don’t know. I should have been more careful with it.”
“You couldn’t have guessed someone would go dumpster diving.” She moved her arm around his waist and pulled him in to a friendly side hug. “There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“So let’s focus on the fact that we’re so going to win this.”
“Maybe,” he said as carelessly as he could pull off.
At her outrage he could hardly hold his disinterested expression.
“If I have todragyou through that thing, we will beat every last one of them.”
“That might be fun, seeing as how I’m about double your weight.” When had teasing her become one of his favorite things to do?
“Don’t underestimate my determination.”
The devil on his shoulder convinced him to lean close enough to her ear that when he whispered, his words caused her little hairs to move. “I never underestimate you.”
He felt gratified when she inhaled a sharp breath. Then he shook himself. What was he doing? He hadn’t felt playful like this since before his grandpa died. But with Eliana, it was more than playfulness that spurred him on. It was something more intoxicating than that.
“Good. That’s really … good,” she said, her cheeks flushed.
