He nodded, like he’d expected that. Somehow, she knew he was disappointed—always hoping she’d tell him the truth. It might happen one of the times he asked.
“Let’s find some treasure,” Joe said as he jumped to his feet.
Everyone joined him. For an hour, the group searched the sand for amethyst. They found some beautiful pieces, everyone competing for the best finds.
Zach approached Harmony, holding up a piece of purple glass. “Treasure?”
“Depends on who’s holding it,” she said.
He handed it to her, his fingers brushing hers. “Then call it a gift.”
His touch lingered just long enough to be intentional. Harmony wasn’t sure if it was interest . . . or if he saw something in her she couldn’t find herself.
From farther down the beach, Torie called out. “Zach, are you doing community service again?”
He looked over his shoulder, grinning big. “Just being neighborly.”
“Neighborly gets expensive,” Torie responded. “Ask my lawyer.”
Mary, a few paces away, gave a dry chuckle. “Everything’s expensive when men are involved.”
Joe joined her, offering a cold beer. “Then let me be the exception.”
“You’re sweet,” she said with a wicked smile. “But sweetness isn’t what I’m after.”
“What are you after?” he asked.
She glanced toward the horizon. “Balance.”
Harmony caught the word, tucking it into her memory. Her fingers were itching for the keyboard. Maybe her cousin was right, and she needed to live in the moment more often. It was hard to do, though, when a person saw a story around every corner and needed to type instead of talk. Still, there was something in the way Mary saidbalancethat didn’t feel hypothetical. It sounded less like a philosophy and more like a plan she’d already rehearsed.
“Is anyone actually finding these magic stones?” Tosh asked as he crouched in the sand.
“They’re here,” Cass said. “You just have to look a little harder.”
Zach smirked. “Sounds like dating.”
Cass tossed a shell at him. “You’d know.” She gave him a dazzling smile.
“Maybe,” he said. “But I tend to look for things worth keeping.” His gaze lingered on her for a beat too long.
Harmony caught it—the flicker of interest, the unspoken dare. She smiled. Being with this group was the real treasure. It didn’t matter what they found. What mattered were the words spoken, the looks given, and the touches they thought were being concealed.
Mary wandered along the tideline, toes sinking into the wet sand, collecting bits of glass and purple flecks that shimmered like secrets.
“Are these amethyst?” Harmony asked as she joined her.
Mary’s eyes were fixed on the horizon. “Some are. Some are simply glass pretending to be something precious.”
“Just like people,” Harmony said softly.
Mary’s mouth curved—the faintest sign of agreement. “You learn quick.”
Harmony studied her—the way the sunlight caught in her hair, the way grief clung to her like perfume she couldn’t wash away. She’d never met someone who tried so desperately to mask the pain yet wore it with such dignity.
“Mary, I’d like to hear more about your daughter.”
Mary’s hand stilled. “It’s hard to talk about, but I’ll try.”
