Page 52 of No One But You
“It’s not,” I insisted.“This all started when you went for a hike on a recognized trail that you’ve been on before.You had all the right safety equipment and should have been perfectly fine.You couldn’t have known that someone would attack you.Blame them, not yourself.”
I sure as hell was.Bailey didn’t deserve to suffer even a moment of self-flagellation.The violent criminals were the ones who’d done wrong, not her.
She sighed.“Part of me wishes that none of this had happened because it’s messing with my head, and I hate that you were injured protecting me, but….”She swallowed, then lowered her voice and continued, “Part of me wouldn’t take it back even if I could because we finally get to be together properly.Does that make me a bad person?”
Something sweet unfurled in my chest.“No, sweetheart.It doesn’t.But it does mean that next time, we should probably suck it up and act on our feelings before the universe pulls a nasty trick like this to force the matter.”
She laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear.“You won’t get any arguments from me.”
My eyelids grew heavy, and I allowed myself to drift off to sleep, knowing that Bailey wouldn’t leave my side.When I woke again, Summer had returned, and she had Grace with her.
“Mum and Dad are on their way,” Summer said, setting down the large paper bag she’d been carrying and unloading different types of food onto the small table.“They promised to call Bailey’s mother and update her too.”
Bailey nodded in acknowledgement.“Thanks for sorting that out.”
Summer waved the gratitude off.Grace approached me, her face pale and brackets of strain around her mouth.
“What’s wrong?”I asked, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleepiness and push myself to pay attention to her.
She grimaced and looked everywhere other than at me.“This is all my fault.I’m really sorry to both of you.”
Bailey and I exchanged glances.How could this possibly be Grace’s fault?
She perched on the edge of the bed and forced herself to look me in the eyes.“Nate wanted me to tell you that they caught the other guy too.”
A coil of anxiety in my gut loosened.
Thank God.
If both men were in custody, then it meant Bailey was safe.I wouldn’t have to worry about her like this again any time soon.
Summer squeezed Grace’s shoulder.“It isn’t your fault, and I’m sure they’ll see that when you explain.”
Grace’s features pinched.“If I hadn’t asked questions—”
“They might have gotten the idea into their dumbass brains anyway,” Summer interrupted.
“Um, can someone explain please?”Bailey asked, saving me the job.
“I’ve been talking to Corie—Pearl’s descendant—about my book pretty regularly.She’s who told me about Pearl’s supposed lost inheritance.Apparently, she was excited about the book and mentioned it and the legend to her cousin to see if he remembered any details she’d forgotten.”
Bailey gasped.“Those men said something about a treasure!Was it really that?”
Grace nodded.“Corie’s cousin and his brother are both in debt to some bad people.I don’t know who, exactly, and Nate didn’t say.But according to the brother, he did some research and thought there was a strong possibility the treasure was real and that it was somewhere in the forest around Destiny Falls.”
“Why in the forest?”That made no sense.If Pearl’s father had left her an inheritance, surely he’d have stored it somewhere within the township.
“Because no one ever found it in town even though quite a few people looked and Pearl’s father was known to be fond of taking long walks in the forest as he aged.”
“So, what?”Bailey asked, frowning.“They just started digging in random places?”
“They had a metal detector,” Grace explained.“They were searching near walking paths and digging anywhere it detected something underground.”
Summer offered me a bowl of steaming soup propped on a tray.“But they didn’t find anything?”
Grace shook her head.“I’m really sorry, you guys.If I hadn’t started that book, all of this might not have happened.”
I took the tray of soup and made sure to position it carefully so that I wouldn’t spill it all over myself.“None of us blame you.People do crazy things.”
