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“We’re not members of your congregation.” Aubrey practically whispered this, as if she was ashamed of it.
Pastor Fred smiled kindly, and then looked to Archie and me. “Would you mind terribly if I spoke to the couple for just a moment in private?”
“Of course not.” Archie and I stood and let ourselves out the office door, shutting it behind us.
“He seems nice,” I said, feeling a tiny bit awkward alone with my growing attraction to Archie Kasper inside a church.
“He does,” Archie agreed. He looked around and shifted his weight. The awkwardness was mutual. “Want to go out to the car?”
“Sure.”
I followed Archie outside and we climbed into the car together. I was eager for the next part of the adventure if Archie was up for finding the sign. Of course with Aubrey along, a hike into the woods was probably not the right plan. Especially if weather was on the way.
“If we know where that sign stands,” he said, “then we have another physical point of reference on the map.”
“Right,” I agreed. “But we don’t really know if your uncle was a stickler for drawing things to scale, and there’s no big red X on that map to show us where to dig.”
“That’s true.” He stared out the front windshield for a second. “But the previous location-based clues have led us to other clues. So maybe there’s something there he wants us to find.”
Excitement swelled within me. Were we on the brink of another clue? This was what I’d come here hoping for. That, and a deeper understanding of the man in front of me. “I hope so.” My eyes were drawn to the thick light of the gray sky, which seemed to be descending around us. “We’d better hurry and look, though, or it might all be covered with snow.”
He nodded, and a moment later, Aubrey and Wiley emerged with Pastor Fred, who waved merrily to us. The couple looked happy and relaxed, holding hands as they came toward the car.
We waved goodbye and Wiley helped Aubrey inside and then walked around to climb in.
“Everything okay?” Archie asked.
“Everything’s great,” Aubrey said. “But I think I want to get married under the sign. Like Uncle Marvin and Lola. The church didn’t feel like the right place.”
“Aubrey, it’s about to snow. You want to plan a winter wedding two miles from the highway? I doubt they plow back there.” Archie said.
“We’ll figure it out,” Wiley said. “I’ll carry her in if I have to. I just want Aubrey to have the wedding she really wants.”
I smiled, charmed at their obvious devotion to each other.
“Let’s go check it out, then,” Archie said, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the highway.
Chapter Ten
Existential Pain in the Woods
GHOST
It was definitely about to snow, and the impending weather added pressure to the mission we were on. I had no idea what we might hope to find out in the woods around an old sign, but this was pretty much the way the hunt went. We stumbled around and sometimes we got lucky. And I did think that Emily’s fresh perspective could help.
Aside from her perspective, I found myself glad to have her along. She was unassuming and kind, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit she was beautiful. There was a softness about her—not just the curves of her very attractive figure—but about her personality, her way of being. She was accepting and open, and it was refreshing. I didn’t feel so much like I had to put on a show around her, or try to be any version of myself I didn’t think I actually was anymore, something I’d found myself doing for my friends. Something that was exhausting sometimes.
I slid a look toward her now, charmed by the way her dark eyes scanned everything out the windows of the car, as if it was all brand new to her. Her enthusiasm made me see things in a fresh way too.
Of course she didn’t know the whole truth about me. She didn’t know why I’d left the navy, or why I’d ended up basically hiding out at seven thousand feet in Colorado. But that was actually part of what attracted me to her, I knew. She brought fresh eyes to everything—even me. But at some point, I’d have to tell her. At least, I would if we decided that whatever was between us would last longer than this week—and that was a big if, given that we’d kissed once.
The thing was, with every minute I spent around this woman with the dark hair and inquisitive eyes, the more I thought there was a real reason she’d come to Kasper Ridge. I’d never been a big believer in fate—when you’d had terrible things happen in life it felt better to believe they were random, not part of some master plan. But Emily? Emily might make me believe in something bigger than myself. And so, at some point, I would have to tell her the truth.
You didn’t take a man’s life and just shove the fact aside and go on with your own.
And when I did tell her? I knew it might change things. It would definitely change the way she looked at me, and I was in no hurry for that.
“Next left, Arch.” Aubrey had a habit of backseat driving.
