“Amanda?” The name escaped his lips before he could stop himself.
She turned sharply at the sound of her name, her eyes widening in recognition. Amanda Levitt. His high school prom date. The girl who had disappeared the very next day without explanation, leaving Cross Creek and a brokenhearted Nash behind.
Eight years had passed, but he’d recognize her anywhere. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a practical ponytail, and she wore hiking gear that suggested she was no tourist.
“Nash?” Her voice was hesitant, almost fearful. “Nash Cross?”
He approached slowly, still not quite believing the coincidence. “Amanda Levitt. What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Her eyes darted toward the cave entrance, then back to him. “I’m just hiking.”
“With geological survey equipment?” Nash gestured toward her backpack. “That’s an interesting choice for a casual hike.”
“I’m working on a research project. For the university.”
“Which university?”
“Look, it was nice seeing you, but I need to go.” She started to move past him, but Nash gently caught her arm.
“Wait. Eight years without a word, and now I find you in the same obscure cave I’m investigating? What is going on?”
She pulled her arm away. “Nothing. And you shouldn’t be here, Nash. This is dangerous territory.”
“Dangerous how? Are you looking for Porter Rockwell’s gold too?”
Her sharp intake of breath confirmed his suspicion. “How do you know about that?”
“The broken arrow symbol. The palm leaf engraving. They’re connected to something my family’s been researching.” Nash studied her face, trying to understand what she was hiding. “Amanda, what’s going on? Are you … afraid?”
For a moment, he thought she might actually tell him. Something in her expression softened, and he caught a glimpse of the girl he’d once known—the one he’d fallen for in high school, the one who’d left him with so many unanswered questions.
She frowned. “I’m not afraid, but you need to forget you saw me, Nash. Forget about the cave, forget about Rockwell, forget about all of it.”
“I can’t do that. My family?—”
“Your family will be in danger if you keep pursuing this.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “A man who gave me information about this location is now dead.”
Nash felt a chill run down his spine despite the warm afternoon. “Then let me help you. Whatever you’re involved in?—”
“No.” Amanda’s tone was final. She turned to leave.
Nash followed, reaching for her arm again. “Amanda, wait?—”
Without warning, she whirled around and shoved him hard in the chest, pushing him back several steps. “Stay away fromme!” Her eyes flashed with a mixture of fear and determination. “Like I said, it’s not safe to be around me.”
Before he could recover, she was moving quickly down the trail, disappearing among the trees as suddenly as she had appeared back in his life.
Nash stood motionless, his mind racing. Amanda Levitt was here in Salt Lake, investigating gold? That was crazy.
As he made his way back to his Jeep, Nash knew two things with absolute certainty: this was no coincidence, and despite her warning, he wouldn’t be staying away. Not this time.
CHAPTER 2
Amanda’s lungs burned as she fled down the trail, her legs pumping hard. No sign of Nash. Good. He’d flipped everything upside down; she hadn’t thought of herself as Amanda in a long time.
She shouldn’t have come to the cave today. She’d known it was risky, but after what happened to Bill, she needed to check if any evidence remained. She never imagined running into Nash Cross—not here, not anywhere.
The shock of seeing him had rendered her confused, a bit disoriented. He looked good—more mature, with his lanky teenage frame filled out into that of a confident man. But it was his eyes that had thrown her, still that same intense blue that had once made her heart flutter at Cross Creek High.
