Smitten Book Club Read online

  Her mother clapped her hands together. “Really?”

  “Probably not, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t at least check?”

  She kissed her mother good-bye on the cheek and drove the short distance to Molly’s house.

  Abby knocked on Molly’s door, but there was no answer. She was probably out with Noah running errands. Abby reached into the planter and pulled out the spare key and let herself into the old farmhouse.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” a voice echoed.

  She screamed and turned to see Heather. “What are you doing here? You nearly sent me out of my skin!”

  “I saw you pull up. Thought it might be fun to surprise you.” Heather wore coveralls and was clearly there to do some kind of gardening. “Just wanted to get to some of the weeding here. Molly has enough to do.”

  “Well, you surprised me, all right.”

  Heather put down her pruning sheers on the front porch and followed Abby inside. “Look at you in your dress. Don’t you look gorgeous.”

  Abby twirled. “I do feel gorgeous. Thank you, Heather. What you girls did for me was really nice. I’m sorry I was a grump about it. I’ve been thinking . . . maybe my growing up adopted has made me kind of self-conscious about being in debt to people.”

  “But it’s not debt if it’s a gift. And we’re your friends. We love you. We wanted to do that for you.”

  “I think the idea is growing on me. But anyway, thanks.”

  “Is the idea of Wyatt Tanner growing on you?”

  She felt heat rise in her cheeks. “Wyatt?”

  “Abby, there’s nothing wrong with being human. Wyatt is a respectable, gorgeous, single man. What is wrong with admitting maybe you dressed up for him?”

  Abby walked through to the dining room. “I didn’t. I’m only trying to feel better about myself, like I’m worthy of a pretty dress like this.”

  “And a man like Wyatt,” Heather said.

  “You’re impossible.”

  “What did you find out from the book?”

  “Well, a couple of things, actually. First off, gold is mentioned in quite a few places. I think I may have found a pattern. Look here.” She opened the book to scraps of paper where Pearl marked the words of interest. “‘Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above gold.’ Pearl replaced the word rubies with gold.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Heather, in Proverbs, the actual text reads ‘A wife of noble character is worth more than rubies’—not gold. I can’t imagine she’d make a mistake like that. It has to be intentional. Pearl was a woman who knew her Scripture.”

  “Oh, good catch. Well, she might have just thought gold was worth more. Who knows, maybe back in the day it was.”

  “That’s what I thought too, but then I saw that she flagged something about gold ‘saved for the generations.’ Maybe the treasure is no longer in the cave. Could she have mined it already and then hidden it?”

  Heather looked wary. “Surely one woman couldn’t do that.”

  “Maybe not, but look at this passage that’s highlighted. It says a ‘golden cord of three’ is not easily broken.”

  “And?”

  “In Proverbs it’s just a ‘strand of three,’ not a golden strand. She’s deliberately misquoting these for some reason.”

  “This is exciting! You think the treasure is real now, too, don’t you?”

  “I’m not sure,” Abby said. “But yesterday at the library I looked up the old Chambers homestead records to see exactly where the property lines were back when Pearl wrote this book. Turns out Molly’s barn wasn’t on the property until just a few months before Pearl’s death.”

  “So?”

  “So what if the barn was built as some kind of hiding spot? If Pearl mined the gold somehow.”

  “Abby, we have to check this out.”

  “I agree. Can we go out back there now, before Molly gets back?”

  “You’re going to wear your new dress into that barn?”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. But we don’t have time for me to change. I promise not to dig or anything. We’ll just look around a bit.”

  The barn smelled musty and was filled to the rafters with sports equipment, old wood, and wet hay, and sawdust was everywhere. Abby kicked some into her shoe and shook it out.

  “Abby, you’re ruining your new shoes!”

  “Look, Heather!” In the corner of the barn lay a wooden box. Abby kneeled down gingerly to inspect it. “It’s a sluice box.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a way that Pearl might have mined the gold by herself. She could have had help with the ore and mined it in this sluice box.”

  “Why would they have kept the mineral rights on the property, then?”

  Abby looked up at Heather. “Maybe she didn’t get it all. It would have been hard rock mining. If Pearl did it by herself or with a few helpers, she wouldn’t have been able to get all the ore. She would have needed dynamite.”

  “I hate to think of Molly struggling so much financially when Pearl might have left her with everything she needs. Why wouldn’t she make it obvious?”

  “This was a rough town back in the day. A logging town. A prudent woman like Pearl would have kept it very quiet.” She stood and heard a tear.

  “Abby, your dress!”

  Abby gasped and looked down at her silky skirt, which was in two shredded ribbons, one for each knee. Part of her brand-new skirt was still on the nail that stuck out from the barn wall. “What have I done?”

  “Maybe solved part of a mystery,” Heather said. “But you’ve definitely proven your point. You might require some tougher gear. I still don’t condone orthopedic shoes, but I’m definitely going to go with rayon over silk.”

  “I’m sorry, Heather. But I really want to be Anne Elliot, not Scarlett O’Hara.”

  “You tried to tell us.” Heather gave her a hug. “Find Molly’s gold and you can be both. Which would Wyatt prefer?”

  “It wouldn’t concern me regardless,” Abby said and fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly. She didn’t risk saying anything more. The fact that she’d be flying with the likes of Wyatt Tanner in the morning would lead her friends to believe she had a shot at romance in Smitten. Adventure, not romance, was the most she would hope for.

  The world is a library and those who do not seek adventure, do not read but a single page.

  PEARL CHAMBERS, The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Abby skipped her morning coffee since her heart was already pounding relentlessly at the thought of flying over Smitten without so much as an engine. She drove her own car to the field; just in case she changed her mind, she didn’t want to force Wyatt to cancel his plans.

  Wyatt called out a greeting and jogged toward her dressed in green khakis and hiking sandals. Even though she felt a little queasy, his outdoorsy appearance aroused her appetite.

  “Ready to go up?” he asked.

  “Don’t I need lessons first?” she asked weakly. This was all happening too fast for her liking. “I thought I’d have time to get used to the idea a bit. To feel the air from a casual three or four feet from the ground.”

  “Nope.”

  “We’re not going on the practice hill over there?” She pointed to the wide grassy field where several people were gathered around a man she assumed was a teacher.

  “Abby, I’ll be doing the flying today. You’re the passenger along for the ride. You just have to enjoy yourself.”

  She bit down on her lip as she watched a glider high in the sky with a single person hanging precariously, like the body of a butterfly.

  She grasped Wyatt by his wrist and shook her head. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  His expression softened, and she marveled at just how handsome he looked. “You don’t have to do this,” he told her.

  “The tickets are paid for. I don’t want them to go to waste.”
/>   He lifted her chin so that she was forced to look into his brown velvet eyes that exuded a warmth she would have sworn she felt inside. “You’re so valuable to me, Abby. I wouldn’t take you up unless I knew that I could keep you safe.”

  He really did make her feel safe—as though she could trust someone else to be in charge for a change. Her heart seemed to slow a bit. She felt a little lighter, happier.

  “Maybe . . .”

  “Abby, really. You don’t have to. The last thing I want is for you to resent me because you felt coerced into flying when you weren’t ready.”

  “What happens first?”

  “I’ll strap you into that little sleeping-bag-looking casing.”

  “Like a sausage?”

  “Like a sausage. I’ll get into the one that hangs over you.”

  “I’m going to be on the bottom? As in, I’m the first to hit the ground?”

  “We’re not going to hit the ground, Abby. When we land, we’ll both put our legs vertical and we’ll start to take a few steps. If you feel weak, pull your legs up and I’ll do the work, but it doesn’t hurt to land. I’ll set us down very easily.”

  She nodded. “All right, let’s go. Before I change my mind.”

  In the center of the long grassy valley that lined the river stood several hang gliders and their operators. Wyatt took her hand and led her toward the group, then introduced her to three men and one woman. She couldn’t remember any one of their names. She was far too nervous at the sight of the oversized kite.

  Wyatt unzipped the glider and showed her the aluminum construction underneath the sail. He explained which bar she would hold on to, how she would be strapped into the contraption, and what would happen when the “tug” or the small, light plane pulled them into the wild blue yonder.

  “I just want to go up before I have time to chicken out.”

  The woman in the group, who stood beside a pink-and-turquoise hang glider, told her not to worry. “Last week Wyatt took up a tourist who was here for her hundredth birthday,” she said.

  “Abby, are you paying attention?” Wyatt asked.

  “Oh, sorry. What was that?”

  “Your feet will be hanging out of the sleeve. When we land, we’ll be in an upright position. You may have to take a few steps, but most likely we’ll land upright and you’ll be on the ground as easily as we took off. You’ll want to keep the pole where I position it so that it doesn’t strike you as we land.”

  Her pragmatic side kicked in. Was her life insurance premium paid? Who would call her mom if she ended up in the hospital with a broken neck? “No one even knows where I am, Wyatt. Maybe I should have told someone.”

  Wyatt rubbed her shoulder gently and pointed to her car. There stood Lia, Molly, and Heather, all spectating from the side of the road. Lia waved.

  “What are they doing here?” Abby demanded.

  “Apparently Casey told Molly why I was borrowing the tandem hang glider today.”

  “I never told Casey what I was up to.”

  Wyatt shrugged. “Neither did I, but I think it’s great that your friends are here. For once, Casey’s eavesdropping seemed to serve a purpose.”

  “But who would have told her?”

  “I’d never underestimate Casey’s ability to gain information. I think she may actually work for the KGB.”

  Abby looked again toward her best friends, shocked that they weren’t running to talk her out of the action. After all, they simply thought she needed a new outfit. She felt slightly miffed that no one was running up to tell her not to do it.

  “Don’t we have to get going?” Her voice started to get shaky.

  “We can let the next people go ahead of us if you’re not ready.”

  “Really?”

  “It’s your day, Abby. I was planning on fishing today.” He chuckled.

  Abby couldn’t help herself; she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. She felt so natural in his arms that rather than pull away, she rested her ear against his chest and heard the steady beat of his heart, so soothing against the blustery wind. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Still holding her tight, Wyatt whispered, “You are so welcome.” He spoke into his headset. “Take the next team up first. We’ll go in five.” The low vibration of his vocal cords under her ear connected him to her in a way she’d never experienced before. She’d purposely worn her hair down, and his hand smoothed the back of her neck. She shivered at his soft touch. The shelter he provided against the wind, against her fears, made her believe that she could trust him.

  His eyes spoke to her, and her fears melted away like clouds giving way to the sunshine. She’d judged Wyatt harshly, based on a series of opinions she’d formed about “men like him,” but Wyatt himself had been steadfast. His adrenaline-seeking hobbies didn’t mean he wasn’t at work when he said he’d be, nor did he miss church. For now, she had every reason to trust him. She supposed the fact that he held her life in his hands was reason enough.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She nodded and pulled out of his embrace, wary.

  “Step inside the harness.” He handed her a nylon casing that she slipped into like a loose body suit. It went just below her hips.

  “Is this long enough?”

  “It’s a training harness. Your legs will be mostly free for when we land. All these ropes on the back will be attached to a caribiner, and you’ll hang horizontally in the air. You’re not actually hanging on the pole. How’s your helmet fit?”

  She nodded. In the distance her friends all waved at her with their arms high in the air, offering encouragement. She swallowed hard, said a quick prayer, and readied herself for the biggest adventure of her life.

  After Wyatt strapped her into the hang glider, he began to strap himself in, and she felt his presence hovering just above her. “Now, before we reach our cruising altitude, there may be a little turbulence. Just expect that, and I’ll get you through it as soon as possible.”

  She turned behind her and smiled. “I know you will.”

  “You see that plane?” one of the men said beside them. “That’s your tug. We’re going to wheel you out now.”

  Another man came to her left, and the woman attached something to the plane in front of them. As the man to her left cranked his arm to the side, they began to gain speed. In no time at all they were airborne.

  The blustery wind roared in her ears, and her entire body bounced, but Abby had no fear. All she could see was the beauty before her. Lush green valley beneath her, the snaking river alongside them, striking mountains to their left. She felt peaceful and yet so alive. Every molecule in her body seemed to hum. Their bodies worked together in perfect harmony. Soaring above her beloved Vermont felt so natural. As the glider dipped and turned, she was filled with joyous adrenaline. She was flying. And she never wanted it to end. She was free of life’s encumbrances and worries; only God’s majesty stretched out before her. The swaying green grass danced beneath her, a lone puffy cloud waltzed past them, and she felt only pity for the poor souls in cars on the highway below.

  Wyatt’s chin rested on her shoulder, and she smiled in her contentment. She’d remember this moment forever. Wrapped securely in the nylon sleeve with Wyatt protecting her so that all she had to do was float toward the horizon on her dreamlike journey. She didn’t want the magic to end.

  Too soon, it was over. She’d become so awestruck that as they lowered their elevation, she never even had time to fear their landing. The ground rose up gently to meet them, and at the first touch they synchronized their steps perfectly as if set down by angels’ wings.

  She yanked her helmet off and let the wind rush through her hair. Every cell in her body felt fully alive. Wyatt unclipped her, and she climbed out of her harness. Before he could remove his own, she pummeled him with a bear hug. “Wyatt, I did it!”

  “You did!”

  “I loved it! I love—” She stopped herself from saying what she wanted to say, what too mu
ch excitement probably led her to feel.

  Wyatt smiled coolly, removed his own helmet, and stepped close to wrap her up into his arms. She lifted her mouth toward him and waited, but at the sound of her friends wailing their excitement, he moved away. She didn’t want to lose the moment.

  “You were going to kiss me.”

  He peered over her shoulder. “Your friends . . .” He pointed.

  Abby turned and lowered her brow. Her friends turned around as if they understood her meaning perfectly. “They’ll wait.”

  He raised his gaze to her friends and back to her, and then Wyatt planted his lips on hers.

  His kiss was firm. His arms enveloped her waist and brought her closer to him. It was as if a thousand bees buzzed within her, and she surmised heaven must be like Wyatt’s kiss. She pulled away and he pursued her, his thick, rough fingers clasping her jaw. “Kiss me, Abby. I’ve longed for you.”

  His words broke the spell. Wyatt’s words were not something that could be easily controlled. They were not safe. She felt perilously close to losing herself to desire. Imagine if they’d been alone.

  “I have to go.” With every ounce of strength, she left the cozy warmth of his arms and the fire of his kisses, and extricated herself from his grasp. She ran toward her friends.

  As she got closer, she saw that a fourth woman had joined them—Casey. Abby felt betrayed. It was in the woman’s nature to wiggle her way into every situation and ruin what joy could be found.

  “Casey,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

  Casey stared past her toward Wyatt. Her spindly arms were crossed and her gray eyes narrowed. She wore tight jeans, cuffed at the calves, that left very little to the imagination. Her silky pink shirt rippled in the wind and passed Abby like a rogue breeze.

  The green tinge of jealousy rose within Abby.

  “You took her hang gliding?” Casey shook her head. “You lied to me. I helped you so that you could tell her about the letter. Did you lie to her too? Did you say that her father gave you the letter?”