Sneak Peek - Chapter 1
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Nash Cross loved being in Salt Lake City, Utah. He loved the big mountains. He loved the blue sky that reminded him of Montana. He loved the people in this city. They were friendly, and even though he didn't know anyone, it didn’t really bother him.
Since he had been back from the wedding of his sister, Cheyenne, to Micah Jamison, he'd been pondering what it meant to have the next clue in the Conquistador gold hunt—or maybe it was a Porter Rockwell gold hunt. He had discovered this wrangly, pioneering man who was more myth than fact. He had learned that Porter Rockwell was rumored to take gold whenever he saw fit and hide it in various places. Whether or not that was true remained to be seen, but it certainly piqued Nash’s interest.
Nash drove his truck down the interstate toward Big Cottonwood Canyon. Today was Saturday, and even though he didn’t get much time off due to his demanding job at the firm in Salt Lake, today was one of those rare free days. He planned to investigate a couple of caves rumored to be hidden off the beaten path in the canyon. It was interesting to him how excited he was to look for gold.
He parked in a lot, stepped out of his truck, and prepared for the hike. He decided he’d hike as long as he wanted today. It was a beautiful April day, and the snow was starting to melt. He loved that there was still snow in the mountains.
He could see himself settling down in Utah, but he knew he’d eventually go back to Cross Creek, Montana. Of course, he would. His family was there, and he loved his brothers and sister. He planned to take time to become an amazing lawyer, but he’d eventually return home. Then he could practice whatever type of law he wanted, run some cattle, and spend time with his family. But today? Today, he’d hunt for gold.
Nash hiked for about two hours. Even though he wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for, he was amazed by how many caves he found hidden off the trail. The sheer number of them made him wonder how anyone could hope to find gold up in these hills.
The longer he hiked, the more melancholic he grew. How would they ever find the gold? All the letter from Truman had said was that one clue had been intercepted by a man who was now dead. That man had lived in Salt Lake, but when Nash interviewed his family, they’d known nothing about the gold.
He paused, pulled out his water bottle, and took a long drink. He’d have to rethink his strategy. Just as he was about to head back down the mountain, movement caught his eye in his left peripheral vision. He hesitated.
I should’ve brought my gun, he thought.
Nash moved cautiously toward a nearby cave where he had seen the motion. Then, he heard a sound. A voice. It sounded like a woman cursing. He froze, confused.
Just as he was about to step into the cave, the woman emerged. She wore a wide-brimmed hat—the kind you’d expect to see in an Indiana Jones movie. But it wasn’t the hat that captured Nash’s attention.
She had long, blond hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and piercing green eyes that seemed to be laughing at him, even as her cheeks flushed a soft pink.
He sucked in a sharp breath and then let out a laugh when their eyes met.
It was her.
The woman he’d met his senior year of high school. The woman he’d taken to prom. The woman who had vanished suddenly, as though in the middle of the night.
He’d wondered about her for years but had never been able to track her down—not even on social media.
“Nash?” she said, brushing herself off. Her cheeks grew even redder as her gaze met his again.
“Hi, Amanda—if that is your name,” he teased, with a bit of mirth in his tone. He truly had wondered if anything about the woman had been real. She'd moved in his senior year, then been gone so quickly. He was definitely suspicious of her. “What are you doing here?”
Amanda blinked, let out a light laugh, and gave him a once-over. “I guess it’s been almost ten years.”
He grunted a laugh. “About eight. But it would’ve been nice if you’d said goodbye after prom. Where did you guys go?”
She hesitated, looking uncomfortable, then threw her hands in the air. “It wasn’t my choice. My mom told me we had to go.”
She looked embarrassed, turned away, and started moving toward the trail. “Well, it was nice to see you. Maybe we’ll catch up sometime.”
This was crazy.
Nash followed her. “Wait! You can’t just say that and leave. What are you doing here? What are you looking for?”
She stopped, scoffed, and blew out a breath. “What am I looking for? Gosh, I know this is going to sound cliché, and you probably won’t even believe me, but…” She hesitated before finally admitting, “I’m looking for gold.”