I wait, enjoying this particular show more than the music.
The quartet announces they’re going to take a small intermission, and they exit the stage.
Immediately, as if he’s been waiting all this time, Caleb plops onto the grass in front of us and unfolds a map. “Look what I found.”
It’s a local trail map, and I recognize most of the areas he has circled. The one he points to is the shanty Landon and I took him to at the beginning of the summer.
“Hey, good map reading skills,” Landon says.
Caleb beams, and he points to another spot not far away. “Look at what this says.”
“Prospector’s Demise,” I say, knowing what it is but waiting for him to tell me because he’s so excited.
“Demise means death, right?” Caleb says, excited.
“In this case.”
“This is where Gideon Bonavit went off the cliff with his gold!”
I nod. “It’s the spot theythinkhe went off. It happened so long ago. No one really knows for sure.”
Excited, he points to several more circled locations on the map, all nearby places where gold was mined.
“I copied them from the map in the book. Isn’t it cool?” He gives us a big, hopeful grin. “Maybe we can go for a drive tomorrow? Check some of them out? There’s gotta be goldsomewhere.”
I glance at Landon, not wanting to be the one to tell Caleb we’re not going to be here.
“Hey, bud, Lacey and I are going on a short day trip tomorrow,” Landon says gently. “Maybe we can try for next weekend.”
“Oh…okay.” Caleb’s face falls, and he carefully folds up his map. He looks back up, a spark of hope still in his eyes. “You promise?”
Landon glances at me, and I nod. Mom won’t mind if I take another Saturday off. Honestly, I could probably take the rest of the summer, and Mom and Mark would be relieved I’m working on my social life. You’d think I was a hermit from the way those two talk.
Caleb grins and runs off, going who knows where.
“Thank you for humoring him,” Landon says, tracing my hand with his finger.
I don’t know what’s going on between us exactly, but I’m happy, and I think he is too.
Paige appears behind us and nods to Mark. “I see your uncle is riveted by the show.”
I turn, relieved to see her out. It’s been two weeks since she discovered that Tanner’s a toad, and she’s spent most of that time at home.
“Hi,” I say, scooting closer to Landon so she can sit next to me on our blanket. Nervous, I glance about. I saw Gia towing Thomas around earlier, so there’s a good chance Tanner’s here too.
“He’s not here,” Paige says, reading my mind.
“Are you sure?”
“I haven’t seen him.”
I frown, wondering if shewantsto see him. But I know Paige too well to question that. Now that she knows he has a girlfriend, she won’t touch him with a ten-foot pole.
“Did Trenton come with you?” I ask.
Her brother came home last weekend, and she told me on Wednesday they’ve been helping their dad with odd projects.
“Trenton is here with some girl he met yesterday. Dad’s with Diane.”
