They disconnected. “Are you up for a stop downtown?” Finley asked Luke. “Friends of the Library books are stored at the Buttercup Boutique.”
His U-turn showed his willingness to make the detour. “You mentioned the Hartwell Library earlier,” he said. “Do you think it’s worth giving that library a call to see if they have the book in circulation?”
“Yep.” However, her call to the library in Hartwell revealed that they’d never had a book associated with that call number in their system.
Luke pulled to a stop in front of Sugar Maple Kitchen.
“What’s this?” she asked. “The boutique is one block down.”
“I don’t want you to miss lunch.”
“That’s thoughtful of you, but I can make do with the power bar and apple I have at Furry Tails.”
“They have a to-go line here. I’ll be in and out in a few minutes. What would you like?”
“The vegan veggie wrap, please.”
He left her in the truck, engine running.
The Luke who’d told her he didn’t want to get involved with her had just stopped at a restaurant to ensure she didn’t go hungry.
True to his word, he came out minutes later. She peeked inside the sack he handed her. In addition to the veggie wrap, he’dbought a package of nuts, a bag of chips, and a turkey sandwich for himself. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I absolutely love this restaurant. I either eat here or get take-out twice a week.” She set the bag between them. “Did you know that Sam, the owner of Sugar Maple Kitchen, is engaged to Genevieve Woodward?”
“Ben told me.”
“I’ve seen them together at the restaurant a few times. Word on the street is that they’re very happy.” She motioned toward a cute storefront. “This is the boutique. Just up here.”
They parked, and the owner showed them to her storage room.
Books for Friends of the Libraryhad been written in Sharpie across two cardboard boxes in the back corner of the space. Luke took one box. Finley took the other. Dust and the scent of old paper rose into the beams of winter light slanting through the windows as they took books out, looked at each one, then stacked them on the floorboards.
Not the right title.
Not the right title.
They reached the bottom of their boxes within seconds of each other.
It wasn’t here.
Brothers: Twenty-Five Stories About the Ties That Bind, the book in which her dad had hidden her next clue, had been sold at the community sale.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Two weeks passed without a lead in the treasure hunt. Two weeks during which no one would leave Luke alone.
At work, Finley asked him to bathe dogs with her, walk dogs with her, meet with her about the website redesign, and a million other things. She continued to deposit water, herbal tea, fruit, and snacks on his desk. She often steered conversations toward faith and asked him probing questions about his relationship with God that he did not answer.
She continued to lead the team in daily meditation sessions. No way would she ever convince him to sit on a yoga mat with his eyes closed. But during the sessions, he began leaning back in his chair, watching the view beyond the windows, and listening. There was no point in trying to work while she spoke about letting your heart float upward and setting an intention. It was relaxing, at least. He hated it less as the days went by.
Finley would have been easier to deal with if his fixation with her ended when the workday ended. It didn’t. He thought of her when making morning coffee. When exercising. When meeting with his parole officer. When watching sports. When falling asleep at night.
Without his permission, his brain had chosen her as its screensaver setting.
He’d spent years focusing on Montana. He’d planned his business, the floorplan of his house, every single furnishing. Doing so had centered him and given his life behind bars purpose.
