Page 14 of The Secrets We Treasure
A coy smile played over Helen’s lips. “Speaking of the right guy, have you heard anything from Greer?”
Treasure startled, heat rushing to her cheeks. “No,” she blurted. “Not a word since the interview last night. Greer and I are just friends.” Not wanting to hurt Kevin and Helen’s feelings or taint Ben’s memory, Treasure had kept her feelings for Greer on the lowdown. Sure, she may have casually mentioned reconnecting with Greer, but she’d never divulged the details of their history together.
Kevin winked. “Sure you are.”
She creased her brows. “W—what makes you think that Greer and I are anything more than friends?”
“Because you light up like a football stadium every time you get a text from him,” Helen grinned.
A shaky laugh left Treasure’s throat as she touched her neck. “I guess I’m more transparent than I thought,” she admitted.
“Nah,” Kevin countered with a twinkle in his eye. “We just know you too well. You should call Greer and explain the situation.”
Treasure’s heart began to pound. “Um, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Of course it’s a good idea.” He reached for the oatmeal.
Helen jumped into action. “Let me reheat that for you.”
“Thanks, love.” The two shared a gaze filled with such tenderness that they might’ve been the only two people on the planet.
Treasure grinned as she looked down to give them their moment. Her father and mother split up when Treasure was ten years old. Most of the memories she had were of them fighting. The marriage ended abruptly when her dad had an affair and wanted a divorce. Treasure had been raised by her mother and could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen her dad since he left. While Treasure and her mother hadn’t talked much about it, they both harbored resentment over being abandoned. Treasure’s mother had dealt with her pain by pouring her energy into managing the housekeeping at The Oliver Hotel on Honeysuckle Island and forming her attachment to Oliver Chasing.
Meanwhile, Treasure fell madly in love with Greer and had her heart smashed to pieces when everything ripped apart at the seams. Meeting Ben was a turning point in Treasure’s life. The difference in their age left her mother questioning if Treasure had married him to fill the void of losing her dad. Treasure had vehemently resisted the idea at the time. However, with the passage of years, she wondered if her mom might have been right. Ben was patient and kind, willing to give Treasure ample space to work through her abandonment issues. Then, when he died, Helen and Kevin stepped in. It had been good for Treasure to see a healthy relationship between a man and woman. Helen and Kevin were living proof that love could conquer all.
Her phone buzzed from her back pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a number she didn’t recognize. Considering all that had transpired over the past twenty-four hours, Treasure didn’t dare answer it. A few seconds later, her phone dinged, letting her know she had a voicemail. She listened to the message. “That’s odd.”
“What’s odd?” Kevin asked.
“That was Joan Whitmer, one of the producers of The Singing Bachelor.”
Helen placed the bowl in front of Kevin as he commenced eating.
“What did she want?” Helen asked, her hand going to her hip.
“I don’t know. She just asked if I would call her.”
Kevin motioned, speaking with his mouth full. “What’re you waiting for?”
Treasure made a face. “There’s no time like the present, I suppose.” She pushed the button to return the call. It only rang once before Joan answered with a crisp, “Hello?”
“Hi, this is Treasure Montgomery.”
Joan’s transformation was immediate. “Treasure,” she began warmly. “How are you?”
“Good. How are you doing?” When Treasure was a contestant on the show, Joan was the staff coordinator. She’d since moved up to become one of the producers.
“Congratulations on your engagement.”
“Thanks.” The word cut coming out of Treasure’s mouth.
Characteristic of Joan, she got right to the point. “I wanted to clear the air about something that was said in your interview last night.”
“What was that?” She tightened her hold on the phone. Had Joan taken offense at Treasure’s joke about the battle of the sexes? Surely not. Treasure was quite proud of the way she’d navigated the sensitive subject.
“You did not get passed over for the show.”
Treasure’s jaw dropped. “Huh? That was my understanding.”
