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“Came home early?” What is she talking about? This is my inn. I’m here all the time.
She shrugs. “I told Saffron to keep you occupied at the house for at least an hour.” She checks her watch. “But you were back within fifteen minutes.”
No wonder Saffron begged us to have another look at the bathroom after I told her we wouldn’t be buying the house even if the hole in the ozone layer miraculously closed.
“I thought you gave up on the Mystery of the Black Hat Bandit’s Missing Loot since you’re married now and trying to get pregnant.”
She frowns and her shoulders hunch over. “Project Get Ashlyn Pregnant has failed yet another month.”
“I’ll be …” Cole’s voice trails off and he motions to anywhere but here before fast walking his ass out of here.
“It’ll happen. You haven’t been trying very long.”
“Easy for you to say. Cole apparently has super sperm and your womb is more fertile than Phoenix’s cornfield.”
“Please don’t tell Cole he has super sperm,” I say in an effort to lighten the mood. It doesn’t work.
“What if Rowan can’t have children? He’ll be devastated.”
I pull her into my arms and hug her. A feat not easily accomplished when you’re nearly eight months pregnant. “No matter what happens you two will figure it out. You fought to win the man for eight years. You’ll fight to make this happen, too.”
She pushes me away and wipes at her eyes. “I need a distraction from my baby failure. And my work is not a distraction. Narrating audiobooks of people having sex and getting pregnant at the drop of a hat does not help.”
I flinch since I’m one of those ‘got pregnant at a drop of a hat’-people. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“I’m not buying your baby. I know Rowan’s a millionaire, but he doesn’t throw his money around.”
I rear back. “I’m not selling you my baby. Why would you—” I cut myself off and clear my throat. This is Ashlyn. Her mind works in mysterious ways. Ways that usually end up with her in jail.
“I meant the mystery.” I indicate the shovel. “I’ll allow you to dig.”
She squeals and jumps for joy.
“Hold on. You haven’t heard my conditions yet.”
“Conditions?” She rolls her eyes. “Has Lilac commandeered your mind? If there’s anyone who can figure out how to control minds, it’s our robotic sister.”
“As I was saying,” I wait for her to nod before continuing, “you may dig in the yard, but you’re limited to the area directly in front of the stone where the date 1955 is carved. You will replace the dirt when you’re finished. And I will take possession of anything you discover.”
“Take possession? You mean we’ll review the contents together?”
“No. I mean I will keep whatever you discover for safekeeping until after this baby makes his arrival.”
She frowns before holding out her hand. “I accept your conditions since it appears as if your baby’s ready to pop out any minute.”
I groan. “It feels like it, too, but I have at least another month to go.”
“It’s digging time,” she shouts before sticking the shovel in the ground. She hits hard ground – it is March after all – and she grunts. “Maybe I should have brought Rowan with me.”
I sigh. “I’ll go get Cole.”
Cole’s waiting on the porch for me. “Is Ashlyn okay?”
At the concern in his voice, I fall deeper in love with him. I never imagined I could find a man who would tolerate my family let alone like them. But Cole does.
“She’ll be okay, but she needs your help. She has no clue how to use a shovel. And I’m not exactly in the position to do hard labor.”
He growls. “You won’t be doing any hard labor on my watch.”
