Free A Gift from the Past by Carla Cassidy

eyed her for another long minute, then gestured toward the flagpole base, where it was obvious he’d been digging for some time, making her wonder how long she’d been lost in the vision. “I dug all around the base, but there’s nothing there.”
    She nodded and looked at him once again, noting that his T-shirt was damp with sweat from his exertions. “You look hot. Let’s get back and I’ll make a big pitcher of iced tea.”
    â€œWhen we get back to the house, I’m cranking up the air conditioner.” He held up the trowel to still her automatic protest. “I’ll pay the utility bill and you aren’t going to argue with me about it. I hate this heat and it can’t be good for Sarge, either.”
    She wanted to protest, but he’d used ammunition she couldn’t deny. He was right, the heat couldn’t be good for Sarge, and for Sarge she would accept his offer. “Thank you,” she replied stiffly. “But when I find the treasure money, I’ll pay you back.”
    â€œYou don’t have to repay me. Don’t worry, Claire, I understand you don’t want to accept anything from me, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make Sarge comfortable, pay whatever it takes to get him back on his feet.”
    With each word he spoke his eyes grew darker and Claire felt smaller. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to make you angry.”
    He swiped a hand through his hair and drew a deep breath. “I’ve just always found your self-sufficiency rather irritating.”
    â€œLet’s not start on what we found irritating about each other,” she replied with a smile, hoping to break the tension that had sprung up between them. She didn’t want to fight with him. In fact, she wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted from him.
    Nothing, she told herself as they left Hazel’s and started walking back to the house. She didn’t want anything from Joshua McCane. And yet, even while she told herself that, she couldn’t deny that for a moment, as he’d held her in his arms, she hadn’t wanted him to stop.
    The self-sufficiency he’d said irritated him was the coping mechanism that had gotten her through her early life. As they headed back to the house in silence, her thoughts drifted back to when she’d been eight years old and her parents had been killed in a car accident.
    At that early age, she’d learned never to depend on anyone, never to need anyone. She loved Sarge and she had once loved Joshua, but she’d made a vow to herself long ago that she would never, ever need anyone.
    â€œI thought maybe I’d spend a little time at City Hall this afternoon if you don’t mind staying with Sarge for a while.” More than anything she felt the desire to get some sort of information about Sarah and Daniel Walker. She wanted to know what it was about them that had her dreaming about them, seeing visions about them. She wanted to know why they looked like her and Joshua, why they seemed to be haunting her.
    Besides, once she got that information, perhaps Joshua would leave, go back to California. She didn’t even care any longer if he helped her find the treasure.
    â€œThat’s fine,” he agreed.
    She cast him a sideways glance, a slight breathlessness sweeping over her as she took in his utter attractiveness. She’d felt that same crazy breathlessness the very first time she’d seen him. And when the corners of his lips had curled up in a smile directed at her, she’d thought she might die.
    â€œSurely you have to get back to California soon,” she said. “I mean, how can you run a successful business based there from here?”
    He flashed his green gaze in her direction, a small smile of amusement dancing on his lips. “There’s no hurry. Not only do I have terrific people working for me, but with modern technology and my laptop,