see what might happen to anyone who messes with her.”
Kyle’s brows shot up and his eyes went wide signaling that he understood Jakes veiled threat. Jolene narrowed her eyes at Jake and wrenched her arm out of his grasp as he walked her to the door.
When they got outside, she turned to face him. “Hey, what’s with the big brother act? I can take care of myself, you know.”
It was true, she could take care of herself, but she had to admit she was touched by Jake’s pretense of being her older brother to protect her. It felt good to have someone looking out for her.
“Yeah, I know, I’ve seen you in action.” Jake smiled down at her. “That warning was to protect him more than you—I’d hate to see what might happen to him if he got you mad.
Chapter Eight
“So, just where is this mine?” Jolene asked as Celeste pulled the Escalade out onto Route 51. The two sisters had opted to drive together in the Cadillac following Luke, Morgan, Fiona and Jake in their other rental, a black Jeep.
“The road to the mines is just past Dead Water and then, I guess, we’ll have to figure out which one is number seven.” Celeste nodded her head toward the back seat. “The book Dixie lent us is in the back … there’s a picture of Shorty standing in front of the mine so I figured we might be able to figure it out from the picture.
She watched Jolene twist in her seat so she could grab the book, then turned her attention back to the road. They rode in silence while Jolene studied the book, looking at the pictures from all angles. Celeste knew her sister had a photographic memory and figured she was trying to piece together the lay of the land to help them find the mine.
The Jeep took a turn onto a dirt road that led uphill and Celeste followed their cloud of dust, noticing the terrain became more rocky the further they went. Finally they pulled to a stop in front of a big gaping hole carved in the hillside—one of the mines.
“We’re here,” Celeste announced. Jolene closed the book carefully then put it in the backseat and the sisters jumped out of the car to meet the others.
“This is the opening to one of the mines, but there are several in this area.” Jake waved his hand around to indicate the hilly landscape. Celeste slowly turned to take it all in. The ground was sandy but with much more scrub grass than at the hotel or in Dead Water. A few cacti and some trees dotted the landscape. Large rocks lay about, almost as if placed there by giants. She could see three mine entrances from where she stood. Piles of smaller rocks lay in rubble outside them.
The mines weren’t anything like she’d pictured. They were just holes in the hillside. The area was overgrown so they looked like natural caves, not something men had dug out in search of gold.
But which one was number seven?
“Which one is Shorty’s?” Fiona echoed her thoughts.
“I think it’s this one.” Jolene pointed at a hole to the left. “Or maybe the one next to it. It’s pretty hard to tell from the picture in the book.”
Celeste grabbed the book from the car and they tried to compare the landscape behind the picture of Shorty to where they currently were. The problem was, it matched a few of the openings and one hundred years of shrub and tree growth had changed the look of the land.
“I say we pair up and explore each of them,” Luke said. “We don’t have much time until the sun goes down and we don’t want to be out here after dark.”
“Jolene and I will take this one,” Celeste said pointing to the opening on the left that Jolene had said she’d thought was number seven.
“Okay, Morgan and I will take that one … and Fiona and Jake, you can take the one over there.” Luke pointed to two of the entrances in turn, and then looked at his watch. “Let’s meet back here in forty-five minutes.”
“Okay.” Celeste headed toward her mine with Jolene close behind.
“Now you guys don’t do anything in
Kyle’s brows shot up and his eyes went wide signaling that he understood Jakes veiled threat. Jolene narrowed her eyes at Jake and wrenched her arm out of his grasp as he walked her to the door.
When they got outside, she turned to face him. “Hey, what’s with the big brother act? I can take care of myself, you know.”
It was true, she could take care of herself, but she had to admit she was touched by Jake’s pretense of being her older brother to protect her. It felt good to have someone looking out for her.
“Yeah, I know, I’ve seen you in action.” Jake smiled down at her. “That warning was to protect him more than you—I’d hate to see what might happen to him if he got you mad.
Chapter Eight
“So, just where is this mine?” Jolene asked as Celeste pulled the Escalade out onto Route 51. The two sisters had opted to drive together in the Cadillac following Luke, Morgan, Fiona and Jake in their other rental, a black Jeep.
“The road to the mines is just past Dead Water and then, I guess, we’ll have to figure out which one is number seven.” Celeste nodded her head toward the back seat. “The book Dixie lent us is in the back … there’s a picture of Shorty standing in front of the mine so I figured we might be able to figure it out from the picture.
She watched Jolene twist in her seat so she could grab the book, then turned her attention back to the road. They rode in silence while Jolene studied the book, looking at the pictures from all angles. Celeste knew her sister had a photographic memory and figured she was trying to piece together the lay of the land to help them find the mine.
The Jeep took a turn onto a dirt road that led uphill and Celeste followed their cloud of dust, noticing the terrain became more rocky the further they went. Finally they pulled to a stop in front of a big gaping hole carved in the hillside—one of the mines.
“We’re here,” Celeste announced. Jolene closed the book carefully then put it in the backseat and the sisters jumped out of the car to meet the others.
“This is the opening to one of the mines, but there are several in this area.” Jake waved his hand around to indicate the hilly landscape. Celeste slowly turned to take it all in. The ground was sandy but with much more scrub grass than at the hotel or in Dead Water. A few cacti and some trees dotted the landscape. Large rocks lay about, almost as if placed there by giants. She could see three mine entrances from where she stood. Piles of smaller rocks lay in rubble outside them.
The mines weren’t anything like she’d pictured. They were just holes in the hillside. The area was overgrown so they looked like natural caves, not something men had dug out in search of gold.
But which one was number seven?
“Which one is Shorty’s?” Fiona echoed her thoughts.
“I think it’s this one.” Jolene pointed at a hole to the left. “Or maybe the one next to it. It’s pretty hard to tell from the picture in the book.”
Celeste grabbed the book from the car and they tried to compare the landscape behind the picture of Shorty to where they currently were. The problem was, it matched a few of the openings and one hundred years of shrub and tree growth had changed the look of the land.
“I say we pair up and explore each of them,” Luke said. “We don’t have much time until the sun goes down and we don’t want to be out here after dark.”
“Jolene and I will take this one,” Celeste said pointing to the opening on the left that Jolene had said she’d thought was number seven.
“Okay, Morgan and I will take that one … and Fiona and Jake, you can take the one over there.” Luke pointed to two of the entrances in turn, and then looked at his watch. “Let’s meet back here in forty-five minutes.”
“Okay.” Celeste headed toward her mine with Jolene close behind.
“Now you guys don’t do anything in
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