He grinned, unbothered. “Desperate? No. Determined.”
“Donna wouldn’t date anybody who tried to bribe me first,” I said, half amused, half irritated. “She’s got better taste than that.”
He leaned back, his eyes shifting to more blue than green. “You make a good point.”
“I usually do.”
For a moment, the wind was a strong sound along with the river rushing against the bank and the occasional cry of a jay from the trees. The air smelled like pine sap and wet earth, cool and rich. He shoved his hands in his pockets again and looked toward the water, his expression shifting.
“All right,” he said. “New deal. If I find the boxes before you do, you invite me to one of those Sunday night family barbecues at your parents’ place.”
My jaw actually dropped. “What? You want to come to family dinner?”
He nodded, and I couldn’t read him.
I narrowed my eyes. “How do you even know about our weekly dinners?”
He smiled. “People talk.”
“People seem to talk to you a lot,” I muttered, studying him. There was something too knowing in his expression, like he collected secrets for sport.
“Part of the job,” he said.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “All right. Saying you didn’t steal the boxes this time. Why do you think somebody wants them so badly anyway?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
I was missing something. “To steal them twice? That’s too dangerous.”
“They’re silver,” he said blandly. “You can melt them down, make a decent amount.”
I shook my head. “Baloney. If that were true, they wouldn’t have been left behind in an alcove in the first place. Whoever hid them didn’t do it for profit.”
He watched me closely, his gaze thoughtful. “What’s your theory?”
“I’m lost,” I said softly. The thought settled in me like a cold stone.
His jaw flexed. “Then we’d better find them.”
“I plan to.” I turned toward my sweet Fiat. An idea hit me. A real one, and hope flared inside me along with anticipation. Out of nowhere, but at least I finally had a direction.
“Anna—”
But I was already moving, boots crunching against gravel. I picked up my pace, and when the ground sloped toward the parking area, I broke into a jog. The cold air bit my cheeks, the wind pulling at my hair as I moved.
“Hey.” Cormac called, and when I glanced over, he was running easily beside me, not even breathing hard. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” I said, quickening my steps.
“How about we work together?”
I slowed near my car, yanked open the driver’s side door, and turned to face him. “Nah. You’re totally on your own, Cormac.” I meant about more than the boxes.
His smile stayed in place, but his eyes sharpened. “Suit yourself.”
I started to get in, but he caught the edge of the door and leaned down just enough that his voice dropped low. “Honey, I find things for a living. I’ll find those nugget boxes for you.”
“If you do,” I said, lifting a shoulder, “give me a call. Maybe we’ll work something out then.”
