Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1) by Dianne Venetta Page B

around. Were they hiding
something in the bushes? She rummaged through nearby philodendron and a scraggly
bush, one she couldn’t identify.
    She’d
heard tales of hikers through the years, hiding out in the woods, stashing
drugs and stolen goods where no one could find them. Maybe that’s what they
were doing. With hundreds of thousands of acres, she figured the USFS and
adjoining properties were as good a hiding place as any. A branch cracked.
    Delaney
sucked in her breath, ducking instinctively. She gulped, waiting. When no more sounds
came, she warily raised her head. Leaves fluttered high above. An animal?
    Black
bears were a growing population in this area. Her chest tightened. Momma bears
were not known for their rosy disposition. Running into one was not on her list
of things to do. Delaney swallowed back her fear and suddenly worried about
Sadie. Tied to the post, she would be easy prey for any animal with a knack for
attack. Should she go back for her?
    Delaney
glanced around. She wasn’t accomplishing anything here. Rising to her feet, she
considered her options. It was going to be dark soon. Maybe she should come
back tomorrow and resume her search. Setting a hand to the rock beside her, she
leaned against it. The stone was cold, damp, mottled with white fungus.
    Yes,
it might be better to return in the morning. She’d feign business and head out
first thing. Felicity would be all right for a few hours without her. Delaney
pulled her hand away and noticed a stick poking straight up from the stone
behind it. What the—?
    That
was an odd position for a branch. Inspecting it more closely, she realized the
stick was propped up artificially. Excitement surged through her. Could this be
a clue?
    She
moved to the other side of the rock. A large dead branch was lying over top of
it. She removed it and looked closer. In the trickle of sunlight, she caught
the sparkle of a dusty stone surface. She wiped at it and her breath caught. She
rubbed harder and stepped back, stunned. Oh my ...
    Adrenaline
liquefied her limbs. She’d heard of this before, but never dreamed it was
anything but a tall tale—or a thing of the past. With a shaky hand, Delaney
reached out and traced the lines etched in the gray stone. In the faint light,
she could see layers of rock separated by a distinct discoloration. Her
breathing grew shallow. She might be mistaken—most probably was mistaken—but
she would swear she was looking at gold.
    In
the rough. On Ladd property. Her mind staggered at the implication. Could it be?
    Heart
beats thumped behind her breast. The narrow threads of yellow were jagged,
uneven, and ran the entire width of the stone. Several areas looked as though
they’d been chipped away, revealing the vein as it penetrated deep into the
boulder. Delaney ran a shaky hand across the section, the surface sharp and
irregular beneath her fingertips. Disbelief poured into her skull. Those men
had discovered gold. Gold .
    Immediately
she started calculating the significance in dollars and cents. The price of
gold was at a record high. Depending on how much there was in this rock, it could
mean Ladd Springs was worth millions. Ladd Springs. Millions .
    The
thought made her dizzy. But how to get it out? What to do with it? Who to tell?
Delaney bolted upright. Those men knew there was gold on her property . Panic
sliced her in half. Clem knew there was gold on her property. His visits
with Ernie, his eagerness to please, mow the lawn, fix the plumbing...
    It
was no wonder he was working so hard to ingratiate himself with Ernie! He
wanted the rights to the gold.
    She
had to get out of here, had to think. She had to figure out her next step. Ladd
Springs had gold. It had to be real. Those men believed it was real, risking
the chance of getting caught in order to loot the land. Clem was looting
her land.
    Ernie
had to be told. But just as quickly as the thought occurred, futility settled
in. He would not believe her. He would call her a