Page 60 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

“Oh man, I was sure I was right.”

He laughed and pulled out a canvas bag. “You were right.” The bag slipped back, exposing a wooden box. Dex set it down on top of the bag. We both crouched down next to it, and he opened the latch and lifted the lid. Inside was a pile of shiny, bright gold coins that looked as if they’d been hammered by hand. Each coin had an elaborate design of a cross and lettering.

“My gosh, this really is like buried treasure,” I said. “Isla and I once brilliantly thought we could hide foil wrapped chocolate coins in the sand for Ella, Ava and Layla to find. We told them that we found a treasure map and that they could have it if they each gave us a dollar. They found the treasure all right, but it was a gooey chocolate mess. Nonna made us give their money back. But these,” I said on a breath. “Can I touch one?”

“I don’t see why not.” Dex and I reached into the box and each pulled out coins.

“It feels so heavy and old and like it has a thousand good stories to tell,” I said.

The loud rumble of motors made Dex stand up. “I think we might have been followed.”

We put back the coins, and Dex returned the box to the bag. We took off toward the car.

“Should I be excited that we were followed?” I asked. “Because I’m slightly terrified but in a good way.”

“I knew I liked you right from the start.” Dex reached back to take my hand. I had to take big leaps to keep up with his long, fast stride. “We might have to make a fast getaway. Give me the keys.”

I was breathing hard but managed a loud throat clearing. “If there’s going to be a high-speed chase, then I’m sitting behind that wheel. Not missing my chance to live out a dream.”

Dex chuckled. “If you say so, Speed Racer. Wasn’t he Gigantor’s sidekick?”

We were running. “Uh, I think it was the other way around.” We reached the road. Sure enough, the two creeps who’d made me fix them lunch the day before were sitting on their choppers. The big one pointed us out.

“Hurry,” I said, though Dex was already at the passenger door. My hands were shaking, and I was still trying to catch my breath from the run across the sand, so I had a hard time matching the key to the door lock.

Dex looked at me over the top of the car. “We should probably get inside.”

The choppers started up, scaring me and making me drop the keys. “Geez, clumsy, clumsy, clumsy,” I chided myself as I swept up the keys.

“Aria,” Dex said urgently.

The key went in. “Bingo.” I unlocked the door and pushed the button to unlock the passenger side. My small sedan wobbled side to side as he sat in the seat.

“I guess those remote key fobs come in handy in a situation like this,” I said. “They weren’t a thing when I bought this car.” I started the engine, checked my mirror and pulled out onto the road.

Dex was staring at the side of my face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Not sure if twenty miles per hour qualifies as a high-speed chase. Was this how it looked in your daydream?”

I patted the dash. “As mentioned earlier, she’s vintage. It takes her a few minutes to get warmed up to the idea of going fast.”

The car vibrated as the two choppers pulled up on each side of us. “This might be a little scarier than I pictured,” I said. “What should I do?”

“Do you know where the police station is?”

“I grew up here, so, yes, of course. And I only had to go in there once, when my friends and I were caught throwing toilet paper on the principal’s house.”

Dex turned slightly. “It seems a rowdy bad girl has stolen my heart.”

I smiled at him. “Have I?”

His green gaze held mine. “Yes, you have. And we can do the whole flirting and kissing thing after this. First, drive to the police station.”

“All right. Kind of takes the whole shine off the ‘being chased down for stolen treasure’ part of this, but if you say so.”

The station was only two miles back toward town. The choppers stayed on each side, like a pair of noisy, official escorts. The second I pulled into the police station, they took off. “Well, that was easy. I guess they figured they were no match for me and my race car.”

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