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“Umm,” Hoax said. “I don’t mind getting food and taking it to the house, but it’d have to be yours. And I’m not going out because three area schools are having their senior shit tonight. I heard that three of the rooms at each of the most popular places in town are already booked. It’d have to be your house.”
After making plans, I stayed by my mom and watched the rest of the girls’ practice, and after they were done, I gave each of them a big kiss on the cheek, then went home with their daddy.
After dinner, when all of us were stuffed to our gills with pizza, I suggested a walk.
“I have a field of bluebonnets,” I whispered excitedly. “Do you want to go see them? I want to take pictures of the girls and yours and Phoebe’s kids in them. Like Mom used to do. They’re not all the way bloomed yet, but in a few days they’ll be perfect.”
“It’s almost dark,” Jonah tried.
I shot him a glare. “It’s happening.”
Hoax grumbled, but Pru stood up and clapped her hands. “Let’s go.”
So we did, flashlights in hand in case the darkness got too deep before we made our ways back.
It was as I was passing over a fallen tree, one that must’ve fallen recently since it hadn’t been there the last time I’d taken this path, when I saw it.
“Jonah?” I called out.
Jonah was at my side seconds after, hopping over the log like it was a branch instead of a seven-foot round tree.
“What?” he asked, reaching for my hand.
I pointed at the small brown door that looked like it was heading into a dirt hill.
“What’s that?” I pointed.
Jonah looked up and froze.
“Ummm,” he paused. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen it before.”
“This tree must’ve been blocking it,” I said as I pointed to the earth where the tree had been uprooted straight from the ground. Hell, there was still grass attached to the tree’s roots that were six feet high in the air.
Jonah walked over to it and touched the door.
It groaned.
Hoax walked up next to him and pulled on the lever, but it broke off in his hand.
“Hope you weren’t wanting to salvage this,” Hoax laughed.
Jonah held his hand out for the flashlight and said, “Let me see that so I can get a look inside.”
I handed it to him and waited for him to tell me what it was, but when he stood back up, he had a very weird expression on his face.
“Umm,” he licked his lips. “I think I found the treasure that crazy lady was talking about.”
Hoax bent down to look into the gap that the broken off handle had created in the door, then whistled under his breath.
“Let’s get this door off,” Jonah said as he gave the door a good tug.
The wooden slat he was holding onto broke apart like kindling into his hand.
And that was how the next four minutes went as both men pulled the wooden slats off the door until it was as open as it was ever going to get.
Jonah held his hand out for the flashlight one more time and shined it into the open, dark space.
At first, it took me a few minutes to comprehend what I was seeing, but then all the gold started to make sense.
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
“Holy shit, indeed,” Jonah rumbled.
“Is that real?” Pru whispered.
“Real fuckin’ gold.” Hoax picked up a handful of coins that were on the ground in wooden barrels. “Jesus Christ.”
Jonah’s eyes met mine, and suddenly, my big man smiled. “Fancy buying a boat?”
I burst out laughing.
In the end, we did buy our boat.
But mostly, I was just happy to have the final piece of the puzzle solved.
I was also happy to know that there was no ‘baby fetus’ involved. I had my limits, after all.
“Are you going to kiss me?”
I looked over at Jonah to see him staring down into my face.
And without a second thought, I kissed him.
