Search Me(27)

“Okay. As soon as I find something to wear, I’ll go see if there’s anything in the kitchen I can cook for us.”

“Sounds awesome,” Maddox replied as he headed into the bathroom. When he closed the door, I took my lantern into the closet. Just as I had suspected, Trophy Wife’s wardrobe left much to be desired that wasn’t spandex, bedazzled, or midriff. I finally slipped on some black yoga pants and a T-shirt that no lie read, I Got Shucked at Nooky’s in Panama City, which I gathered was an oyster bar. I also grabbed up a pair jeans that would probably be tight on me along with the one non-halter shirt in case I needed something for tomorrow.

Then I made my way to the kitchen, which thankfully seemed to be the most normal room in the cabin. The fridge was wiped clean, but the pantry was pretty stocked. After checking the expiration date on a jar of spaghetti sauce, I grabbed some noodles and got busy. I was used to cooking at home from time to time, but it was a new experience cooking by lantern light in a stranger’s kitchen. I guess in the end it was a little like camping out.

Maddox appeared behind me just as the sauce started bubbling on the stove. He sniffed the air appreciatively. “That smells awesome. Man, I’m starving.”

I glanced over at him. His hair was still wet from the shower, and he had only thrown on a white “wife beater” undershirt with a pair of boxers that had hot red peppers all over them. “Nice shorts,” I mused as I drained the water off the noodles. The truth was although the design was pretty funny, he looked practically edible in them, and I certainly didn’t need to be having those thoughts about him.

He chuckled. “Yeah, these were about the only pair of clean underwear I could find that weren’t tighty whitey’s or a Speedo.” He shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about what that dude is doing wearing a Speedo.”

I giggled. “Of all the cabins we have to break into, we pick one owned by trashy perverts.”

“No joke,” he murmured, pouring a glass of water.

After spooning a heaping helping of spaghetti, I handed Maddox a plate. By the time I’d fixed my plate and poured something to drink, he had gobbled most of his down. “Um, hungry much?”

“I told you I was starved not to mention after all that running, I need to refuel with some carbs.”

“Go on and sit down. I’ll fix you another plate.”

I measured out a decent portion for myself before pouring the rest for Maddox. In the dim light of the lantern, he hunched over the coffee table. He had unfolded the map and was staring at it as if he hoped it would suddenly all make sense. I guess whatever doubts he’d had about the map’s validity had been erased with Jensen’s arrival on the scene. I passed him his plate, and for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were scraping silverware and chewing. I took a swig of water. “So what happens in the morning?”

He shrugged. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

I twirled some noodles on my fork. “Call me crazy, but I never thought I’d have to make the decision of going to the police or going treasure hunting.”

“Tell me about it,” he murmured, his fingers running over the faded letters. “If we just had someone who could read this shit...”

“Yeah, that one shouldn’t be too hard. Last time I checked, Cherokee wasn’t on the list of possible foreign languages I could choose to take in school.”

Maddox snorted through a mouthful of pasta. “We did as little as possible on the Native Americans when I was in school. I think my teacher, Mr. “Bug-eyed” Boyer was secretly a racist.”

We fell into silence for a few minutes. Neither one of us could stop staring at the map. “What do you think Maudie would want us to do?” I questioned softly.

Maddox’s jaw tightened as he tried to keep his emotions in check. “Hell, she put herself in harm’s way just to keep the stupid thing, not to mention how much she wanted us to get it!” He jabbed his fork into his bowl, spearing some more noodles. “She’d want us to find the gold. Use it for college or something like that.”

I smiled at the thought. But before I could argue with him about how dangerous it would be, a thought flashed in my mind, and I almost dropped my plate. “New Echota.”

Maddox stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “What?”

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. It’s the former Cherokee capitol, and now it’s a state park…I think we went there in Eighth grade on a field trip. It’s not too far from here. It’s over in…uh, Gordon County where those outlet malls are.”

“How in the hell do you know that?”

I grinned. “Let’s just say my 8th grade Georgia History teacher had a serious jonesing for Native American tribes.”

Maddox looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Did you actually just say jonesing?”

I cocked my head at him. “Why, yes, I did. So why don’t you laugh your ass off at me and get it over with?”

That was all it took to set him off. His laughter rolled through him, and it made me remember what it was like when we were kids. “Oh, Lane, you never change.”

“Thanks…I think.”

Straightening up, Maddox said, “So Gordon County can’t be too far from here, right?”