“You’re welcome. This community is small, Luke. Helping is what we do for one another. I’m glad for the chance to do something tangible for Finley.”

What she didn’t say but what he understood clearly was that she was also glad for the chance to do something for him. This was the first time in decades that he’d asked her for anything.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

For years, when she and Dad had said those words to him, they’d bounced off as if he were wearing a suit of armor. But Finley’s injury had ripped away his defenses. This time, when she said the words, they penetrated. So much, he found it hard to reply. They exchanged good-byes and he disconnected.

He directed his next phone call to Ben’s mom, CeCe Coleman.

“I’m fired up,” she said instead of answering with a normal hello. “I just found out about Finley’s accident at the beauty shop. The beauty shop! Not from my son or from you. Which just isn’t right—”

“I need information.” Luke had no time for CeCe’s drama, even on his best days.

“What kind of information?”

“Information on the Vance brothers.” CeCe knew more people in their region of Georgia than a phone book. Somehow, the Vance brothers had learned about the treasure hunt. And somehow, they’d followed him and Finley to the dig site in an ATV. In order to accomplish those things, they’d most likely had help from friends or family. The more Luke learned about those close to the Vance brothers, the more likely he’d understand how they’d gotten away with what they’d done.

“Do the Vance brothers have something to do with Finley’s injury?” CeCe asked.

“They caused it.”

She released a furious whistling sound.

“I’ve already researched everything that’s available online about the brothers. Now I need you to discover all the things that aren’t online about Ken, Dennis, and Jeff Vance.”

“Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“A family tree that lists the brothers, their wives, and kids would help.”

“You bet.”

“I’d also like to know who their friends are. Where the brothers live. Where the brothers work. Plus any other information you can find.”

“I’ll work on it and get back to you. When it comes to the town grapevine, I’m a better detective than Magnum P. I.”

Finley hovered, weightless, inside an ocean of fog.

She couldn’t make sense of anything . . . except that voice. That deep, masculine, familiar voice. It was a voice she knew, filtering in from a great distance.

“I’m here,” he was saying. Luke. “I need you to come back to me soon. I miss you.”

Her heart answered, expanding.

“I can’t be here without you,” he said. “It almost killed me when I lost Ethan. I can’t do that again.”