“Absolutely.” It felt sacrilegious to even consider violating a request left for her in her dad’s will.

Finley held the envelope carefully, aware of the attorney’s attention on her as she looked down at it in her lap. Her father had named Mr. Horton the executor of his will. And since she was the only child of a bachelor, he’d named her his sole beneficiary. After the will cleared probate, she’d inherit his property, bank accounts, investments, and assets. And yet this—a simple envelope—was the thing stirring both grief and wonder within her.

Her father had died suddenly in prison one month ago.

She hadn’t expected him to speak or write another word to her. Yet through this mysterious, surprising letter, he’d found a way to continue communicating with her. For Finley.

“Your father told me that he used to create birthday treasure hunts for you when you were growing up,” Mr. Horton said.

She raised her face. “Yes. Every single birthday before I left for college, he’d send me on a treasure hunt to find my gift.”

“Sounds like a nice father-daughter tradition.”

“It was.” Memories rushed like a film reel through her brain. Her gasps of discovery when she’d solved one of his clues. His deep chuckle. The patter of her feet as she’d race to see if she’d guessed the location of the next clue correctly. Tearing away shiny pink paper to reveal the dollhouse he’d given her when she turned seven.

Astonishingly, her father was reaching out from the grave to give her one final gift.

CHAPTER ONE

JANUARY

This wasn’t the first time that Luke Dempsey had been burned by his belief in the concept of honor among thieves.

This was only the most recent time.

When he’d been burned in the past, he’d told himself he wouldn’t put himself on the line again. But in time, his conscience would butt in where it wasn’t wanted. He’d put himself on the line. Then pay the price. Then tell himself all over again that he’d learned his lesson.

This time he really had learned his lesson. For the final time.

On this cold, overcast Wednesday morning, Luke set his jaw and walked from his parking space toward Furry Tails Animal Rescue Center. A black metal roof topped the dark gray modern building that occupied several acres on the road leading east out of Misty River, Georgia.

He’d waited a long time to be free. In fact, he’d spent all seven years of his incarceration meticulously planning his future. The second he finished his obligation here, he’d move to Montana and build a house with a view of mountains and big sky. From his home office, he’d launch a career in software and website development.