Always Friday (16 page)

Crossing her arms, she sniffed. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to
look.”

He heaved a big sigh and shook his head, but a few minutes
later he pulled to a stop on the brick-paved main street. Businesses were not
yet open and the district was almost deserted. They got out and crossed the
intersection to read the brass plaque in front of a large building.

“Yep, it was here,” Tess said, looking up at the hulking red
brick structure that covered half a block. “I wonder—”

“No!”

She raised her eyebrows. “No, what?”

“I’m not blowing up a bank, Tess. Not even for you.”

She laughed and hooked her arm through his. Feeling a little
puckish, she pursed her lips. “Hmmm. I hadn’t considered that, but—”

As he silenced her with a forefinger over her lips, a trace
of amusement played around his mouth. “Don’t even think it.”

Smiling, she said, “I was just wondering if they found
anything when the land was sold and the original fort was torn down in 1902.
They must have excavated the area before they built here.”

“We’ll never know.”

She laid her head against his shoulder and sighed. “We’ll
never know. And it looks like our last chance for my house and Pirate’s
Pleasure are kaput.” Tears stung her eyes, and despite her efforts to keep them
in check, one escaped and rolled down her cheek.

Dan hugged her close and wiped the tear away with his thumb.
“Maybe not.”

Her heart surged with new hope. “Do you think we could get
some divers to find the stash under the lake? Or maybe we could rent one of
those big earthmoving machines and search the place by the springs again.”

“No, babe, I think finding any of Laffite’s treasure is a
lost cause. Let’s get some rest and head back to Galveston. Well talk about
options later.”

“Are you still angry with me?”

He smiled and shook his head. “I wasn’t really angry with
you, love. I was frustrated and embarrassed.”

They went back in their hotel room, cleaned up, and slipped
into bed. Both were totally exhausted. Tess snuggled against Dan with her head
on his shoulder and her hand across his chest.

“You never believed that we would find any treasure, did
you?” She absently threaded her fingers through the fine curls along his
breastbone, taking comfort from their silky texture and the warmth of the flesh
beneath.

“No . . . and I should have talked you out of coming. I didn’t
want you to be disappointed.”

“You couldn’t have talked me out of it. I was so sure the
gold was buried somewhere, just waiting for me to find it. I felt it deep down
in here.” She patted her chest. “It’s strange, because when I get a feeling
like that, I’m never wrong.”

“This time you were.”

She yawned. “I suppose. Sorry I dragged you along on my
crazy adventure?”

He laughed and rubbed his cheek against her forehead. “I
imagine, Tess Cameron, that life with you will be a series of adventures.”

“I imagine,” she breathed as her eyelids fluttered shut.

*    *    *

Tess awoke gradually, yawning and stretching. It took a
moment for her to get her bearings. When she saw the familiar sampler on the
wall across from the foot of her bed, she realized she was in her own room in Galveston.
They had come home from their futile search the night before. Aunt Olivia had
told her that the sampler had belonged to Tess’s mother, made for Anna’s tenth
birthday by her great-grandmother, Casey Prophet.

You may follow rainbows to find pots of gold, the
stitching proclaimed, but the real treasure of the family is in the foundation
of our home.

She threw aside the covers and got up grumbling, “That’s all
well and good for you, Granny, but you had a home. A hundred years of progress
beat me out of my chance at the pot of gold.”

In the bathroom, Tess turned on the shower and stripped off
her nightgown. Her sleep had been fitful. Although she’d tried to be
philosophical about not finding the treasure, especially around Dan, she’d been
bitterly disappointed. For so long, all her fantasies had revolved around her
house. No, not her house anymore. The house. Her option to buy would run out in
two weeks. Perhaps she and Dan could find another, more affordable one, to
restore. But it wouldn’t be the same. That house had been meant for them, for
their family. She knew it.

After her shower, she searched through her closet to find
something to restore her spirits, but not even her favorite orange overalls and
fuchsia camp shirt helped. She dawdled with her makeup, hating to go downstairs
with the bad news. It had been late when they got home the night before, and
everyone had been in bed. Now it was time to face Aunt Olivia and Aunt Martha
with the fact that there would be no horse, no house. There was no treasure.
Damn!

When her shoes were finally tied and her last excuse used
up, she pasted a bright smile on her face and went downstairs. Dan and the
entire crew were gathered around the dining table having breakfast. From the
look on their faces when she walked in, she knew that Dan had already told them
that their trip had been a total washout. She was grateful he’d spared her the
task.

“Good morning,” she said to the group, striding into the
room on a ray of sunny laughter. “I guess Dan’s told you that the bedraggled
knights have returned without the Holy Grail. Even though we didn’t find
anything, we had a grand adventure. Some of it was a real hoot, wasn’t it Dan?
Did you tell them about our run-in with the law?”

A band of pain constricted Dan’s heart when he looked up and
saw Tess. Although no one would guess from her broad smile and jaunty step, he
knew she was hurting. And he would have given his last dime to be able to
soothe the hurt away. Tess was so used to giving to others, and people were so
accustomed to taking from her that he suspected that no one ever considered
that Tess had needs of her own. She was as strong and gutsy as any woman he’d
ever known, but she needed someone to take care of her sometimes. She needed
him.

Dan rose and smiled at her, hoping that the love and concern
he felt shone in his face. “I was saving that tale for you.” He helped her into
her chair.

Ivan stood. “I make my best French toast just for you. Don’t
start the story until I get back.” He strode from the room.

Tess glanced at the two older women. “I’m sorry Aunt Olivia,
Aunt Martha. It looks like your plans for Pirate’s Pleasure are out the window.”

Olivia shrugged and gave a dismissing wave of her hand. “Easy
come, easy go. Don’t sweat it.”

Martha reached across and patted Tess’s hand. “Oh, pooh, Tess,
what did two old ladies need with a racehorse anyway? If you want to know the
truth, horses are really very messy, smelly creatures. Aren’t they, Olivia?”

Olivia nodded. “Piles and piles of very smelly mess.”

Hook’s gold tooth gleamed as a grin split his face. He
poured Tess a cup of coffee and passed it to her. “I want to hear about your
brush with the law.”

“Not till I get back!” Ivan shouted from the kitchen.

By the time breakfast was over, Tess and Dan had everyone
laughing at the embroidered version of their exploits. Each tried to outdo the
other as they related their quest.

“Police! Freeze!” Ivan boomed, then slapped the table as he
guffawed. “I wish I could have seen the looks on your faces.”

“Danny”—concern wrinkled Martha’s brow as she leaned over to
her grandson—”does this mean you’ll have a record?”

He laughed. “I think I can still pass for a solid citizen,
Gram.” He glanced over at Tess, who looked like she had had all the phony joie
de vivre she could handle for a while. “Tess,” he said, rising, “next week is
my sister Kathy’s birthday. I thought I’d go shopping for something on the Strand,
and I need some help picking out a proper gift. Would you come along?”

“Danny, I’d love—” Martha jumped and gave a little yelp. She
glanced at Olivia, then pursed her lips into a tight pucker.

Hook’s gold tooth flashed, and Ivan became acutely
interested in his fingernails.

“Yes, Gram?”

Martha shot Olivia a haughty look and said, “I was just
going to say that I’d love for you and Tess to pick out something for me to
send Kathy as well.”

“Let’s go,” Tess answered. “I’m in the mood for some
shopping.”

She jumped up, waved good-bye, and headed out the door with
Dan in tow before anyune else could say a word. She was glad to escape for a while.
Her disappointment would fade with time, someday she would be able to look back
over their exploits and truly laugh, but just now the wounds were too fresh to
keep pouring salt over them by talking about it and forcing laughter she didn’t
truly feel. For the rest of the day, she didn’t even want to think about buried
treasure.

They drove Buttercup to the Strand and parked on a side
street.

“What kind of things does Kathy like?”

“What does every woman like? Clothes and jewelry. But she
always complains that everything I buy for her is too conservative.”

Tess grinned. “Nobody has ever accused me of that.”

Dan laughed. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He pulled a
picture of Kathy from his wallet and handed it to Tess. “All of her sizes are
on the back.”

She studied the photograph of the pretty strawberry blond,
who shared a more feminine version of Dan’s features, then turned it over and
glanced at her statistics. “I know just the thing. It’s in the shop on the
corner.”

They got out and walked the half block to Morgan’s. Once
inside, she greeted the owner of the campy boutique and headed for a rack of
silk separates. Flipping through the clothes for the proper sizes, she selected
a gossamer-fine jacket of celery-colored silk, handpainted with dramatic coral lotus
blossoms, and a matching camisole, pants, and skirt in solid celery.

“This is perfect for Kathy,” she declared. “With her
coloring, it will be fantastic. I’d love to have this outfit myself, but this
shade makes me look like I’m recovering from a long bout with dengue fever.”
She thrust the garments at the proprietor. “Wrap them up. Pat. Birthday
present.”

She grabbed Dan’s hand and steered him to a display of
unusual costume jewelry. Scanning the table’s contents, she picked up a pair of
earrings that looked like fried eggs and held them to her ears. “What do you
think?”

Dan looked pained.

She chortled. “Just checking. Pretty bad, huh?” She selected
a necklace of hammered copper with an unusual starburst medallion and matching
earrings. “For Kathy from your grandmother.” Picking up a pair of paper-mache
watermelon slices, she threaded the hooks through her ears, turned to Dan and
grinned. “For me from me. Like them?”

He smiled. “I like them. Strangely enough, on you they look
perfect.” He whispered in her ear, “Good enough to eat.”

When they left the shop two hours later, their arms were
piled high with packages. Besides the gifts for Kathy, Dan had insisted that
she try on several outfits that caught her eye. He’d laughed at some, whistled
appreciatively at others, and they’d bought most of them. Not once did he
complain about spending time there.

After they had dumped their purchases in Buttercup, Tess
grinned and kissed Dan on the cheek. “Nothing lifts my spirits like shopping
for new clothes. You’re a good sport, Friday. And because you are, I’m going to
treat you to a tour that you’ll love. Come on.” She tugged at his hand and they
took off at a swinging stride down the street.

“Where are we going?”

She pulled him into a souvenir shop. “You’ll see. But first
we need to be properly attired.”

After much grumbling and giggling and laughing, they left
the shop with gaudily plumed buccaneer hats on their heads and plastic sabers
strapped to their sides. Strangely enough, nobody gave them a second glance.

Tess gave him a triumphant poke in the ribs with her elbow. “Told
you,” she said out of the side of her mouth. “This is Galveston. Everybody is a
little crazy. It’s allowed.”

Hand in hand they walked to Water Street and down a few
blocks to a row of warehouses backed up to the wharf.

“We’re going to tour a warehouse?”

She laughed. “Just wait.” She pulled him through a door in
the musty, cavernous building and waved to an old man sitting at a table
reading a newspaper. “Hi, Gus. We’re going to take a look at Proud Beauty. How’s
she coming along?”

The old man touched the bill of his seaman’s cap. “Fine. Just
fine. Mr. Marshall’s ordered the sails from a place in Maine. Won’t be many
more weeks before we’ll be rigging her to take out.”

From the rear of the warehouse, they walked out on a pier
and Tess gave an exaggerated sweep of her hand, pointing to the large sailing
vessel berthed there. Perfectly restored, her tall masts awaiting their
square-rigged sails, she sat anchored in the water. “Meet Proud Beauty.”

Hands on his hips, Dan looked the ship over from the bow’s
figurehead to the stern rail, from the tip of the mainmast to the freshly
painted wooden hull. “She is a beauty. Who owns her?”

“A friend of Dr. Ed’s from Houston. He’s been working on
restorations for three years. Even though he could well afford to have it all
done for him, he enjoys helping the work crews himself. Come on,” she said,
kicking off her shoes, and motioning for him to do the same, “let’s go aboard.”

“Are you sure the owner won’t mind?”

“Positive. We let him use the warehouse and pier for free.”
She bent to roll up the legs of her orange overalls.

“We?” He rolled up his pant legs in imitation of Tess.

“Aunt Olivia and me.” She grinned. “This was the other piece
of property Laffite willed Violet.” Running toward the gangplank, she yelled
over her shoulder. “Last one on deck is a lily-livered coward.”

Grinning, he took off after her. She led him below and they
toured the hold, the galley, and the quarters for officers and crew. Dan kissed
her outside the captain’s cabin, but Tess laughed and twisted away. “Cease, you
blackguard or be keelhauled! No man kisses the pirate queen!”