Georgie, a Goddess? He blinked and shook away the thought. Sure, her denim shorts moulded to her butt and her T-shirt pulled tight across her breasts, but it didn’t make her a deity. He had to say something. “It’s home.”
He studied her clinically. She had colour in her cheeks again. She’d been so pale after her fright, so vulnerable. Though he knew how remorseful Charlie had been, he couldn’t help disliking his friend for what he’d done.
“Let me read the last page again.” Georgie took out her phone and Matt joined her, looking over her shoulder as she flicked to the photo she’d taken of the last couple of pages of the journal. He clenched his hands as the urge to put them on her hips almost overcame him. That would be totally inappropriate.
Georgie frowned. “The only shelter around here is the homestead, or the caves in the canyon.”
“Might be some more caves along the riverbed or at the coast.” Matt shifted away so he couldn’t smell the lemon scent of her shampoo.
She nodded. “And Patrick and Tom might have had their own shelter too.”
A good point. “The station hands who replaced Patrick and Tom would have definitely had their own accommodation, but it might have been a tent.”
“The shearers’ quarters aren’t old enough and there aren’t any other buildings.”
What else then? “Sometimes they had a separate storage cellar from the house.”
Georgie grimaced. “How are we supposed to know?”
Matt shrugged. “Let me have a look.” He plucked the phone from her hand and smirked at her shout of protest. She was so easy to rile. He read the words and turned in a slow circle surveying the land. Where else would it be? An older watering hole was east of here, but it had to be at least ten kilometres away. Would they have buried the treasure somewhere they couldn’t see?
Georgie took the phone back from him. “We should search the caves.”
It was the next best choice. The problem was there were too many possibilities.
“We need the funds. Do you think the treasure is actually still there?” She played with her hair, a sure sign she wanted comfort.
“There’s a good chance. Like you said, why would anyone return the journal to the wall if they’d found the treasure?”
She gave him a half smile. “Thanks, Matt.”
“Any time, Freckles.” He turned his attention north, towards the ocean. He couldn’t recall seeing any signs of a building in the area. The only structures were the fences, and the plaque at the gulf which commemorated those who had died in the shipwreck. Or rather those who had died in the mutiny. Lilian’s journal had given a whole new history to the Stokes family and the area.
“Could there be more valuables with the shipwreck?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “Maybe.” She slumped. “But I’ve been to the shipwreck museum. Anything underwater that long is hard to distinguish from coral. Plus, it’s illegal to plunder shipwrecks.”
“We could still check it out.” He wanted to see her smile, and she’d enjoy an ocean-based adventure over a land-based one.
He wandered over to the other side of the ridge and peered down into the gully. His gut clenched. Not so long ago, it had flooded and he’d been stuck on the wrong side, unable to help, not knowing if his friends were alive.
Thankfully no one had died.
Matt checked the time. He still had a couple of hours before he was due to meet Colin at the animal traps. He considered telling Georgie and Darcy about them, but they would want to get involved. The traps were on government land not on the station, though it was likely the smugglers used Ridge land to transport the captured animals.
“See anything useful?” Georgie asked.
“No.” He crossed back to Georgie’s side. “We might as well go back to the others.” In the distance, everyone was gathered around the well and still searching for clues.
Georgie moved down the incline, her steps confident, her butt wiggling.
Matt blinked rapidly. What was he doing looking at Georgie’s butt? She was practically his little sister. Though notactuallyhis little sister. At some stage over the past couple of years Georgie had grown up. And he hadn’t noticed, not until Brandon had come home, and his friend, Sam had flirted with Georgie. But Georgie was off-limits. He shouldn’t be thinking about her in any way except as a member of his surrogate family. Anything else would lead to trouble.
He didn’t want to betray Darcy’s trust, and he wasn’t nearly worthy enough for Georgie.
Georgie glanced over her shoulder and called, “Are you coming?”
He’d been standing there staring at her like a fool. He scowled and strode after her. “Just waiting for you to hurry up.”
