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“Mine, too,” Ruby said. “I needed time and space to process everything. So I went back to Guadalajara to be with family, mostly my abuelita, who was sick at the time. When she passed, I took on all the work of dealing with her estate, the house. I didn’t step foot back in New Mexico until a year ago. ”

“Where we reconnected,” Monty said with a grin. “Off and on for a bit, feeling each other out. Then in couple’s therapy for a long time. And finally…officially together about six months ago.”

My body felt frozen between sheer joy and total disappointment. “Six months? You’ve been back together this whole time?”

Monty winced, rubbing a hand across her jaw. “It’s nothin’ personal, kid. We didn’t tell a single soul. It all just felt so…fragile. And I didn’t want to tell you then have things go south again.”

I huffed out a breath, exasperated. “No, I get it. It’s just…”

I trailed off, unsure of what I was really trying to say. That it hurt my feelings when she didn’t open up to me? That I’d trusted her to be with me through so much, including moving here, and yet she didn’t trust me enough to share this?

Monty sniffed. “Wasn’t personal. I swear.”

But before I could react again, Harper said, “It was you, wasn’t it?”

Monty and Ruby turned toward her voice.

“Pardon?” Monty said.

Harper tapped her chin. “Eve and I, we thought Jensen was one step ahead of us in Haven’s Bluff this whole time. But it’s been you and Ruby. Right?”

Stunned, I said, “Did you dig up Diablo Canyon before the rainstorm hit?”

Ruby’s lips curved. “Jensen’s crew is still a major threat, and we’ve been keeping a close eye on his movements. But yes…it was us, Harper. We still need to put all the dirt back, fill everything in. It was just one of the places we couldn’t shake.”

“And we were at the Historical Society yesterday,” Monty said. “Where we learned about—”

“The train detour to Forks,” Harper said. “That’s why you were out there tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

My stomach lurched as I finally caught up to the barrage of new information.

“You and Ruby getting back together in secret I understand. But just a few days ago, you told me to stand down, that the timing wasn’t right to go after the diamonds.

But you were out here all along?” I paused, swallowing past a lump in my throat. “We always said we’d do this together.”

The lines around Monty’s mouth softened, and she rolled her beer bottle between her hands.

“I know, Evie. I wanted to tell you soon, was planning on it actually. But I guess I got superstitious, picturing this black cloud following us the whole time, because of how we failed last time. It made me protective, but not because I didn’t want you there.

I’ve been stuck in my head about it, is all. ”

Another piece of her journal entry came back to me: Hope doesn’t feel like that to me. It never has. Feels like something I’ve gotta trap in the woods and hunt. Or crawl through the desert on my hands and knees to find.

I was still incredibly hurt by what she’d done, and knew we’d have to sort through it eventually, but in the moment, I was able to nod my head and squeeze her hand.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “and I’m so glad you’re here. I swear I thought it was a sign from the universe when I drove past your Mustang, because I do want to do this with you. I promise.”

I flashed a grin, gave her hand another squeeze. “Then let’s do it this time, for real. ’Cause Harper and I uncovered something wild just this afternoon.”

Monty and Ruby leaned forward in their seats, intrigued.

Harper, meanwhile, brightened into a smile. “Waylon Boyle told us that his uncle, Harry Boyle, was believed to be queer, possibly in a relationship with his business partner, Eugene,” she explained. “They lived together in the apartment above the general store where the locket had been stored.”

“You’re joking,” Monty swore. “He’s never said anything about that to me or anyone.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Just wait. It gets better.”

“Waylon gave us all this genealogical research that his mom had done,” Harper continued. “In it, we found a picture of Harry Boyle with Priscilla and Adeline in New York City. It seems like they knew each other.”

Monty scrubbed a hand down her face while Ruby clapped.

“I fucking knew it,” Monty said. “We fucking knew it , Evie.”

She stood and pulled me in for a hug, kissing the top of my head. I was briefly, blissfully, free of my annoyance with her for the moment. The moment we’d been waiting on for years—when our long-held gut instincts finally collided with actual proof.

“Then I guess this is as good a time as any for us to share our good news,” Ruby said.

I pulled back to glimpse Monty’s wide smile, followed by the sly look she shared with her wife.

“What is it?” I asked, hardly daring to hope.

“We have a lead, the strongest one yet, and when I tell you I’ve got such a different feeling about this one…” Monty said. “This could be it, kid. I’m serious.”

Shocked, my eyes found Harper’s over the campfire. Hers were bright, brimming over with possibility.

“Then let’s go find ourselves a treasure,” I said, and Monty threw her hat in the air with a victorious whoop .