Julianna Morris - Undercover In Glimmer Creek

The sooner he found out what was going on at Poppy Gold, the better. Then he wouldn’t need to worry about other people’s reactions. Ultimately he planned to buy land in the mountains where he’d design and test equipment for the SEALs and other emergency response teams.

Since signing out of work, he’d explored the conference center and learned the location of every feature. It hadn’t taken long—he had ample practice memorizing data for his missions. He now had a mental map of the facility and building floor plans securely established in his brain, along with the details of the operations handbook.

“I’ll help,” hailed a voice as Gabe reached for the next bag in the back of the truck. It was a young man, and he came over with a girl dressed in a Victorian costume.

Gabe gritted his teeth. So much for a private chat with Liam Connor. It was after hours and they weren’t in a public area, yet people were popping out of the woodwork.

“This is Lance Beckley,” Tessa said, “and my cousin Jamie Fullerton. Lance is in Maintenance, while Jamie works in Guest Services. Lance, Jamie, this is Gabe McKinley. He just started today.”

Gabe said hello as Lance jumped into the truck bed and began shifting bags from the front to the back so they could be unloaded more easily. He was probably showing off to his girlfriend, though it hardly seemed necessary since they both looked like lovesick puppies.

It won’t last, Gabe thought to himself.

Love was just a series of chemical reactions that didn’t survive for long.

* * *

JAMIE WATCHED LANCE WORKING, and though they’d been dating for several weeks, excitement went through her. He was the most awesome guy in the world. They got together every afternoon, and on most days she was so anxious to see him that she didn’t wait to change out of her costume.

Lance made working at Poppy Gold even better, and she already loved it here. Though his shift started earlier than hers, they could sometimes have lunch together, or just get a chance to say hi.

“How is your class going?” Tessa asked.

“Um...not so good.” Jamie squirmed. She was taking a night course in early California history down in Stockton, but lately she hadn’t been attending many of the classes. “I might drop it.”

“Your mom won’t be happy about that.”

Her mom wasn’t happy about Lance, either. “She just doesn’t understand what it’s like to have a boyfriend.”

“I don’t want to sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but she understands better than you think,” Tessa told her. “She just wants you to keep your options open.”

All of a sudden Jamie remembered that Poppy Gold had paid her tuition, and her face got hot. “I’ll pay the money back if I don’t finish the class,” she said quickly. She hated studying or sitting through lectures when she could be with Lance, but it also bothered her that she hadn’t been attending. It was the same as breaking a promise.

“I’m not worried about the tuition, but what about having Lance drive to Stockton with you? He could wait while you’re in class, and you’d have the trip down to the valley and back to be together.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Jamie agreed doubtfully.

She was sure her cousin was going to say one of those things like, “If he really cares about you...” but Tessa was looking at Uncle Liam.

Jamie sighed. Sometimes it was sad to see Uncle Liam because he was unhappy so often. Her mom and the rest of the family had worried that he’d leave and they’d never get to see him again. They said it didn’t make sense that in-laws sometimes stopped acting like family when their wife or husband died. It was hard enough without Aunt Meredith; if Uncle Liam was gone, too, it would be awful. She just wanted him to start smiling more.

“Hey.” Tessa nudged her. “What are you looking so gloomy about?”

“Nothing.” It wasn’t true, but Jamie didn’t want to upset her cousin. “Uh, you know, Mom is uptight about Lance. Do you think it’s his motorcycle?”

“Could be. Motorcycles make some people uncomfortable—especially in Glimmer Creek since those two biker gangs got into a fight here a few years ago.”

“Lance isn’t in a gang.”

“I realize that, but take a car to Stockton if he wants to go with you. It’ll make Aunt Emma happier, and I won’t get into as much trouble for suggesting you go together.”

Jamie laughed. “Mom could never get mad at you.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.”

Lance dusted his hands and came over. “We’re all done, ma’am...I mean, Tessa. Are those the new apples for the orchard?” He pointed to the rows of trees that had come off the truck last.

“Some of them. I understand a section of the ground is nearly ready for cultivation.”

“Yes...ma...uh, Tessa. I should be able to start planting by the end of this week.”

“Great. Pop will show you what to do when you’re ready.”

Jamie stepped closer to Lance. He had a hard time calling Tessa and Uncle Liam by their first names, as if he’d get in trouble for doing it or something weird like that. She’d guessed that Lance had gotten into some kind of trouble before coming to Poppy Gold, but Uncle Liam had still hired him. Lance wouldn’t talk that much about the past—he could be moody sometimes—but she was crazy about him, anyhow.

“Let’s go down by the creek,” she whispered. “Unless you’re hungry.”

“Let’s eat later.” Lance put his arm around her waist, and they said goodbye.

“It really is okay to call them Tessa and Liam,” she said, holding up her long skirt as they went to her favorite place along the stream.

“I know.”

She took off her shoes and stockings to stick her feet in the water. Her dresses were hot when the weather warmed up, but she loved the costumes, especially the elegant hats. A lot of Poppy Gold employees who worked in areas such as Guest Registration or giving tours liked to wear costumes. The historical society made them, and she got first pick because her mom was the president.

Lance poked around the rocks in the creek with a stick. “I wish that was real gold down there, not pyrite.”

“If it was real, it wouldn’t be there any longer,” Jamie said practically.

“But it—”

Suddenly he slipped on a rock, pitching forward into the water.

A shriek escaped Jamie, and she splashed to his side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Dumbass thing to do,” he muttered, rubbing his head. “And you got your costume wet.”

“That doesn’t matter. Let’s go sit down.”

“At least we’re cooler now,” Lance said once they were settled on the creek bank with just their toes in the flowing current.

She laughed and squeezed his hand.

“Does anyone ever find real gold in the creek?” Lance asked after a few minutes. “I know there’s a place where people pan for it, but I haven’t heard that they get any.”

“Sometimes they do. And when I was little I heard that someone in California went hiking and kicked a cow patty—only it wasn’t a cow patty, it was a big lump of gold. Pounds and pounds of it.”

Lance’s eye widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. People in Glimmer Creek started kicking cow patties for a while after that, but it is poop, you know.”

“I wouldn’t care about the poop if I found that much gold, because then I could really take care of you. And I’m going to. Someday I’ll make it big, and you won’t have to worry about anything.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d talked about taking care of her, which was old-fashioned, even in Glimmer Creek, but really cute.

“I’m not worried, so don’t start kicking cow poop for me.” She put her head on his shoulder, so happy she could cry.