Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
C heyenne
Cheyenne googled the place where the church used to be and found it was about a twenty-minute drive outside of town. “I feel guilty,” she confessed. “I shouldn’t have taken that necklace. Let’s go put it back.”
Micah scoffed and gingerly took the necklace into his own hand. “Hey, blame it on me. Let’s use it to help us. If it doesn’t help us, we’ll take it back.”
She still couldn’t shake off the guilt. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He grunted out a laugh. “That was crazy.”
Cheyenne laughed too, feeling nervous and edgy. “I cannot believe we have the amulet.” She took it back, turning it over in her hand. She held it up to her eye and tried to see through it, but it didn’t seem like anyone would be able to see anything. “I honestly don’t understand how this could decipher a map. Plus, where would the map be?”
Micah laughed. “This is going to be a story that we tell both of our families, and they are going to love it. Of course, that’ll be after they get over the fact that we had to get back out through a grave. I don’t think my dad, mom, or any of my uncles or family would like that.”
“My family will hate that we went into those graves and took it.” Cheyenne was quiet for a few moments, then met Micah’s eyes. “Maybe we wait to tell them about our adventures … ever.”
“Agreed.”
Cheyenne laughed. “My brothers will not like this at all.”
After they’d driven for several minutes, Micah pulled up to the area on the map where the church was said to have been. It was nothing but swampland.
They got out. Immediately, Micah began stomping each foot, seeming to feel around, but it only made him sink deeper into the swamp. He looked just as perplexed as Cheyenne felt.
He put his arms out. “There seems to be a clearing right here, but I don’t see any signs of a church. Or any remnants.”
Cheyenne tapped the map on her phone. “This can’t be the place. That big cross was supposed to be in the church that was here.”
“So?”
“Do you think people moved it all the way into town? That thing looks heavy, and this land is not stable.”
“Of course they moved it,” Micah sputtered. “There were tough guys back then too.” He flexed and flashed a grin.
Cheyenne rolled her eyes but had to admit he was attractive.
Micah surveyed the area. “That priest talked about a huge stump, and I’m not seeing any trees that look like they even came down.”
Cheyenne looked as well, but it felt like they were looking into a forest. “I’m not either.”
They kept searching for what felt like forever. The sun disappeared behind the trees and they fell into shadow.
Cheyenne’s stomach grumbled. “I’m getting hungry.”
Micah pulled his wrist up and checked his watch. “How is it already five o’clock?”
Cheyenne shook her head. “I don’t know, but maybe we should go back to South Port, grab some food, and try to figure out what to do next.” She suddenly felt awkward. “If you want to do it. We don’t have to.”
Micah jerked his gaze toward her and gave her a once-over. “Hey, I’m supposed to be checking on you, so I guess you’re stuck with me this week.”
Cheyenne felt weird thinking about Micah being part of her entire week. She shrugged. “I do have some other activities that I’ve already paid for. If you want to come with me, you can. I have a snorkel tour tomorrow.”
Micah began walking back toward the truck. He gave her a teasing look. “You think you can handle me all week? Especially in a bathing suit?”
His arrogance made her laugh. “Whatever. Maybe I can just do those things by myself, and then we’ll get together to check into this.”
Micah laughed. “No, my dad likes me to be thorough, so you’re stuck with me. Just go with it.”
The way he said that made it sound like they were already in a relationship.
He turned to her and cocked an eyebrow. “What if we go back to South Port, grab some dinner, and look over some of the things from the conquistador gold my family has? Maybe we can find something about this map.”
Cheyenne’s phone buzzed. She turned it over. “Oh man. Eli is texting me. I told him I would go to dinner with him and meet his friends tonight.” She checked the time. “Shoot. In, like, an hour.”
Micah hesitated, then shrugged. “Okay. Let’s get going.”
The ride back to South Port wasn’t as jovial. Sure, they had country music on, but neither of them spoke.
Finally, Cheyenne held up the amulet and examined it from different angles. “If you want to, we can look over things at your place tomorrow. But I have the snorkeling thing first.”
His eyes flitted to hers and then back to the road. “Okay.”
She hated that it almost felt like she was cheating on him by going to dinner with Eli. It wasn’t like they were together; they were just stuck doing the same treasure hunt. She hadn’t meant to be stuck with anyone in this treasure hunt except herself. That said, she didn’t mind being around him. “Do you want to come on the snorkel adventure with me?” She hated that she felt so vulnerable.
“Are you sure you don’t want to ask Eli?”
She smiled wryly. “Are you jealous? Because you shouldn’t be.”
Micah stayed quiet for a moment. “I’m not … anything.”
She was dumbfounded. She didn’t need this macho jealousy crap. “Look, you showed up today, forced yourself on me to go parasailing, and insisted that you come with me to the church,” she snapped. “Plus the whole spit handshake thing.”
Micah glared at her. “I’m sorry for making myself such an inconvenience.”
The conversation had not gone at all the way she wanted it to. She was frustrated.
For the next twenty minutes, they were quiet.
As they got to the outskirts of South Port, she sighed. “So can I come over after I’m done snorkeling and check out the stuff your family has?” Frustration coursed through her, and she didn’t know why Micah would care so much about her going to dinner with Eli. He wouldn’t know that she’d told Eli she wouldn’t marry him last year and all of that, but still.
Micah grunted. “Fine.”
They got to the condos and Micah parked the truck, still saying nothing.
She didn’t know what to do. The only thing she knew was that she wasn’t giving up the amulet. She pushed open the truck door. “Thanks for the ride.”
“I’ll meet you at the snorkel place in the morning. Be safe with that jerk-o.”
She hesitated and then laughed because he made it sound like she was doing him a favor. “He’s really not a jerk. He’s here building houses for Habitat for Humanity.”
He gave her a bored look. “Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself.”
“Whatever.”
Cheyenne shut the door and walked away from the truck. She had to walk around the parking lot to the strip of sidewalk that led to her condo, but she knew he hadn’t left yet. She got to her condo and realized her heart was pounding. How dare he act like she was cheating on him or something? Annoyed, she opened the door and went inside. The truth was, she didn’t want to go on the date with Eli. She should have canceled it. Why hadn’t she thought about that? But it did infuriate her that Micah assumed she should do that.
A couple seconds later, there was a knock at the door. She looked at her phone and realized she only had ten minutes before Eli was expecting her. Was he early? She needed to shower. She moved to open the door and was shocked to see Micah standing there.
He glowered at her. “Can I get your phone number?”
She hesitated.
“It’s still my job to check on you, whether you want me to or not. I can either get your phone number and check in with you after this little date, or I can go with you on the date.”
Cheyenne’s mind raced, and she thought about her bossy brother. If she didn’t give Micah her phone number and he reported that back up the line, one of her brothers would surely be dispatched to finish the job of keeping track of her. That was untenable.
She glared at him and rattled off her phone number.
He didn’t move to put it in his phone or anything. He just thanked her and walked away.
She stared at his broad shoulders and the angry way he walked, and butterflies swarmed in her gut. Micah Stone was really annoying, but she was stuck with him as a partner in this treasure hunt.
She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.