labels on the gleaming bar. Second row in the middle and fourth row on the right end.”
The bartender hesitated. “May I ask why you want to see them?”
When Griff opened his mouth, Ainslee poked him with her elbow. Leaning forward she flashed another smile. “Would you believe we’re in a contest, and our next clues are in those bottles?”
The man’s eyes widened, and he glanced around. “Are we on TV or something? Is this one of those reality shows?”
“Kind of like that but without the cameras.”
Griff gave her a thumbs-up behind the kid’s back as he turned away to reach for the two bottles. Ainslee’s looks definitely came in handy when it came to soliciting favors from men.
“Here you go.” The bartender set both bottles in front of them.
Ainslee stuck two fingers into the neck of the whiskey bottle and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. She did the same with the tequila bottle to retrieve the clue.
“Nothing else in them?” Reaching around her, and enjoying the brief contact with her bare shoulder, Griff gave the bottle a shake. When a rattle sounded, he upended it. A ring rolled out.
Ainslee touched the red glass stone. “Looks like it came out of a gumball machine.”
“I guess you don’t leave the real deal behind in a bar.” He tilted the whiskey bottle. This time the ring that slid out had a fake golden-brown stone. He glanced toward the bartender. “This is what we needed.”
The man shrugged one shoulder. “I suppose you can take the rings. It’s not like they’re worth anything. Do you still want that drink?”
“Sure.” Griff grinned. “You up for a shot?”
“You bet.” Ainslee pulled out her wallet and flipped it open to display her ID. “Tequila, but we’ll take your house brand instead of this expensive stuff.”
Griff snuck a peek over her shoulder at her driver’s license and did some quick math. “You’re twenty-nine?”
She nodded. “How old did you think I was?”
“I don’t know, twenty-four or five. You look younger.”
“Let’s hope people are still telling me that in twenty years.” She picked up one of the shot glasses the bartender slid across the mahogany surface.
Griff picked up the second one. “To Speed.”
“To Speed.” She tilted it back then bit into the slice of lime stuck on the edge of the glass.”
Tequila burned down his throat as he threw back the drink.
Ainslee’s eyes watered, but she gave him a sweet smile. “Shall we hit the road?”
He handed the bartender a twenty. “Thanks a lot, and keep the change.”
“Appreciate it. Good luck. I hope you win.”
“We hope so, too.” Ainslee scooped up the rolled notes and the rings.
Griff followed her to the door and pulled it open. Before he’d walked two yards, perspiration dotted his brow. “I say we get out of this furnace and try to find some shade before we figure out the clue.”
“Excellent idea.” Her hips moved beneath the clinging skirt as she hurried down the sidewalk.
His heat level rose higher than the skyscrapers visible in the distance.
When they reached the SUV, she unlocked the doors then handed over the keys. “If you want to drive, I can work on the riddle.”
He climbed in then rolled down the windows. “What, you think you’re better at puzzles than I am?”
She shot him a smile as she eased onto the hot seat. “In a word, yes.”
“You’re probably right.” He started the engine and pulled out onto the street. “Since we really have no direction to go but west, we can at least escape the city while you put those special skills of yours to the test.”
Turning in her seat to face him, she laid a hand on his arm as he stopped at a red light. “I might be better at riddles, but you’ve contributed plenty, and I don’t mean just your grandfather’s letters. If it weren’t for you, I probably would have quit by now.”
He frowned. “Really? Why?”
“Because this hunt wouldn’t be any fun. Having a partner makes the
The bartender hesitated. “May I ask why you want to see them?”
When Griff opened his mouth, Ainslee poked him with her elbow. Leaning forward she flashed another smile. “Would you believe we’re in a contest, and our next clues are in those bottles?”
The man’s eyes widened, and he glanced around. “Are we on TV or something? Is this one of those reality shows?”
“Kind of like that but without the cameras.”
Griff gave her a thumbs-up behind the kid’s back as he turned away to reach for the two bottles. Ainslee’s looks definitely came in handy when it came to soliciting favors from men.
“Here you go.” The bartender set both bottles in front of them.
Ainslee stuck two fingers into the neck of the whiskey bottle and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. She did the same with the tequila bottle to retrieve the clue.
“Nothing else in them?” Reaching around her, and enjoying the brief contact with her bare shoulder, Griff gave the bottle a shake. When a rattle sounded, he upended it. A ring rolled out.
Ainslee touched the red glass stone. “Looks like it came out of a gumball machine.”
“I guess you don’t leave the real deal behind in a bar.” He tilted the whiskey bottle. This time the ring that slid out had a fake golden-brown stone. He glanced toward the bartender. “This is what we needed.”
The man shrugged one shoulder. “I suppose you can take the rings. It’s not like they’re worth anything. Do you still want that drink?”
“Sure.” Griff grinned. “You up for a shot?”
“You bet.” Ainslee pulled out her wallet and flipped it open to display her ID. “Tequila, but we’ll take your house brand instead of this expensive stuff.”
Griff snuck a peek over her shoulder at her driver’s license and did some quick math. “You’re twenty-nine?”
She nodded. “How old did you think I was?”
“I don’t know, twenty-four or five. You look younger.”
“Let’s hope people are still telling me that in twenty years.” She picked up one of the shot glasses the bartender slid across the mahogany surface.
Griff picked up the second one. “To Speed.”
“To Speed.” She tilted it back then bit into the slice of lime stuck on the edge of the glass.”
Tequila burned down his throat as he threw back the drink.
Ainslee’s eyes watered, but she gave him a sweet smile. “Shall we hit the road?”
He handed the bartender a twenty. “Thanks a lot, and keep the change.”
“Appreciate it. Good luck. I hope you win.”
“We hope so, too.” Ainslee scooped up the rolled notes and the rings.
Griff followed her to the door and pulled it open. Before he’d walked two yards, perspiration dotted his brow. “I say we get out of this furnace and try to find some shade before we figure out the clue.”
“Excellent idea.” Her hips moved beneath the clinging skirt as she hurried down the sidewalk.
His heat level rose higher than the skyscrapers visible in the distance.
When they reached the SUV, she unlocked the doors then handed over the keys. “If you want to drive, I can work on the riddle.”
He climbed in then rolled down the windows. “What, you think you’re better at puzzles than I am?”
She shot him a smile as she eased onto the hot seat. “In a word, yes.”
“You’re probably right.” He started the engine and pulled out onto the street. “Since we really have no direction to go but west, we can at least escape the city while you put those special skills of yours to the test.”
Turning in her seat to face him, she laid a hand on his arm as he stopped at a red light. “I might be better at riddles, but you’ve contributed plenty, and I don’t mean just your grandfather’s letters. If it weren’t for you, I probably would have quit by now.”
He frowned. “Really? Why?”
“Because this hunt wouldn’t be any fun. Having a partner makes the
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