Dangerous Temptations

“How long will you be gone?”

“Not too long. They would like me to start coming more frequently.”

I frowned. “Well, let me know. I definitely want to get together more now that I’m here.”

He stood and held out his hand to help me off the couch. “It’s good to have you back. Maybe dinner at A Mano Italian Kitchen?”

A Mano Italian Kitchen was one of the nicest restaurants in town. “Sounds great. I haven’t eaten there in a while.”

We made our way back to the kitchen, and Wesley placed his wineglass in the sink. “What are you going to do tonight?”

“I’m tired. I’m going to grab my laptop, go to bed, and research the letter a little more.”

“Letter?”

We were almost back to the living room and Wesley was putting on his suit jacket. I’d forgotten I hadn’t read the letter to Wesley. “The ultimate adventure from Grandpa. It was the letter with the medallion I showed you.”

At the mention of the coin, Wesley nodded. “I remember now.”

“There was a letter with a clue leading to more letters. Now, it’s just about finding the home referenced in it. There were no names mentioned. Only nicknames. It’ll probably take me the rest of my life with nothing to go on.”

He chuckled. “You always were a sucker for a tricky scavenger hunt. Good luck with that. I remember you used to drag me around with Virg every year when he made you one.”

“Those were good times. I hope this one takes me a long time to solve. It’ll be like holding onto Grandpa a little longer.”

“I do, too.” At the door, he turned and said, “I’ll catch you later, Sydney.”

“See ya.”

After Wesley left, I started another load of dishes in the dishwasher. My stomach growled, but I was too tired to fix anything. I was about to head upstairs when my doorbell rang again.

Looking at the peephole, I saw nothing, but I heard a dog barking. I opened the door, and the little boxer puppy Mike had found sat on my front porch, wrestling with a Kong filled with peanut butter. “What are you doing here?”

I looked around but saw no one. Finally, I heard a bell ringing from the side of the house. Mike stepped onto the porch, holding his phone in one hand and a pizza box in another. “This was the best I could do as a warning bell on short notice.”

I burst out laughing. “You must think I’m crazy.”

“Or adorable.”

My grin widened. “I think I much prefer that adjective.”

Do not fall. Do not fall. I repeat—do not fall.

“Maggie Maye and I thought you might be hungry after moving all day.”

On cue, my stomach growled. “I think you two might be right.” The boxer took off inside. I raised my eyebrow. “Maggie Maye? You named the dog?”

“Yeah, I’m screwed.” Mike laughed, running his free hand through his hair.