It seemed possible that she had freaked out over nothing. The owner of the truck could be a visitor in the area—not unusual when the small town was a great stop-off for travelers on the interstate. The bed-and-breakfasts and the small motel outside town were always booked up with weekenders.
Well, the truck might be explained away…
But that plant was not.
Her phone buzzed with a text, and she shook the loose grains of soil from her hands to grab the device from the bench. When she saw the same unfamiliar number from before askingagain if she would look at the job and give an estimate, her brows drew together.
She had texted the person and they never responded. Maybe they were crossing paths, or they weren’t receiving Fern’s replies.
But Crew and the Black Heart team would advise her to use caution.
She took a screenshot of the contact and sent it to Theo’s number. A minute later, it buzzed with his response.
Theo:Sit tight. Let me do some digging. Don’t answer them yet.
Fern:Okay.
She got back to work on the pot. When a familiar deep voice rang out across the greenhouse, her insides clutched, and she had a smile on her face before she turned to see Crew crossing the space to her with that sexy-as-sin swagger as he cut through rows of plants to reach her.
“Hey.” His eyes crinkled at the corners with the same happiness that must be on her face. “I was going to invite you to grab a coffee. I’m in town and hoped you might have a break soon.”
“Yes”rose to her tongue.
Then she looked back at the bench.
The shelf above it was empty.
Her breath stalled. She stepped closer, scanning the surface again as if the bracelet might materialize if she stared hard enough. Twine. Trays. Soil smudges.
No bracelet.
“Oh—” She forced a smile she didn’t feel. “That sounds great. I just need to check something real quick.”
She turned back to the bench, fingers moving fast now, lifting trays, brushing soil aside, then crouching to check the floor. The pot she’d just finished stared back at her. No sign of the bracelet.
“I’ll meet you in half an hour,” she said, not looking at him. “If that’s okay.”
“Sure,” he said slowly but didn’t move from her side. “You okay?”
“Yes.” She shot to her feet, already walking away.
She found Marla near the succulents.
“Did you see my bracelet?” Fern fought to keep the worry from her voice. “I took it off at the bench to plant. I put it on the shelf.”
Marla shook her head. “No, I didn’t see it. Maybe it fell into the pot? Or on the floor?”
Fern nodded. “I’ll look again.” She turned back, dread settling heavy and cold in her stomach.
She searched again, slower now, hands careful as she sifted through soil, checked beneath the bench, inside the trash bin. The longer it took, the worse it got and pretty soon her hands were trembling.
Her chest tightened.
Not because it was jewelry.
Because it was Crew’s bracelet.
She straightened and nearly ran into Crew.
