Page 112 of A Real Good Bad Thing

I was a woman who appreciated what I had.

And what I had was a good life and a promising future. Mom was doing okay—she would be fine without my stepdad’s stolen money. And I’d find something, eventually, to fill the space Jake had carved out for himself in my heart.

56

BURIED TREASURE

Jake

I woke the next morning with a killer headache.

I wasn’t hungover. I’d only had one beer at the bar. If this was a breakup hangover, it sucked.

Everything sucked.

The case I hadn’t cracked.

The diamonds I hadn’t found.

The bonus I hadn’t earned.

The woman I’d lost. And, like the gems, I hadn’t figured out how to win her back.

I needed coffee. I needed to hit the gym, go for a run. Time to move and think. Then, I’d come up with a plan to say I was sorry and convince her how desperately I meant it.

Swinging my legs over to sit on the edge of the bed, I groaned and dragged a hand through my hair. A glint of silver on the nightstand caught my eye, and I looked closer through bleary eyes.

Was that…?

I picked up the delicate necklace by the chain and let it catch the pale morning light. The hint of a smile tugged at my lips.

Yes, that was exactly what I’d thought it might be.

And more—it was an answer.

I might not have solved the case, I might still need to eat crow with Andrew, but I no longer cared.

I knew what to do about theonlything that mattered.

I checked the time. Ruby would be busy with her tour most of the day.

Perfect. That gave me enough time. And I needed time to do this right. I wasn’t going to let her slip away.

I was up and out of bed in seconds. A quick shower, some coffee, and a full-formed plan later, and my headache was gone.

Fuck that breakup hangover.

I had a true treasure to retrieve.

* * *

My day was packed. Mostly with waiting. But I needed to get back to Stingray Town by four. Ruby’s tour would end at that time, according to the website. She’d be busy finishing and packing up, but I’d try to catch her a few minutes after the customers left. Interrupting her as she said goodbye would be a bad idea.

I finished my mission at a quarter to—right on time—and headed across the beach to the snorkel shop where Ruby’s tired but happy tourists were saying their farewells. From the sound of things, they’d loved the dive. And, no surprise to me, they loved their guide.

“This was my second dive there,” a man told her. “And today was particularly good. A great guide makes a big difference.”

“Aw, thank you, Hugh,” said Ruby, glowing with pleasure. I was so damn happy for her, I felt like I was glowing too.