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“Good, sure,” he grunted. “But trustworthy? We’ll see about that.”
I clenched my jaw, biting back the retort that came to mind.
Typical.
The guy hires professionals to do a job, then spends half the time implying we’re crooks. If I wasn’t so used to this song and dance, I might’ve been more insulted.
“Look, if you’re gonna be in town, stay out of sight,” I said, trying to keep my tone even. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees and giving him a hard look. “This town is a gossip mill disguised as a tourist destination. Not only have they been speculating about me and Colt, but the lady who runs the inn asked if we knew you.”
That caught his attention. His bushy gray eyebrows lifted, and his rosy cheeks puffed out a bit. “What did you tell her?”
I couldn’t resist the smirk that tugged at my lips. “The truth. I told her you hired us to recover over a million dollars worth of pirate treasure,” I deadpanned, staring him straight in the eye.
Barto’s face flushed an even deeper shade of red, his mouth twisting into a snarl. “You think this is funny, boy? You’re making jokes about this? Is that why I hired you? For a comedy show?”
There it was. The condescending tone. The word “boy.” Like he was talking down to the help. My temper flared, and before I could stop myself, I leaned in even closer, letting the tension build between us.
“Call me boy one more time,” I said, voice low and controlled, “and I’ll show you why you hired me.”
Just as Barto opened his mouth to fire back, a sudden clatter outside the window caught both of our attention. I turned my head just in time to see the flash of tan fur trot past the glass door—Gertie.
I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me as the old goat rounded the corner, probably on her way to inspect the perimeter. Perfect timing. I didn’t have to deal with this alone, after all. Apparently, I had backup in the form of a goat with zero respect for boundaries.
Barto scowled at the sound, but before he could comment, I rose from my chair and grabbed my jacket. “I’m going back to the house to see what I can see,” I said, keeping my voice calm and steady. “I can’t make you leave town so we can do our job in peace but stayall the wayout of sight. I mean it.”
The older man bristled, clearly not used to being given orders, but he didn’t argue. He just grunted and folded his arms over his considerable belly, shooting me a look that said this conversation wasn’t over.
Fine by me.
8?/?
tucker
As I stepped outside, the cool night air hit me like a welcome reprieve from the heat that always seemed to cling to Barto’s presence. I glanced down, only to find Gertie falling in step beside me like a loyal guard dog. She’d probably been waiting out here the whole time, like she had some sixth sense for when I needed backup.
“Not much for subtlety, huh?” I muttered, half-expecting the goat to respond.
She didn’t, of course, but the rhythmic clop of her hooves on the pavement was answer enough.
As we made our way back to Hope’s place, I kept up a one-sided conversation with my four-legged companion. “What do you think? Is that old man hiding something?”
Gertie bleated softly, her pace never faltering.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, shaking my head. “You keepin’ tabs on me now, too? You know, you’re startin’ to remind me of someone…”
Before I could finish the thought, something flickered in the distance—just a tiny beam of light. I narrowed my eyes, slowing my steps as I caught sight of Dakota, crouched down near the spot where I’d been shot. She was using her phone light,sweeping it back and forth over the ground like she was on some kind of scavenger hunt.
What in the?—?
I picked up the pace, moving silently through the trees, Gertie still trailing behind me.
When I got close enough, I leaned in. “Boo.”
Dakota yelped and jumped about a foot in the air, spinning around to face me with wide eyes. “What the heck!” she gasped, clutching her phone like it was some kind of weapon. Without missing a beat, she shoved me in the chest.
I didn’t move an inch, of course.
“I didn’t even hear you comin’,” she panted, glaring up at me in the dark. “What are you, some kind of lumberjack ninja?”
