Caleb nods, his hand still resting protectively at the small of my back. “We’ll look into it.”
After he leaves, the four of us—Caleb, Julia, Margret, and I—stand in awkward silence among the mill ruins.
“I owe you both an apology,” Margret says finally. “I should have been honest from the beginning. But after what happened with my brother, I didn’t know whom to trust.”
“We understand,” I say, though my throat still aches from Danny’s grip. “But no more secrets. If we’re going to figure out what to do about this treasure, we all need to be on the same page.”
Chapter 13
Caleb
I rest my hand on Lana’s back, keeping it steady as Margret nods solemnly in the fading light. “Thomas Wolf wanted his discoveries to benefit the community, not just line one person’s pockets,” she says, voice low. “That’s what my father always told us. That’s why Danny and I were always at odds.”
I glance at Lana and ask, “Is that what the fight with his father was about?” My thumb brushes her jacket; she tenses but doesn’t pull away.
“Yes.” Margret’s voice cracks. “My brother wanted to honor our great-grandfather’s wishes—use the treasure to establish a foundation for the town, fund scholarships, and preserve the historical sites. Danny couldn’t see past the dollar signs.”
Julia, who’s been unusually quiet, looks between us. “So what happens now? With the treasure, I mean?”
I consider the icy ground beneath our feet. “First, we need to let Jake know what’s on his property. Then we sort out the legal side. If there really are valuable mineral deposits, mining companies will swoop in the moment word gets out.”
Lana turns. “And the gold?”
Margret squares her shoulders. “That belongs to Jake. It’s on his land. But I hope…” Her voice falters. “I hope he’ll honor my great-grandfather’s wishes for it.”
Long shadows stretch across the snow. My leg throbs where Danny struck me, but I force myself not to limp. I see Lana wince too—her bruised throat, the soreness in her shoulders.
“We should head back,” she says. “It’ll be dark soon, and we’ve all had enough excitement for one day.”
As we trudge toward the UTV, I notice Julia helping Margret through a deep drift. There’s something genuine in Julia’s quiet care—proof, maybe, that she’s been telling the truth all along.
“I think I was wrong about Julia,” Lana murmurs as we walk.
I exhale a cloud of breath and nod. “Sometimes people are exactly who they claim to be.”
Lana casts me a glance. “And sometimes they’re not,” she replies.
I give her a small smile. “That’s why we make a good team. You’re suspicious enough for both of us.”
She laughs, but winces. I fight the urge to ask if she’s all right. “And you’re trusting enough for both of us. Somehow, we balance out.”
At the UTV, we help Margret into the back seat beside Julia. Scout leaps in at Lana’s feet and turns to me with a hopeful look as I climb into the driver’s seat.
“Why don’t you stay the night with us?” I offer Margret. “I can bring you back in the morning to get your truck.”
“Thank you,” she says, settling into her seat. “I’m not sure I should be driving anyway. Too much excitement for these old bones.”
“Do you have livestock that needs feeding?” Lana asks, looking over her shoulder at Margret.
She shakes her head. “No, my foreman is there today to take care of them.”
I ease out of the mill yard, stealing a glance at the crumbling structure behind us.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Lana asks over the hum of the engine.
I keep my eyes on the snowy trail. “Just thinking about how easily things get buried,” she says. “Not just treasure, but truth.”
“Some things are worth digging for,” I reply, though I’m not sure if I mean the gold or something else entirely.
