Luke, however, would never be content with that outcome. He wouldn’t feel he’d been released from his promise until they brought this to a clear-cut close.

Why were her emotions such a frustrating tangle? She wanted Luke to experience the freedom of a promise fulfilled. Yet she didn’t want him to leave Misty River. Yet she should want him to leave Misty River, because her life would be far less confusing with him gone.

“I think it’s time for us to call it a day,” she said. “We gained valuable information because now we know that this house holds no more secrets and, as such, we should not sink more of our time here.”

He frowned.

“Let’s head home,” she said. “We can visit the gold mine next weekend.”

The whine of wind against the creaky walls of the house answered.

His shoulders braced. She’d noticed that sounds like that made him nervous. No doubt, that was an aftereffect of the earthquake. As was the window he kept ajar at work, the generator he stored behind his truck’s bench seat, and the fact that he charged his phone the whole time he was at his desk.

Desperately, she wanted to lighten his mood.

His mood is not your responsibility, Finley!

Could she get away with hugging him?

No.

Though she felt compelled to hug him, she could not trust herself to do so.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Late in the afternoon on Tuesday, Ben entered the workroom with his usual smile. “Hey, man.”

“Hey.” Luke rose, and they exchanged a fist bump.

“Where are your two sidekicks?”

“By sidekicks you can’t mean Kat and Trish.”

Ben chuckled. “I do, though. You three are a trip together.”

“We’re oil and water together. The only time I can think straight is when they’re outside the building, like now, doing home visits.”

“Any word on Agatha?”

“No.”

“Do you miss her?”

“No.” That wasn’t exactly true, but there was no way he’d admit that he did think about the puppy. Sometimes. Hardly ever. “I’m just glad Agatha’s family hasn’t returned her and filed a suit for emotional damage.”

“She was a cute little thing.”

Luke slanted his head to the side a fraction. “Ben, is it tiring to view everything in its best possible light all the time?”

“Less tiring than viewing everything in its worst possible light,” Ben said cheerfully.

He had a point.

“Listen,” Ben said, “Sebastian, Natasha, Genevieve, and I are getting together for lunch on Sunday. Can you join us?”

“I might already have plans Sunday. I’m not sure.”

“Is that true,” Ben asked with a humorous expression, “or are you just blowing me off again?”

“Both.” He didn’t yet know if he and Finley were going to the gold mine that day. But even if they weren’t, he’d probably rather blow Ben off.