The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance by Katherine Logan (comprehension books .TXT) 📗

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe that sundial.” She pointed to an object on top of an open chest full of third-century gold coins. “Why put it on top of the coins? It looks out of place there.”

“If we stare at a picture of the entire treasure, we could find dozens of objects out of place.”

“Like a ‘what’s wrong with this picture?’ puzzle.”

“Yeah. David wants to go back with the robot he and the twins built to set sensors in the light to see if he finds out anything new.”

“If the robot goes in when the light is on, won’t it disappear?”

“Seems logical. So I guess he’ll only use it when the light is off. But once David sets the sensors, they’ll continuously collect data. Connor and Rick plan to set up sensors above ground to find out if there are any fluctuations in atmospheric conditions when the light goes on.”

“I thought Rick was spending all of his time lobbying the National Junior Golf Association to include tournaments for kids under five.”

“He’s obsessed with that idea right now since he can’t go rescue Tavis and can’t hurry the birth of his twins. But if anyone can successfully petition the NJGA, he can. He’s got a Rolodex full of names of influential people in the winery business, politics, and Thoroughbred breeding who’ll always take his call. Rick is the only person in the family besides Elliott and Kevin who has an international reputation.”

A message came in on their phones, and Austin reached for his. Ensley had buried hers in one of her many pockets and couldn’t get to it.

“It’s go time,” Austin said.

“Hallelujah!” She reached for her helmet with the NVGs flipped up, ready to use if they landed in the dark. “I hope I remember everything Rick, Pete, and Connor taught me.”

“If you don’t, ask me. I’ve got a cheat sheet.”

“Geez.” She laughed her way to the door. “You slay me. Like you’ll have time to refer to it when the battle-axes and arrows start whizzing by.”

“Oh, I’ll have plenty of time because I’ll be hiding behind one of those stone walls at Jarlshof.”

She opened the door and walked out into the hallway, feeling more like the Hulk wearing a turtle suit instead of shredded clothes. “I doubt there’s a wall there high enough to hide you.”

“Thanks for that unwelcome information.”

“Well, you could be short like me and worry about getting lost in the shuffle.”

“I plan to stick to you like superglue, so don’t worry about anyone running over you.”

She glanced up at him and batted her eyelashes. “Getting stuck together sounds so romantic.”

“Hold that thought. We’ll be back in a few hours and can spend the rest of the day in bed.”

She opened the oak door and entered the foyer, which was surprisingly quiet for a change. “If we spend a week or longer in the cold Shetland Islands weather, I’ll be spending the rest of this afternoon at the pool, enjoying the sun.”

“We can take the pontoon out, and you can sunbathe in the nude again.”

“That sounds like a great plan. I wonder if we can get away with it.”

Austin thumbed through his text messages. “Emily sent a message earlier wishing us all good luck.”

Ensley reached the mansion’s front door and opened it to a gorgeous spring morning, flowers blooming in every direction with their delicious scent permeating the air.

“That was sweet. So who sent the go-time message?”

“Elliott. Why?”

“Just curious to see who’s gathering the troops, the general or his second-in-command. I was hoping Charlotte would talk some sense into Elliott and encourage him to stay home.”

“Good luck with that. But I did hear from Rick, who heard from Penny, who heard from Kenzie, who heard from David, who heard from Elliott himself, that he had an appointment with his cardiovascular surgeon. The doc said he wasn’t in immediate danger, but he wants to do a peripheral artery bypass in the next few weeks.”

“Charlotte won’t let him put it off, but at least he’s seen his doctor. I wonder why Kenzie didn’t tell me.”

“That’s the way things happen around here. You snooze, you lose.”

“Meaning?”

Austin pointed to a golf cart parked on the drive, and they walked toward it. “Penny was with Kenzie right after she heard it from David.”

“How in the world do you keep up with the gossip train?”

“It’s a character trait I developed while growing up in a house full of gossipy, high-testosterone cops. The trick is to give away little in exchange for a lot. It’s a talent.”

Ensley hopped into the driver’s seat and pushed the start button. “Thanks for telling me. Are you an expert at back-channeling, too?”

Austin buckled his seat belt and grabbed the canopy frame. “We only do that when we believe Elliott is wrong and no one has the guts to tell him.”

“Cowards.” She pushed the pedal, and the cart jerked forward. She didn’t have good foot control because of the damn combat boots. After jerking a few more times, she figured out how much pressure to apply and drove the cart toward the barn, their dedicated staging area.

“The whole lot are cowards,” she continued. “If I know he’s wrong about something, I’ll tell him. He’s quick to anger, but it doesn’t last. Look at the way he treated the twins last week. He kicked them out of the meeting, laughed, and then let them right back in.”

“Speaking of the twins, I’m sorry I missed you playing polo with them yesterday. It’s all the buzz in the second-gens’ chat room this morning. You should have called me.”

“Why? You would have told me to stop, and you couldn’t do anything about it since you were in Denver.”

“I go out of town, and you put your health in danger.”

“Now you know it’s not safe to leave me behind.”

“Oh, I already knew that. But I had work that I couldn’t delegate. The pictures posted in our chat room almost gave me heart failure. Have you seen them? In