There she sat. Alone. Again. Stood up by Brad Hopper. When was Hadley going to demand better for herself? If only she could see what Noah had seen in her since they were best friends as little kids, and then later, when they were more. He saw deep green eyes that asked a million questions but wouldn’t wait for an answer. Then there were her dimples. The good Lord must have given those to her because He knew the world couldn’t take too much of them, and since she didn’t smile all that much, it would be okay.
Ugh. Why was he doing this to himself? She was there for Brad. Speaking of Brad, where was he? Still not there. “This is ridiculous,” Noah muttered as he stomped over to where Hadley sat by herself—stood up by Brad again from the looks of things. Noah refused to let it go. She didn’t deserve to be treated like this. Even if she didn’t like him, Hadley needed to know that at least Noah thought she deserved better than Brad Hopper.
“Stood up again, Hadley?” Noah gently touched her slender shoulder.
“Hey!” Hadley whirled around and toppled her water glass. Noah reached out to steady it, but not before some water spilled to the table.
“Hey! Do you have some sick obsession with making my life miserable? You leave destruction in your wake, and I’m tired of it.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Oh? You don’t? The rock at the cache site, the bike accident.” She ticked her fingers as she spat out her list. “This water … what else? Well, let’s see, I could go back a few years …”
“You know what? You’re a real piece of work. That rock at the cache site the first day—you were going to kill yourself if you dove. I saved your life. The bike accident—pretty sure you were about to get killed there, too. Another attempt at saving your life. This water? Um, sweetheart, you spilled that water because you’re wound up so tight a light breeze would startle you. Look if you want me to stop saving your life, tell me. Better yet, let me do it one more time right now then I’ll leave you alone.”
Hadley closed her mouth.
Finally.
She crossed her arms and cocked her head. “I’m waiting. Go ahead, save my life again, and then leave me alone—make my day complete in more ways than one.”
Should he say it? She’d never take it the way he meant it, but he couldn’t just let her continue to walk into Brad’s lair unwarned. “Dump Brad.” There, he said it. Uh-oh, her mouth was open again. She shook her head, the ponytail whipping her cheeks.
“How dare you? How could you say that to me?”
Here we go again. If he wanted to make a point, he’d better get to it. “Listen, Hadley, I’ll leave you alone, even though it’s the last thing I want to do, but please don’t make me leave you to him. Pick anyone else. How about that guy?” Noah pointed at Chuck, who let out a loud belch. Okay, bad example. “How about him … or him…?” Noah pointed out strangers. “Anyone is better for you than Brad Hopper.” She almost seemed to be listening. “He’s bad news, Hadley. You just can’t see it.” Oh, Hadley, if you only knew.
The fire lit up in her green eyes—flames licking her long eyelashes. “I can’t see it, huh? Me, the big-city girl? The out-of-towner? Somehow I’m the one who doesn’t get men? Maybe you don’t understand women, Noah. Maybe Brad is exactly what I want. He would never, ever do to me what you did. But you’re too shortsighted to see that. You in your little beachy bubble from your little pulpit world. People aren’t always who you think they are—for better or worse. I learned that from you.”
Was that true? Did Hadley know exactly what she was doing? No way. She wasn’t that type. She was clearly inexperienced—but she just as clearly didn’t want anyone to know it. She had issues … but what kind? She deserved to know the truth, but coming from Noah, she’d think it was nothing but sour grapes. She’d have to find out on her own. Noah prayed it wouldn’t be too late.
“Noah, I think you’re jealous. Green doesn’t become you. Please just leave me alone.” She dropped a twenty on the table and jumped to her feet, knocking the chair back into Noah’s hands as she stormed from the restaurant.
He was growing weary of watching Hadley’s ponytail bob as she fled his presence. This couldn’t last forever, could it? He looked down at the table. Set for one. Oops. So she hadn’t been stood up—so what? That didn’t change who Brad was. He’d been exactly the same person since grade school. Nothing would ever change him in Noah’s eyes.
Hadley jogged to Brad’s car when he pulled in the drive at Norma’s.
“Hi, doll.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek when she climbed in. “Oh, that’s not enough. C’mere.” He pulled her over for an embrace and planted a kiss on her lips. “That’s better. Yum.”
Did he say Yum? Hadley giggled. “Have a good meeting?”
“Hmm? Meeting? Oh, yeah, it went fine.”
Short-term memory. “It was a meeting, right? Who with?” Hadley glanced at him.
“No one special. Just some business associates. Boring talk.” Brad grinned.
Was he lying? Or was Hadley too paranoid? Most likely the latter.
“How about you? Good dinner?” He glanced in the rearview mirror as he backed the car onto the road.
“Oh, yeah. I’m totally addicted to those fig crispinis. I’d better watch my calories.” Hadley patted her stomach.
“I don’t think that’s a problem for you. In fact, you might want to have a double order next time. You’re getting a little bony.”
Hadley grinned. “Reeeeally?” Brad had no idea, but he had just paid her the best compliment of her life. She felt, for the first time, like she might have left her fat-girl image in Chicago, buried once and for all. She had no intention of bringing it back home again.
“You girls are so silly with the weight thing.” Brad wiggled his eyebrows. “But I sure am glad.”
She let the warmth settle over her, bathed in the compliments from Brad—truly the most gorgeous man she’d ever been near. He was older than her by about eight years, but that gave him the salt-n-pepper look to his hair she found so attractive. Men his age were getting ready to settle down. Ready for families. It could be just perfect between them. She’d even quit her job and move to Osage Beach if he asked her to marry him. A sigh escaped her lips.
“Hey, earth to Hadley.” Brad snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Where are we going? You’re the navigator.”
“Oh! Right.” Hadley scrambled to find her GPS and the notes she’d made. “We agree that the clue Spring, Winter, Summer, Fall means Village of Four Seasons, right?”
“Definitely.”
“Okay, then take Horseshoe Bend out.”
“Right. What’s next?”
“Shoulder pads, knee pads, helmet, and all. Just be careful you don’t fall.”
Hadley squeezed her eyes shut in thought. “Is there a roller rink or an ice skating rink there?”
“No. But there’s a skateboard park.”
“That’s it!” Hadley leaned forward and flipped on the radio. They drove in silence until Brad pulled into the parking lot.
“Too bad we didn’t hike or bike here. It wasn’t that far.”
Brad laughed. “Oh come on. Why do that when we can drive right to it?”
“Seriously? It’s the spirit of the hunt. The adventure. The physical experience.”
“Yeah—I’m not really feeling all that.” Brad laughed as he pulled the car next to the curb along the skate park.
Oh well. So they didn’t see eye to eye on one thing. That was life. All relationships had that in one way or another. Right? Hadley could sense the nearness of her target. “The last line is,
Watch out for that big wall.”
Brad surveyed the landscape. “Could it be as simple as that big wall over there? I mean, skateboarders would probably want to watch out for it if they didn’t have a death wish.”
“Maybe. Some of the clues have been that simple.” Hadley hurried to the wall and felt along its rugged edges until she felt a loose rock. “I think I have something here.” She pulled the rock out; behind it was a gray metal box. The cache! Her blood pressure rose as her heart beat faster.
She pulled out the spiral-bound logbook to sign their names. Hadley first, then Brad. Maybe chivalry hadn’t died just yet.
Within minutes, they were back in the car, and Brad started it up again. “Do you mind if I take the time to use the restroom over there?” He gestured to a Porta Potty beyond the tree line.
“I don’t know that I’d call it that, but do what you have to do.” Hadley messed with the dial on the radio. Wonder what he’d do if she changed all his presets to country music. She jumped when the car door jerked open and Brad plopped hard onto his seat. “Wow, that was fast!”
Brad grimaced. “It’s not like I wanted to read a newspaper in there.”
“True, very true.” Hadley settled back into her seat and closed her eyes. Things grew more and more familiar—natural—every day. Noah sure couldn’t stand Brad, but Noah didn’t have much room to point fingers. Maybe his opinion of Brad was a good thing. Could Brad be the one?
Noah paced outside the front door of On the Rise Bistro. How could he possibly go in there and accuse Hadley of cheating? It couldn’t be true. There had to be a simple explanation. He would take anything that made sense at this point.
Deep breath. He entered the restaurant and approached Hadley at a table for two. Why couldn’t she have been alone for this? He’d have waited until later, but he couldn’t let it go on all day if it was true, and if it wasn’t—he had to know.
Hadley’s companion had her back to Noah, but judging by the dark braid and the cargoes with the GPS unit hooked on her belt, it was a hunter.
“I was hoping to you’d be here. I saw your bike outside.” Noah couldn’t believe what he had come to say. He wiped his sweaty palms on his khakis and checked out Hadley’s breakfast partner. Madison. How to get her to leave so he could say what he’d come to say?
Hadley set her coffee cup down and turned a cold stare on Noah. “I was just enjoying breakfast with a friend. Emphasis on was. What did you want to find me for?”
Madison scooted her chair back. “I’m going to take this as a good time to excuse myself.” She raised her eyebrows at Hadley. “I’ll be right back.”
Hadley stared at Noah, drumming her fingernails on the tablecloth.
How could he say this? “Hadley, I can’t believe that I have to ask you this, but have you recorded any caches on the website that you didn’t actually find?” She was the hardest-working hunter, but she’d recorded so many caches. Could she possibly have found that many?
She reared back as though she’d been slapped. “Excuse me? I’ve worked my tail off to find each and every cache I’ve recorded. Exactly what are you accusing me of?”
He shouldn’t have said anything. But the logbooks … why hadn’t she signed them all? “I don’t know, Hadley. I’m sure there’s a mistake somewhere. Just make sure you always sign the logbook, okay?”
“I always do. It’s my favorite part.” Her eyebrows knit together in concern. “Is there a problem?”
“No. Really. It’s all fine. I think there was a mistake somewhere along the line. I’m sure it was mine.” Noah closed his mouth then opened it again. No. He’d better quit while he was ahead.
“What were you going to say just then?” Hadley crossed her arms.
Nothing you want to hear. “Nothing. Really. Just be careful, Hadley.” Noah turned and strode from the restaurant. How had he made such a mess of things?