Of course, Ashley wouldn’t think any of that would happen. She was an optimist. She believed she could handle the idiots of the world, that the people she knew and admired all lived up to her high standards—especially Barky. David wasn’t so sure. He figured their uncle had to have done something before being saddled at age thirty-four with two infants. Maybe that something was stealing jewels. Who the hell knew?

One thing was for sure: David had never believed his uncle’s declarations of ignorance about the Liechtenstein trust and the collection of jewels. But he’d had nearly five years to talk—thirty if the trust had been set up when David and Ashley were born. If Barky hadn’t talked by now, he wasn’t going to. He was nothing if not muleheaded.

And Ashley. David had never been so pissed off at his sister. She was just plain reckless.

He heard a car turn into the driveway, but didn’t bother to look up. More people than usual had been stopping by to buy pumpkins, squash, whatever happened to be on the trailer. At first David figured it was just the nice weather. Then he realized it was that magazine. The locals had recognized Ashley and Barky in You and come out to the farm to gawk. David didn’t object particularly. He just kept emptying the money out of the coffee can. Barky was keeping to the fields, working hard, more uncommunicative than usual.

“Hey.”

Sighing, David pulled his head out from under the hood. A big blond guy had snuck up behind him. He was wearing a T-shirt too tight for his broad chest and arms and stretch jeans that left no doubt about the muscles in his legs. David reached for a dirty rag and began wiping his hands. “What can I do for you?”

“You David Wakefield?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Sister Ashley?”

“Uh-huh. Why?” Couldn’t be Ashley’s latest romantic interest, he thought; too meaty.

“You know she’s put the jewels in a safe-deposit box?”

David thought, well, hell, and wiped his fingers one by one. “What jewels?”

“Don’t be a smartass. The tiara and the necklace.”

“Choker,” David corrected. “And it’s tee-ara. Not long i.”

“You want me to bust your head open?”

“Not especially.” He wasn’t lying. Although several inches taller and no slouch himself, David was beginning to realize the guy was a pro. Definitely not Ash’s type. “So what if Ash has put them in a safe-deposit box? As far as I’m concerned, that’s the first smart thing she’s done this month.”

“You’re her brother. I’ll bet you can get them out.”

“Wrong.”

“Then you can get her to get them out.”

“Now why would I want to do that?”

“I’ve got a party interested in having them, that’s why. Says they don’t belong to you.”

“Anyone I know?”

“None of your business.”

“Does said party want to buy them or just take them?”

“Don’t make no difference to me.”

David now realized he was in an untenable situation. Damn Ashley. Then, at the thought of her, his heart began to pound. “Have you talked to my sister?”