“Yeah, he’ll find it.”
We started walking again and I glanced behind me just in time to see Harvey take a left.
“I wonder if he’ll ever find that treasure he’s always talking about,” she said.
“Not likely.”
“You never know.”
I glanced at her. “You think someone really buried treasure out there?”
“I’m just saying it wouldn’t surprise me if crazy old Harvey Johnston was actually onto something. Seems fitting for this town.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
Wrapped up in all the old stories about the origins of the town feud was the notion that someone had hidden something of value out in the mountains. People liked to call it buried treasure, but Gram had always brushed off the idea that it was a chest full of gold—although she didn’t admit to knowing what it really was, or if anything was even out there. It was all a bunch of nonsense as far as I was concerned. The feud, the stories about buried treasure, all of it.
We turned down the next street, following the slope of the hill toward the river. I stopped in front of an old house that had been converted into two apartments, one upstairs, one down.
“Come on.” I nodded toward the building and pulled the key out of my pocket. Herbert Bailey owned it and he’d let me borrow the key, even though I hadn’t officially rented it yet. We were related, although I wasn’t quite sure how. There were a lot of Baileys in Tilikum, so it was hard to keep track.
I unlocked the door and led Grace up the narrow wooden staircase to the second floor.
It was spacious for an apartment, with a living room, dining area, and a kitchen with maple cabinets. A short hallway led to two bedrooms and a bathroom. The walls were freshly painted and the carpet was new. Herbert had offered me a great deal—he’d called it the Bailey discount—which I appreciated.
She wandered to the center of the living room and turned in a slow circle. “Asher, is this…”
“I haven’t signed a lease yet, but yeah. I’m getting my own place.”
“Wow.”
She kept looking around and I wasn’t sure what that wow meant. Was she surprised? She couldn’t think I’d live with Gram forever. Did she think it was a good idea? Was she imagining herself living here with me?
Probably not that last one, but I was working on it.
I followed her back to one of the bedrooms.
“This is big,” she said.
“Yeah, but I can afford it.”
“What made you decide to move out of Gram’s house?”
I leaned against the door frame. “I just feel like it’s time. I need my own space.”
“I can understand that. Living with my mom after being away at school always feels like stepping back into childhood again.” She gestured toward the other room. “Why two bedrooms? Are you going to get a roommate?”
Not if I can get you to move in with me sooner rather than later. “Not necessarily.”
“Careful, or you’ll end up with the twins as roommates.”
“They’re not invited.”
She laughed and we went back to the living room. She wandered over to look out the large front window.
“So what do you think?” I asked.
“I like it. It’s really nice.”
“Yeah? I kind of wanted to see what you thought before I signed the lease.”
Her smile faded and she fiddled with a strand of hair. She did that when she was nervous. “Oh. Well, yeah, it’s cute.”
Keeping my posture casual, I leaned against the half-wall in front of the stairs. It was hard not to blurt out that I was glad she liked it because I wanted to date her and hoped she’d eventually move in. That even though we were still young, I kind of wanted to fast-track things with her because I already knew she was it for me.
But what was I supposed to say? Hey Grace, I’m pretty sure you’re my soulmate, so what do you think about skipping ahead and just getting married?
Yeah, no. That would be about as smart as kissing her in the middle of Gram’s kitchen on her first day back would have been. And was I really thinking I’d marry her?
Yes. Yes, I was.
I knew she wasn’t ready for that. But it was time to take the next step.
“So Grace, I was wondering—”
Her phone rang. “Sorry. Let me just check in case it’s… Yeah, it’s Mom. Hang on.”
Damn it. “Yeah, sure.”
She wandered toward the kitchen while she answered. “Hi, Mom… Yeah, I can pick him up… Of course… Don’t feel bad, it’s fine. I’ll get us dinner. When do you think you’ll be home?” She paused, listening. “Okay, see you then. Love you, too.” She ended the call and dropped her phone back in her purse. “Sorry about that. Mom has to work late, so she needs me to pick up Elijah from the babysitter.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. She was supposed to pick him up already, so I need to hurry.”
“Do you need a ride?”
“No, I left my car over by the coffee shop. And I think I’ll take him out for a cheeseburger on the way home.”
I followed her down the stairs. “He’ll love that.”
“Yeah, he gets a little upset when she has to work late, so hopefully that’ll help.”
I locked the door behind us and fell in step with her as we walked back up the hill. I still wanted to ask her out, but now she seemed preoccupied. Worrying about her brother, probably. Naomi usually called Gram when she had to work late. It figured that she’d call Grace this time, right when I was about to ask her out on a date. Shitty timing.
She was parked in a small lot behind the coffee shop. We stopped next to her car.
“Thanks for showing me the apartment,” she said. “It’s exciting.”
“Yeah, I think it’ll be good. And I haven’t told anyone else yet, so it would be great if you could keep it quiet for now.”
She opened her car door and smiled. “No problem. It’ll be our secret. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Grace.”
Fingering the key in my pocket, I stepped back onto the sidewalk and watched her get in and drive away. I’d have other chances to ask her out. She lived right next door; it wasn’t like it would be hard to see her. But I felt a little defeated. I’d built up that moment in my mind—imagined standing in that empty apartment and asking her out on our first date. Maybe getting bold and kissing her. It would have been cool to do it there.
But I wasn’t about to give up.
7
Grace
Something was going on with Asher, and I wasn’t sure what it was.
I stood outside in Gram’s backyard with Logan and Levi’s graduation party in full swing. The sun had already disappeared behind the mountain peaks, easing the heat of the day, and music from someone’s stereo filled the air. It was crowded with family, friends, and neighbors. People balancing plates of food and drinks. Chatting and laughing. A bunch of people had even started dancing.
Levi and Gavin were testing the boundaries of the fire pit, building a blaze so high I was surprised Chief Stanley hadn’t stopped them yet. Logan was walking around wearing his graduation cap, a Tilikum College t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, a pair of boxers instead of shorts, and white socks pulled up to his shins. Why? Who knew. It was Logan. He cracked jokes and ate up all the attention he was getting tonight.