Page 42 of Valentine's Day Treasure

He mumbled something she couldn’t understand as they entered the guestroom and Crew immediately flopped facedown on the bed. Dahlia dropped her bag, then unlaced his boots and pulled them off him.

“C’mon, turn over and take your pants off.”

“Not tonight, Doll, I’m tired. I’ll be locked and loaded for you in the morning,” he said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

She snorted. “Take ‘em off so you can sleep, that’s all.”

Somehow, she got him undressed and under the covers, as he snored through it. She changed her clothes, stored away her pendant in her bag, then she found the book Crew had just given her and her e-reader. She took them both with her to bed.

She smelled the new book and read the back cover, then she turned on her e-reader and read the last page over again, trying to decide which book to read right that moment.

The constant hum of the generator cut off.

“Power’s on,” Dahlia whispered to herself.

She crawled out of bed and went to the window overlooking the backyard. Their cabin and the one beside it were dark and quiet. Nearby, a black wolf left the tree line and circled the cabins—Trent, and he had Angel the bobcat with him. Angel, so much smaller than Trent, had to bound through the snow like a fox to keep up.

Dahlia smiled.So that’s where the little guy was.He had food and several beds throughout the houses. He would sleep when he wanted to.

She went back to bed and made her decision: she would tandem read, starting with her new book. She put her e-reader under her pillow, then she cracked open her new book and lost herself in it.

21—Home, Too

Heather walked hand in hand with her male through the forest. They’d landed at the main house and helped to put gear away, and now they were on their way to their cottage. Heather’s fingers touched her pocket, feeling for the packet of anklets for the hundredth time that night.

The day had been long and challenging, and the night had been so much fun. Heather was exhausted, but one thing bothered her.

“Why didn’t anyone ask us where we’d been?” she asked Graeme.

He looked up at the sky, which was slowly clearing of clouds and filling with stars and didn’t answer right away.

“I dinnae ken,” he said finally. “Mayhap Trevor told everyone it was a secret. I told him before we left what we were about.”

They reached their cottage, and once inside, Heather checked on her lizards right away—they were all fine and sleeping.

Finally, she could finish her business with the gold.

First, she took the two crystals out of her pocket and placed them carefully with her glassblowing equipment. She opened her tool chest, lifted the top tray, and fished out Graeme’s Valentine’s day gift—a ticket for a flying lesson in an antique bi-plane. She put it in her pocket and went into the living room to look around with fresh eyes.

Graeme had told her she would know the proper hiding place for the anklets when she saw it, and that something as small as them would likely be best hidden in or near their home, especially considering the personal nature of them.

Graeme, already dressed in his silk boxers, appeared at the bedroom door.

“I’ll be lying down, but nae sleeping.”

She nodded at him, knowing that was his way of leaving her to her business, but staying available at the same time.

Heather wandered around her house, but nothing was jumping out at her. She went into the bedroom and walked around the bed, thinking the fireplace looked interesting. Graeme, lying on the bed with no blanket, looked at her suddenly, almost startling her.

He sat up and swung his legs over, speaking inruhi. I remember my dream. I’m to be handing over the keeping of yer pendant to ye.

Really?Heather didn’t even know where her pendant was. Graeme had hidden it after they’d last used it and she hadn’t asked where.

Aye.He stood, crossing the room to the fireplace, his right forearm and hand burning red, then white hot. He knelt to thrust his hand into the stone at the base of the fireplace, and the room filled with an acrid smell. He pulled his hand out, holding a small metal box. He handed it to her, then returned to the bed.

Heather peeked inside the box. The pendant was there, with the dragon on one side and the angel on the other. She closed the box quickly, attempting to guard herself against the swirling emotions the sight of the pendant brought up in her. Now she hadtwothings she had to hide.

She circled the room, looking at everything. The only thing that was interesting to her now was the fireplace. She left the room and circled through the house once more, even pausing in the kitchen. She frowned. Nope, still nothing.

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