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If the kiss earlier that day had been even half as powerful for her as it was for him...
“Dwayne! In here!” His mother’s voice drifted across the tarmac. She was ready for him.
He sighed as he reluctantly turned away from Anna and headed inside. “Mom...”
“Hush,” she said. “I don’t want to hear any excuses. You’re grounded.”
“But it’s the busy season...” Dwayne knew her decision was final, but he also knew she’d be punishing herself and the business if she stuck to her guns on this. They had multiple tours booked every day and she’d been planning on having him there for another five days.
“Believe me, I know. This isn’t coming from me. It’s coming from higher up. You were in a no-fly zone. It’s out of my hands.”
Dwayne sighed as he accepted his fate.
The coast guard had suspended him. His own family had been forced to make the same call. Maybe he really shouldn’t be flying helicopters for a living.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite sure who he was if he wasn’t a pilot.
ANNAHADNOidea where the sweet little woman behind the counter had disappeared to, but inside Madden Heli-tours, Dwayne’s mother looked commanding and not to be messed with. Those were the best kind of mothers—soft but tough when they needed to be... Anna knew from experience.
Still, this was her fault. She couldn’t just let Dwayne take the heat for this.
She bit her lip as she stared at the taxi waiting for her. Could she really just leave? After the kiss they’d shared, she knew there was a connection between them, and while he hadn’t asked her to stay or to see her again, she knew he’d wanted to.
She’d wanted to as well.
After telling the taxi to wait another moment, she headed back toward the office but slowed her pace as Dwayne exited again. His face held a look of surprise when he saw her. “You’re still here,” he said, and she clung to the hope she heard in his tone as she went out on a limb.
“I’d like to offer you a job,” she said. She’d like more than that, but keeping things professional seemed like the least terrifying proposal.
His eyes widened. “Doing what?”
“Flying a helicopter for our family.” They owned one and usually hired a different pilot for each mission, but having one permanently on payroll made sense. Or at least, she’d reason that it did...
“For treasure-hunting expeditions?” he asked, sounding slightly amused by the idea, and her stomach clenched, as her own confidence waned.
“You’re suspended from both jobs... Got anything better to do?”
“Not really...” he said slowly. “But I’m not sure your line of work is really for me.”
Of course, it wasn’t. She laughed a strangled-sounding laugh. “Never mind. It was an impulsive thought, that’s all.”
“No... I mean, where are you off to next?” he asked, but she wasn’t at all convinced that he was actually contemplating the idea. He was just being polite and not wanting her to feel embarrassed.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going in search of where Gramps could have moved Winters Lot.”
He frowned. “You think he moved it?”
She laughed. “Well, it wasn’t in the caves, was it?” He’d seen the empty caves for himself.
“No, but maybe it never was.”
Her smile faded as her chest tightened. “You’re saying Grandpa lied?”
“I’m saying that he’d suffered a brain injury,” he said gently. “You said yourself he wasn’t making much sense.”
“That was before I saw the caves, found the compass and knew he was telling the truth about having been there.” If that part was true, then the rest could be too. She had to have faith and at least try. Dwayne’s skepticism was disheartening. She was used to disbelief by now...but she had been hoping he was different. That after that day, he’d have a different opinion. Or at least be open.
Instead, he said, “Right...but, Anna, he was injured...”
