Page 3 of The Secrets We Treasure

Oliver and Barbara pulled apart at the same time Greer yanked Treasure out of view, placing his hand over her mouth.

“Someone’s out there,” Oliver hissed.

Treasure’s heart slammed against her ribs as a silent scream wrenched her throat. Tears trickled down her cheeks. The horror! Her mother and Oliver Chasing! How was that possible? Her mother was the picture of piety. She’d taught Treasure right from wrong. Attending church every Sunday was high up on her mother’s priority list. She was a good, conscientious woman who looked for ways to help others.

Her mind grappled to understand what was happening. Treasure’s dad had left when she was ten years old. Was her mother so desperate for companionship that she would stoop to carrying on with Oliver Chasing? Was that why her mom and Cherry had been talking about Oliver’s age? Did Oliver have some twisted hold over her mother?

“I’ll go check it out,” Oliver said.

Greer’s eyes widened in fear. “Let’s go!” He took off running into the woods, pulling Treasure, half-stumbling, behind him. They tore through the brush, no longer caring how much noise they made. They didn’t stop until they got to the other side of the grove.

Treasure collapsed to the ground, sobbing, her shoulders heaving.

Greer sank to his knees and draped his arms around her. “It’s okay.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not okay. It’ll never be okay again.” Her world was rocked. Everything she thought she knew was turned on its head. Up was down and down was up.

He glanced back at the trees. “We need to go. He may come after us.”

“I don’t care if he sees us,” Treasure raged, letting the molten anger consume her. She balled her fist. “How could she do that? Oliver’s a married man.” Her words got strangled as her throat closed. She gulped, trying to catch her breath.

Greer caught hold of her arms, looking her in the eye. His tone was understanding but firm. “There will be plenty of time to talk about this, but right now, we need to go.” The urgency in his voice cut through her frenzied emotional state as he searched her face. “Okay?”

He helped her to her feet as they took off running. They didn’t stop until they reached the beach and fell onto the sand.

By this time, Treasure’s tears had dried up. She was completely numb. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as she looked out at the thrashing sea, letting her mind get lost in the commotion. She didn’t know how long she’d sat there until Greer spoke. His voice sounded like it was coming from far away—an echo from another time and place.

“I’m sorry.”

She pulled herself out of her stupor as she turned to him. “How could she?” Treasure rasped, the anger returning. “My mother’s not the woman I thought she was.” Long ago, Treasure had lost faith in her dad. She’d shifted all her trust to her mom. In the snap of a finger, her one anchor that she’d counted on above all else had dissolved, leaving her adrift in a cruel sea of tumultuous emotion and confusion.

“Don’t say that. Your mom’s a good woman.”

“Hah! Good women don’t sneak around with other women’s husbands.”

He began rubbing light circles over her back. “We don’t know the pain that people hold in their hearts or what motivations fuel their behavior.”

Treasure barked out a hard laugh. “Seriously?” Her voice went shrill. “You’re waxing philosophical right now?” Her body was trembling with the pent-up fury of an electrical storm needing an outlet for release.

“I’m not the enemy here,” Greer reminded her.

She sucked in a breath. “I know.” The bleak despair that crowded around her was as dark and menacing as the clouds above. “I don’t know what to make of this.” She turned and searched Greer’s face for an answer. He caught hold of her hand, pressing it between his. “You don’t have to face this alone.”

Her eyes moistened as she nodded. “Thank you.” Greer had no idea how comforting those words were. Greer had always been her best friend. Now that he was her boyfriend, they were moving into uncharted waters. Without her mother to count on, there was only Greer. “I love you.” When he blinked, her apology stammered out as her face burned hotter than a boiling kettle of water. “I—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No. I’m glad you did.”

For a second, she wondered if she’d only imagined his words. “Really?” she squeaked.

“Really,” he assured her. A buoyant smile curved his lips. “I love you too.”

Laughter gurgled in her throat. “You do?”

“I do.”

Desperation gripped her chest in a tight fist. “Promise me that we’ll always be together.” She’d thought she could count on her mother, but the rug had been pulled out from beneath her. Greer was all she had. She couldn’t bear the thought of somehow losing him.

“I promise.”

He gathered her in his arms, and she rested her head against his chest. The steady beating of his heart helped calm her frazzled nerves.

Then, drops of rain pricked them one by one, giving way to a steady downpour. They remained as they were—two hearts knit together in a bond of hope for a bright future. Surely, fate would smile down on them and grant them their hearts’ desires. Oh, how Treasure hoped that her love for Greer would be the one thing that could truly stand the test of time.

Thunder shook the ground as they jumped to their feet. The storm was now upon them. Hand in hand, they skidded over the sand to get to safety.

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