“Yes!” Brody clapped a hand over his mouth, obviously realizing he’d been too loud.
Maya cringed.
The other treasure hunters turned toward her and Brody, dashing her hopes that no one had heard the outburst.
“Did you find something?” Roger demanded to know, raising his voice over the loud noise of the helicopter hovering outside the cave. He moved closer to see what had Brady so excited.
Brady pulled a small wooden box from a cleverly concealed notch in the wall and hugged it to his chest. “Mine.”
“Brady, set the box down,” Maya told him. If they gave them the treasure, then surely they’d be safe.
“No!” The stubborn jut of Brady’s chin didn’t bode well.
Seeing Roger reach for his gun, Maya did the only thing she could think of to protect her brother. She shoved Roger as hard as she could, sending him backward to land on the ground. “Run, Brady!”
Ducking his head, Brady used his shoulder and rammed into Greg Smith, sending him flying to the side and allowing Brady to race out of the cave, onto the thin ledge. “Maya?”
“Go, Brady, go,” Maya yelled as she did her best to block Roger from following her brother. She could hear rocks sliding as Brady scrambled down the face of the mountain. Claire joined Maya, pushing and shoving to keep the others from chasing after Brady. Greg and John Smith darted out of the cave, giving chase.
“That was stupid,” Roger hissed, the gun once again aimed at Maya. “You’ll pay for that.”
Claire jumped in front of Maya. “No!” she said. “We still need her. When Greg and John capture Brady, the only way we’ll get the treasure back is if Maya is alive and unharmed.”
For a moment, Maya feared Roger would hurt Claire for helping them, but then he growled, “Fine. Let’s go.” He waved them toward the mouth of the cave with the barrel of the gun.
Maya’s heart tumbled and she stepped onto the ledge. Below she could see the Smith brothers were gaining on Brady. Her brother needed her help.
Knowing she had one shot at this, she took a deep breath and elbowed Roger in the gut as hard as she could before breaking into a headlong run down the steep hill. Her feet slid on the loose earth and she went down on her backside. Rocks dug into her skin. Her shoulder protested but she had to keep moving.
Ignoring the pain, she glanced behind to see Claire being restrained by Roger and Sybil. Overhead, the helicopter continued to hover. Maya raised her good arm and waved frantically, praying that whoever was up there had seen her and would send help.
“Maya.”
To her right, Brady popped up from behind a fallen trunk of a tree. He must have stopped to hide.
Her heart in her throat, Maya dodged behind a clump of bushes and worked her way to her brother’s side.
From above them, Roger yelled to Greg and John and pointed, giving away Maya and Brady’s location.
Maya’s heart sank. There was nowhere for them to hide now.
Static on Alex’s shoulder radio crackled through the forest. Alex slowed Truman so that he could thumb the mic. Daniel’s voice came across the static line. “Patching you through to Ian Delaney.”
“Alex here,” he said curtly.
“I’m hovering above the back side of the mountain face.”
Alex glanced upward at the craft flying overhead. He had wondered who was piloting the helicopter.
Ian’s voice came again. “Maya and her brother ran out of the cave. There are people chasing them. Hurry.”
A jab of fear made Alex’s voice sharp. “Where?”
“You’re about a hundred feet from their position to the right of the trail.”
Heart full of worry and panic hammering against his rib cage, Alex urged Truman off the path and into the woods. Undeterred by the branches attacking them, they crashed through the forest until Alex caught sight of Greg and John Smith. He drew Truman to a halt.
The two men stared at Alex for moment then in tandem veered to the left and raced out of sight.
“Maya!” Alex called at the top of his lungs.
“Here.” He heard her but couldn’t see her in the thick underbrush.
He jumped off Truman and dropped the reins, then ran forward, unsure from where her voice had come. “Where are you?”
“Over here.”
He stopped, swiveled and saw her peeking over the thick trunk of a dead tree. He headed toward her at a run.
The retort of gunfire, followed by the thwack of a bullet hitting the tree trunk sent terror crashing through Alex. “Get down.”
Alex dived for the tree trunk and hauled himself over the side to land on the ground next to Maya and Brady. They appeared unharmed and relief flooded his system. But he couldn’t rejoice yet.
“That’s Roger,” Maya told him. “I believe he’s the only one with a weapon.”
Alex grabbed his radio to call in the situation.
A second later, the sheriff’s voice came through the radio. “Chase and I are almost there. Hang on.”
Maya touched his hand. “I knew you would come. I prayed you would and God answered my prayer. Again.”
The retort of more gunfire echoed through the forest. The radio on Alex’s shoulder came to life again. “We have Roger, Sybil and Claire in custody,” said the sheriff. “Chase and the others went after the Smith brothers.”
Maya latched onto Alex’s arm. “Claire tried to help us. She didn’t want to be a part of this. She and Ned Weber were an item.”
Alex covered her hand with his. “We’ll sort it out later.” Giving in to the relief and love sweeping through him, Alex cupped her cheek with his hand and lowered his lips to hers to kiss her for all he was worth. Her lips moved under his, her hands gripped the front of his deputy jacket. For a moment, the world faded away. It was just the two of them.
“Ew,” Brady said. “Kissing.”
With a laugh, they broke apart.
Brady held up his find. “Look, I found the treasure.”
“I see,” said Alex.
Brady set the box on the ground and opened the lid. With a gleeful cry, Brady dug into the contents. Inside were what appeared to be gold coins and jewelry. Maya picked one of the necklaces up to inspect it and frowned. She grabbed more of the jewelry and stared at them. “They’re fake,” she said. “All of this is fake.”
She dropped the costume jewelry and coins onto the ground. “I’m going to give that old man a piece my mind for all the trouble he’s caused over nothing.”
A good dose of anger burned in Alex’s chest, too, but he’d found the best treasure of all in Maya and Brady.
Not appearing the least disappointed, Brady picked up the necklaces and gold coins and put them back in the box. “I’m the smartest one of all. I’m the best treasure hunter.”
“Yes, you are.” None of this sat right with Alex. Delaney hadn’t struck him as a cheat. “May I see the box?”
Brady handed it over to him and Alex inspected the interior and the sides. Turning the box over, he noticed a notch in the wood. He ran his finger along the edge. “This has a false bottom.”
He popped the compartment open and inside was an envelope. He handed it to Maya. She broke the seal and slid out a check.
A small squeak escaped her. “One hundred thousand dollars,” she breathed out.
Now that was more like it. “It’s yours and Brady’s.”
She shook her head. “No. We’re giving it back to that old man. And I’m still going to give him a piece of my mind.”
“We can’t do it from here,” Alex said as he pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go home.”
Two days later, nervous butterflies danced in Maya’s stomach. She, Alex and Brady stood on the doorstep of the Delaney estate.
So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours. The five treasure hunters had been arrested and taken to jail. Alex and Maya had both spoken with the state’s attorney who would be prosecuting the case. He promised to take into account the help that Claire had given to Maya by trying to keep Roger from hurting her and Brady and distracting Roger so the Gallo siblings could escape the cave. Claire agreed to testify against her fellow treasure hunters for their part in the sheriff’s station fire. Sybil and Roger both claimed the Smith brothers had killed Ned Weber and stolen his notebook. The Smith brothers had lawyered up without saying a word.
Alex told Maya he figured one of the brothers must have stashed the notebook in Brady’s backpack as a way to get it off the mountain without it being found by the police. They hadn’t counted on how hard it would be to retrieve.
They were all taken out of town, and they were now awaiting trial in Denver. Maya and Brady would eventually have to testify in court later this year. But for now, she was determined to return the “treasure” to Patrick Delaney.
She didn’t want any part of this horrific game he’d set in motion with his Treasure Hunt of the Century. Many people had tried to convince Maya to keep the money, but she would not be swayed. Thankfully, Alex had only said it was her choice. She’d appreciated his support.
The massive front door of the Delaney’s estate creaked open. Collins stood there with a large grin on his face. “Our winners,” he said and clapped his hands. “Come in, please. Patrick is waiting for you in the library.”
Collins escorted them through the house toward a large set of double doors, which he opened with a flourish. When they walked inside, Maya understood why they named the room the library because the room didn’t just house a few books. Three walls held floor-to-ceiling shelves brimming with all kinds of books. The fourth wall had a bank of windows overlooking an amazing view of the Rocky Mountains.
Patrick Delaney sat at the massive desk in the center of the room. Today, he wore a gray suit and a red tie. Beside him were a videographer and a news anchor from the local television station.
Maya almost felt sorry for the old man because he was not going to get what he expected. There would be no accolades today.
Beaming, Patrick waved them closer. “Come in. Come in.” He turned to the camera. “These are the winners of the Treasure Hunt of the Century.”
Maya glanced at Alex. He gave her a droll look, which made her smile. She stepped forward. Brady, however, remained at Alex’s side, the treasure box gripped in his hands. She motioned for her brother to join her. Reluctantly, he did.
Patrick rubbed his hands together in obvious delight. “This is a banner day.”
From her pocket, Maya produced the check and laid it on the desk in front of Patrick. She met his gaze. “We do not want your money. Brady is happy with the fake gold coins and the fake jewelry. This—” she tapped a finger on the check “—was not worth a man’s life or all those other people getting hurt.”
Patrick’s rummy blue eyes widened with bewilderment. “But he won.” He smiled and shoved the check back toward her. “This is yours. Yours and Brady’s. You found the treasure. Only the worthy could find the treasure.”
Brady set the box filled with the fake treasure inside on the desk. “I’m worthy,” he said. “I’m smarter than everybody else.”
Maya put her hand on his shoulder. “It’s not polite to gloat.”
Brady nodded and stepped back, leaving the treasure box on the desk. “Sorry, Maya.”
Patrick frowned. “I want you to gloat.” He gestured to the TV crew. “We are on camera. You should be proud because you finished my game.”
Maya shook her head. Pity colored her words. “To you it was a game, to others it was life-and-death. We don’t want your money. Good day, Mr. Delaney.”
Putting her arm around Brady, they turned and walked out of the room with Alex as their escort.
A loud banging proceeded Patrick Delaney’s agitated cry. “No, no, no! That’s not the way it’s supposed to go.”
Maya didn’t mind disappointing the old man. She’d kept her integrity intact and was so proud of Brady for relinquishing the treasure. “How about we stop for ice cream on the way back to the ranch?”
“Rainbow sherbet on a sugar cone,” Brady said with a happy skip.
In the entryway, they found Ian Delaney standing by the door. Today he wore a white polo shirt and navy-colored shorts. He held a tennis racket in one hand. “Good for you, Miss Gallo. I can’t say I blame you for not taking the money. But I hope that you will allow me, on behalf of the Delaneys, to offer you a small token of our appreciation for finally putting to rest this whole treasure business.”
From his pocket, he withdrew a folded check and extended it to Maya.
Maya’s jaw firmed. Irritation swept down her spine. “I don’t want the money.”
Ian smiled and put the check back in his pocket. “Very well.” To Alex, he said, “Rest assured, Deputy, the Delaney estate will give generously to rebuilding the sheriff’s station.” He held out his hand. “And anytime you need me and my helicopter, you let me know.”
Alex shook the offered limb. “The sheriff’s department will be grateful for your donation. And I appreciated your assistance the other day. I will definitely take you up on your offer in the future.”
“Thank you, Mr. Delaney,” Maya said.
He bowed slightly. “You’re welcome.”
She smiled and said, “And you’re welcome to come in to town anytime. The citizens of Bristle Township would appreciate knowing not all of the Delaneys are as pretentious as they seem.”
Ian threw back his head and laughed, “I will take you up on that offer. I understand Christmas is quite a big deal in Bristle Township.”
Alex chuckled. “You know it.”
“Christmas is the best,” Brady interjected. “There are hayrides and Christmas caroling and Santa comes to town. There’s even reindeer. So much fun.”
Ian’s smiled was filled with tenderness. Maya hadn’t expected to see that. She decided she liked the man after all.
“I’ll take your word for it, Brady,” Ian said. “Maybe you can show me around.”
Brady eagerly nodded. “I sure will. I get to be the shepherd in the church Christmas pageant every year. With real sheep.”
“I look forward to seeing it,” Ian told him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a tennis lesson.” He walked away, leaving them to see themselves out.
Once the massive door was firmly shut behind them, Maya breathed a sigh of relief. “At least that’s over with.”
Another worry churned in her gut. It was time for her and Brady to return to their childhood home. But she didn’t want to. And as they drove back through town, stopping for ice cream, then heading out to the ranch, she worked on building up her courage to tell Alex exactly how she felt about him. And she prayed that he would feel the same.
When they arrived at the ranch, she held Alex back as Brady ran inside to tell Frank about their visit to the Delaney estate. Rusty’s excited barking from within the house made Maya smile despite her nerves.
Alex gave her a questioning look as she led him to the pasture fence. In the distance, Truman chomped on grass. The Rocky Mountains’ majestic lines met the clear blue autumn sky. Snow still clung to the branches of the trees and mountaintops, but warmth brightened Maya’s heart. She leaned against the fence and stared at the man she loved.
With her heart beating in her throat, she said, “This experience has taught me that none of us know what life holds for us. Brady or I could have easily died up on the mountain. And you could have, too.” She shuddered as she remembered how close those bullets had hit. That day on the mountain could have ended very differently.
Alex put his booted foot on the bottom railing and leaned his elbow on the top rail so he was very close to her. He ran the knuckle down her cheek, sending a wave of sensation through her.
“There are no guarantees in life, Maya. You know that more than anybody. But I can guarantee you one thing.” The intensity of his gaze drew her in and her breath lay trapped in her chest.
He leaned closer. “My heart belongs to you.”
She took in a sharp breath and slowly let it out as her courage, her hope and her joy converged with her love to fill every cell of her being. She nuzzled his hand still resting against her cheek. “I love you, Alex.” She lifted her gaze to his. The joy in his eyes gave her the last bit of courage she needed. “Alex, will you marry me?”
For a moment, he stared at her, apparently speechless with his eyes wide. Then a slow joy-filled grin spread across his handsome face. “You continue to surprise me, Maya Gallo.”
He dipped his head and captured her lips for a kiss that curled her toes, quickened her breath and made her sigh with delight.
When the kiss ended, he touched his forehead to hers. “Yes, Maya. I will marry you, because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life you and Brady.”
Elated, she entwined her arms around his neck. “Good.” She went on tiptoe and lifted her lips to capture his in another soul-searing kiss that left her breathless.
A warm muzzle pushed in between them and Truman gave a soft whinny of approval.
Laughing, they smiled at each other as they hugged the horse.
Alex pulled back, his face growing serious again. “There’s just one thing, Maya.”
Her joy dampened, and wariness moved in. “What is that?”
He took her hands in his. “Brady will be sixteen soon. Old enough to go to that overnight camp next summer. Promise me you will let him go.”
Tears of tenderness and happiness flooded her eyes and love for this man expanded in her chest until she thought she might burst. With him by her side, she could be brave enough to do anything. “Yes, I will let Brady go.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “It would be a nice time to take our honeymoon. I was thinking Spain.”
She tucked in her chin. “I don’t want to wait that long. And Spain would be amazing.”
Pulling her into an embrace, he whispered, “I don’t want to wait, either.”
And he kissed her.
If you enjoyed Buried Mountain Secrets, look for these other titles by Terri Reed:
Ransom
Identity Unknown
Keep reading for an excerpt from Murder Mix-Up by Lisa Phillips