CHAPTER ONE
Summer had finally released its hold over Alma, Kansas and everyone Jane knew was happier for it. It had been so intensely hot for so long that brownouts in the electrical system had become a real concern. However, a cold front moving through the area had broken the heat and brought cooler temperatures in its place. The drought was still going strong, but to listen to the farmers, the area had been in a drought since the early 90’s.
Jane wasn’t sure how much she could believe them since they spun tales like old fishermen often do. But the cracks in her yard were proof that the drought had been hanging around for quite a while. Some were deep enough she was beginning to worry that Annie, the family dog, might step in one and hurt herself.
The trees were starting to turn now, too. Some had already begun the transition weeks ago, but now they all were showing a change in color. Jane sat on the steps of her old farmhouse sipping coffee from her mug as she watched the fog slowly rise that morning over the hay field across the road. The cars on the distant highway, and her Anatolian shepherd snoring at her feet, were the only sounds she heard that morning. It was calm and peaceful, her favorite way to enjoy the morning on her rare day off.
Jane had started to clean houses and businesses in earnest after her husband had left her and the children, and fortunately it had become quite successful. It provided the income her little family needed, but it required a lot of work and planning on her part.
She’d recently shifted her schedule around so she could have a little more time off throughout the week. Previously, she’d scattered her clients out so she could have a steady flow of work, but now that she had a fuller schedule, she wanted to tighten things up a bit. Plus, she was trying to remodel the old farmhouse she and the children had recently moved into, and trying to do it in short bursts when she had an hour here or there had only resulted in getting very little done.
Painting for just twenty minutes and then, because of her schedule, having to abruptly stop to rinse the brushes out and do all the cleanup was starting to frustrate her. She decided she needed to have several hours at a time when she could work on the projects that needed to be done, even if that meant she had to change the way she did things.
Jane knew she’d have to get up early on her day off, but that was okay, because she’d gone to bed earlier than usual the night before. After a full day of work, Jane had come home absolutely exhausted, but the kids were more than happy with the bag of tacos from the drive-thru that she’d brought home.
When she’d finished working the previous day, she had no desire to go home and then have to cook dinner, so fast food it was. As soon as Jane finished eating last night, she’d started yawning. It had taken everything she had to stay awake for a reasonable amount of time until she could tuck her daughter Libby into bed.
However, this morning she felt much better. She’d slept so hard she barely remembered dreaming or even falling asleep. She was sure that if there had been some kind of natural disaster, she would have slept right through it. Even though she’d been incredibly tired, she still thought it was worth it and was optimistic that she’d eventually adjust to her new, busier schedule.
She took another sip of her coffee and allowed herself to just relax and breathe in the fresh air, because she knew this relaxing time would end when the kids woke up.
Jane’s eyes skimmed over the yard, and she wondered if she should mow the grass or wait a little longer. It was slightly shaggy, and it wasn’t exactly green because of the scorching temperatures they’d had the last few weeks. She decided she’d get the garden hose out and work on filling in the bigger cracks in the yard, just to be on the safe side.
Jane left her coffee and phone on the porch steps and went in search of the hose. She dragged it around the side of the house and hooked it up to the outside spigot before twisting the handle and listening to the water rush through the hose.
She walked over to the first crack and started shooting water down inside it, watching it disappear. But soon the edges grew soft, and she was able to step on them to push them down into the deeper part of the crack. She worked methodically around the yard, doing what she could to minimize the size of the cracks until she was somewhat satisfied, then she turned off the hose.
The ding of her phone caught her attention, so she headed back to the porch. When she bent over to pick the phone up, she saw it was a text from Henry.
So sorry if this wakes you, but I wanted to make sure I told you as soon as I could. I have permission to search in the basement of the Alma History Museum today and I was wondering if you and the kids would like to join me?
Jane smiled. She was still impressed that Henry was including her and the kids in his hunt for the Howland Treasure. Ever since Libby had helped him find the first clue at the town park, he seemed to think she was a good luck charm or something. Some people might think that was a little creepy, but Henry wasn’t like that at all.
Jane could tell that he really liked sharing the treasure adventure with a little girl who seemed just as eager as he was to believe in the Howland Treasure, and she’d watched Libby grow and blossom under his attention. With her father gone, Libby had missed having a male presence in her life, and Jane couldn’t fill that need, but Henry was definitely helping her in that regard.
It was obvious in the way Libby asked him questions and looked up to him. She’d found a male role model, and it warmed Jane’s heart to watch their relationship. Especially since she could tell that Henry liked sharing his knowledge and never tired of the barrage of questions Libby unleashed at times. He just patiently listened and answered them as honestly as he could.
Jane wasn’t afraid to admit that she’d always thought the story of the treasure was just that, a story, or even a fable. But with what they’d discovered so far, she’d begun to change her mind. It began with the hidden map they’d found that led to their house and then there was the strange necklace and the riddle. If all of this didn’t lead to a treasure, it definitely had to lead to something important. Why else would someone have gone to that much trouble?
Her fingers began to type her response.
They’re still asleep but you know as well as I do that Libby will tag along to anything connected with the treasure. She added a smiling emoji and then pressed send.
I know but I wasn’t sure if you were getting tired of searching with me by now so I wanted to give you the option, Henry replied.
She didn’t think about her response as she typed it. I always enjoy tagging along with you too. It wasn’t until she pressed send that she realized it could have a double meaning.
She bit her lip as she saw the reply bubble pop up. Would he take it the wrong way and think she was flirting with him? He was handsome, but she wasn’t going to pursue him, not when she was trying to raise two kids on her own and this was the longest Libby had gone without asking about her dad.
Either she was starting to accept that her dad had left them with no intention of returning or she was just distracted by Henry and the treasure. Whatever it was, Jane wanted to keep it going.
I really like having you guys along, too, he replied. It’s good to know you aren’t getting tired of me yet.
Jane smiled to herself. She wished she could tell him how nice it was to just have another adult around to laugh with and do things with the kids. He really had a way with both of them, and she appreciated it. It was a load off her shoulders when she didn’t have to constantly entertain them both.
I’ll be heading to the museum at 10:00. Will they be up by then?
Absolutely, she replied. We’ll meet you there at 10:00.
She set her phone down and sighed. It wasn’t that she was disappointed they were going to go meet Henry, but she’d been planning on committing the whole day to working with the trim in the hall, even though she knew she probably didn’t need that long to complete the task. She sat down and decided to sip on the rest of her now cooled coffee and wait to tell Libby the news.
*****
“Yeah! Of course I wanna go!” Libby cried out when Jane told her about Henry’s text.
“Then you better get dressed,” Jane said patiently, and her daughter took off running for her room.
Jane’s teenage son, Tyson, groaned. “Do I have to go?” he whined.
“You don’t want to go treasure hunting?” Jane asked, a little surprised. She’d thought Tyson had been enjoying the search too.
“I mean, you’re going into some dusty old basement to look for more old stuff. There’s no way there’s a hidden treasure in the basement of the museum.” Tyson shook his head. “Someone would have found it a long time ago if it had been there, besides, I already made plans to play online with my friends today.” He flipped his long shaggy hair back out of his face.
Jane knew he and his friends had been waiting for everyone to get the latest video game so they could all play together. Jane’s parents lived nearby and Tyson had done a lot of chores at their house to earn the money to pay for it.
“Well, I guess if that’s what you’d rather do,” Jane said.
“I would,” he said as he nodded his head. “Please?” He clasped his hands together.
“Oh, alright,” she said. “But I don’t see why you can’t stand to go with us.”
“It would really mess up the good thing we’ve had going lately,” Tyson said seriously. “Let’s not ruin it.”
Jane laughed. “Alright, let’s not push our luck. You can stay here, but I want you to unload and reload the dishwasher and do your laundry.”
“Deal,” Tyson replied before he ran off.
Jane sighed. “He’s already growing up,” she muttered to herself. “Before long, he’ll never want to do stuff with us.” She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, knowing that time was rapidly approaching.
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