Ex, Why, and Me (4 page)

“I’m trying to give you a—”

“Typical.” Michelle tossed her hands up in the air with frustration. “If this isn’t just like a man.”

Ryan held up his hands. “Hey!” He was trying to do her a favor. Couldn’t she see that?

“I should have known.” She shoved her fingers in her hair. “Just when you’re ready to go all out for it, the man will leave you high and dry.”

Heh. Ryan rocked back on his foot. That almost sounded as if she was complaining about that night. Which couldn’t be, because Michelle would never bring it up. Never.

“I’m here at the starting gate and you’re ready to withdraw.” She jerked her thumb back.

Although she might hint to that night.

Michelle planted her hands on her hips. “Just goes to show that men can’t stick it out,” she said to no one in particular.

And be sneaky about it.
Ryan frowned as the slow, rare anger simmered inside him. He hadn’t expected this response. He had imagined undying gratitude, not thinly veiled comments. “Now wait a minute.”

“Men have no staying power,” she announced and gave a shrug, as if she should have known this all along.

“What?”
He gave a quick look around, but no one on the crowded sidewalk was paying attention.

“None whatsoever.” She shook her head. “If I could go solo, I would.”

“Michelle,” he said with a bite of warning, but she didn’t hear it.

“I could get the job done on my own, and in about half the time,” she bragged.

That gave him a wild image. Michelle naked, legs parted, her hand dipping…“I’m staying,” he said through clenched teeth.

“No, no.” She gave him a dismissive wave. “Don’t stick around for me.”

“I’m not.” He grabbed her wrist. Heat sparked under his palm when he touched her. His thumb pressed against her thudding pulse point. “I’m sticking around to prove you wrong.”

She warily watched him bring her hand to his chest. “About what?” she asked, curling her fingers closed.

“I am more than willing to show you just how much”—he paused until she looked at him straight in the eye—“
staying power
I have.”

Michelle squeezed her eyes shut. Why wasn’t the ground opening up and swallowing her whole? “R-Ryan.” She knew her face was beet red. “I wasn’t suggesting—”

“Oh, of course not.”

She wasn’t! It just came out that way, but she didn’t mean it
like that
. “Seriously. I was talking about the hunt.”

“Uh-huh.” His thumb brushed back and forth against her wrist. The teasing touch was turning her quick responses into sludge.

She yanked her arm away from him. “I was.”

“Michelle, after this hunt is over, you’ll forget all about that one night.”

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The left side of his mouth hitched up. “Exactly what it sounds like.”

Michelle shifted her bottom jaw. “You do realize that Sexiest Couple is in name only, right?”

Ryan didn’t answer, but the two sly dimples appeared next to his devious smile.

“Ryan,” she said in a growl. She was about to lay down the ground rules when the high-pitch screech of a microphone interrupted her.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Vanessa said, front and center on a makeshift stage. “Welcome to Carbon Hill’s first scavenger hunt.”

Michelle studied the audience as they applauded. They looked curious. Some showed interest while others appeared doubtful. The town as a whole didn’t embrace new ideas easily.

“Before I introduce the teams,” Vanessa continued with a bright smile, “let’s go over the rules. Each team is comprised of Carbon Hill’s natives and residents. One man and one woman who are romantic partners. They are battling with their competitors for the title of Carbon Hill’s Sexiest Couple.”

“Battling?” Michelle said under her breath. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Oh, c’mon, Michelle.” He nudged her arm with his elbow. “You know you want the title. Tell the truth. It would go so well with your Miss Horseradish tiara.”

She was tempted to threaten one of his body parts with her tiara, but decided he’d take that as a sexual proposition. Instead she ignored him, realizing that tactic would probably get her through the scavenger hunt with her sanity intact.

“The hunt follows the lives of Carbon Hill’s most famous romantic couple, Homer and Ida Wirt,” Vanessa explained to the crowd. “Legend has it that the married couple were horseradish farmers by day and train robbers by night.”

So much for the overuse of “allegedly,” Michelle noted. She wondered about that. As far as she knew, the Wirts didn’t have any descendants. So who would have been kicking up a fuss?

“With only their beloved dog as their sidekick,” Vanessa went on, reading from an index card, “Homer and Ida became the most successful train robbers of their time. No one quite knows how much they acquired, or where it was stored, but the Wirts became two of the most wanted thieves in the country during the Depression until their untimely death in nineteen thirty-two.”

Michelle questioned the buried treasure idea. It was a nice fairy tale, but she bet whatever Homer and Ida stole, they cashed it in as fast as possible.

“Our contestants will follow the lives and some of the exploits of Homer and Ida Wirt during this hunt.”

“We’re going to rob a train?” Ryan asked from the side of his mouth.

“And meet our untimely death?” Michelle added. She glanced at Ryan, smiling, before she remembered she was supposed to be ignoring the guy. She straightened her mouth into a firm line and looked away.

“At the end of the trail, the winning team will find this.” Vanessa whipped off the cover with a flourish and revealed a large treasure chest.

Everyone oohed and ahhed. Michelle stood on her tiptoes, wondering what she was missing. From what she could see, the chest was filled with a lot of fancy paper, knickknacks, and what looked like glittery gold grass that usually was used to line Easter baskets.

“Our shops and businesses have donated to this prize, bringing the value up to ten thousand dollars.”

The growing crowd gasped with surprise and a healthy dose of envy.

“Not including the one carat ring displayed in the window of Duguay’s Diamonds on Main Street,” Vanessa said over the increasing chatter of the townspeople. “It has an estimated value of five thousand dollars.”

Wow. Michelle joined in with the crowd’s enthusiastic applause. Vanessa had managed to get the chamber of commerce members to donate fifteen thousand dollars. Michelle was very impressed with her friend’s achievement.

Too bad she couldn’t win. Because no way was she going to add another couple of thousand dollars to her hometown’s expectations. Or the ring. Michelle sure would like diamonds. Not going to go for it, though.

But this would definitely explain why Vanessa had been stressed about pulling off this event. Get the media coverage and get the whole town involved in the dying Horseradish Festival, and Vanessa would find smooth sailing to her dream of becoming Carbon Hill’s next mayor.

Michelle always thought Vanessa was aiming low when it came to her dream of mayor, an odd goal at that. And this event was an example of her friend’s strength that could take her places. But that was an ongoing argument she wouldn’t pursue this trip. Right now, Michelle was glad she could help her friend in her own small way.

“There are a few rules for this hunt,” Vanessa said as she pulled out another index card. “If any townspeople see a contestant violating the rules, and have the proof, the couple will be disqualified.”

“No pressure there,” Ryan muttered.

“The couple must stay together at all times. They can’t go separate ways to fulfill a task.”

Together at all times? She felt the crowd closing in. Ryan’s height seemed to really tower over her. Michelle swallowed the lump of dread forming in her throat.

“The couple can get help when it comes to gathering information, such as asking for directions or research, but they can’t have another person join or assist them in completing a task.”

Michelle pressed her lips together. This was sounding more difficult than she had anticipated.

“And finally, the couples can’t use their cars or any type of transportation other than walking to get from one point to the next. The scavenger hunt committee will provide transportation when necessary.”

In other words, lots of walking. Michelle looked down at her impractical, boring flats.
Thanks, Mom.

“Now it’s time to introduce our contestants. Our first couple is Dennis and Margaret Aschenbrenner. Mr. and Mrs. Aschenbrenner? Come on up.”

Michelle applauded with the crowd as she saw the couple take the stage. They were short, stout, and in their sixties. And, if Michelle remembered correctly, they were
the
house to go to for Halloween. Not only did they make their home a haunted house maze, but they gave the intrepid trick-or-treaters the good candy at the end of the game.

“Our second couple is Ryan Slater and Michelle Nelson.”

Oh, jeez. Already? Michelle tried not to grimace. Despite what she said to Ryan, she wasn’t ready for this.

Her spine went rigid when she felt Ryan’s hand on the small of her back, under the short hem of her jacket. The span of his fingers was much wider than she remembered. She tried to discreetly move away, but it didn’t work. Instead, the hem of her T-shirt bunched and Ryan’s palm pressed against her skin.

That was enough to make Michelle bolt up the stage. Her beauty queen smile and wave kicked in. She was sure it was a bit rusty, but it was either that or go catatonic.

“And our final couple,” Vanessa announced as Michelle quietly greeted the Aschenbrenners, “is Clayton Byers and Brandy Rasmussen.”

Shit. Michelle’s eyes went wide and she slowly turned around. That must have been what Vanessa couldn’t remember. Michelle zeroed in on the beautiful redhead making her way through the crowd, pulling Clayton behind her.

Brandy hurried up the stage and blew a few air kisses to the crowd as Clayton obediently stood a few steps back. When they made their way to where the other contestants stood, she bestowed a perfunctory smile on everyone except Michelle.

Just like old times, Michelle decided. She felt Ryan lean toward her and inhaled his scent that made her blood rush through her veins.

“Why is Brandy glaring at you?” he whispered in her ear. His warm breath teased the wisps of her hair.

Where did she begin? No, she wasn’t going to give the full history starting with the instant animosity on the first day of kindergarten. “She was runner-up the year I was Miss Horseradish.”

“Ah,” Ryan said as he straightened to his full height.

That wasn’t even half of it. Brandy lied and cheated throughout the pageant and didn’t take being second place very well. In fact, she found the “and if for any reason Miss Horseradish can’t fulfill her duties” clause as a challenge. A mission.

And now they were competing for another title. As far as Michelle was concerned, Brandy could have the Sexiest Couple title. She would gladly give it to her on a silver platter. But she knew she wouldn’t get off that easy. Brandy was going to use this hunt as payback time.

Terrific. Wasn’t it bad enough that she was doing a scavenger hunt, which had never been her thing, in front of onlookers? Nope, she was also stuck with Brandy, who was going to make her miserable as she took revenge, and Ryan, who had given her the worst night ever and seemed interested in repeating it.

Michelle wondered if there were any rules against being heavily medicated during the scavenger hunt…

“Now, contestants,” Vanessa said, turning to face the scavenger hunt participants, “would you please join together for the official photo?”

As the teams huddled together for the photographer, Brandy slid toward the center of the group. Ryan felt rather than saw Michelle’s violent hop before she slammed against his arm. Ryan stretched his arm around her shoulders and held her before they both fell into a heap.

“Sorry!” Michelle winced.

“Are you okay?” When she nodded he asked, “What was that about?”

“Trust me,” she said through her picture-perfect smile aimed at the camera, “you don’t want to know.”

Ryan had a feeling Brandy stomped on Michelle’s foot, but he couldn’t say if it was an accident. Whatever happened, he benefited from it. There was something deeply satisfying having Michelle tucked against his side.

“Give us a kiss!” someone yelled from the crowd.

But that might be short-lived, Ryan decided as other onlookers found that a great idea and demanded the same.

He chose to ignore the “kiss…kiss…kiss” chant. Sure, he had nothing against kissing Michelle. Okay, it was in the back of his mind every time he looked at her mouth. He wanted to see if that magic he had felt that summer five years ago was still there. If it was better. He bet it was.

But now would be the worst time to find out. If he was going to make up for that night, strategy and timing were everything. He wasn’t going to test his luck.

Vanessa approached the contestants. “The
Carbon Hill Herald
would like to take pictures of each team separately.”

“Smooching?” Margaret asked with a chuckle.

Vanessa scrunched up her nose by way of apology. “If you don’t mind,” she said and quickly flashed a worried glance at Michelle.

Ryan couldn’t see Michelle’s expression, but there was something about Vanessa’s look that rubbed at him. Did she know what went on between him and Michelle?
All
the details?

A cold chill swept down his spine. It was likely. Women shared everything with their friends, didn’t they? He didn’t like the possibility of Vanessa knowing what had happened, but it was more than that.

That night didn’t bring him closer to Michelle, but it did create a bond, whether she liked it or not. It went past sharing a secret. He wasn’t sure how he would describe it other than being war buddies, but Michelle might take offense to that comparison.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Brandy whisper something to Clayton. Ryan was surprised to see the guy’s ears turn bright pink. Just when he was beginning to wonder if Clayton’s glasses were going to melt, Clayton grabbed Brandy and dipped her over his arm.

The crowd broke out into a cheer as Clayton planted a big kiss on Brandy. Ryan had never thought that guy had any showmanship, but that stunt was worthy of a movie star.

When he saw the Aschenbrenners go in for a more sedate peck, even though the newspaper reporter was still snapping away at Brandy and Clayton, Ryan knew there was no graceful way Michelle could avoid his kiss. To be honest, he didn’t want to help her find a way out.

She slowly turned toward him, as if she knew what was required of her and was resigned to the fact.

“We don’t have to,” Ryan said quietly. The last thing he wanted to do was kiss an unwilling partner. Despite his playboy reputation, his mouth was going to slide off of her if she didn’t respond. He kind of wanted her to express a degree of enthusiasm.

“It’s no big deal.”

Kissing him was no big deal? Ouch. No time like the present to convince her otherwise. But he wasn’t going to swoop in and grab this opportunity.

He reached up and cradled her face. His hands seemed dark and huge against her exquisite beauty. Ryan gently swept the side of his thumb against her soft cheek, watching her eyelashes flutter down as she looked away.

The noise from the crowd spiraled into a faint buzz as Ryan stroked her mouth with his thumb. He drew slow, lazy circles against her lips. His thumb prickled with heat as anticipation coiled tight against his ribs.

His patience was rewarded when Michelle parted her lips. Triumph roared through Ryan, but he ruthlessly reined in his impulses and gently brushed his mouth over hers. He heard her gasp at the first touch. He knew how she felt.

The magic was still there.

His first instinct was to capture the magic before it vanished. His fingers flexed against her jaw, just as he was about to deepen the kiss. He stopped himself in the nick of time.

Instead, he outlined the edge of her lip with his mouth. Tasting, savoring. The hunger inside him grew fierce and powerful, but his shaky restraint wouldn’t allow him to indulge. No matter how much he wanted to.

Especially when Michelle kissed him back. Hot need leapt through him, unleashed, as her tongue swept his bottom lip. His muscles clenched, his fingers shook against her skin as he pulled back. He was not going to devour her. Not yet.

And he wasn’t going to cave as she darted her tongue between his lips. His breath hitched in his lungs as she explored. He was trying not to capture the tip of her tongue and suck hard when he heard the insistent whir of a digital camera next to his ear.

Michelle jumped back, clearly startled. She looked as if she was ready to bolt. Ryan wrapped his arm around her waist, feeling clumsy and disoriented, and held her against his side.

“And now,” Vanessa said to the rowdy audience, “to start our scavenger hunt, the couples will be given their first clue.”

An assistant, who looked as if she had to be related to the Mueller family on C Street, gave a sealed envelope to each female contestant.

“Are you guys ready?” Vanessa asked.

Everyone said yes, but Michelle seemed to give more of a shrug. Ryan looked away, his heart still pounding from the kiss, when he noticed Brandy discreetly running her fingernail along the envelope flap. Some people were taking this challenge way too seriously.

“What about you guys?” Vanessa asked the crowd, who cheered loudly. “All right, then. On your mark…get set…go!”

While Margaret and Brandy tore open the envelope, Michelle neatly sliced open the flap and removed the card. Ryan read over her shoulder. “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.”

O…kay…

Michelle looked up at him, her eyes wide and anxious. “I have no idea what this means.”

“That makes two of us.” Ryan glanced at the other contestants. “How much you want to bet no one else gets this riddle?”

Michelle looked at the paper again and frowned. “I think it’s a quote.”

“What does it say?” someone with a deep, masculine voice yelled from the crowd.

“Yeah, tell us what it says!”

Vanessa plucked the card from Michelle’s hand. “I’ll read it out loud, but no one yell out the answer, okay?”

After she received a cacophony of consent, Vanessa read the quote. The townspeople stared back at her, their expressions mirroring Ryan’s own confusion. No chance of them spilling the beans.

Ryan bet they didn’t envy him right about now. He should have known the chance for a big money prize wouldn’t have been as easy as “go here” and “go there.”

Not that he was doing it for the big bucks. It would have been a nice bonus. But, hey, he had just as much of a chance as the other contestants.

“The first couple to get there will have a head start on the next task. Good luck!” Vanessa said and walked off the stage, heading for the next scheduled festival event.

“Great,” Michelle said as she stuffed the first clue into her jacket pocket. “Might as well give up now.”

Ryan pumped his fist in the air. “That’s the spirit.” He moved to get off the stage, but another team blocked their way.

Brandy stared down Michelle. “I didn’t know you were in town,” she said, bristling with such anger that Ryan was ready to step between the two women.

“Just for the festival,” Michelle replied and turned to Brandy’s partner. “Clayton! It’s good to see you.”

Ryan watched Michelle hug the other man and jealousy flashed through him. It had been a while since he felt anything like that and he wasn’t prepared for it. All he knew was that he wished Michelle greeted him that way. Hell, the dazzling smile would have been enough.

Clayton caught Ryan’s eye and immediately backed off. Ryan had no idea what his expression gave away, but it made the other man move fast.

“Michelle and I go way back,” Clayton said, readjusting his glasses.

Ryan felt his eyebrow go up. The jealousy flashed hotter and it took some effort to remain still.

Clayton turned pale. “I—I was her history tutor all through high school.”

“Oh, come on. You were more than that to me,” Michelle said in a chiding tone, oblivious to Clayton’s panicked look. “Remember when—”

“We have to go,” Brandy interrupted. She grabbed Clayton’s arm and hauled him away. “Good luck,” she said over her shoulder. “You’re going to need it.”

“She’s right, you know,” Michelle said as she watched the competitors walk away. “As much as I hate to admit it.”

“Everyone needs luck,” Ryan said. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Right,” she muttered as she sat down on the stage step.

“We have just as much of a chance to win this scavenger hunt as they do.”

“Uh-uh.” She pulled out her cell phone from her jacket. “I believe that as much as I believe the Wirts really did hide millions of dollars in one of those river bluff caves.”

Ryan frowned. “Huh?”

Michelle looked up from her phone and groaned. “Don’t tell me you believe there really is hidden treasure in Carbon Hill.”

Ryan shrugged. “Sure, why not?” Obviously Michelle thought in terms of probability. He viewed it from a different angle. To his way of thinking, why
shouldn’t
there be buried treasure?

Anyway, it was fun knowing there was something important and wonderful waiting to be found. He liked the idea of possibilities. Of hidden opportunities waiting to be revealed.

Michelle muttered something he couldn’t catch. “What was that?” he asked.

“Never mind,” Michelle said and continued pushing buttons on her cell phone.

“You know, when I said we had a chance of winning, I wasn’t saying it’s going to be easy,” Ryan admitted. “I’ll be honest with you. I have no idea what that clue is about or how to approach it.”

“Join the club,” Michelle said, staring intently at her cell phone.

“But we can figure it out. We will.”

“Yeah, eventually.” Michelle’s fingers flew over the phone buttons. “Like after everyone else.”

“Our opponents are not that good. We are just as smart and just as capable as they are.”

“Clayton is a genius and the Aschenbrenners are into puzzles, games, and trivia,” Michelle said, still tapping away at her phone. “Not to mention that all three are also members of the Historical Society.”

Ryan did a double take. “Carbon Hill has a Historical Society?”

Michelle looked up. “See? You didn’t even know that.” She went back to her phone. “We are going to be left in the dust,” she muttered her prediction.

“No, we’re not,” he said with a hint of steel in his voice. “Once you get off that phone, we can go hit this Historical Society and ask—”

“Benjamin Franklin.”

Okay. The stress from competition had already affected her brain. “What about him?”

“He made that quote.”

“How do you know that?”

“I looked it up.” She waved the phone under his nose.

He stared at the slim electronic unit with suspicion. “Just like that?”

“I’m addicted to my cell phone,” Michelle admitted as she pocketed the device, “and can navigate around it faster than Brandy can come up with a devious plan.”

“Can that phone tell us what Benjamin Franklin has to do with Homer and Ida?”

“Technology isn’t that advanced. Okay, let’s look at what we have.” She held her hands up as if she could make the world stop while she studied the puzzle. “Benjamin Franklin, Homer, and Ida.”

Ryan thought about it. What could one of the leaders of the American Revolution and horseradish farmers have in common? “I got nothing.”

“Me, either.” She looked out onto the square, watching the last of the curiosity seekers walk away from the stage.

“Benjamin Franklin and horseradish,” Ryan said.

Michelle gave him a strange look.

He shrugged. “Benjamin Franklin and trains? Train robbers? Train tracks?”

Michelle suddenly perked up. He hoped she wasn’t going to pursue the train track idea. He was going to have to keep his mouth shut on the brainstorming sessions.

“Franklin is on the one-hundred-dollar bill,” Michelle said. “Train robbers steal one-hundred-dollar bills.”

“Yeah…” Ryan drew out the word. “But that doesn’t tell us where to go.”

“A bank? Probably Cedar Hill’s First National.” She jumped up and walked down the steps. “Let’s go.”

“No, the clue would have said something about bills or national or something along those lines. Give me the paper again.”

Michelle handed him the clue and Ryan reread the quote. “Hey, wait a minute.” He looked around the square, trying to get his bearings. “Isn’t there a Benjamin Franklin Public School around here? I think it’s an elementary school.”

“Sounds vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t say for sure. I went to Alexander Hamilton myself.”

Ryan tapped the paper against his chin. “Do you think the Benjamin Franklin School has any connection to Homer and Ida?”

She made a face. “The school can’t be that old.”

Ryan wasn’t so sure. “How would we find out?”

Michelle grabbed her phone again and punched a few buttons. She pressed it on her ear and held her finger up, indicating for him to wait.

“Hi, Dad,” Michelle said. “Quick question. How old is the Benjamin Franklin Public School? Uh-huh…uh-huh…” She shifted from one foot to the other. “Uh-huh…Really?” Her face brightened.

Heat seeped inside Ryan as he watched Michelle’s face. She didn’t usually show her emotions, but when the hope flickered across her face, it was a breathtaking sight.

“So that means it would have been around in the early nineteen-hundreds?” She gave Ryan a thumbs-up.