Page 62 of Stolen for Keeps
Because the next photo made my stomach tilt—Napoleon, with his arms around Annamaria. The warm haze of the wedding cracked, dreams fizzled, fantasies aborted.
I still believed no one had noticed the necklace was missing. Otherwise, Buffaloberry Hill would’ve been crawling with cops.
That left me with two possibilities.
One—now that her world was all billion-dollar addresses and Cartier-grade rings, the necklace didn’t matter. It’d been shoved in a box with all the other things she’d outgrown.
Two—her wedding was about to flip the status quo faster than I’d expected. If her teenage dream was still alive, she might start caring about that necklace again.
I couldn’t take a risk.
Whatever this was with Noah? Temporary. Whateverthatwas with Napoleon and Annamaria? A reminder. Thenecklace was still out there at The Lazy Moose. And I still had work to do. I had to get it, then get the hell out of Buffaloberry Hill.
Sheryn studied me, her brow knitting. “Yeah, thought you’d give me that…I don’t know, cavegirl expression or something.”
“Cavegirl expression?” I echoed, managing a laugh.
She winced. “You okay?”
“Jealous, maybe,” I lied breezily. “But that wouldn’t fast-track anything, my dear.”
“Mmm-hmm,” she said, twisting her lips, not buying it.
Nick nudged her from behind.
“Anyway, we’ll talk after I come back,” she said, hugging me hard again. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” I said, squeezing back. “Go have the time of your life.”
A few more words, another round of hugs, and then they were gone.
The second the door clicked shut behind them, my stomach bottomed out.
I should’ve seen it coming.
After the first heist, I’d joked that Annamaria wouldn’t notice the necklace missing until her wedding day, an eternity away back then. But now the day had arrived. She knew. She had to know it was gone again.
And me? I’d overslept. Thanks to the brilliant idea of trying to drink away the truth that I was about to break Noah’s heart.
Of all the damn mornings.
I was supposed to grab the necklace while it was still dark, when no one was around.
Now? I’d have to do it with the cleanup crew swarmingThe Lazy Moose, pulling down bunting, and folding up chairs like it was any other day.
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
Maybe I could play it off by saying I lost an earring. Something small and believable. If anyone spotted me near the barn, I’d slap on a sheepish smile and pretend I was searching for a sentimental trinket.
I raked a hand through my hair, already regretting the sleep.
Okay, no more stalling. Time to fix this.
By the timeI pulled into The Lazy Moose, the cleanup was already well underway. Tables were being folded, decorations boxed up, and the once-magical wedding setup was now a graveyard of floral arrangements and half-dismantled fairy lights.
Which meant too many people.
I scanned the area, trying to get a clear shot at the oak tree. Just a few more steps and?—
