His gaze expressed his doubt that she had that power with her dad, and honestly, she doubted it too.
But she couldn’t stand to see him worried. “I guess it’s only fair you know the whole truth, too.”
He tilted his head. “About?”
“The treasure hunt.” She tightened her grip. “I never told you—but I’m hoping to use my part of the inheritance to help Delia.”
Understanding lit his eyes, followed by gentle admiration. “No wonder you’ve been so fired up to finish this hunt.” Then he chuckled softly. “You know she’ll never let you, though.”
“I’m going to cross that bridge later.” Elisa arched her neck. “She’s not the only one who can be stubborn—even if I have to make an anonymous payment to the hospital.”
She exhaled as her gaze roamed the room behind him, bouncing off the baptismal robes and the old wooden table holding a stack of towels and a slightly warped mirror. “That is, if we can finish in time.”
“Right. We should probably start looking for a new lead, since my baptistry stairs idea flopped.” Noah held up their entwined fingers between them, a magnetic grin splitting his face. “But what about this?”
She grinned back. “I can search one-handed if you can.”
He pulled their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “I’ll never be able to focus.”
Whew, same. What treasure hunt, again?
Noah’s teasing tone reminded her of sunlit waters and pastel skies. Of that summer she’d claimed his sole attention for months straight and neither had complained. She traced his stubbled jaw with one finger.
He turned his chin into her touch. “Remember, you’re the one who said we can’t make out in a church.”
“Did I?” She squinted at him.
“I’ll make you a deal.” He slowly slid his fingers free, letting his hands come to rest on her waist. The imprint of his touch left a fiery hot brand, emphatically replacing her earlier chill. “A kiss now…” He tugged her an inch closer, his hand coming to cup her cheek. “And one after we find the clue.”
She searched his gaze, seeing a dozen promises inside. This was her last chance to back out, to keep her heart safe. Swimming in Noah’s eyes felt like that first time that she’d jumped off the dock into Magnolia Bay as a kid. She’d been absolutely terrified of the water sure to rush over her head.
But she also couldn’t fathom not jumping.
Elisa drew a fortifying breath, then took the leap. “Deal.”
And oh, what a jump.
Noah took his time kissing her, lips moving gently, intentionally, as if he had all day. As if the treasure hunt and black mold and angry fathers and time itself had stopped to give them another chance.
A chance to do better.
* * *
Last night, when he’d been tossing and turning in bed, Noah had imagined they might find the next clue in their hunt.
In his wildest dreams, heneverimagined he’d find Elisa again.
Now, as Elisa’s hands pressed into his chest, wrinkling the collar of his shirt he’d spent ten minutes ironing that morning. He didn’t care. He also wasn’t worried about messing up her silky hair as he cradled her head in one hand.
That kiss at the courthouse might have been hose-worthy, but this one was Noah’s favorite. Slow. Savoring. Steady. Good grief, Elisa and her vanilla scent and coconut lipgloss had him thinking in alliteration.
There wasn’t any urgency to this kiss, as if either of them were afraid the moment might end before it started. No, there was a security here that Noah hadn’t felt in…well, maybe not ever. He’d been too immature to notice it during their one summer together. And no one had ever come close to bringing that assurance since Elisa.
It’d always been her.
Suddenly, the door near them opened. Noah stepped back, giving Elisa space as a gray-haired man wearing dark coveralls strolled inside, humming off-key. Elisa quickly wiped her lips with her hand.
The familiar-looking gentleman stopped his tune short when he saw them, the loaded key fob jangling from his utility belt. “Uh-oh.” His eyes twinkled and he adjusted his hold on the folded towels he held. “Am I interrupting something?”
