“Father God, thank you so much for Luke and his willingness to honor his promise to Dad. Praise you for sending him. I ask that you protect us both, should there be any need for protection. I ask that you bless us both as we make our way through the clues. May this become a beautiful journey.”
He stayed still, eyes respectfully closed. Good grief. How much longer was this flowery prayer going to last?
“Thank you for this earth, all your creatures, this food, and this grace of yours that goes beyond all understanding. Amen.” She smoothed her napkin in her lap and took a bite of bread.
In prison, the meals had been so bad that chips and candy bars purchased at the commissary became prized possessions. Since his release, food had been the best thing in his life because he now took his time with it, tasting and appreciating it.
Maybe it was her company or the setting or the fact that some of the food had come right off the grill and onto his plate, but every item burst with flavor in his mouth. “This is really good.”
“Thank you. Are you surprised that vegan food can be tasty?”
“Yes.”
“What were you expecting?”
“That you’d make me sit cross-legged on the floor and eat nuts and seeds out of a bowl with my fingers.”
She laughed. “I don’t cook much on weeknights, but I find it relaxing on weekends.”
He wasn’t good at small talk and was extremely out of practice at having dinner with a woman. It was like his hands were suddenly double the size and he’d forgotten how to coordinate their movements.
The worst thing, though? The worst thing was that his physical attraction to her distracted him. He kept fixating on details of her. Her clavicle bones. Her wrist. The delicate skin beneath her ear. Her cheekbones. The indent above her upper lip.
What would it feel like to touch her there?
Ed would roll over in his grave if he could see into Luke’s mind tonight.
From his earliest memories, Luke’s worst fear had been his own worthlessness. After Ethan died, Luke had blamed himself, and his fear had come to fruition. Hewasworthless. That’s the conclusion he’d come to at fourteen.
When life meant nothing, it wasn’t difficult to throw it away. He’d numbed the pain with danger, defiance, and bad decisions. In some twisted way, the rush he’d gotten from that had at least made him feel partly alive. Jail had finally put a stop to his downward spiral. But Luke knew he’d never be good enough for Finley. Ed would agree.
He took a drink of water, struggling to get his head straight. What he’d promised was to keep her safe. His best shot at that was to hold on to his objectivity. So long as his emotions and hormones weren’t involved, he’d remain clearheaded enough to make decisions.
Finley set her fork on her plate and pulled her coat sleevesover her hands. “I’ve been thinking about the treasure hunt, and something has occurred to me.”
“I’m listening.” He took a bite of rice seasoned with herbs.
“I’m going to sound as if I have a very suspicious nature. Understand that my dad didtryto develop some street smarts in me.”
“Understood.”
“It has occurred to me that my dad might’ve told you—at any point over the last several years—about the treasure hunt and the valuable thing he’d saved for me. And that you want it for yourself. So you concocted the story of my dad’s dying wish.”
Gradually, a wolfish grin overtook his face.
“Why are you smiling?” she asked. “I just accused you of potentially having evil motives.”
“I’m smiling because I respect that accusation. It’s clever and logical.” Also painful, because he deserved her suspicion. He was an ex-con who had not been wrongly convicted. In fact, he’d stolen many more cars than the one he’d been arrested for stealing. “You shouldn’t trust me.”
“Does that mean that youdohave evil motives?”
“In this situation, no.”
“I believe you.”
“What?” he barked. “Don’t believe me so easily.”
“But I do believe you. My intuition about people is sound.”
