“This looks amazing,” Nash said as Amy plated their food, the colorful vegetables arranged artfully beside the perfectly grilled steaks.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” She smirked, carrying the plates to the table. “Some of us don’t survive on takeout and string cheese.”
Nash pulled out her chair before settling into his own. “Mind if I say grace?” he asked quietly.
“Please do.”
Nash bowed his head, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand. “Heavenly Father, we thank You for this food and for Your protection today. We ask for Your guidance as we try to solve this mystery and for Your wisdom to see the truth when it’s hidden. Thank You for bringing Amy back into my life in such an unexpected way. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Amen,” Amy echoed softly.
When Nash opened his eyes, he found her watching him with a curious expression. “What?” he asked, picking up his fork.
“Nothing,” she said, looking down at her plate. “It’s just … nice. How naturally that comes to you.”
Nash took a bite of steak, giving himself a moment to consider her words. “It is natural. I try to talk to God a lot.”
Amy smiled. “Me, too.”
He liked hearing that.
They ate in companionable silence for a bit.
“Will you tell me about the conquistador gold chase?” Amy asked after a while. “I’ve read some online, but I’d love to hear your family’s perspective.”
Nash sat back in his chair, considering where to begin. “It all started with the Stone family, actually. Trey Stone—the oldest brother. But when it became concrete was when his brother, Trent found a piece of gold with a palm leaf inscription on it after his parents died. That was evidence that the conquistador gold wasn’t just a legend.”
“I’ve read up on their story,” Amy said, her eyes bright with interest. “I can’t believe it ended with that Mr. Banks blowing up half of their house.”
Nash shook his head, taking another bite of food. “Banks was obsessed with finding that gold.”
“But he died, right?”
“He did.”
She sighed. “Wow.”
He stabbed at a roasted brussels sprout. “But that wasn’t the end of it. Not by a long shot.”
“What happened next?”
“As you know, after my father passed away, Porter inherited the ranch.”
“And that’s when the letter between your fathers surfaced.”
“Right. And you know we were suspicious it was in the missile silos we found—ones that weren’t on any official maps. They had the broken arrow symbol on them.”
“Like the one we found in the cave today,” Amy murmured.
“Exactly.” Nash took another bite, savoring the perfectly seasoned meat. This was easily the best meal he’d had in months. “We have never found the gold in a missile silo, but a woman named Ms. Connie from the Windsong Reservation near our ranch had been melting down bars of gold and passing them to the grandparents of Chance’s wife, Kelly.”
Amy leaned forward, setting down her fork. “What were they doing with it?”
“Selling it on the black market, then using the money to fund projects on the reservation.” Nash shook his head, still finding it hard to believe. “All this was happening right under our noses for years, and none of us knew about it.”
“That’s incredible,” Amy breathed. “So where did the hunt go from there?”
“My brother Blaze tracked some of the melted gold to Kentucky. They were selling it through horse-racing circuits. That’s where he met his wife, Eden.” Nash smiled, remembering his brother’s whirlwind romance. “But the trail seemed to go cold there. We couldn’t find the main cache of gold anywhere.”
