Page 1 of The Secrets We Treasure

Before …

Treasure’s song

I sing of the tallest mountain peaks, known only to the lone eagle who dares to brave the fury of the fierce wind.

I sing of the pebble-white shoreline, bleached white by the adoring sun.

I sing of rivers, valleys, and the wide expanse of lush, green meadows that stretch grateful legs beneath the crystal skies.

I sing a song of quiet reflection, the tender seeds of which were planted long ago in my almost infancy.

The song is the rhythm of my heart that ebbs and flows against the bones of my breast. It is the soft whisper of my breath, the essence of my dreams, the culminated memory of my aspirations and desires.

I sing of a time when the past will relinquish her merciless grip and open to the possibility of all that should have been.

I sing of redemption.

I sing of hope.

I sing of you.

* * *

“Ican’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Treasure whispered as she cast a sidelong glance at her partner in crime, aka her best friend and recently turned-boyfriend. It was muggy, heavy clouds pressing a tight ceiling on the sky and compressing the air. The fragrance of honeysuckles was so intense that Treasure might’ve been in a perfume shop. Tourists were always super impressed by the large number of honeysuckle bushes on the island, going on about the incredible smell. However, for Treasure, the scent was as normal and every day as the salty air, wind, and rain. Today, the scent was so sweet that it was almost sour.

A confident grin slipped over Greer’s lips as he winked. “You’ll thank me when we’re filthy rich.”

“How can you be certain that he’s going to check on his treasure? There could be a hundred other reasons why Oliver Chasing walks this trail every Wednesday.”

Greer arched an eyebrow. “Such as?”

Okay, she couldn’t think of a hundred reasons, so she went for the most obvious. “Maybe he walks for exercise.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Greer contended. “I’ve watched him. He leaves the hotel every Wednesday afternoon at three forty-five p.m. on the dot. He makes a show of strolling casually down the beach. When he reaches the rocky point where the landscape curves, he glances around to make sure no one’s watching and then darts up the hill like a speed demon.”

“I’d hardly think Oliver goes that fast. He’s seventy-something years old.” Treasure knew that tidbit because she’d overheard her mother and Cherry talking about it the other day. Cherry was astounded that Oliver Chasing was in his mid-seventies, stating that he didn’t look a day over sixty. Treasure’s mother heartily agreed.

“He’s a lot faster than you think. I haven’t been able to keep up with him. That’s why we’re hiding out here this go-around. It’ll be easier to follow him through the marsh than up the side of the hill.”

Rivulets of sweat rolled between Treasure’s shoulder blades. “I’m about to burn up,” she complained, fanning her face with her hand. She was sorely tempted to stand up so the wind would cool her off, but she knew Greer would freak. She glanced up at the darkening sky. “Why don’t you just rain already?” she grumbled.

A low chuckle sounded in Greer’s throat. “Talking to the sky again?”

“I don’t know why I bother. It never seems to listen,” she quipped as an impish grin stole over her lips.

Greer threw her an adoring gaze. “Well, if I were the sky, I’d certainly listen.”

Warmth glowed through her. “That’s not true. I told you coming out here was a foolish idea.”

Mirth flashed in his deep brown eyes. “This is a grand adventure. We’re full-fledged treasure hunters here.”

“We’re full-fledged idiots,” she spouted, but there was no bite in her voice. She never could stay mad at Greer. “Maybe Oliver’s not coming. We could be waiting here for nothing.” The two were lying prone in the tall grass, keeping a close watch over the nearby trail. They’d been in the same position for the better part of a half-hour. Treasure’s body was so stiff that she could swear rigor mortis was setting in. Her shoulders were aching like she’d been beaten. The grass tickled and scratched her legs. A dart of pain stabbed her leg as she flinched. “Ouch!” She swatted viciously at a mosquito.

“Shh,” Greer demanded. “He’ll hear us.”

“I don’t care,” she blustered. “I’m miserable.”

He touched her arm, sending delicious tingles spritzing through her. “Just a little while longer.” A lopsided grin tugged at his lips as he adopted a puppy-dog expression. “Please?”

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