“Great. And what do I get if we find the prospector’s gold?”
“I’ll have to consult my board before I can answer that,” he said solemnly.
She wouldn’t have known he was teasing except for the sparkle in his eyes. “How about if I buy a fifty percent share? A raspberry tart with ground hazelnuts in the crust enough?”
“Make it almonds and I’ll give you eighty percent.”
“Done!” she said and held out her hand to shake his.
He took it, held her hand for a moment, then smiled warmly at her. “Best deal I ever made,” he said and picked up both packs. As they walked back to the cabin, they made plans for their coming excursion.
3
Frank couldn’t sleep. All his life he’d had a clear vision of where he was going with his life, but right now he couldn’t seem to see what was ahead for him.
There was a faint buzzing sound and he knew what it was: Julian was calling. Reaching across to move the blanket Miranda had put up, he saw that she was asleep. She was snuggled deep under the covers so just a bit of her face peeped out.
He silently got out of bed and went to a blank log wall to the right of the fireplace, pushed a knot, and a door opened. In contrast to the rugged, almost primitive cabin, the room Frank entered was ultramodern, its walls painted a hard gloss white. Along three sides were tables, each covered with machines: computer, fax, television with the stock market playing on it, telephones, and other devices of communication.
He picked up a blue phone, the one Julian used. “What is it?”
“And good evening to you too,” Julian said. “There are some problems with Tynan Mills that you need to decide about. And Tokyo needs to talk to you. I know you weren’t planning to return for another day but I think I should send the chopper tomorrow. Besides, Gwyn has been here asking for you. I better warn you that she had a bridal magazine in her briefcase. She—”
“Don’t come here until Thursday.”
“But that’s three days away!”
“Right,” Frank said. “And pay Gwyn off with the usual gifts.”
For a moment, Julian was stunned into silence. “Are you sure you want to do that? I thought maybe this one was serious. I know Gwyn certainly thinks so.”
Frank didn’t comment on that. “I want you to check on someone for me. He’s a kid. Elijah J. Harcourt. Make sure he’s all right. And find out about his friend Chelsea Hamilton. And pay off the mortgage of Eli’s mother. No! Wait, that might cause some problems with the dad. Find out what that bastard is up to.”
“Anything else?” Julian asked.
“Yeah, call one of my brothers and tell him to take care of Tynan Mills.”
Julian drew in his breath. “You’re going to delegate? You’re going to trust your financial-genius brothers to handle a family business?”
“Julian?” Frank said. “Cut the sarcasm. Just do the job and don’t give me any more problems. And don’t call here again. You might wake—” He broke off. “Thursday. Late afternoon.” He hung up and went back to bed.
“You okay?” Frank asked as he stopped on the trail that led up the side of the mountain. He had on a fifty-pound pack full of the things they’d chosen last evening—and he’d enjoyed planning with Miranda.
Gratefully, she sat down on a rock and drank from her water bottle. Her pack was less than half the weight of Frank’s but it was still heavy.
“It’s the altitude,” he said.
“You’re being kind. It’s also my lack of aerobic exercise. I should spend more time in a gym.”
“In your line of work, have you ever saved anyone’s life?”
“A few times,” she said, smiling.
“I have a full gym off my office and I work out at least an hour a day, but I have never saved a human life. Which of us do you think has accomplished more?”
For a moment she blinked at him, then smiled. “What a very kind thing to say. And you know what? You’ve made me feel better.” She stood up. “But just in case of a relapse, is it much further?”
“A mile at most.” His face was serious. “If you falter I could get behind you and push.” He gave such a lecherous lift to his brows that she laughed.