Suddenly, Chase’s voice broke into her thoughts. “I’ll be right here if you need me, Scout.”
“Iama ranger,” Scout said, sliding her hand into the crack. About a foot or so in, she felt nothing but cold, rough, hard rock. She reached in farther and farther, scooching as close to the boulder as she could ... until the tip of her finger brushed something flat. She scooched even closer to touch its edges and feel for the point of a corner. Her breath caught. A corner!A sharp one. Just like the other boxes. Slowly, patiently, she wiggled it loose until she could pull it free.
She eased back to sit on her knees and held the box in the palm of her hand. She glanced at Naki and saw the look of astonishment in his eyes.
Chase leaned over, his eyes wide. “Is that—?” He reached out to take the box from her, carefully undoing the hook that fastened the box, revealing a weathered sack. He peered inside. “More gold!”
“Shush,” Scout said, glancing around. “Someone might hear you.”
Chase gave her a grin, his excitement not dimming. “Hey, can’t help it. I’m about to break the story of the century.”
Scout, in that moment, had forgotten about Chase’s newspaper. Naki hadn’t. With a swift motion, he took it from Chase and slipped it into his pocket. “For safekeeping. Until we give it to Ranger Rivers.”
Chase frowned at him, then shook it off. He stood up, stretching. “All right, I’m starving. Let’s grab some food at Jordon Pond House before we head out for the next clue. Say, Scout, have you had a chance to experience the Jordon Pond popover yet? They’re legendary.”
“What happened to wasting time we don’t have to waste?” Naki said.
Chase waved that off. “It’ll be quick. Usually, you need a reservation for the restaurant ... but I know people.” He winked at Scout. “Benefits of bearing the name Fletcher.”
Again, Scout felt caught between their opinions, because they were both right. They needed something to eat, but they also needed to keep the search going. This was turning into quite an exciting hunt. Chase provided the clues, Naki provided the—what would she call it? knowledge? expertise? wisdom, maybe—to find the gold. Both were invaluable. “The jeep isalready in the parkin’ lot at Jordon Pond House. How about if we make a plan for the next clue while we eat those famous popovers?”
“I like the way you think,” Chase said, putting an arm around Scout’s shoulder to gently steer her down the trail.
She glanced back to make sure Naki was coming and caught a fleeting look on his face that took her by surprise. For just a moment, there was something there—a wince, a look of pain. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make her pause. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, and he was back to his usual unreadable self, leaving her to wonder if she’d seen it at all.
Tim leaned back in his creaky office chair, a mug of lukewarm coffee cradled in his hands, and stared out the window. From this angle, he had a clear view of the maintenance yard—and the curious spectacle currently unfolding there. Frankie Franklin was waist-deep in the dumpster, tossing flattened cardboard boxes over the side.
Maisie stood nearby, dodging the flying boxes, stacking them in a pile. Every now and then, she’d shout something that Tim couldn’t hear through the glass, but Frankie’s response was always the same: another box launched in her direction.
Tim squinted. What on earth were they doing? Weren’t they supposed to be on trail maintenance? And what had happened to finding that coffee girl’s boyfriend?
Still, they were staying busy, working together—and out of his hair. That was a plus. Frankie tossed another box, nearly losing his balance as he did. Tim shook his head, sipping his coffee. At this rate, the kid was going to end up at the bottom of the dumpster.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Frankie disappeared entirely. Maisie had been bent over the growing stack of cardboard, and when she straightened up, she stared at the spotwhere he’d been in the dumpster. Slowly, she turned in a full circle, as if she had no idea where he’d gone to.
Tim sighed, setting his coffee down. He was about to head out there to help when his desk phone rang, cutting through the moment. He hesitated, glancing from the phone to the yard. Oh well, he thought, reaching for the receiver. Sooner or later, Frankie’d find his way out.
Chase tried not to look as smug as he felt. The hostess at Jordan Pond House recognized him immediately, and within moments, they were seated at an ideal outdoor table under a large umbrella with a perfect view of the pond. When the popovers arrived, fresh from the oven, the waitress added, with a wink at Chase, that they were “on the house.” Yeah, life, for this one moment, felt pretty good. He leaned back in his chair, pushing the butter and strawberry jam toward Scout like he was bestowing a rare treasure upon her. “Prepare yourself for one of the world’s most perfect bites.”
Scout raised an eyebrow, eyeing the sky-high popover. “Alright. Let’s see if this lives up to the hype.” She tore it open, a puff of steam curling up like it had just been pulled from a hot oven, then she slathered it with butter and jam as if it were an art project. One bite froze her mid-chew. She let out a sound that landed somewhere between a sigh and a groan. “Oh my goodness gracious glory be,” she mumbled, eyes half closing like she was having a moment. “This is amazin’.”
Chase couldn’t tear his eyes away. Well, well—turned out Ranger Scout Johnson had a passion beyond the great outdoors. Watching how she savored the popover, his thoughts wandered to decidedly less professional territory.Rein it in, cowboy, he told himself, shifting uncomfortably. He cast a side-glance at Naki, who was trying to stifle a smile, just enough to let Chaseknow he wasn’t the only one who noticed Scout’s ... enthusiasm.
Scout’s eyes flew open, darting between the two men like she’d just realized she had been caught on live TV. A flush crept up her cheeks.
Too cute. The more time Chase spent with her, the more he felt ... smitten. Charmed. Like she was always trying to bury her girliness, but it kept slipping through the cracks.
“Those are dangerously good,” she said, as if trying to steer the moment back to neutral.
“Jordan Pond popovers are a local treasure,” Chase said, putting on his best tour-guide voice. He turned around to peer at the water. “Jordan Pond too. So clear you can see the rocks at the bottom.”
“It’s how one should live life,” Naki said.
Chase whipped around to look at Naki, narrowing his eyes. Was that a jab aimed at him? It felt like it. But Naki wasn’t even looking at him. He was occupied with cutting his popover apart with a knife and fork. Who didthat?
Scout swallowed, straightened, attempting to rally herself. “All right, what’s our plan?” she said, her tone brisk, as if the popover hadn’t just derailed her professionalism for a solid thirty seconds.
“Glad you asked,” Chase said, brushing crumbs off his fingers. “We’ve got plenty of time for one more hunt this afternoon. Then tomorrow, we hit the last couple of clues. First light.”
