Page 90 of The Secrets We Treasure

After …

Six months later …

“Keep your eyes closed,” Tray admonished as he caught hold of Treasure’s hand and attempted to pull her out of the golf cart.

Treasure remained in the cart. “Hold your horses, little man. If I’m gonna be dragged across the beach with my eyes closed, we’ll have to go slow.” She threw Greer a sidelong glance. “What do you have up your sleeve?”

“He can’t tell you,” Tray interjected, his voice bursting with enthusiasm. “It’ll ruin the surprise.”

A crooked grin tugged at Greer’s lips. “You heard him. I can’t tell you.” Mischief lit his chocolate eyes, ringing them in gold. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” he taunted as he touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. “Now be a good girl and listen to your son. Keep your eyes closed.”

Treasure shook her head, grinning. “I see how it is,” she drawled. “Y’all are ganging up on me.” There was no telling what Greer had planned. They’d arrived in Honeysuckle Island a few days ago and planned to stay a month. Treasure’s mom was elated to spend time with her grandson, and Cherry had cooked enough food for an army.

“We guys have to stick together,” Greer quipped, throwing Tray an affectionate look.

While Treasure had hoped that Greer and Tray would get along well, she hadn’t expected them to develop a strong connection so seamlessly and quickly. From the moment she brought Greer home with her to Philly, it was like Tray deemed him a part of the family. Helen and Kevin were cordial to Greer from the start, but it had taken a little longer for them to act completely natural around Greer. It helped that Greer purchased a home in the same neighborhood as Treasure. Two weeks ago, he’d put his house in Silicon Valley up for sale, an indication that he was putting down roots in Philly.

Having Greer around on a daily basis was a dream come true. In that regard, her life was amazing. Treasure wished she could say the same for her career. Ethan was determined to get a cut of her business and had hired a cutthroat attorney to wage a legal battle that was sure to be lengthy and costly. Several times over the past few months, Treasure had been tempted to offer Ethan a settlement just to get him out of her hair. However, Kevin, Helen, Greer, and her mom urged Treasure to fight for everything that was rightfully hers, arguing that Ethan had been her employee and nothing more. The independent auditors found no evidence of Ethan stealing from her, which was reassuring. Treasure looked forward to the time when all would be resolved. On a positive note, she had found a great manager who knew her place and didn’t try to rule Treasure’s life.

“Come on, Mom,” Tray urged, yanking on her hand.

“Okay,” she acquiesced with an impish smile. “I can’t wait to see what this is about.” Greer flashed her a dazzling smile filled with such adventure that she couldn’t help but chuckle. There was never a dull moment with Greer, and Tray loved every minute of it.

She got out of the cart and closed her eyes. “Remember, I can’t see, so you’ll have to lead me so that I don’t trip and fall.”

“I will.” Tray pulled her through the gravel lining the edge of the road and onto the grass. A few minutes later, Treasure stepped onto the plush blanket of sand.

“Almost there,” Greer murmured in her ear. His warm breath tickled and teased her skin.

“I didn’t realize you were so close,” she chuckled.

“I’m right here,” he assured her. “As always.”

Emotion rose in her throat as she caught the meaning of Greer’s words. Oh, how she loved Greer Nash and was so grateful that he was back in her life. Greer had been her rock, helping Treasure sort through the emotional baggage of Laci’s betrayal and helping her come to terms with her lineage. Greer had questioned if Treasure would tell Banks the truth. She would eventually … when she was ready. One step at a time.

Tray stopped so suddenly that Treasure had to keep from barreling into the back of him.

“We’re here!” he announced.

“Can I open my eyes?”

“Yep,” Tray answered.

Treasure did so. Her jaw dropped when she saw what was parked in the sand. Laughter gurgled in her throat as she turned to Greer, who was sporting a proud smile. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep!”

“It’s a flying machine,” Tray blurted.

Greer piped in to explain, “The correct term is a paramotor. Think paragliding with a motor.”

Treasure’s eyes widened. “Is it safe?”

“You bet. I’ve been flying it all morning.”

Her eyebrow arched. “I thought you were having breakfast with your parents.”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll catch up with them later today. First, I had to check out the flying machine.”

---